Interior Design

4 Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid in 2020

May 19, 2020

Interior design mistakes aren’t just an eye-sore—they’re expensive. From the color scheme to the furniture in a room, there’s a lot to consider, and that means there’s plenty of opportunity for things to go wrong.

We’ve seen our share of home designs, and it turns out that some interior design mistakes are more common than others. Here are the four of the most common interior design mistakes so that you can avoid them.

1. Not Making It Personal

One of the most common interior design mistakes people make is not making it personal. When it comes to designing a room, you’ll want to ensure it’s personal to you.

Many homeowners read magazines or other blogs to come up with ideas for decorating. They’ll read about how turquoise is a ‘must-have addition’ to every room. Then they’ll plan out how they’re going to incorporate that color scheme and make it work in their home.

The problem is that everyone has different tastes, and as astonishing as a John Barman design scheme may be, it might not be the look that suits your home or your style.

Ask yourself what kind of person you are. Are you a more vibrant individual? Then warm colors might be what you’re after. Do you prefer solitude and serenity? Stick with home additions that’ll ensure your peace of mind. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s tailored to your needs.

2. Not Having a Focal Point

When you walk into a room, what’s the first thing you see? Not having a focal point is another common interior design mistake.

A focal point acts as the center of a room and attracts attention. Having one allows you to immediately establish the feel and theme of the room. It also helps you to choose pieces that will complement the focal point.

When you walk into a room, your eyes should immediately focus on that object or spot. Large furniture pieces or windows make good focal points. Make the focus of the room centered on the focal point, and you’ll be amazed at how much better it looks.

3. Trying to Match Everything

Another common interior design mistake is trying to make everything match. In reality, sometimes, you need a piece to stand out to complete the look of the room.

When it comes to interior design, there’ll always be that one piece that doesn’t match everything else. That potted plant in the corner might clash with the feel of the room, and you’ll be inclined to either remove it or make it fit in with everything else.

Instead of making everything match, sometimes all you need is a little bit of conflict. If there’s a piece that just doesn’t fit, why not use it as a focal point? Utilize it to complement the room and make it feel balanced.

4. Not Paying Attention to Traffic Flow

No matter how good a room looks, if you can’t walk into it, you can’t enjoy it. The fourth common interior design mistake people make is not paying attention to traffic flow.

You know you have a well-designed room when it doesn’t just look comfortable—it feels comfortable. If common entrances and walkways are being obstructed, chances are it will affect how the room feels.

You’ll constantly feel like something’s bugging you, and it might be because of that tabletop that’s jutting out. Make sure nothing obstructs common walkways so you can enjoy the beauty of your home and avoid stubbed toes!

Design A Small Kitchen With Big Style

December 7, 2019

Nobody wants to work in or socialize in a cramped, boxed-in small kitchen so we use efficient layouts, lighting, luminescent materials and other design tricks to optimize the small space at hand.

Transform Your Small Kitchen Into an Efficient and Airy Delight

In this post, I’ll take you through some kitchen-specific tips for making a small space feel bigger so you can make the most of it.

Let’s look at the footprint – what’s making the kitchen small?

First stop along the remodeling trail, we’re going to explore what’s making your kitchen feel small. Is it the home’s footprint or original design? Galley kitchens were definitely ‘a thing’ in the 70s and 80s and that can take a perfectly good footprint and make it choppy. A poorly proportioned or designed kitchen island might be cramping your style, as will appliances that were installed in ridiculous locations or proximity.

Is there anywhere we can knock out or shorten a wall to expand the view? While you may not be able to create a completely open floor plan, we may have the chance to open it up quite a bit to the same effect.

Do you have a formal dining room? If so, do you actually use it more than a handful of times per year? Eliminating or re-thinking the formal dining room space might be just the thing for taking a small kitchen and making it more expansive.

Now it’s time to play with light

Daylighting – and smartly designed lighting for after hours – is one of the best ways to brighten up a space and make it feel bigger than it actually is. We’ll do our best to add windows, expand windows or add skylights and solar tubes. Often, with smarter cabinet design and interior storage solutions, you can eliminate a bank of cabinets on exterior walls and add a much-needed window.

If daylighting options aren’t available, we’ll get rid of any outdated, boxy ceiling lights and replace them with recessed cans on dimmers and barely-there but decorative pendants so you benefit from both task and ambient lighting options.

Time to consider the kitchen layout

Believe it or not, your small kitchen is not the enemy of functionality. Even the smallest kitchens will be completely functional when the layout matches the way occupants use them. When we meet, I’ll want to talk about how you use your kitchen on a daily basis. Who cooks there? How do they cook? Which appliances do you use most? Do you have kitchen helpers or is cooking a relatively solo affair? What drives you crazy about your current kitchen?

The answers to these and other questions will show us whether the existing layout actually suits the way the kitchen is used. If not, we’ll redesign it to accommodate you in a more personalized way. We’ll also take a look at your current kitchen organization. Cabinets customized for your storage needs will condense the amount of storage space you need, and this frees up wall and air space so the kitchen looks larger.

Time to discuss color and materials

Contrary to what you’ve heard, it’s entirely possible to design a small kitchen using darker finishes if you’re so inclined. So this isn’t a lecture on how small kitchens require light colors and finishes. However, it is a lecture about balance.

In order to make your kitchen feel more spacious and open, you’ll need to balance darker and lighter finishes and try to select lighter finishes that are luminous. For example, darker cabinets will be balanced by lighter quartz or granite countertops and glass or reflective backsplash tiles. Standard cabinet boxes should be balanced by some open shelving to free up the visual space.

Organizing And Decorating Your Home Office

December 7, 2019

The home office can easily become the home dumping grounds if you’re not careful. Piles of this and boxes of that get scattered hither and yon, and before you know it you’re typing amidst chaos with nary a space to set a cup of coffee.

Believe me when I say you’ll be much more productive, and will enjoy a lower-stress atmosphere, when you decorate and organize your office in style.

7 Tips for Decorating and Organizing Your Home Office

Keep your home office stylish and organized with some of these simple tips.

Choose the right location. If you have the luxury of a extra office room, lucky you. Most homes, however, incorporate their offices into existing living spaces. Try to find a space that is somewhat our of the way, perhaps under a stairway or in an unused corner in a family or living room space. Many clients are opting to add a home office as part of their kitchen remodel, building it in to the end of a wall or as part of a kitchen peninsula or message center.
Focus on ergonomics. The more you use your home office, the more you will want to focus on ergonomics. Make sure that your desktop and workspace are at a height, angle and position that is healthy for your body. Research is showing more and more how unhealthy the seated-and-working lifestyle is for the human body. Check out OSHA’s eTool regarding Computer Work Stations and then set up your work space accordingly.
Think about color. If you’re home office is situated in another living space, your color combinations may have already been decided for you. In cases where you can repaint and decorate, think carefully about the energy you like to have around you while working before moving forward with color combinations you like. Different colors have different effects on human psyche. If you prefer to work in a more calm and soothing environment, choose blues, greens, whites or more neutral color combinations. If you want a home office environment that has a pick-me-up vibe all on its own, opt for brighter colors like reds, oranges and yellows.
Prioritize organization. As I mentioned above, the home office space – like any office space – can get cluttered pretty quickly. Is your office also going to be the place where the family’s art supply will be stored? Will others be accessing its drawers and cubbies? Think about how the space will be used and what will be stored there. You may find you’ll benefit from custom shelving and storage that will accommodate your needs. Add a few open shelves or cubbies so you have a place to add a few (a few – not a cluttered collection!) sentimental mementos and/or photos.
Define the space. Again, if your office space is located in part of the main house, you’ll want to define the space a bit more. Ideas for doing this include using area rugs to anchor your office furniture or adding an accent wall with a cool wallpaper print that is slightly larger than the outline of your desk and/or shelving or book cases.
Give yourself a little sunshine. If at all possible, make sure your home office space has access to natural light. It’s the best light source for reading, writing and computer work. Don’t have a window or skylight nearby? Consider adding an affordable solar tube. Otherwise, upgrade your lighting plan to prevent tired eyes or a dim and gloomy workspace.

9 Colors That’ll Make Any Room Feel Larger

November 25, 2019

Here in the Bay Area, people get used to living on a smaller scale. Apartments and homes can require ingenuity in order to make them feel spacious. Fortunately, there are “tricks of the design trade” that can make a smaller room appear more spacious. This is typically done with color and furnishing size.

9 Color Choices and Tips To Make a Small Room Feel More Spacious

Today, we’re going to focus on color and how the colors you select can make a room feel larger and more spacious than it actually is. Here are 9 ideas to try in your small rooms.

All white. We’ll start with this one, though it’s often the only choice people think about. White is bright and open, which is one reason why it makes a room feel larger. There is another reason though; an all white room is monochromatic, and monochromatic palettes can make a room seem bigger because they blend the edges and keep it from looking compartmentalized.
Opt cool over warm. If you are thinking about adding color, especially if it’s a darker color, opt for cool shades over warm ones. Warm tones jump out at you. So, if you have warm red, orange or yellow walls, the walls will seem “closer”. Cooler colors, like green, blue and violet will have more of a receding feeling, which opens a room up a bit.
Stiffkey Blue. Want to be a little more daring? Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue is a rich blue color that will take you far from the idea of all white or all neutral palate. Ideal for a living room or bedroom, it creates a soothing ambiance.
Appalachian Brown. This one might surprise you given the fast-held belief that small rooms should always be painted light colors. Benjamin Moore’s Appalachian Brown is a rich, dark hue but it still manages to make the room feel bigger because the color is so saturated, blending a room’s dimensions. Consider using a high-gloss finish for light play and movement, and paint moulding/trim in the same shade with a slightly different finish. Don’t paint them white or it will chop it up and make the room smaller again.
Cut in a white ceiling. If you have a particularly small room and you choose to put color on the walls, cut in a white ceiling which will help to raise it a bit and give a sense of extra space.
Horizon. Benjamin Moore’s Horizon reminds us of a beach sky when the sun is hidden by the clouds. It will work with any of your furnishings and accents. The muted gray looks almost white until you put it on the walls where the softest blue peeks out.
Select smaller furnishings. You don’t have to go miniature here, but smaller (always comfortable, though!) furnishings will be more proportioned to the room, making it feel larger. Consider a love seat and svelte arm chair rather than a sectional or oversized sofa.
Curry Yellow. We mentioned yellow as a warm color, and typically it is. However, you can also find cooler shades that will make your room appear larger while still feeling much warmer than the all-white option. Porter Paint’s Fresh Curry is a good yellow option.
Shades of Spring. This is a two-for-one tip. Look out your windows and take palette cues from there. Using a shade from the outdoors will connect your interior with the exterior, making it seem larger. Benjamin Moore’s Shades of Spring is a lovely green to consider.

What Color Says About You

November 25, 2019

Talking about favorite colors can feel like a rather empty, “getting to know you” type topic that doesn’t hold much weight. During the younger years, little girls often hold staunchly to pink while boys may advocate for blue. As they age, children will often use colors as if they were a weapon – sticking staunchly to an all-black wardrobe and make-up palette, for example. Over time, however, the colors we gravitate to really do have more meaning than we may think.

They may reflect a personality type or energetic vibration that characterizes who you are. Or, on the flip side, they may be a signal for the type of energy you need more of in your life. Of course, there is always the possibility that you simply like a color because you like it – plain and simple.

What Do Colors Say About You and Your Life?

It probably doesn’t surprise you to learn that, as a professional interior designer, my clients’ favorite colors are an important piece of information. I use their color preferences – and their functional remodeling desires – to help select the design and décor that will best suit their taste and lifestyle.

Here are some general psychological associations that are made between a person’s favorite colors – and what that says about them:

Red is a color of energy and tenacity

Red has long been a high-energy color associated with power. Wear a red dress, shirt, sweater or jacket into a room and you know you are going to be noticed. Therefore, those who choose red are often seen as self-confident too. Those who gravitate towards red as a favorite or preferred color are often tenacious and determined when it comes to work, life and goals.

Orange is fun, energetic and prone to clutter

Those who love orange tend to be lovers of life – and that includes lots of fun and socializing. While others may seem them as being a little too playful (bordering on flaky or irresponsible), those who like orange can be very hardworking as long as they’re interested in the task at hand or the work applies to their own interests and/or benefits. Those who like orange can be prone to clutter.

Yellow people are magnetic and engaged

People who like yellow are relatively optimistic and like to infuse the people and things around them with positive energy. They enjoy learning, as well as sharing their knowledge and experience with others. They are typically viewed as being cheerful.

Green is a color for those who are frank and down to earth

Those who prefer the color green are usually affectionate and loyal, and they also tell it like it is. They care about the impression they make on others and value their reputation.

Blue is associated with stability, organization and emotional depth

People who like the color blue tend to be sensitive and appreciate stability and grounding in their lives. They are reliable and care about the emotional well-being of others. They like things to be clean and organized.

Purple denotes with creativity as well as royalty

Purple has long been associated with royalty, and perhaps that is how it became linked with a certain level of arrogance as well. However, those who gravitate towards the color purple tend to be artistic and creative as well as sensitive. They have a great deal of respect for those they care about.

Brown is a color associated with steadfastness and humility

I will be honest and say that I haven’t met all that many people who claim their favorite color is brown. That being said, a notable percentage of my clients seem to gravitate towards neutral, brown hues when decorating their homes. When it comes to personality types, people who like the color brown tend to be humble and don’t like flashy or gaudy fashion or décor. They are known for being loyal and dependable and – like those who prefer blue – they like stability in their life.

Black is associated with sensitivity and artistry

On the outside, black can seem foreboding, uninviting and even scary. In fact, those who like black colors and accents tend to be very sensitive and artistic. Perhaps the image it presents helps them to mask their vulnerability and the tenderness within. While those who own predominantly black wardrobes are often seen as introverts, they are usually just more guarded and prefer to share intimate details of their life with people they trust.

So, what are your favorite colors? Do you find this general color analogy resonates with you?