dramatic interior

Stay at Home Interior Design During the Pandemic

August 30, 2020

Just because you’re stuck inside, it doesn’t mean that you can’t spruce up your home. While the coronavirus keeps us all indoors, you can use the time to do some stay at home interior design.

Whether you live in a mansion or a small apartment, here are a few ideas that can help to brighten your home. Best of all, you won’t need to buy anything new.

Rearrange Your Space

Moving your furniture around can give you a whole new space. Many people never rearrange the layout of a room unless they purchase a new couch or dining table. Stay at home interior design can get you comfortable with discovering different—and better—ways to lay out your furniture.

That bookshelf that’s been in the corner since you moved in might look better on the opposite wall. When you’ve moved that, you might find that it covers up a rug that you could lay out as a focal point for the room.

Try to let yourself have fun experimenting. Look at your living room and see what furniture you can move and where. Just make sure you have help moving heavier pieces.

Transforming Your Rooms

Many people who did not previously have the opportunity are now working from home. Rearranging your home can improve productivity by giving you a designated workspace. You may be tempted to lie in bed with your laptop, but you should take this as an opportunity to do some stay at home interior design that maximizes the use of your space.

Look at the available space in each room and consider where you can get the most work done. Try setting up your desk or workspace in different rooms to find out where you feel most inspired and productive.

Plants release oxygen through photosynthesis. Putting any houseplants you have near your workspace can give your brain a boost with that extra oxygen and improve your concentration.

Don’t Forget Spring Cleaning

Summer might be just around the corner. What better way to prepare that with some spring cleaning? Some people cringe at the idea of decluttering, but working in a clean space can help your productivity and make you more comfortable.

Nothing distracts you more than a desk full of knick-knacks. How many times have you caught yourself tapping the bobblehead in front of your computer, or sorting through the cup full of pens beside you?

Studies show that your brain tries to focus on everything around it. The less it has to focus on outside of your current task, the more you will get done.

Start by throwing away anything you don’t need. Removing items you don’t use is not only a great way to declutter your house and help you focus, but it also increases your general sense of well-being.

Stay at home interior design doesn’t have to break the bank. By moving around things you already own, having a bit of a tidy, and repurposing some rooms, your home will feel like new.

How to Use Dark Colors

October 30, 2019

Interior design is like any other field: there are rules, and these rules are meant to be broken. Some of the strictest “Rules of Interior Design” revolve around color – how to choose it, how to use it, and what not to do. In the latter categories, dark, strong, and bold colors are often treated like a lit fuse (Use Caution!). In fact, dark, rich and bold colors are often the key to a striking interior design, but they must be used well. By their very nature, there is no way for them to fade into the background if they are a little “off” or the color isn’t quite right.

The following tips can help you explore how and when to use dark colors in your design. From full dark interiors to the barest of accents, darker colors are often the means of adding depth and contrast in your living spaces.

Monochromatic dark with a light upper border. If you like the idea of a charcoal room, but worry the effect may be too cave-like, I recommend choosing a white that you like and cutting that into the ceiling, continuing the white paint down into the vertical wall space. If your ceilings are higher, this lighter upper-border can go as much as 2-feet down. If you have lower ceilings, you may only want to dip down 6-inches to a foot. The point is that the extra lip of white around the wall and to the ceiling lightens up the space and will prevent a claustrophobic effect. What a great way to enjoy some of those rich velvety blacks, grays and chocolate browns. Or, it will have a similarly muting effect for a bright and crazy color scheme.

Add moulding or wall details in a lighter color. In this living room, both the walls and ceilings are painted Ralph Lauren’s Artist Grey UL31. In a different version of the technique I wrote about above, these homeowners opted to use extensive moulding and trim work on the walls and ceiling, painted in a light Rivera Terrace. The overall affect is that you are in a cozy, private space but nothing about it is gloomy or shadowy – quite the opposite.

Accent Walls, plural! Accent walls are said to be out of style and then back in style – – the bottom line is they have been used and will always be used in interior design. If you enjoy a room with rich jewel tones, I say use more than one to layer the rich color effect. This may sound crazy, but when done well, this technique can create a More is Less impact. Check out how these contrasting burgundy and blue accent walls work together. Somehow, by having both, it softens the effect, don’t you think?

Dark and bold details. Here is where interior design gets really fun – the details. Dark and bold colors can have an equally appealing and dramatic effect when they’re used in the details. For example, choosing a dark and colorful trim color makes your room details pop. Your furnishings and accents can be your mode of going bold as well. This can keep a room very light and bright while still delivering the dramatic impact you’re going for. Also, this route is ideal for renters. Who wants to have to repaint a place back to white when you’re dealing with the moving process? Your dark and bold furnishings can go with you wherever you live.

Are you still feeling apprehensive about when, where and how to use dark or bold colors in your interior design?

Marvelous Mirrored Furniture

June 21, 2019

Mirrors are one of the oldest design tricks in the book. In addition to reflecting whether you’re having a good or bad hair day, or if a particular wardrobe ensemble is a “go”, they can also be used to enhance your living spaces. Usually, when we designers talk about mirrors, we’re talking about the typical mirrors that hang on a wall. However, mirrored furniture also has a place in the home.

Is There Room For Mirrored Furniture in Your Interior Design?

It can serve all the same purposes a traditional mirror would – amplify lighting, double the impact of a particular design feature or to make a room seem larger. The difference is that mirrored furniture does it in a unique way. A mirrored desk, dresser, dining room buffet or other pieces can be a fun way to add a little glamour while taking advantage of a tried and true interior design tip.

Here are some examples:

Go Metallic

Because mirrors are metallic by nature, they can make a dramatic splash in a spot where you already have other metallic accents or mirrors. Look at how classy this mirrored dresser looks with the mirror hanging above and the arrangement of metallic silver framed pictures on top. While this particular example is from a bedroom, I think this idea would work exceptionally well in an entryway – particularly one that is lacking natural light. It would go a long way towards brightening up (what can be) a cavernous space.

Create a See-Thru Effect

Lately, I have seen acrylic and glass furniture making a larger appearance, especially in contemporary interior designs. They are great for maintaining a more integrated look but they aren’t for everyone. Mirrored furniture can be a good alternative for those who aren’t 100% sold on clear acrylic or glass options, especially because the entire piece doesn’t have to be mirrored. In the case of a desk or buffet, you can have a single mirrored panel or two set in a beautiful piece of wood, which can give you the benefit of the “see-thru” effect while still maintaining a traditional look.

Open Up a Smaller Space. Have a smaller bedroom, office or den? Use mirrored furniture the same way you would if it were hanging on the wall. A non-mirrored desk or nightstand squished between a bed and the wall can look cramped. The same desk with a mirrored surface reflects the space back at you, creating the illusion of openness. Now, that same “squished” corner looks decidedly more spacious.

In Lieu of the Real Thing

Sometimes, a room just doesn’t have enough space to accommodate all of the furniture you want it to while leaving enough space for a nice-sized wall mirror. Guest bedrooms with a large window or two comes to mind. Choosing a mirrored armoire is a great idea because your guests still have a mirrored surface for dressing purposes and you get to keep your well-proportioned layout.

Just Because

Finally, I offer the “just because” reason. There are times where the mirrored look is stunning. Take a look at how this mirrored buffet steals the show. The mirrored panels are tucked behind that beautiful dark wood in geometric designs. It is like an optical illusion of sorts – is it glass or is it mirror? And the reflections that wink back at you from the geometric cut-outs add a visually interesting element to the space.

Not sure whether or not you want to take the mirrored plunge? Start small with a single piece and see how it strikes you.