interior design

Let There Be Lighting!

November 24, 2019

Lighting designs are such an important part of how your final interior design comes together – and floor, wall-mounted and table lamps are all an integral part of that plan. Unfortunately, for DIY designers, lighting and lamps are often completely overlooked in lieu of paint color choices, new furnishings, window coverings and all the fun things that are Front-and-Center of your design. However, your lighting design determines how all those gorgeous new furnishings and accents appear upon completion – especially when the available natural light begins to fade.

The following tips will help you choose the right style lamps for your living spaces so you can show them all off to your best advantage.

Bring on the Lamps! Light Your Living Space in Style.

First a little Lamp 101 to review the various options available to you:

Chandeliers. The right chandelier(s) can be a focal point in any room in your house, from the traditional dining room to a luxurious bathroom. They can be incredibly formal, like their antique crystal ancestors, or fun, funky and modern.
Pendants. Another ceiling mounted lamp, these come in an infinite array of styles and are usually hung with two or more in an arrangement over a table, bar or countertop.
Floor Lamps. These are most often seen in living and family rooms. They cast a nice ambient glow and can also be used next to a chair as a more direct reading light. If the lamps are anywhere away from a wall, invest in floor sockets to keep the cord out of your traffic and visual flow.
Table Lamps. The bases are your accessory (the shades can be as well) and the lamp is your light source. The lampshade you select will determine how direct or diffused the light will be so choose wisely. Table lamps are used most often in living and family rooms, dining room sideboards and perhaps on an entryway table.
Sconces. Don’t forget about sconces. They are an elegant way to highlight a particular work of art, a mirror, your fireplace mantel or a favorite reading nook. They are often used in the bedroom in lieu of bedside table lamps.

So those are your basic lamp options. Now it’s time to figure out what goes where.

Living room. Usually, living rooms will have at least one ceiling mounted light fixture (this can be a great place for a chandelier) and an assortment of floor and table lamps. Pay careful attention to room proportions so the lamps suit the dimensions and room height – and that tip goes for all the rooms. Be thoughtful about how each light will affect both standing and seated parties – try to avoid a glare. Typically, a formal living room will have more formal fixtures, but not always. Find lamps with bases that complement your decor. A great lamp base can be a focal point in and of itself.

Dining room. Depending on the size of your dining room, one chandelier or a series of pendant lights may suffice. If you have a larger space, consider smaller table lamps on your sideboard and/or recessed cans on the ceiling. Dimmers are particularly important here although, in truth, dimmers belong just about everywhere.

Bedroom. The bedroom usually has one standout ceiling mounted fixture and a mix of lamps. Perhaps a floor lamp or two in your seating area and sconces or nightstand lamps for the bedside. Larger bedrooms should also include recessed cans on dimmers.

Jazz Up Your Stairs

November 24, 2019

When most people think about stair design, they consider the architecture – straight, sweeping or spiral – as well as the trim work on the handrails, posts and banisters. However, there are other things you can do to make your staircase a creative, colorful and interesting part of your interior design.

Jazz Up Your Stairs for a Unique and Noteworthy Addition to Your Interior

Your staircase can be decorated simply, using art or wall murals, or you can get more creative, using paint or tile work on the stairs and/or the risers themselves. I will share some beautiful, unique and stunning examples of how a staircase can be as much about art as it is about function.

The Walls. The simplest way to decorate your staircase is to adorn the wall that runs alongside it. In most cases, you are looking at a rather large expanse of space that runs upwards of two stories or more. By using this space to hang art work, at the very least, you will make this blank canvas much more interesting to look at. Here are some examples:

Wall panels and art. In this modern home, the white glossy wall surface would be boring and unanchored without a little something to give it dimension. The wood veneer panels add warmth and an earthy weightiness while the artistic panel adds a splash of passionate color. In a more traditional home, this area of the wall can become an art gallery, the family photo collection, or a combination of the two.

Murals. Who doesn’t love a gorgeous mural? They are one of my favorite types of wall decoration and the blank wall behind the stairs is a great space for one. The right landscape scene can add depth or space in a smaller stair area. Otherwise, you can opt to have a little fun.

The Stairs. One of the simplest ways to decorate your stairs is to paint them. You can paint the entire set of stairs – including both the treads and the risers – or you may want to paint a faux runner, which is a nice way to add a little definition and interest. I like the look created when homeowners opt to paint the treads a separate color from the risers. For a traditional look, you might go with a black, dark grey or navy. For a more eclectic look, you can choose a bright color, or a series of colors.

If you are feeling really ambitious, or you want something totally out of the ordinary, your treads and risers can be painted with more complex colors, shapes and patterns to really make a statement.

The Risers. Another trick is to decorate the risers, which are the vertical, flat surfaces that run perpendicular to the treads. In Spanish and Mediterranean architecture, these areas of a staircase are often decorated with beautiful tile mosaic. Using tiles every other riser, or every few risers, is also an option. It can add the oomph you are looking for without the more ornate effect created when the tile work is used on every single one.

You can also paint the risers, similar to the treads, using the same color, contrasting colors or by making them a work of art all by themselves. If you like the idea of artistically painted risers, but not necessarily the price tag that comes with custom art work, you’re in luck! You can purchase vinyl decal riser designs from a variety of patterns and themes.

A Splash Of Black

November 15, 2019

For many DIY designers, the color black is daunting. While it works easily in very modern designs, it can be trickier to implement in a traditional or transitional interior designs when the homeowner is one that prefers color. I find, however, that adding a splash of black here and there adds contrast, depth and sophistication in just about any room.

Adding Black to Your Interior Living Spaces

Here are some ideas on how you can add black in a way that makes a statement, but doesn’t steal the show or detract from lighter and brighter colors, or from a softer and more delicate style:

A Table. How about adding a black table to the room. A black dining room table provides a blank slate for table runners, centerpieces and striking table settings. However, the dining room chairs will prevent it from being overwhelming. Black is also a good choice for coffee tables or end tables. In many cases, rather than standing out, black tables actually fade into the background because of black’s ability to minimize a profile.

The Kitchen Island. I love the way it looks when homeowners decide choose black or another dark color for their kitchen island. Not only does it provide contrast in a space where walls of monochromatic cabinetry can be boring, it can help small kitchens to feel a bit larger because the black cabinet base almost disappears, leaving the illusion of a floating island countertop.

Coffered Ceiling Recesses. Coffered ceilings are a gorgeous addition to almost any room. Not only do they add interest and draw the eye upwards, they also help to make small room seem larger and short rooms to feel taller. Painting the recessed panels black will dramatize this effect.

Paint the Trim. Do you have a picture window – or a series of windows – that frame a desirable landscape scene? Painting the window trim black will showcase the outdoor scenery. If you like the effect, consider painting the baseboards, door trim and crown molding black as well – talk about defining a space. Plus, although black is a dramatic color – it’s a neutral color – and should blend with just about any color scheme in the room.

Paint the Back of Your Bookcases. Do you use your bookcases for more than just a book house? Book cases and shelving offer a space to display collections and collectibles. Painting the back of the bookcase black is like dropping a black velvet curtain behind your belongings, which will make them stand out even more.

Use Black Flooring. Just as a black dining room table, or black bookcase backs, highlight the items displayed against them, black floors do the same. For example, I enjoy the contrast created when a traditional, white farmhouse kitchen design lives on a black slate floor. Live in an older, bay area home with beat up floors? Consider painting them black and watch as your furnishings gain new life and definition.

Invest in Art. There are two ways you can use black when it comes to art. The first, like the bookcase and flooring ideas above, is to paint an accent wall black and then show off your favorite canvases. That’s what we did in this metropolitan condo and you can see how black highlights, rather than detracts, from the art on the walls. Or, you can invest in a piece of art that features black, like the striking this San Francisco living room design.

Don’t be afraid of black. Instead, learn how to embrace the sophisticated ways it can dress up and enhance your interior design.

Getting That Kitchen Organized

November 13, 2019

Last month, we did a piece in homage of the generations’ old spring cleaning and organizing tradition. For most of us, the kitchen is one of the most cluttered area of the home. Even if things look suspiciously neat and tidy from on the surface, opening just a cabinet or two will be enough to reveal the monstrous pile of “stuff” that has collected over the years.

Kitchen Design Organization Tips

The following tips will help you to organize your kitchen, whether you want to work with what you have or you’re in the process of designing a kitchen remodel or renovation.

De-Clutter. Today’s kitchen design websites are all about maximizing storage space, and this can certainly be helpful. However, after a thorough kitchen de-cluttering session, you may find you don’t need as much storage as you thought. In the latter case, this provides the opportunity to eliminate space-hogging cabinets to free up kitchen square footage and/or to make room for some open shelving. On the flip side, once you’ve inventoried kitchen items, you’ll provide your kitchen designer with a more comprehensive idea of what your storage needs really are, which will yield to a more customized kitchen design.
Re-Organize. I work with retired homeowners on a regular basis. As age increases, the desire to crawl around on the floor to access lower cabinets, or to spend time on stepping stools decreases. For this reason, I’ve always recommend that older clients re-organize kitchen cabinets, placing frequently-used items in the most accessible spots. Now, I advise all of my clients – regardless of age – to do the same. It’s a smart move that makes kitchens more functional for people of all ages, sizes and abilities.
Go Custom. Wherever you can, opt for custom-designed storage spaces. When you do this, you will have a much more efficient storage system, eliminating wasted dead space created by standard cabinet shelving spaces. Think about customized spice racks, pot/pan drawers, appliance storage, etc., to make every square-inch count. Again, focusing on optimizing your storage spaces may allow you to remove enough cabinetry to add a kitchen peninsula, dine-in area or small home office (more on that in #4). The more you can eliminate, the more spacious the kitchen will feel.
Slide it Out. Wherever you can, switch out fixed cabinet drawers for slide-out options. Once you do, you’ll wish you would have done it long ago. Slide-out shelving features mean no more crawling around on hands-and-knees to access lower cabinets. They are more accessible and you can design custom slide-out features for corner-cabinets and/or those with awkward dimensions or access.
Add a Message Center. The contemporary kitchen is the resting place and charging ground for a range of electronic gadgets. Not only that, but with the trend toward open floor plans, and kitchens that are as much living rooms as they are food prep areas, countertops and islands are a default dumping ground for everyone’s stuff. One great solution for all of the above? Incorporate a small home office in the kitchen area. This provides shelving, room for a charging station (hide those electrical outlets and gadget in a drawer or two!) and a comfortable space where you and/or kids/grandkids can work in an organized space. If you don’t have room for a small home office space, find a corner or end-cabinet that can be transitioned into a message .
Fall in Love Again…With lazy Susans. Rotating lazy Susans work great great for corner cabinets but why stop there? Use smaller, countertop versions in the corner of your cabinets in order to house those same, random items that are forever cluttering things up: honey bottles, sugar for coffee, the salt shaker and pepper grinder, a few of your go-to spices and pantry items, etc. No muss, no fuss and very convenient.

You’ll be amazed at the space you’ll gain – both storage and otherwise – when you reorganize your kitchen space.

Decorating with Love

November 2, 2019

Ah, Valentine’s Day. February is the month that makes hearts pitter-patter and you can take advantage of it by adding a little Valentine “love” into your modern interior design. Perhaps one of the best things about Valentine’s Day (from an interior designer’s perspective) is that it is the last of the full winter months and a time when a little burst from warm reds and pinks is most welcome.

6 Modern Decorating Tips for Valentine’s Day

While you don’t have to go crazy with hearts and flowers, there are plenty of ways to add Valentine warmth to your living spaces. Here are 6 simple ideas for your home.

Decorate the mantel. Use your mantel as a focal point and shower it with attention. You can do something as simple as an arrangement of pillar candles in red, pink and/or white or you can go all out with heart motifs as well. Here is an example of a Valentine mantle from BHG. The heart wreath is fun, the heart garland was made by hand using cardstock hearts and tissue paper. Perhaps my favorite element is the family photo. Odds are that was taken for the holidays but the red shirts and fashion accents work equally well for Valentine’s Day, allowing the family to show it off again.
Frame the word L-O-V-E. You can do this anyway you want. You can type it in a script you like from left to write and print it out. You can arrange the letters in a square, with “L” in the top left and concluding with “E” in the bottom right corners. You can print each letter individually and hang all four in an arrangement of your choosing. These can be done in color or black and white. Once framed, this one little word becomes a conservative but apropos accent for the season.
Simple centerpiece. Create a simple centerpiece for a table by using a glass vase filled with red hots or a Valentine-themed candy. Use this for the foundation of your flower arrangement. You can also use this idea with candles. Larger and smaller vessels (filled with Valentine candy of your choice) can be used in a cluster or set around end tables too. Now, you just have to keep your hands out of the candy jars!
Hang a Berry Wreath. Wreaths are a wonderful front door welcome for any season, and Valentine’s Day is no exception. This X and O wreath is made from dried berry stalk and is a more natural and minimal expression of the typical “floral explosion” version. I found this one on Etsy and the artist makes other beautiful versions as well. Etsy, by the way, is a fabulous place to find handmade Valentine’s decor if you aren’t the crafty type yourself.
Trade roses for tulips. Roses are traditional, but if you’re a modernist, you may want something a little different. How about trading the roses for tulips this year? Once Valentine’s day is over, you can round out the red/pink/white motif with additional fresh spring colors.
Create a unique shadow box. Here’s a fun and easy project you can do with little ones and still end up with an adult-worthy decoration. Purchase a shadow box and cut a series of red hearts from high-quality construction paper. You can use any color you like. Glue some of the hearts whole and others only by half so you can fold them a bit. It creates a fun and fluttery Valentine’s Day shadow box.