interior

Bringing Color Into Your Laundry Room

February 15, 2019

If you have a busy household, odds are you spend hours per week doing laundry. In my opinion, any chore requiring that much time and life force deserves a beautiful space in which to work. Adding color to the laundry room brings new energy and a re-inspired feel to a space that often seems more like a source of endless drudgery.

Tips For Adding Color to Your Laundry Room

There are all kinds of ways to add color to a laundry room space – from a complete remodel, to an accent wall or eccentric appliance choices, simply find what works best for your household.

Get bold with your washer and dryer

Why on earth are washers and dryers predominantly selected in white or black? Get over that boring, standard route and choose something vibrant instead. Today’s washers and dryers – including high-end models – are available in beautiful, metallic and jewel-toned options that will cheer you up in no time flat.

It’s definitely more fun to throw laundry into a cherry red, kelly green or pink dryer – let me tell you. Checkout this article from Apartment Therapy and then re-think your replacement options. It’s a sneaky way to go bold in a room where the doors shut – and the public never has to know that the rest of your sophisticated, neutral interior design is anything other than it appears.

Add a coat of paint or some funky wallpaper

As I was saying about rooms that are typically closed off – I think laundry rooms, like powder rooms, offer an opportunity to play with color in a way you might not risk in more common living spaces. In these small rooms, the world is your oyster.

Remember that really bright blue or red you considered for an accent wall in your home – before you chickened out? This is the time to use it. How about that amazing wallpaper that you saw on Houzz but decided was too busy? Put it up in the laundry room – or use it as a border.

Again, this is a room – when it comes right down to it – guests don’t really hang out in much, so view it as a space where to explore crazier, zanier, bolder and more eccentric aspects of your interior design style.

Paint the cabinets

Not sure about painting all of the wall surfaces? Then paint the cabinets instead. I keep repeating you should go bold and bright – but not everyone likes those types of colors in their living spaces. Even a neutrally painted laundry room space is enhanced with cabinets painted in softer, more muted shades of your favorite colors. Perhaps that robin’s egg blue you’ve pined for, or a pastel green? That simple accent will change the feel of the room – especially if you have a decent amount of cabinetry. If the laundry room space is large enough to have upper- and lower-cabinets, or cabinets on both walls, consider choosing two, complimentary shades to mix it up a little.

Paper the walls and paint the ceiling

If you want to be playful, I recommend finding a wallpaper you love and using it on one, two or all of the walls. If you go the one- or two-wall route, paint the other walls in a softer hue found in the wallpaper. Then, go big with the ceiling featuring a darker or bolder color found in the wallpaper pattern. While you’re at it, think of other rooms or spaces in the house that would benefit from a painted ceiling.

Use artwork and throw rugs

If you live in a rental, color options are limited. Replacing your own washer and dryer (see the first section) is one colorful option you can take with you. However, returning walls to their original color when you’re ready to move out is such a labor-intensive chore – and who needs that? Instead, leave the walls alone and bring them to life using colorful art and complimentary throw rugs. If you have the space for it, turn a wall into a gallery – eclectic or conservative. It will warm up the space, add a little life and the throw rugs will feel better on your feet, joints and lower back if you use the laundry room to sort and fold.

Don’t let your laundry room languish in a state of bland neglect. Re-envision it and bring it to life by adding a little – or a lot of – color.

Why Use an Interior Designer for a Remodel or New Home Construction?

February 14, 2019

People often want to know why they should use an interior designer for a remodel or new construction project. Isn’t that work reserved for the contractors and architects of the world? Why not just save the interior designer until the end, when you actually need some decorating done?

This is one of the most common misconceptions regarding the interior design world: that interior designers come in after the fact to pretty everything up. In fact, experienced homeowners and design firms understand that having an interior designer involved in the remodel or new construction phase of your home’s design can literally make or break the success of the project.

Facilitate a Fluid Design/Build Process

Forget about the fluidity of the design itself (for a minute, anyway) and let’s just talk about the design/build process. If you aren’t careful, you’ll end up with a “which comes first: the chicken or the egg?” conundrum. Without a single point of contact working on your behalf, the design/build process can be a nightmare. Who’s deciding on the design? The architect? Your own perusal of floor plans you like? Neither of these options provides the personal, holistic approach required for a truly successful home design. You need someone who will get to know you, learn about your interests, passions and tastes, and can translate the tidbits they glean into a home design that is as functional and comfortable as it is attractive.

The clients remembered the work we had done and contacted us while she was in over her head, trying to select tiles for all the rooms. Once we were hired, the clients were able to get out of “overwhelmed mode” and begin to relax and enjoy the process. We acted as guide, mediator and facilitator – making sure each half of the couple was reflected in a balanced way in the design and keeping them abreast of every important decision, action, and change required throughout the construction process so that things moved forward according to the timeline and budget. We put all the pieces together to create a personalized, cohesive look that would still appeal to potential buyers if our clients ever decided to sell.

Reign in the Loose Ends and Keep Costs in Check

Did you know that one of the most expensive parts of building or remodeling can be all of the delays and re-dos that occur as the result of change orders? The builder gets going, the homeowner sees half-finished or completed section and says, “Yikes! I don’t like that after all!” or “That isn’t what I envisioned,” and it’s back to square one. These time-consuming and costly changes are practically non-existent when you work with an experienced designer. We make sure that things are designed right the first time, and we are there (dare we say “micromanaging”) the project so there are few to no mistakes, and anything that doesn’t seem quite right is stopped and corrected before it requires significant effort to reverse or change.

Also, we have relationships with the best contractors, subcontractors and vendors in the business. You don’t have to do any of the work figuring out who’s who. We can provide referrals to the right people from the get-go, which results in top-quality craftsmanship every step of the way. No flaky or negligent contractors here! If a client already has favorite contractors and vendors in mind or in contract, we are happy to work collaboratively with them as well. Finally, we work with artisans and vendors that only establish relationships with professionals rather than the public. This results in more affordable prices for highly-customized work, and we are able to pass the bulk of those discounts on to our clients.

Suburban Oasis Example: While this project was technically a remodel, we changed so much – from knocking out exterior walls to expand the view, to redesigning the kitchen and bathrooms, master bedroom, all new paint colors, lighting fixtures, window treatments, flooring and carpet. We installed custom cabinetry and built-ins, new countertops and appliances, etc. A full remodel of that undertaking is only on-time and within the budget when you use an interior designer and professional build team that knows what they are doing.

Gain the Advantage of an Artistic Eye

Many people know what they like when they see it, but few are able to create and invent the little (or bigger) extras that truly knit the design together and maintain the aesthetics and flow from room-to-room. An interior designer has that eye; she can tell you when to repurpose something you have, scour the flea markets for something you don’t and will share ideas for brilliant custom art and accessories that will be especially unique to your design. Like the idea of custom furniture, furnishings and art? A well-connected designer will make them a reality. This is something that can’t happen – unless you have an eye and the artistic connections – if you work strictly with an architect/build team.

Hiring an experienced interior designer can be one of the most powerful decisions you make before starting a new home construction or remodeling project because you’ll benefit from an adviser, inventor, artist and advocate from the moment the design phase begins through the completion of your project.

Choosing Furniture

February 10, 2019

Let’s go furniture shopping!

There’s an exciting thought. Until you think it. Then it can seem somewhat daunting. Furnishing a home is no easy feat and the ultimate goal should be to select timeless pieces that can be used for decades to come – even if their rooms, placement, location and orientation change down the road.

Here are some guidelines for choosing furniture that you and your guests can enjoy for a long time to come.

Take the Long and Winding Road Approach

Home design is not stagnant. It is a living, breathing thing that changes and evolves along with your tastes and lifestyle. That being said, it also doesn’t make sense to reinvent the home design wheel once a year, as remodels and renovations are time and cost consuming. Therefore, interior home designs should be timeless enough to last a while, but changeable enough to accommodate shifts in seasons and styles.

The same goes for your furniture. Choose pieces that can be moved around fairly easily so your living room or family room can accommodate better party flow or more intimate conversations, depending on the gathering.

Consider things like:

Swivel chairs that move to accommodate conversation or enjoy the view out a picture window.
Enough light-but-comfortable pieces that can be easily moved (poufs and ottomans are examples of these).
Smaller end- or coffee tables that serve as portable surfaces.

Consider Size and Shape

Yes, you want to invest in versatile furnishings but you also want them to fit the room they’re in. Proportion is important. Your furniture should always accommodate comfortable flow as well as a sense of the room’s spaciousness.

In most cases, you want at least 36-inches between the edge of a piece of furniture and an adjacent object so people can walk and move comfortably around the space. Draw your rooms to scale using graph paper, and take these with you when furniture shopping to ensure potential furnishings will fit well.

Think About Materials and Textiles

The materials and textiles you select should reflect your lifestyle and the building occupants needs. If you live alone or are empty-nesters, you can be slightly less selective since wear-and-tear isn’t as much of an issue – – unless you own pets. If you have children, pets or grandchildren that visit on a more regular basis, you will want to select furnishings and textiles that can take a bit of a beating.

These days, designer fabric and upholstery designers offer fabulous prints and designs in high-quality indoor-outdoor fabric, allowing you to enjoy a designer look without having to fret every time a dirty paw or errant chocolate chip comes in contact with the furnishing.

Consider Adding a Few Custom Pieces

One of the best things to come out of my years of working as an interior designer are the contacts I have made with artists and furniture makers throughout the Bay Area and beyond. This provides clients the ability to enjoy custom furniture for a much more affordable price. Custom pieces can transform a room’s design.

Custom furniture pieces are ideal for unique or hard-to-fit spaces, rooms or niches. They can be used to put the finishing touch on a particular “look” or to meet your personal lifestyle needs. Maybe you need that perfect reading or napping nook, or a corner cabinet to house your prized wine opener collection. Designing a custom furniture piece is a way to put your ultra-personal mark on your home’s interior design.

To Match, Or Not To Match… Nightstands

February 9, 2019

Furniture sets are nice because of their convenience. But, in the world of an interior designer, that convenience comes at a price – “matchy matchy”. Furniture, furnishings and accents should be complementary, of course. However, when everything matches, it can yield an interior space that seems a little bland and devoid of personality; hotel rooms and other public spaces come to mind. Mixing your furnishings up can create more visual interest and mismatched nightstands are a great example of this.

Perhaps you are already a fan of shabby chic or non-matching furnishings, or maybe you have been the beneficiary of some pretty cool hand-me-downs. Either way, there are plenty of ways to make mismatched nightstands look entirely at home and stylish in your bedroom.

How to Make the Most of Mismatched Nightstands

Proportions

Even if the pieces aren’t matched, try to pair end tables, small dressers or whatever you are using that have similar proportions. If the height, widths and general shape of the tables are similar, they will hardly appear mismatched. Using some identical accents, like a pair of lamps or other identical accessories, will make the fact they are mismatched less noticeable.

Color

Tables that are painted the same color will go a long way towards “working,” even if their architecture is different. This is easy DIY project and if you are brave, it can be a fun way to introduce a bright or bold color that you might have shied away from otherwise.

Matching wood tones

Similarly, finding antique or contemporary pieces with matching wood colors and tones will help the pieces to harmonize. This is a great way to get an end table with extra function power. In this Orange County bedroom, one of the owners likes to write before bedtime, an action that is difficult with most traditional night stand styles since there’s no room for knees. By choosing a small antique writing table, and then finding a nightstand in a similar shade of wood for the other side, the couple have complementary nightstands without her sacrificing the nightly writing ritual.

The same but different

You can also select two different versions of the same thing. A shorter, taller, skinnier or fatter version of the accompanying nightstand can be a fun play on the same design and is also an interesting study in proportions. This can be helpful when a bed has to be placed off-center in a room. The skinnier or smaller table will work better against the wall, giving just enough space for a lamp, your smart phone, a glass of water, etc.

Embrace the difference

You can also take the opposite approach and celebrate the fact that your nightstands are mismatched. Don’t even worry about the fact that they’re different. Put a funky lamp on one and a more traditional lamp on the other. Let your pile of books runneth over while his simple alarm clock and small reading lamp stay neatly in place all year long. The rest of your bedroom decor can tie it all together.

Yes, working with mismatched furniture can be challenging at times, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a wonderful way to create a more interesting living space.

7 Questions To Ask Your Potential Interior Designer

January 28, 2019

Did you know you don’t have to hire the first interior designer you schedule a consultation with? Quite the opposite. Your consultations should be viewed more like professional interviews. It’s a chance for you and designer to sit down, talk about your hopes and visions, and get a feel for one another so you can determine whether or not it’s a good fit. You’ll be working very closely together – maybe for a long time depending on the scope of the work – so a personal connection is almost as important as the designer’s capabilities and talents.

Bonus for you: by scheduling three to five consultations, you’ll glean a host of free ideas that you can put to use when you get started on the official remodel or renovation.

7 Questions to Ask During Consultations With an Interior Designer

Here is a simple list of questions that will yield important information while simultaneously allowing you to learn more about the prospective designer, her philosophy and her general style.

Can you work with our budget? Unless funds are unlimited, you must have a budget for any given home improvement project. This figure should be set, fixed and firm to keep your sanity and make sure you don’t get in over your head. Build in a 10% to 15% emergency contingency. Once you have this figure set, you’ll be able to run it by your prospective designers to see if they can work with it or not.
How do you charge? In most cases, designers charge by the hour or by the room. Or, they may have an entirely different fee structure. This can greatly alter the total price of your design from designer to designer so make note of how they charge and determine which fee structure you feel the most comfortable with.
When are your fees due? It’s no surprise that money is often the most stressful aspect of a design (notice the first 3 questions are all about finances?), which is why it’s so important to have complete transparency. Does your interior designer want half now and the balance upon completion? Does she prefer to receive installment payments? Get all of the financial agreements in writing and signed so there is no room for misinterpretation.
What is your design forte? In theory, every professional interior designer would be able to create a perfect version of any design you desire. In truth, we’re human and we all have our own design fortes. If you are a hardcore modernist, you’re best off working with a designer who specializes in modern design. If you like things a little more eclectic, seek a designer with a portfolio laden with funky-chic designs.
Can you show me examples of my style/budget/ideas in your portfolio? And, of course, seeing is believing. Take time to review their portfolio. Can you see yourself living in any of their designs – especially those at your price point? If not, they may not be the designer for you.
Do you offer industry discount fees? The longer a designer has been in business, the more connections she gleans along the way. These connections often result in discount fees for furnishings and textiles that can be passed along to the client.
Can you provide professional references? Don’t neglect the power of references. It’s good to speak with people who have worked with the designer so you can get a better feel for how she operates, how she handles challenges or hiccups, and so on. This input often seals the deal on who a client hires.