Last year is only a few ticks back on the calendar, but 2024 is already off to a great start, with exciting new projects in various phases of development. Please enjoy our look back at some of our 2023 projects.
Read more“When Should I Hire An Interior Designer?” & other Useful FAQs
Ten years ago, a client of ours purchased a prize lot in a beautiful neighborhood along the river. She always imagined the great room in the home she was building to be filled with sunshine and views of the sparkling water.
If only her architect had known.
Read moreCreating A Joyful, Honest & Fearless Home
At a recent house call, my client handed me a photo of a room from her childhood home. When it was taken, the shelving concept was not the subject matter. Instead the grainy snapshot from the 1980s was focused on a group of happy, good-looking people, sitting together in a family room on what might have been a Sunday evening after dinner.
As she looked at the photo and talked about adaptations to the design, she was suddenly overcome with emotion and we were both a little surprised when tears came to her eyes.
Read moreDesign 101: Kitchens
Whether your are an accomplished gastronomer or someone who catches meals on the fly, a kitchen that functions smoothly and pleases the senses is probably at the top of your design wish list. What design tactics should you follow - beyond the ‘work triangle’?
Read moreDesign Solutions: Furnishing Small Spaces
After almost two decades in design, I have become an expert at intelligent space planning, but as the owner of a modest home, the tricks I've learned for making the most of tight spaces are particularly close to my heart.
Read more2022 Year in Review
In the coming days, we wish you happy holidays and plenty of time with loved ones. Here we humbly offer our year in review, that these magical transformations will spark inspiration and make your next turn around the sun the most joyful, honest, and fearless one yet.
Read moreModern Luxury: Bringing Resort Style Home
Clients often say they want a design that reflects the stylish luxury of one of their favorite vacation spots. With this in mind, I’ve taken a virtual tour of some of the world’s most beautiful resorts to unpack what it is that makes these spaces so unforgettable.
Read moreThe Magic of Home
Like so many people considering a home renovation right now, you may be wondering if it is the right time, what with global supply chain shortages, transportation delays, and increased cost of goods. Even knowing that lumber prices have dropped recently, the prospect of delays and added expenses can be discouraging. The good news is that this moment is perfect for the most important aspect of your renovation: planning.
We are often asked when is the right time to begin engaging with a designer. The truth is twofold. On one hand, you should start working with your designer as soon as possible. However, it is just as important to live with your dreams and ideas for a bit on your own before you call in a professional. We do our best work when there is some certainty on your part about the kind of home you find appealing and what you envision when you imagine yourself in the setting that will comfort and sustain you and your family.
Read morePlanning Your Next Design Move
Like so many people considering a home renovation right now, you may be wondering if it is the right time, what with global supply chain shortages, transportation delays, and increased cost of goods. Even knowing that lumber prices have dropped recently, the prospect of delays and added expenses can be discouraging. The good news is that this moment is perfect for the most important aspect of your renovation: planning.
We are often asked when is the right time to begin engaging with a designer. The truth is twofold. On one hand, you should start working with your designer as soon as possible. However, it is just as important to live with your dreams and ideas for a bit on your own before you call in a professional. We do our best work when there is some certainty on your part about the kind of home you find appealing and what you envision when you imagine yourself in the setting that will comfort and sustain you and your family.
Read moreHero Fabrics: A Designer's Palette
One question I ask clients early is how do they want their room to serve them, support them, refill their cup. This allows us to avoid getting stuck on the details before we have fully come to understand the desired spirit of their home. It also celebrates that each client, each family, has unique expectations of home and what it means to feel at home.
Read moreUnsticking Your Home Transformation
We all have them, those unfinished projects that accumulate because we ran out of steam for one reason or another. Waning house projects, in particular, add to the figurative clutter in our lives.
Read moreMaking Two-Story Rooms Feel Cozy
The one role in your professional life that you may not have been prepared to take on is that of movie producer, but those skills are important now as we navigate new norms that have us opening up a virtual window into the private sanctity of our homes.
Read moreCreating Your Zoom-Perfect Setting
The one role in your professional life that you may not have been prepared to take on is that of movie producer, but those skills are important now as we navigate new norms that have us opening up a virtual window into the private sanctity of our homes.
Read moreHow To Stay Put During A Renovation - If You Must
I have had more than a few clients who wanted to stay put during a big renovation and in every case, there was a minimum of ever-growing frustrations and, in one memorable instance, a complete meltdown that was damaging to the working relationship between the homeowner and contractor. I’ve never had a client say they were glad they stayed put, but I’ve heard many say they would never do it again.
Read moreThe Magic Of Beautiful Rooms? Pull Up A Chair.
Beginning in March, I was spending a lot more time at home. Zoom meetings with clients, colleagues, and collaborators helped normalize the new strangeness of working from home. It began to really sink in for me that another hard worker in my home was the upholstery I had invested in almost twenty years ago - as well as a few beloved pieces that had been in my husband’s family. The solidly built frames were more than able to serve us for decades to come, but the fabrics needed a change. My taste have shifted over the years, rugs have come and gone, and our art collection has only become more dense, offering new inspirations for texture, color, and pattern. Recovering just a few pieces this summer breathed new life into my home - and reminded me that a question client’s often have is about whether or not to reupholster their own pieces.
Read moreHow To Create Transformative Eclectic Style
When I ask clients how I can help, they most often tell me they need my vision to pull things together. Whether you are starting from scratch, working with a fair amount of things you already own, or as is most often the case something in the middle, your primary concern is how does it all jigsaw together to become one cohesive look.
Eclecticism is a term designers use to describe a mix of furniture periods and styles, trends, colors, and textures. From the proud victorians to a relaxed present day style, eclecticism is by no means a new idea…
Read more5 Smart Upgrades To Give Your Home Love A Boost
As a new homeowner and a designer, I can tell you that good interior design is all in the details, but these nuances can often be addressed with simple, cost-effective changes.
Read moreThe Small & Stylish Kitchen, Part Two
Not all kitchens are equal, but size does not have to be a limitation. To be honest, I am a big fan of smaller kitchens, which is tantamount to treason in some areas of my profession. I have tried larger ones on for size and they work against my instinct for tight organization. Maybe you also prefer an intimate and efficient work area for creative cooking. Or if you are a cottage dweller like me, you might be limited by the scale of your house to a modest kitchen. I can’t promise to make people who don’t like cooking into enthusiastic home chefs, but with my professional insights, I can make your small kitchen into a room you’ll love. In this second part of my Design 101: Small Kitchens blog series, I will get into all the nerdy details of good proportion, good lighting, and how to use pattern.
Read moreThe Small & Stylish Kitchen, Part One
Maybe your home is older and the kitchen was small from the beginning. It might not be in your budget to expand the space or doing so would steal too much space from another area. Or maybe, like me, you’ve just come to realize that a big kitchen is not necessarily a good one. Here are some helpful ideas for making the most of a smaller kitchen.
Read moreDesign Advice With Your Pet In Mind
I can still remember spending days as a child in our den with the windows open, the sunlight and cool breeze flowing over me as I read, using my very large golden retriever as a pillow. We spent many days joined at the hip. I remember Chancey as part of our daily activities.
So when I meet our clients’ furry friends I know how important it is for us to consider them in the design of our client’s homes. We’ve compiled our top tips to help you include your four legged companions without sacrificing style worth showing off.
Read more