What’s your style? Contemporary?
Hello. I hope that you are doing well. If you have been following this series of blog posts on the various styles of interior design; this is the last of the series. We have covered so many dynamic styles that I hope have offered you great education and inspiration.
The last style we will discuss is Contemporary. I have to say, I love it. Everything about this style is often misunderstood by most homeowners. Many people believe that it is very expensive to design your home in this style. Some people say that it only works if you live in large metropolitan areas with ultra expensive real estate. Concerned moms will say that this style could never work for a family with kids. Dad’s will say this is only for bachelors that are in the prime of their life. These are all misconceptions that I want to put to rest today.
DISCOVER YOUR STYLE
Hello. I hope that you are doing well. If you have been following this series of blog posts on the various styles of interior design; this is the last of the series. We have covered so many dynamic styles that I hope have offered you great education and inspiration.
The last style we will discuss is Contemporary. I have to say, I love it. Everything about this style is often misunderstood by most homeowners. Many people believe that it is very expensive to design your home in this style. Some people say that it only works if you live in large metropolitan areas with ultra expensive real estate. Concerned moms will say that this style could never work for a family with kids. Dad’s will say this is only for bachelors that are in the prime of their life. These are all misconceptions that I want to put to rest today.
In essence, contemporary interior design is all about the space and less about the things that you may want to fill your home with. It’s simple, clean, sophisticated, and subtle. If you love the idea of having room to stretch out in your home while maximizing the space and minimizing the clutter, this could be for you. Finally, I want to make it perfectly clear that contemporary design isn’t dark. It is open, clean and refreshing.
In this post, I am going to discuss what makes a space contemporary and how you can pull it all together should you decide to make your home the latest contemporary marvel in your city.
Color. When selecting colors for this style of interior design remember less is more. Your goal should be to keep things as simple as possible. Limit your color palette to neutral colors like black white and shades of tan or cream. It is safe to introduce maybe one bold color like red, navy blue, or green. I would encourage my client to think about creating a calm serene environment. Too many colors competing will keep your eyes moving and you will defeat the purpose. Texture is your friend. You can easily richness with a variety of textures of fabrics. For example, just because you opt to have all white furniture in your living room does not mean it has to be bland. You can use leather, shearling, wool, mohair, and cotton. Just imagine, every time a holiday guest sits in a new chair at your party, they get to touch and feel a touch fabric. These fabric differences will create a new experience each time they take a seat.
Lines and shapes. One of the most important characteristics of contemporary interior design is the use of shapes and lines. In most of the furniture that you will see used there will be crisp lines, sharp rectangles, and bold arches. Nothing is ornate or elaborate. Oddly, the sophistication comes from the simplicity and scale of each piece and how well they work together. In space planning try to keep things as balanced and symmetrical as possible. Clean lines in your furniture and art placement will go a long way. Finally, don't forget to emphasize any structural elements that may already be a part of the existing space. Gridlines in exposed brick, the subtle curling of exposed ductwork, and metal support beams and trusses should not be overlooked.
Flooring. In a contemporary home, flooring should be as simple and cohesive as possible. I have designed many contemporary townhomes that have the same large format porcelain tile throughout the home. We would layer these tiles with large simple rugs that both define the space and help with acoustics. Smooth porcelain, polished concrete, and some species of hardwoods will work perfectly. Remember, keep it simple and as clean as possible.
Furniture. You have to make the right selections from the beginning. There should not be random pieces of furniture that people say, now where did that come from. In fact, a consistent repetition is what you want. In that I mean, a repeat of the lines, colors, patterns, and shapes. (2) matching sofas, (2) large swivel chairs, (1) large section made of (2) side that match. This is how you begin to build a home that is contemporary. This is the time to be basic, bold, simple and sophisticated. This means, no trim, skirts, fringe, or tassels. Finally, if I were working on your design project I would suggest keep all the upholstery pieces limited to one maybe (2) solid colors and all your casegoods in (1) stain.
Lighting as art. Many interior designers say that light is life. I would have to agree. In a contemporary home natural light is very important. Your lighting should be highly functional and architectural. Large sculptural statement pieces should be used as often as possible. The living room, dining, kitchen island, foyer, and staircase are great places to make a huge statement. If you have done a great job in designing your home you should have large open walls that need to be filled with modern, abstract, and impressionistic art. Less is more! Finally, to wash the walls with light to compliment your art selections consider track lighting and recessed lighting that tilt to flood your wall with a steady stream of light on the darkest day of the year.
So how can I pull it all together? When selecting furniture think low profile. Your seating should be low and minimalist. The sectionals and sofa should be deep and super comfortable. This does not mean overstuffed. If you are a media buff, consider simple consoles and media cabinets. When the budget allows, consider exotic woods as your dining table, desk, and cabinetry. This is the perfect to add a whole new level of sophistication to what could potentially be boring and bland if not properly handled. Finally, style your space with one of a kind pottery, art, sculptures and plaster pieces. Even if you don’t have a multi million dollar art collection there are several vendors that make unique pieces that you will not see on the shelves of every furniture store in your city. Reclaimed wood and natural fibers are your friend.
We made it everyone. So? Are you ready to create the home of your dreams that your family deserves? Have you committed to a design style? It’s time to get to work!
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Goodbye for now!
What’s your style? Hollywood Regency?
Are you the life of the party? Do you like things to be a bite fancy and over the top but not rigid and boring? Do you crave a space that is filled with color, pattern, texture, opulence, and regalness all without being too fussy and overwhelming? Are you a drama kid that’s adapted to the world the rest of us live in? Well my friends, you may just be the perfect person for Hollywood Regency.
I have to say, this is one of my absolute favorite styles of interior design. When you hear the name Kelly Wearstler, do you drop the phone and run to the television. When traveling do you love places love Bellagio, Nubu, TAO, Mr. Chow and The Hotel Bel Air? Would you like to have some of the elements you find in these places in your home? I certainly would!
DISCOVER YOUR STYLE
Are you the life of the party? Do you like things to be a bite fancy and over the top but not rigid and boring? Do you crave a space that is filled with color, pattern, texture, opulence, and regalness all without being too fussy and overwhelming? Are you a drama kid that’s adapted to the world the rest of us live in? Well my friends, you may just be the perfect person for Hollywood Regency.
I have to say, this is one of my absolute favorite styles of interior design. When you hear the name Kelly Wearstler, do you drop the phone and run to the television. When traveling do you love places love Bellagio, Nubu, TAO, Mr. Chow and The Hotel Bel Air? Would you like to have some of the elements you find in these places in your home? I certainly would!
Basically, the goal of great Hollywood Regency design is to make your home feel as glamorous as possible. That is it. Nothing more or less. This is achieved by the use of clean lines and ornate pieces. Bold rich solids, black and white, and almost magical patterns work beautifully together.
Let’s take a moment to first understand what Hollywood Regency is and how we can create it in our homes. HR draws influences from both art deco and mid century modern. To be honest it is more eccentric than Art Deco. It is not for the faint of heart. If you like things that are over the top--this is it. Hollywood Regency pays homage to the roaring 20’s. When we think of the glamorous old Hollywood homes of actors and actresses everything that would be in their homes you would find in what? You guessed it, Hollywood Regency.
Eclectic. While it may be easy to think of Hollywood Regency as a hodge podge, this is not the case. Traditionally, the best and finished materials of all levels would be used here. In all fairness, we are not speaking of vintage flea market pieces but more of pieces that have Hollywood history. HR is literally blending of a more “haute” style than that of Bohemian. Louis XIV chairs, Duncan Phyfe sideboards that are lacquered in black or red, all paired with Chinoiserie. It’s really minimalism meets excess.
Cohesive Color Palette. While this style may seem all over the place, trust me it isn’t. One of the prime reasons that Hollywood Regency doesn’t go to the point of being clown like is the fact that there is a consistency in color palettes and fabrics. When examining fine examples of this style you are likely to see color repeated and fabric used in multiple instances in the same project. This is a highly skilled and well thought out accomplishment if properly done.
Exaggerated Draperies. If you have followed my design work, you have a clear understanding of how important window treatments and draperies are to giving any residential interiors project a tailored and polished finish. In many modern styles I suggest to my clients that they keep the openings as free and clear as possible. With this style...forget that. This is your chance to go big and bold. Think stage curtain. If you were my client, I would suggest double and triple width floor to ceiling drapery panels. They can be adorned with elaborate tiebacks, tapes, and beading. A simple black and white vertical drape is a great place to start if you feel overwhelmed.
Beautiful layered Finishes. One of the key components of HR is the way materials and finishes are layered together asymmetrical to tell a beautiful story. I am talking about everything. Metals like gold, brass, and bronze. Black and Red Liquioure are a staple. In many cases you will find solid walls of mirrors. As far as textiles everything can work. Typically you will find satin, silk, velvet, faux fur, leather, and animals can all be layered beautifully. Even furniture pieces can be layered together. The example I like to offer my clients would be in the dining room. Imagine an art deco glass top table, paired with bamboo chippendale dining chairs with (2) oversized wingback chair in a bold patterned fabric at the heads of the table? Too much? Remember I said it is all about being over the top.
With all of this said, what is Hollywood Regency? It is luxury ladies and gentlemen. Nothing else to discuss. To successfully pull it off, you will need to spend some real money. I am speaking of the most luxurious rugs, the most exotic silks, antiques sourced from around the world, custom Murano glass pieces, and the list could go on and on.
Wouldn’t you love to live in this type of playful luxury? If you have immediate questions and concerns click the button below, I am offering complimentary 15 minute strategy calls. Need help? I am here to help in any way that I can.
Let’s speak more next week! We have just one major design style to dissect.
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What’s Your Style? Mid Century Modern?
Good afternoon! I hope that you are finding these posts interesting and filled with insight and education. Our design style for today is certainly on my list of favorites. Mid-century modern is outstanding. It is well known for its simple forms, rich and organic colors, functionality and clean lines. Uniquely, It is one of the most specific and long lasting design styles you could choose. If you love rich walnut casegoods, clean modern lines, rich solid fabrics all an overall less than fussy look...this could be your thing.
Let me begin by saying If you love mid century modern furniture but you have never experienced it in person, you have to plan a trip to Palm Springs California. It is a Mid Century Modern haven. There are so many examples of the architecture and tons of resale shops with original pieces to fill your home. Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City are not to be missed. In my honest opinion, I feel that great Mid Century Modern interiors should really begin with the architecture of the home. While you may not need a classic mid century ranch in order to complete a compelling argument for completing your interiors in this style, you should have certain elements already in place.
DISCOVER YOUR STYLE
Good afternoon! I hope that you are finding these posts interesting and filled with insight and education. Our design style for today is certainly on my list of favorites. Mid-century modern is outstanding. It is well known for its simple forms, rich and organic colors, functionality and clean lines. Uniquely, It is one of the most specific and long lasting design styles you could choose. If you love rich walnut casegoods, clean modern lines, rich solid fabrics all an overall less than fussy look...this could be your thing.
Let me begin by saying If you love mid century modern furniture but you have never experienced it in person, you have to plan a trip to Palm Springs California. It is a Mid Century Modern haven. There are so many examples of the architecture and tons of resale shops with original pieces to fill your home. Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City are not to be missed. In my honest opinion, I feel that great Mid Century Modern interiors should really begin with the architecture of the home. While you may not need a classic mid century ranch in order to complete a compelling argument for completing your interiors in this style, you should have certain elements already in place.
Simple Trim. Mid Century Modern is all about functionality and simplicity. Before you begin make sure your home has a simplified trim level. In this I mean examine your window casings, door trim, crown molding, and baseboards. Are they super ornate? If so this could cause a major design clash. With this style, less is more.
Open Concept in the common areas. While I am not saying seek totally open concept living, it is a good idea to have a kitchen that opens to the family and or breakfast room. In many of the traditional ranch floor plans that I work on, it is still very desirable to have separate formal living and dining rooms.
Volume Ceilings. One of my favorite elements in a ranch floorplan is a family room with vaulted or cathedral ceilings. Many of the homes that are photographed to show impressive Mid Century Modern design always show off this element. Even if your home has a boxy grid like feel, you can compensate with high ceilings in your kitchen with a great room combo. In fact, adding a large open space to the rear of a smaller more traditional floor plan...isn’t a bad idea.
In essence, I love mid century modern furniture in any ranch floorplan, contemporary, and modern or rustic architectural styles of home. No problem. The challenges will come into play with modern formal styles like Georgian, Federal, French Country and just a few others.
What else makes for great Mid Century Modern design?
Color. Color is very important in all design styles. While mid century modern can be incredibly playful and organic, the use of color is highly important. While we see lots of blue and gray in much of the design world today….it is a little harder to make those work in much of the soft finishes in a home. If I were helping you with your home, I would encourage you to look for colors like olive, mustard, orange, yellow and teal.
Icon Pieces. You have heard me say a little bit goes a long way to create something amazing. Invest in a few original pieces with history and character. Even if you have one piece in the key rooms of your home...I promise it will go a long way. Have you heard of Mies van der Rohe? Classic pieces like an Ernest Eames chair, France Knoll sofa, and Tulip Dining Table are basically a must in every mid century modern home.
Consistent Wood. If you have read my post on Scandinavian design you are familiar with the importance of having consistency in the finish of all the wood that appears in the more modern styles of interior design. Mid Century Modern is no different. Walnut is the wood of choice in this style. Keep your hardwood within this range and you will be just fine. When selecting your statement pieces that contain wood like credenzas, coffee tables, dining tables, consoles, and benches, again consistency is king when creating amazing residential interiors.
Bring nature in. This is a very organic design style. It is important to keep the windows as large and open as possible. Simple window treatments will go a long way. Natural light should be allowed to penetrate as much of your home as possible. Finally, fewer larger scaled plants as much as possible. Greenery is amazing at softening structured interior spaces.
Lighting. When selecting lighting think bold, creative, and sculptural. In many of the key rooms in your home, the lighting should be both statement pieces and art. Chandeliers should be oversized and architectural. Lamps that are quirky, reto, and whimsical are the way to go. Finally, great lighting plans should always be layered. Even the simplest home can benefit from great lighting.
Art and Accessories. When planning for art and accessories think big bold bold statement pieces that are filled with rich colors. Simple vintage finds will bring your design plan together. Need a little help? Consider finishing your home off with unique patterned rugs, throws, sculptures, vases, and yes blown glass.
So much great information right? There are just 2 more blog posts in this series. What is your great take away? What are some areas of confusion that you are working your way through?
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.
Join our community of over 5000 readers and receive a well curated mix of inspiration, education, and resources on all things related to curating the home of your dreams.
Click here to sign up for this amazing free resource.
Let’s speak more next week!
What’s your style? Scandanavian?
So many people are overwhelmed by designing the spaces in their home. This is where most of your memories are created. It is highly important to spend some time planning and understanding what exactly you like before you start spending money on home furnishings. There is another interior design that is often overlooked. Do you love a simplified lifestyle, generous natural light and open concept living but you aren't quite a fan of industrial, contemporary design-- consider Scandinavian Design.
You may know this style first by the brand of IKEA. They do an excellent job of branding and merchandising their products to make people fall in love with their well thought out vignettes and lower priced items. While I do not use their products in any of my work, there are many elements found in scandinavian design that we can implement in residential interiors.
WHAT’S YOUR STYLE?
So many people are overwhelmed by designing the spaces in their home. This is where most of your memories are created. It is highly important to spend some time planning and understanding what exactly you like before you start spending money on home furnishings. There is another interior design that is often overlooked. Do you love a simplified lifestyle, generous natural light and open concept living but you aren't quite a fan of industrial, contemporary design-- consider Scandinavian Design.
You may know this style first by the brand of IKEA. They do an excellent job of branding and merchandising their products to make people fall in love with their well thought out vignettes and lower priced items. While I do not use their products in any of my work, there are many elements found in scandinavian design that we can implement in residential interiors.
In my eyes, scandinavian design is an esthetic based on simplicity, reduced materials, limited trim levels, and a balance of wood and concrete. Oftentimes, you will find one wood type used in all casegoods and cabinetry. This creates such great modern harmony and limited visual distraction. In addition, modern fireplaces are the statement piece in the open concept living space. Does any of this sound familiar to you? Does anyone remember the television show Frasier? In my eyes, this is the perfect example of how scandinavian design can be interpreted in The United States. Do you remember the back and forth between Frasier and his father over the ratty recliner that completely stood out? If you are too young to remember this show, I highly recommend that you look it up.
Let’s be very clear. This style isn’t for everyone. If you equate luxury and comfort with a lot of items around you, this may not be the exact design style for you. There are many things to love about this design style. It's simple. If it isn’t needed, you probably will not have it in the space. Storage is often hidden and discreet. If you are a busy professional and need calm in your life, this is great. Scandanivan Design is known for being calming, less stressful, and very easy to clean. Smaller spaces quickly appear much with the simple lines and less than fussy color palettes. In reality, the style rarely changes. If you fear making huge investments in furniture only to have to replace or upholster in a few years, this could be for you. Overall, it's modern, clean and sophisticated without being stark and harsh.
There are four key elements to Scandinavian Design. furniture selections, color, lighting and accessories. If you think this is the style for you, it is important to first begin with these key pillars. Remember, creating great design doesn’t just happen. Thought, understanding, and planning are where we all must begin.
Accessories. Do you remember when I said this style of design is easy to clean and relaxing? When it comes to accessories you really don’t want to forget this rule. I would suggest larger pieces over a lot of small items. Large mirrors, candles, bowls, trays and coffee table books are a great place to start. Finally, keep your accent pillows as simple as possible. Solid fabrics in various textures and materials are the way to go. Finally think of simple pottery, blown glass, and ceramics.
Furniture. In many cases the cost of furniture is most likely the largest line item in any residential interiors budget. You may think that a few pieces of furniture would decrease the budget--this is not always the case. The truth is, quality Scandanavian furniture can be expensive. The good news is the furniture will rarely go out of style. If you make wise selections it is likely that the pieces can live in your home for many years to come. The furniture is the art here. Think sculptural sofas, sectionals, and chairs. The dining table should be one of the most impressive pieces! Finally, shy away from overstuffed pieces. Your selections should not be chunky but sleek and refined.
Color. When it comes to color, complex isn’t in the wheelhouse. In my practice, I would encourage my client to limit their color palette to no more than (3) colors. Think emotions. It is hard to have a calm and serene environment that has a complex color palette. Work to create cohesion between your colors, wood stains, and tint of the concrete in your space. Mostly likely you will use tan, white, black and red. Blonde woods and lighter concrete tend to work beautifully. When selecting textiles think earthy, neutral, with limited geometric print.
Lighting. Light is important in all the modern styles of interior design. We strive to add as much natural light as possible while remembering that it can be manipulated when needed to create privacy. When selecting lighting consider function in addition to appearance. Architectural lighting that wash solid walls with light can be a great way to emulate natural light flooding through windows. Chandeliers and lamps should be simple statement pieces. With industrial interior spaces we do mix large ornate crystal chandeliers with simple modern and rustic elements. In this case, we want lighting that is simple, clean and statement worthy.
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.
Join our community of over 5000 readers and receive a well curated mix of inspiration, education, and resources on all things related to curating the home of your dreams.
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Let’s speak more next week!
What’s your style? Industrial?
DISCOVER YOU STYLE
Most people are aware that our country changed tremendously during the industrial revolution. Labor laws, advancements in technology, and great wealth creation are just a few of the things that came from this era. For many years the space that housed the progress went abandoned and neglected. In New York City for example, these buildings were converted into affordable housing for artists and students. Flash forward. Loft living became the in thing for the wealthy. In most modern cities throughout the world, these industrial spaces are some of the most expensive real estate to be found. Developers have even attempted to recreate these industrial “loft like” spaces. Some have done before jobs than others. Today the industrial style is a blend of the authentic industrial space of before and a reproduction now referred to as a “soft loft”. If you are a fan of raw materials, sweeping spaces, and simplicity; you may want to consider industrial interior design.
Let’s be totally honest. It is quite a challenge and expensive to recreate an authentic industrial space in the residential environment. If you are a fan of the elements that make it amazing, I will spend this blog post discussing the key elements that you can incorporate in your home today.
Materials. The materials used in industrial interior design are some of if not the most important components of this style. Most commonly you will find concrete used for counters, polished as floors, and exposed columns. Bricks typically used on the exterior walls are most likely left exposed and unpainted. The rawness of the brick always adds masculinity and is a stark contrast to the concrete. Unfinished raw wood in exposed rafters, beams, and columns are another common attribute. Finally, mixed metals like copper, steel and bronze are used in the lighting, exposed ductwork, hardware and fixtures.
Scale. The second most important element that helps to create great industrial design is scale. Open spaces with high ceilings. Oversized floor to ceilings, and oversized rooms are great places to start. Much of the scale is created by the fact that space is defined by the items in the space and their function not walls. This is achieved by using larger scale, art, lighting pieces, and furniture that don’t get lost in the openness of the space. In fact, larger furniture used in an open space compared to what you would traditionally use in a space defined by walls has the ability to create the space visually quite well. If you are looking to create an industrial feel in your home one of the biggest mistakes that you can make is to use the wrong scale of furnishings in an open space.
Pattern. In my design practice, I encourage my clients to keep patterns abstract. It is my belief that abstract patterns in fabric, art, and rugs in both bold and neutral colors work well in this style. Because the architecture is so stark and strong bold patterns and graphic images could create unneeded visual clutter and chaos.
To close, I wanted to provide a checklist of things you could do today to make your home more industrial. Everything may not work in your specific situation, but I am certain there are a few things that will make you say, “that’s it.”
Elements to include
Black and White Framed Photography if abstract art isn’t for you
Keep your floor plan open and free--think lofts and old factories
Think of the old for character more than new
When selecting new finishes make sure they complete the old
Keep your home free of clutter and unnecessary items
Storage should be behind
Polished finishes mixed with rough and raw are the way to go
Keep your color palette as simple as possible
Polished concrete is a great option for the floors. Mixing flooring can make the space feel disjointed.
Keep the windows as open as possible. If you must, consider shades over other window treatment options.
Think modular and minimalistic when selecting furniture. If it's not needed--don't’ put it there. In fact you may only have a bed, dresser and nightstands in your bedroom. Yes. Just that simple.
While it isn’t highly unlikely that most of you will have an entire home in an industrial style, you may opt to finish your basement or vacation home in this style. I do have clients that do build new custom homes that are ultra modern on the exterior and industrial in the interior. Consistency in materials, color, pattern, and scale are the foundation of design in a great industrial space.
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.
Join our community of over 5000 readers and receive a well curated mix of inspiration, education, and resources on all things related to curating the home of your dreams.
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See you next week!
What’s your style? Urban Modern?
Are you a somewhat recent graduate of a 4 year university or professional school that has family members that insist on helping you with your new place? You are grateful but nothing they recommend or offer seems to feel just right? Grandma wants to give you her dining table and your aunt has a sectional that she paid $10,000 for 18 years ago. You are grateful but there is just something that is “wrong” with it all. The legs of the dining table have unique rolls that you haven’t seen in any of the pictures online that you love. The sectional is overstuffed and you know it will take up your entire living room. You know what you like but you have a hard time putting a name on it and how to pull it together. Have you heard of Urban Modern?
URBAN MODERN
Are you a somewhat recent graduate of a 4 year university or professional school that has family members that insist on helping you with your new place? You are grateful but nothing they recommend or offer seems to feel just right? Grandma wants to give you her dining table and your aunt has a sectional that she paid $10,000 for 18 years ago. You are grateful but there is just something that is “wrong” with it all. The legs of the dining table have unique rolls that you haven’t seen in any of the pictures online that you love. The sectional is overstuffed and you know it will take up your entire living room. You know what you like but you have a hard time putting a name on it and how to pull it together. Have you heard of Urban Modern?
Urban modern is all about upscale cosmopolitan living that is refined yet not rigid and stiff. Do you dream of living in Austin in a new construction sleek modern highrise? You love the large open windows and open concept living? Are you opened to polished concrete floors versus the hardwood “like” ceramic tile that everyone in your family thinks is the best thing? Urban modern is actually the marriage between contemporary, mid-century, industrial, and minimalist interiors. The least influential would have to be industrial.
When working with couples in my design practice, this is often the solution for couples that need to blend a more refined elegant appearance with a more rugged industrial or hard to source contemporary. The truth is, you can actually blend a variety of the mentioned styles to create a gracious urban modern home. The materials, lines, patterns, and colors will all guide you in the right direction. If you are a retail shopper and love the furniture and Crate and Barrel, Williams Sonoma, and Room and Board, this is it!
For you, you may consider mid century modern alone too retro and dated. It is possible that you find contemporary furniture very appealing but alone it doesn’t match your style of home and you don’t even know where in the world to purchase the right pieces. With urban modern design we are able to soften things up a big and find the right balance of modern and elegant. If your dream of living on the Upper West of Manhattan on the 59th floor with Central Park views in the latest and greatest building the hottest “star-architect” isn’t in the cards--Urban Modern.
In my experience there are just a few elements that you need to keep in mind if you truly want your home to have an urban modern feel.
Emphasis on large oversized windows. Let’s face it--light is your friend. There is something about waking up day after day to clear blue skies that make all of your problems go away. If you were to examine images of the home that influence this design style, you will see that large open windows are a key element. If this space is in an urban environment with a less than stellar view, the windows are important to the feel of the space. Trust me, delivers don’t shy away from putting large windows into condos in Nolita that face directly into the units across the street. If you are living a modern traditional ranch or two story home, you can actually do a lot with this. Large floor to ceiling windows in your formal living and dining rooms are a great place to start. Do you have a wall of windows in your two story family room that overlooks the pool? This is a great place to update your traditional Pella windows with large open windows, or tall modern disappearing sliding all glass doors.
Less ornate trim. While it is true that this style does work quite well in modern sleek condo buildings, it is quite possible to recreate in almost any style home. One of the simplest ways to begin to limit the amount of trim and detail in your home. You may want to consider the amount of crown moulding, fluted columns, baseboards, the panels of your interior doors, mantles, and cabinetry. Simplify as much as possible. Think light clean and modern. Even if you don’t purchase any new furniture, this is an amazing way to give your home a more modern and urban feel.
Scaled back window treatments. Everyone that knows me how much I love window treatments. In many design styles, it is one of the easiest ways to add refinement and elegance to any space. This is not the case with urban modern design. As mentioned earlier you want to emphasize the windows and as much light and environment to pour in as possible. In my design practice, I would encourage you to consider solar and roman shades. Shy away from treatments that fit outside the casing of the windows themselves. As far as the roman shades, think again of simplicity with straight lines. Shy away from any options with swags, ties, and relaxed tension in the fabric.
Simple clean lined furniture. When selecting furniture I would encourage you to keep things simple. Ornamentation is not the friend of urban modern design. You don’t want to do “too’ much with any of the layers in this style. I recommend solid lines and shapes. Simple yet comfortable seating that is far from overstuffed. While I have your attention, let’s discuss one design mistake that I feel many people make in their homes. Furniture doesn’t have to be large and overstuffed in order to be comfortable. The truth is, the comfort begins with the ergonomics, construction, and materials used. Oversized furnitured that appears to have cloud appearances doesn’t mean that it will feel like you are sitting on a cloud. Finally, modern doesn’t mean that everything has to be rectangular in shape to be modern. You can in fact have round or oval dining tables, circular mirrors, and round back dining chairs that when done properly are modern and urban.
Luxurious solid color fabrics. If you read my blog post on contemporary design, you recall the importance of simplicity in your color palette. When it comes to fabric choices I would highly encourage you to stick with solids for the vast majority of your fabrics. It is possible to find great solid colored fabrics that are rich in texture. If you must add variety in your fabrics I would highly recommend sticking with things like geometrics and tribal patterns.
There are just a few of the ways anyone can create an amazing urban modern home. On a final note, your goal should be to create a soft yet masculine space. To achieve this look you must work on creating spaces that are glamorous, modern, and far from aggressive. If you see a single piece of furniture that just seems “weird” to you no matter the price it may be too much for this style. When you open the door of a home designed in this style, you want to exhale and smile from the cohesiveness and comfort.
There you have it! This is another of my favorite design styles. With a little planning it is one of the most affordable and versatile styles that anyone can introduce into their home. If you are struggling to turn your home into the haven you dreamed it could be, I would love to hear from you. What are some design challenges you are currently facing? Click the button below to schedule your complimentary consultation session. This is a great way to begin to break through many of your design challenges all with no obligation.
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Goodbye for now!
What’s your style? Bohemian?
Do you love to break the rules? Do your friends often say that you are the first to try anything new? If so, you may be a fan of Bohemian design. It’s bold, curated, and certainly unconventional. Did you take a leap year off after college before entering the workforce that changed your life? Do you dream of visiting Nepal over Cancun or Las Vegas? Let's take some time to discuss Bohemian Interior Design.
DISCOVER YOUR STYLE
Do you love to break the rules? Do your friends often say that you are the first to try anything new? If so, you may be a fan of Bohemian design. It’s bold, curated, and certainly unconventional. Did you take a leap year off after college before entering the workforce that changed your life? Do you dream of visiting Nepal over Cancun or Las Vegas? Let's take some time to discuss Bohemian Interior Design.
For many people this style will literally be the 70s revisited. I would like you to reach a little further. Bohemian interior design can certainly give a nod to the 70s era, but it should not be limited to just that. The options are endless. Everything you can think of in terms of color, style of furniture, accessories, lighting, and accents can all be done with this style.
In my design practice, I encourage my clients to focus on these key pillars to elevate their bohemian look.
Color. Bold color palette andf neutral colors work well. Rich magenta, gold, and literally every shade of blue will work. In addition, lighter hardwoods with a mix of stains on casegoods are the way to go.
Pattern. You can safely take risks with patterns. Nordic, tribal, geometric even paisley will work beautifully. When pairing patterns of fabrics don’t forget to mix in solids to make them pop even more.
Theme Create a theme that tells your story. Who are you? What story do you want to tell? Where have you been? What are your dreams and goals? There is never a more perfect place to break the rule to make your home reflect who you really are and what you are all about.
Variety. Use a variety of types and eras of furniture. Don’t be afraid. Chippendale, art deco, mid century modern. Break the rules and spice things up a bit. Remember to pull everything together with color.
If I could say one thing about Bohemian design, I would say it is highly personal. This is a great design style for people that may like contemporary but don’t want to commit to a certain style. When I say that you can do almost anything...you can do almost anything. If you have inherited older furniture from a deceased family member, this is a great way to incorporate these items that you don’t want to part from into your home.
I get it Timothy but how can I begin to make my home very more bohemian on my own.
Gallery Walls. This is a great way to tell a story or to serve as a conversation piece in your home. Fill your walls with eclectic prints, picture frames and unique pieces that are carefully planned out and installed on the wall. In my design practice, I avoid lots of small things on the wall. By creating a beautiful gallery wall you basically create your own art installation.
Rugs. Never forget the floor or the ceiling when creating great interior design. They are walls as well. Think pattern, texture, and color--they will totally transform your space and add so much visual interest to your home. In addition, play with layer rugs. Tribal patterned rugs with bear skin or cowhide?
Unique furniture pieces. Did you grandma have an amazing china cabinet that is just sitting in your parents garage? Grab it and get to work. If your family is like mine there are still some family pieces that you may not have valued when younger but they could work beautifully in your home. No family? No problem. Hit the streets to search for the perfect in your local used furniture shops and flea markets. Don’t just drop them in your home. Play with paint, fabrics, and stains to make them truly one of a kind. Great dining tables, beds, sofa, accent chairs, and dining chairs are a great place to start. Remember a gallon of paint goes a long way.
Curated Accessories. Add even more personality into your home with great accessories. Consider displaying your collections trinkets from world travels, cutting boards, beads, even photographs. Everyone loves a great coffee table book. Have you considered creating your own coffee table book? There are many great websites for making these. Creating a great cover and quality binding will make your coffee table book a perfect accessory. Finally, think retro, personal, and inherited. This is not the style that requires you to spend thousands of dollars on accessories. They should be about your life and story.
In closing, Bohemian design is not rigid and boring. It’s energetic, fun, and comfortable. This style is not about dumping every piece of old dated furniture that you can find into your home. It is just a tad more delicate than that. The goal is not to make your home look like a 70’s TV set or a thrift store. In your home, creating a bohemian style can actually be about incorporating accessories , fabrics, art and lighting into the mix of furniture pieces that you have invested money in and making them work.
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.
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Goodbye for now!
What’s your style? Coastal?
One of my fondest memories from my childhood would have to be the time spent with my family at the beach. Nearly every summer we would spend at least a week in a vacation rental. This was well before the times of Air B and B so we didn’t always know exactly what would be going on. Many times, at best we would know the address and rate. Did you say reviews? Forget it. This was my first introduction to the coastal style of interior design. Many of the home would have basic furnishings with generic fishing nets, sea shells, and nautical items around the house.
DISCOVER YOUR STYLE
One of my fondest memories from my childhood would have to be the time spent with my family at the beach. Nearly every summer we would spend at least a week in a vacation rental. This was well before the times of Air B and B so we didn’t always know exactly what would be going on. Many times, at best we would know the address and rate. Did you say reviews? Forget it. This was my first introduction to the coastal style of interior design. Many of the home would have basic furnishings with generic fishing nets, sea shells, and nautical items around the house.
Let me start off by staying with that coastal design is more than just Seashells and marine memorabilia. For the people in the back, simple throwing souvenirs from the local gift shop that you purchased on your way home, will never give you a truly coastal design.
What is coastal interior design? In my eyes, it's sophisticated, casual, and elegant all at the same time. Many people aspire to have a beach house to share time with their family and friends. For a lot of us we think that having a home in a highly desirable location will encourage our family to want to spend time with us. With this is mind, I think of coastal interior design as communal. There will be large islands in the kitchen for snacks, long dining tables for great meals, open space for family game nights, and beautiful areas for al fresco dining.
In my design practice, we divide coastal living into a few unique themes. There are many similarities and differences in each of these.
Nautical--usually thought of for the use of bold blues and creams
Hamptons--elegant and sophisticated with rich millwork and trim
Palm Beach--bold almost tropical colors and patterns
California--chic monochromatic color palette with an emphasis on natural elements
My best advice for anyone wanting to create a coastal theme in their new home is to make sure you don’t force the theme. This is a quick way to make sure your home looks artificial and dated quite quickly. Spend some time thinking about your color palette and furniture pieces first.
Do you want a simple black and white theme, navy blue and white, or a more muted palette with coral, seafoam, and powder blue? These are all great places to start. In terms of the furniture, think how do you want to live? Would you like to have a more tailored cohesive look or a more casual relaxed feel? Notice, I said tailored and not formal. In my experience, tailored would be in reference to the loose back sofas versus a tight back. In addition consider, deep slipcovered seating in contrast to tightly upholstered chairs with nail heads.
To close, I want to offer just a few more elements that I consider when designing coastal influenced spaces for my clients. You don’t have to live at the beach in order to have a “beachy” theme in your home. The entire home doesn’t have to be coastal. In fact, many of my clients that love the beach and dream of owning a home at the beach will introduce some coastal influences somewhere in their home to bring a little sand home no matter where they may live. Wanna learn more? Keep reading.
When it comes to flooring, I am always a fan of hardwood floors. Today many people are using Luxury Vinyl Planks. There is a time and a place for this of course. If you have a pool or think of how the sand will impact your floors, this could be a good option. In addition, I love to layer sisal rugs. They are often lighter in color and bring just enough natural elements into the space. Most often they are quite affordable and come in practically any size to fit any space.
Maximize. No matter how large or small your space may be, if it is in fact near the beach, you are gonna want to maximize every inch of the home. You are going to want to host as many people as comfortably as possible. With this in mind, think of large sections, large dining tables, spacious media rooms, grand yet not formal dining areas for people to gather. Finally, don’t forget the outside. If your home has a large front porch, covered rear veranda, or screened porch, always think how can more of my family and friends enjoy this space.
Cohesive finishing touches. If you opt for a more muted color palette it is a good idea to keep your selections of accessories, lighting, and fabrics in alignment. If you have a collection of items that you would like to display in your custom built-ins consider grouping them together by color or size. Make sure your art relates to each other. Remember, all of your art doesn’t have to be beach scenes and nautical in nature. If you are using abstract art with muted colors, stick with that particularly in areas that open to each other.
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.
Join our community of over 5000 readers and receive a well curated mix of inspiration, education, and resources on all things related to curating the home of your dreams.
What’s your style? Farmhouse or French Country?
It's another week, and I am excited about all the amazing things that are happening. What are your wins for the week? Today, we are going to discuss (2) very popular interior design styles--Farmhouse and French Country. One could argue that regionally there are very similar. In the United States when we think of a farmhouse we immediately think of traditional homes in Virginia and Tennessee. In France, our farmhouse style is very similar to French Country.
DISCOVER YOUR STYLE
It's another week, and I am excited about all the amazing things that are happening. What are your wins for the week? Today, we are going to discuss (2) very popular interior design styles--Farmhouse and French Country. One could argue that regionally there are very similar. In the United States when we think of a farmhouse we immediately think of traditional homes in Virginia and Tennessee. In France, our farmhouse style is very similar to French Country.
In my experience, the most effective way to create each of these styles is to understand the essential elements and the best ways to incorporate them in your home.
When you turn on basically any home improvement show today,you will see farmhouse styles everywhere. Some would argue that it has been done over and over again. I find that particularly in the Southeast, even production home builders that would build traditional, federal, and georgian style homes are adding more and more elevations and interior finishes that match up with the Farmhouse Style.
It is my belief that one of the most effective ways to create the farmhouse style is to begin with the exterior. This is most commonly done with paint colors, windows, lighting fixtures, and siding. It is very easy to transition the interior of your home from your exterior. Most often you will find bold white paint colors, black windows, traditional hook light fixtures and hardie plank siding with traditional batten elements.
When you transition from the exterior to the interior, you should strive for a calm neutral yet organic color palette. In this I mean, whites, creams, tans, jute rugs, baskets of various sizes and shapes. I would say that it is harder to implement this style with lots of dark greens and navy blue. Farmhouse design is not just shiplap and tons of word art everywhere. Yes, we want our guests and family to feel comfortable when visiting--but we don’t have to stencil it over the door or in the hallways
Here’s a quick rundown of the key elements that you should consider when creating a home that has strong Farmhouse influences:
Materials
Shiplap. While I think it can be overdone, there is nothing else that you can add to home that immediately creates that feel of a farmhouse. Consider wrapping your fireplace, or lining the walls of your breakfast room with shiplap. Just a little will do. We will be adding other elements to achieve the overall look.
Board and Batten. These are great trim and architectural details that should be added to your home for this style. Dining rooms, offices, mudrooms, and even the siding of the exterior are great places to add this element.
Exposed Brick. Consider solid walls of “non-red” brick, brick pavers in the kitchen and foyer, or even the fireplace. You don’t have to go overboard, but exposed brick is another way to make your home feel like a farmhouse. Again, think lighter bricks that match your overall color palette.
Subway tile. Nothing fancy but small, flat, non bevelled white subway tile for your kitchen backsplash and shower surround are the way to go.
Lighting. While I am a fan of mixing metals all day, this is probably one of the only exceptions that I will make. When it comes to lighting, either stay to black either matte or gloss lighting fixtures. You can of course add glass lamps, crystals, and pottery based lighting, but when it comes to the metals--stick to all black.
Barn doors. This is a very simple way to add architectural character, color and richness to your home. Barn doors scream Virginia Farmhouse. I love using them in a formal more traditional floor plan to separate a formal dining room from the foyer and even the bedroom from an en suite bathroom.
Accents and Accessories
When styling and accessorizing a home, I am a fan of groups or larger items and very few small tiny items. Here are a few examples of how you can turn almost any home into a chic farmhouse.
Cutting boards and wooden bowls. Various types of wood, sizes, and shapes are the way to go. These are excellent for styling your kitchen, breakfast room, and dining room. You can even hang them on the wall.
Large Clocks. Not every clock will work, but you will know it when you see it. Think black to match the metal in your lighting.
Jute Rugs. This fiber is perfect for this style. You can even play with layer jute on other material types. Remember when I said, go lighter on the color palette, Jute is the perfect example of what I am talking about. It is very organic and natural but lighter in color. Far too often when people think earthy automatically rich reds, browns, and greens come to mind. This is not the case.
Photography. When selecting art, think black and white photography and light sepia toning. When selecting the images, consider natural landscapes, like the plains, the mountains, bison, deer, horses, cows...and more.
Furniture
Large farmhouse dining table. You can purchase these almost everywhere and all price points. It is almost a mess when you want to create a true farmhouse look in your home. This communal table will encourage you to spend time with your family playing cards, eating, and doing craft projects. I would shy away from having chairs that “match” the table. This is an amazing chance to add depth to your dining room or breakfast area.
Iron beds. This is another essential for a true farm house. If you don’t want them in the main bedroom, I love to put matching twin iron beds in a guest bedroom or kids room. Add a variety of quilts and pillows and you will be on your way. If you cannot budget for higher end beds, I would honestly prefer that you spend some time sourcing and doing a weekend DIY project to restore an old heavy wrought iron bed. There is nothing like the comfort and security that comes with spending a rainy weekend in an old fashioned iron bed.
When I was younger, I dreamed of having a large French inspiring custom home built. Living in the south, I fell in love with dreamy elevations that many of the well known custom home builders were adding to the marketplace. I would have to say, french country is a design style that I love for my traditional clients to explore. In fact, you honestly blend french country with transitional pieces and have an amazing home that is earthy, yet masculine and femine at the same time.
For me, french is just formal enough, balanced just right and comfortable all at the same time. Glazed cabinetry, copper pots on display, soft color palettes and exposed plastered bricks are all things that come to mind when I think of french country. If you love the idea of a blend of various styles or chairs and casegoods paired with patterns and muted color...you should consider french country
From my perspective, we can have a clear understanding of what french country is from our understanding of transitional and farmhouse design. There are a few key elements that I feel should be added to any home to ensure a solid French Country experience.
Let’s explore
Materials. Exposed brick, plasture, marble, terra cotta, various glazes on wood all come to mind in a stellar french country home. I love the idea of adding caning to cabinet fronts versus glass and caned back chairs in the dining room over upholstered dining chairs.
Accessories and Styles. After nailing down the architecture and materials it is very important to properly style your home. Pottery, glazed pots grouped together are a great place to start. Fresh lavender, crisp white linens and napkins are an extra layer and dimension. Ruffled or fitted skits on the beds, chairs and sofa are also a nice touch. If you have collections of china, bowls, glassware, pots, and pottery, this is an amazing opportunity to put them on display for the family and friends.
Furniture When selecting furniture and deciding on a floor plan, think less about symmetry, but focus on creating mysterious nooks and intimate seating groups for thrilling conversations. Various shapes of chairs, arms, and styles can be mixed wonderfully. Pair muted solids with stripes, and botanicals to tight all of your furniture together.
I hope that you can see that I didn’t havesay a lot about french country to educate you on what it is and how it can be expressed in your home. In essence, it is an extension of traditional, transitional, and even farmhouse styles. The keys to achieving the looks comes down to the way that you use materials like marble, copper, terra cotta, wood and metals in a delight and restrained manner. Less formality and a whimsical approach to symmetry will ensure that you are well on your way to achieving the french country home that you desire.
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.
Join our community of over 5000 readers and receive a well curated mix of inspiration, education, and resources on all things related to curating the home of your dreams.
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Let’s speak more next week!
What’s your style? Transitional or Traditional?
Hello! I hope that you are doing well. I am in sunny South Florida at the moment. The weather is absolutely perfect! I promised to offer a series of blog posts that will help you begin to understand your true design style. This will help you avoid mistakes, stage fright, and help you get on with creating amazing interior spaces in your home. If I were a betting man, I would say that for most people, they know of traditional and transitional interior design. For this reason, we will start with these styles. Are you ready? Let’s GO!
DISCOVER YOUR STYLE
Hello! I hope that you are doing well. I am in sunny South Florida at the moment. The weather is absolutely perfect! I promised to offer a series of blog posts that will help you begin to understand your true design style. This will help you avoid mistakes, stage fright, and help you get on with creating amazing interior spaces in your home. If I were a betting man, I would say that for most people, they know of traditional and transitional interior design. For this reason, we will start with these styles. Are you ready? Let’s GO!
Are you the kind of person that doesn’t really like to have to follow strict rules? You always say, “I don’t need to measure this….I am just gonna eye it.” You like the freedom of creating the rules as you go? Well, if this sounds like you, you may just love transitional design.
In essence, transitional design is simply the blending of (2) styles in the same space that creates (1) cohesive design. In residential interiors, this would be modern and traditional elements. There is so much freedom that comes with transitional design. This gives you the ability to place many various elements until you find what works best and feels great for you--not the world design elite. When done correctly, transitional residential spaces can be luxurious, comfortable, polished yet approachable.
This sounds great Timothy, but how do I make it happen in my home? To start, work with simple lines. Avoid things like rolled arms on your sofa and accent chairs. When selecting lighting, casegoods, and accessories shy away from ornate items, think warm yet clean selections. Finally, think modern and fresh when working with accessories and art.
What about color? Well that depends on the mood that you want to create. For a soothing and comforting look consider 4 to 5 tone on tone colors all fairly light. If you want a moody experience, go with 4 to 5 dark rich colors, all in the same range on the color wheel. When it comes to color and transitional design the guideline is consistency. Particularly with color found in paints, stains, metals, fabrics, and wallcoverings be consistent. This doesn’t mean everything should be the same or matchy. In my design practice, I encourage my clients to be more constrained when it comes to color, and more adventurous with the shape and sizes of everything else in the room.
Finally, transitional can go very Bohemian, without proper color planning.
What about selecting furniture? Ok. One of the amazing things about transitional interiors is the unexpected simplicity that is balanced coordinated mixes of all the elements in the room. Keep your lines similar and complementary. Consider the straight arms on all the chairs. Things like parallel matching sofa and sofas paired with (2) swivel chairs are the anchor for an award winning transitional family or living room.
When selecting your fabrics, again think complementary and coordinating. The sky is really the limit when it comes to all the fabrics and textiles you can introduce. If I could offer a major point to great design, I would say nothing should look out of place, and random. Every piece can be unique yet relate to the next. There should be harmony and balance.
Some of my favorite ways to make every project stand out are by incorporating great window treatments and accessories. With accessories, I tend to recommend a mixture of quality high and low end pieces. Think groups of (3) elements for styling your bookcases and table tops. Think crisp and fuss free. If you entertain, consider things that I call, “conversation starters.” Your With window treatments, sold color simple heavily lined drapery panels are the way to go for sure. If you want to add a little formality to the space, consider adding fringe and tapes to your pillows and panels. Have you considered adding a cornice board? This is a great way to file the sometimes awkward spaces between the tops of windows and the ceiling.
As you can see, transitional spaces are one of my favorites to speak on and to create! While there are fewer rules than with many other styles, the keys are consistency and more or a tonal/ monochromatic approach.
Timothy? When you say traditional are you speaking of my grandmother’s furniture? No not quite. If you find yourself shopping with brands like Ralph Lauren, Bottega Venetta, St. John, Chanel, and even J. Crew--you may be drawn towards traditional interiors in your home. If you live on the east coast, I am sure that you have experienced traditional interiors. In fact, if I had to bet, it is quite possible that many of your favorite movies and television shows feature amazing spaces done in, you go it a traditional design style.
When I think of traditional residential interiors, I think of elegance, livability, beautiful fabrics with muted patterns. In many of my projects, when clients opt for traditional spaces, we feature dark ornate finishes, darker stains, rich Jacobean hardwood floors and elaborate details. If you watched Scandal week after week and you just knew that you wanted to move to Washington DC and purchase a home in Chevy Chase, Adams Morgan, or Kalorama--yep you just might be a lover of traditional interior design.
So...Timothy I follow you but I want to know what makes for strong traditional interiors. No problem. To begin, you are likely to find deep ornate, crown molding, baseboards, and trim. If you know that you are a traditionalist, when purchasing or building your new home--be on the lookout for arches, columns, and elaborate mantels and fierce places.
When it comes to furniture, you will want to include more curves, rolled arms in your sofa and chairs, and don’t forget the curved lets. Many of the major pieces of furniture will most likely be heavy highly detailed antiques or reproductions. On the east coast we use a lot of queen and chippendale pieces.
As a professional, when I assist a family with traditional residential interiors, balance and symmetry are very important. Remember in transitional design, I repeated complimentary over and over again? Well, with traditional spaces, you will achieve balance and symmetry by having things that match. Matching sofa, end tables, lamps, nightstands, all help to ground the space they lay the foundation for, you got it--a more traditional living space.
When we speak of soft furnishings and textiles, you use heavy fabrics like velvet, mohair, linen, leather and silk. Your chairs and upholstered pieces will likely have lots of tufting, ruffles, nailheads, and rounding piping.
What about color? While it is totally possible that you will use whites and creams when designing a more traditional space--its highly likely that you will be using dark red, green, navy blue and dark brown. For many people that staple piece will be the much loved brown leather sofa. Have you considered a Chesterfield sofa? To finish things off consider mixing solids with paisley and plaid.
One last thing, window treatments tend to be heavy, rich and elaborate, You will often find plantation shutters paired with heavy silk drapes or ornate rolled roman shades.
Wow, we covered a lot in this post. How are you feeling? If I could offer any advice and simplification, I would say that transitional interiors will have lighter color, less formality, and less “matching” elements. If you love formality and earth tones consider a more traditional design style.
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.
Join our community of over 5000 readers and receive a well curated mix of inspiration, education, and resources on all things related to curating the home of your dreams.
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That's all for today folks.
What’s your style?
I wanted to start the year off with a bang. More likely than not, the first call that I have with future design clients is centered around confusion. They don’t know what they want. Rarely do they know what things cost, and they are usually stuck on what their style is.
DISCOVER YOUR STYLE
Happy New Year Everyone! I trust that you are ready to take 2021 by storm. Are you ready to invest in yourself like never before? Are you preparing to take great action to achieve all the goals you set for yourself year after year? I certainly hope so! Trust me, I am knee deep in action and progress.
I wanted to start the year off with a bang. More likely than not, the first call that I have with future design clients is centered around confusion. They don’t know what they want. Rarely do they know what things cost, and they are usually stuck on what their style is. HGTV and all the magazines are pushing the Virginia Farmhouse look, but they live in Austin and have no connection to this style. The turmoil between trends/what’s hot and what my clients are naturally attracted to create so much suffering.
I have to be honest, this is the single most likely thing that will have you parlyzed about what to do next or where to begin while decorating your home.
Over the next few weeks, I am posting a series of blog posts to help you determine your style. The amazing thing about interior design is that while there are guidelines and recommendations--there are no hard fast rules to creating spaces that are both visually appealing and functional. With proper planning, vision, and budgets of course we can make just about anything work.
Just because you live in a traditional Georgian home, doesn’t mean that your interiors have to consist of traditional color palettes, furniture and lighting. We can do amazing things with resources and vision! One other thing that is important for you to understand is, great design is about concept and how each element relates to the next. What are you saying Timothy? Your great Aunt Susan’s very traditional dining table, can be paired with ultra modern dining chairs covered in the most appropriate and luxurious fabric...and guess what---IT WILL WORK. We can then take those traditional chairs that you just don’t want to get rid of, refinish and recover them. Maybe we use (2) in the hallway, (1) in the office and (1) in each guest bedroom. Do you see what we have done here? We have created an example of how something may not in theory be your style, but with planning and creativity we can turn them into something amazing--and your style doesn’t have to be a limiting factor.
Still confused? Stay with me over the next few weeks. I promise to have you roaming around your home confident and clear about what your style really is and how you can go about creating the home that you have worked so hard to purchase.
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Good bye for now!
3 things you must do to ensure your new home is actually custom.
Many of us enter the process of building a custom home for various reasons. For some, they no longer want to live in the traditional master planned community. There are times that we have outgrown our current home and we just don’t want to leave our neighbors and community behind. In these situations, it is common to tear down our existing home and build a new custom home. No matter the real world reason that makes custom home building the logical solution, we really do want a home that looks good.
EDUCATION
Many of us enter the process of building a custom home for various reasons. For some, they no longer want to live in the traditional master planned community. There are times that we have outgrown our current home and we just don’t want to leave our neighbors and community behind. In these situations, it is common to tear down our existing home and build a new custom home. No matter the real world reason that makes custom home building the logical solution, we really do want a home that looks good.
In this blog post, I want to share the 3 simple things you can do to lay the foundation for a custom and luxurious home. If you haven’t met with a builder--take note. If you are mid construction and you wonder if you have left out anything in your planning--keep reading. Finally, if you are weeks from completing your new home and you just don’t feel that spark and excitement you had hoped for--I have advice.
It really doesn’t matter how big your new custom home may be or where you have chosen to build, there are a few design elements that you can include in your project that will make your home feel luxurious and elegant.
Wallpaper
If you know me, you know how much I love wallpaper. Many people will begin the process of designing a custom home with an accent wall here and there. Many of you will go a little further to do a custom paint color in the dining room. That’s it. That is where the color and richness that your walls can bring to your home--ends. This is in fact unfortunate. Most people think that when you paint the walls, or add wallpaper to your home you are limiting your options. This is not true. If you wonder, what will I do after I become tired of the blue wallpaper in my master bathroom--you should certainly continue to read my blog.
In this day and time, wallpaper is the thing. There are so many options that there is bound to be a solution that works well for your home. Today, you can purchase wallpaper made of grasscloth, silk, and cork. The patterns available range include retro graphics, murals, botanicals, asian inspired, animal skins, and beyond.
Let me be very clear. I am in no way saying you should have wallpaper in every room of your new home. Not at all. Thought should go into scale, pattern, and the overall design concepts you have in mind. In my design practice one of the services that I offer my commonly is helping homeowners develop a color palette for their new home. While we may start with wall color for all the rooms, we quickly work our way into wallpaper as an option and then direction for fabric choices to consider and you begin to purchase fabric.
Are you completely clueless about where you should install wallpaper? Here are the most common rooms that I use wallpaper in my design practice:
Formal living room
Formal dining room
Powder room
Laundry room
Mudroom
Master bedroom
Guest bedroom
Office/Library
The options are limitless. If you are considering adding wallpaper to your custom home build, I highly recommend you have professional measurements before you order. Finally, you must hire a professional wallpaper installer that is familiar with the type of wallpaper you have chosen.
If you opt for non-vinyl grass cloth, you will see seams in the installation.
Lighting
You have probably heard me say this before, lighting is the jewlery added to every room. One of the best decisions that you can make early in the design process is to plan and budget for quality upgraded lighting. This upgrade does include the electrical systems and wiring that go in to place behind the walls and ceiling.
Lighting itself has the ability to completely transform a space and create a mood. I have to say, even if you work directly with a custom home builder for your floor plan, material selections and finishes--consider working with a lighting designer. In most markets, there are great lighting showrooms with highly lighting experiences that can help you understand your floor plan, lot selection and the considerations you should consider. In my design practice, rarely do we use standard flush mount lighting. I am a fan of LED recessed lighting, chandeliers, pendant lighting, and scones in some combination in every room.
If you are spending 18 months building your dream home, you don’t want to end up with a dark hallway that is drab during the brightest moments of the day. How would 2 recessed architectural LED lights installed at a 30 degree angle flooding the walls with light have completely changed the vibe and feel?
You want to develop a lighting plan well in advance. Simply adding a chandelier to a walk in closet, dimmers throughout, and extra pendant over the kitchen island after bids are in can add thousands of dollars to your budget. ; It may seem small, but it will cost considerably more to have an electrician come back out to hardware lighting after the walls and ceiling have been closed.
It is possible to purchase the most amazing furniture, rugs, window treatments, and accesories but your home will feel incomplete without quality light fixtures. I highly recommend adding a nice mix of various forms of lighting in your new custom home. By blending modern lighting technology, dimmers, and a diverse range of fixtures you can ensure that your new home has luxurious custom feel.
Upgraded Trim
In the early years of my career I watched builders charge considerable amounts of money for the most basic houses. In many cases, these houses had no window trim! The last recommendation that I can offer is to upgrade the trim level in your home. There are various areas that you can focus that will give your home the high end custom feel that you really want, but still be unsure about how to achieve.
This is an area that you can truly make your home exciting and one of a kind.
Crown Molding-Adding crown molding to the hallways, foyer, and literally every room in the house add so much detail. These beautiful pieces visually blend the transition from the wall to the ceiling. There are so many different styles and thicknesses to consider.
Baseboards- This is where the floor meets the walls. You could say baseboards are the crown molding of the floor. Elegant shoe molding and baseboards of great thickness and height will add so much detail and richness to the house. Don’t go too large or small. The height and thickness should be proportionate to the scale of your space.
Kitchen Cabinets-When finishing out your kitchen cabinets the taller the cabinets the better. In my design practice in most cases we opt for 42 inch upper cabinets at a minimum. Adding extra elements to your cabinets like crown molding, spacers and filler between each cabinet, and applied molding to the face of the cabinets themselves as well the vent hood will add so much beauty and elegance to your kitchen.
Paneling-Paneling the walls of your more formal space will add so much allure and character. You can panel at chair rail height, three quarters the ceiling height, or the entire room on all four walls, floor to ceiling. There are so many different styles and patterns to consider. If you don’t have the budget for extensive millwork, I would highly recommend paneling the first formal room off your entry to the right. You can have so much fun with paint and stain to make this truly one of a kind.
Coffered Ceilings-This is a great way to add detail to your ceiling. While many people may consider coffered ceilings to be more traditional and found in Prairie and Craftsman style homes, this isn’t always true. There many modern and contemporary homes that are beautifully done with this architectural element. Just as with paneling, there are so many patterns that can get created. You don’t have to stick with the traditional square boxes on the ceiling. In my design practice, I love to add coffered ceilings as a way to ground and anchor massive open concept spaces that everyone loves today. We have had great success with running coffered ceilings from the kitchen into the family room.
There you have it. These are just a few techniques you can use to make your custom home feel more upscale and luxurious.
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What you should be looking for in a custom homebuilder--it is probably not what you are thinking.
Building a custom home is not an easy task. It is very easy to be wowed by the fancy trucks, glossy marketing materials, or showhouse the hottest builder in your town possesses. While you want to end up with everything you imagined in your new custom home--do you want to have a heart attack in the process? Do you really want to spend 12-18 months working with someone that turns your stomach and emotionally takes you back to middle school gym class? Most people wouldn’t pick a mate purely based on looks. It is more likely that you will blend physical appeal, personality, character, and work ethic/career stability.
EDUCATION
Building a custom home is not an easy task. It is very easy to be wowed by the fancy trucks, glossy marketing materials, or showhouse the hottest builder in your town possesses. While you want to end up with everything you imagined in your new custom home--do you want to have a heart attack in the process? Do you really want to spend 12-18 months working with someone that turns your stomach and emotionally takes you back to middle school gym class? Most people wouldn’t pick a mate purely based on looks. It is more likely that you will blend physical appeal, personality, character, and work ethic/career stability.
There are many textbook questions floating around that you should be asking your potential custom home builder; I want to share the things that you should pay attention to that can’t be fluffed. Anyone can develop canned or scripted answers.
What should I be looking for in a custom home builder? Here you go!
Communication
Many people say, “communication works until it no longer works”. This is very true. I am starting this post with one of the most important character traits that you must find in a custom home builder. Excellent communication is a non-negotiable. Every member of your team should be able to respond to you with answers, updates, insights, or ideas within a 24 hour period of time. During this time the problems at hand may not be resolved but an acknowledgement is not too much to task. An understanding of the needs that need to be met while a solution is in the works--this is due to anyone. Every member of your team and the builder’s team should be able to communicate effectively when things are going well and during difficult times.
You do not want to end up with a home builder that ignores your calls when times are hard. You do not want to work with a home builder or anyone that disappears on Thursday afternoon and there is no way to reach anyone from their office until 9 a.m. on Monday. When deciding on which builder you will work with, it is important that you ask about communication standards. In addition if you call the office the receptionist, cad operator, purchasing agent all should communicate and conduct themselves in a professional and courteous manner. Period.
Finally, pay attention to the way you speak to laborers, vendors, employees, and consultants you introduce to the equation prior to signing a construction contract. This can be very telling of how they will engage you during the construction of your custom home.
Collaboration
Many years ago, I had a design professor tell me that while you “can” do anything you can’t do everything. Thank you so much for this advice Professor Tate. I am well aware of my skill set and while I bring to the table when helping my clients design the most amazing custom homes. Ask any designer or architect, they will tell you one of their greatest challenges is dealing with home builders that think they are in fact designers. While they may possess the talents, interests, and passions--most likely they have not been hired to design your home. There are of course custom home builders that offer “design-build” series. This is often very practical in most cases--but the builder isn’t performing all these tasks alone.
Planning, designing, and building a custom home is truly a group/collaborative effort. It is very important that your home builder works well with others. Just as every member of your team, respect, compassion, and understanding should be very important to you. When selecting a builder, I highly recommend that you work with a builder that is capable of putting his/her ego aside and plan your needs at the top of the priority list. You may be wanting a French Chalet and if your builder thinks it is the absolute worst idea--the biggest mistake and waste of money to build; it isn’t his/her choice to make.
I have professionally witnessed sabotage from within the key players of a home building team. It does happen that home builders feel they call the “shots” and have the final say. When selecting a builder look mature adult behavior. While you are out shopping for tile, appliances, and lighting--which I know you will do on your own even if you work with an interior designer; drop your builder’s name to a few representatives. Be quiet, listen to what they have to say. Their words, facial expressions, and reactions will tell a story of how this person conducts themselves and works with others. If you are able to access various trades people--even better.
Strategic
For many people that opt to build a custom home this is their 3rd or 4th home. For others this will be their forever home. You have most likely saved, worked and dreamed for 10 or 20 years to reach this point in life to build a home that is everything you dreamed of. The way the home should work on paper versus how it actually functions on dirt can be completely different. Your architect can draw and tweek your construction plan for weeks and weeks. You interior designer can design your kitchen, bathroom, staircase, exposed beams and beyond to perfect on the computer. Well, when it comes to building it--it just might be as easy to manifest as we would hope. You may run into site issues. You local municipality may have an issue with the one thing you told yourself you could not live without.
What am I saying? You want a builder who is incense hired to implement your vision for your dream home which is designed and drawn by your architect and interior designer--to be capable of pushing through. Your builder must be capable and willing to develop strategies to overcome challenges that will come up while building your custom home. Your builder’s first response should not be the resort to what he thinks is best simply because it is easiest and keeps the job moving. I am in no way saying that you will not have to make some concessions along the way. You should not end up with a home that your builder wants you to have simply because it is faster, easier, and more profitable for his firm.
Flexible
No amount of planning or communication will prevent issues from coming up while building a custom home. As a client, you may enter the process confident that you want a front entry garage and at some point you realize that your architect and interior designer were correct in urging for a side entry. Things will go wrong. Plans will change. Items will be back ordered. Change orders will need to be made. Period. You want a flexible builder that is dedicated to serving you as the client and ensuring that ultimately you and your family have the home of your dreams. Period. Just because your builder has been building custom homes for 50 years and you come into town demanding a certain level of design, construction, quality, and style--you deserve it. If you are interviewing a builder has a rigid perspective on size of home, design style, construction techniques--basically he wants to tell you how things will or should be done CAUTION. I am in no way saying that you should ignore the advice of your builder. As an adult, I am certain that you understand the difference between being guided versus being bullied simply because these decisions make life better for them and not you.
Organized
Building a custom home is a very tedious process. There are 1000s of moving parts involved in this process. You want to make sure your custom home builder is organized and neat. It is highly important that your job site be neat and organized from the beginning to the end. This will limit the risk of injuries, penalties that may be imposed by the HOA or the local municipality. Not only will your neighbors appreciate the organization--they just might judge you as a potential new neighbor as well.
Organization will ensure that your builder and site superintendent will know what has been delivered to your jobsite--when and by whom. This will help to keep your project moving along on schedule and prevent you having to order replacement items that happen to get lost in the shuffle. This alone will help keep you on budget.
If a potential builder shows up to meetings less than prepared, confused and flustered--this could be a warning sign. It is important that to remember that building a home is a multi-disciplinary effort. There are many talents and skill sets that make for talented builders. The finished product alone should not be the barometer.
When deciding to build a custom home, yes, portfolio, experience, relationships, education, affiliations, are all important when evaluating home builders. This is not enough. Character goes a long way.
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.
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Timothy’s Finds: Kitchen Backsplash
Decisions…decisions. Long gone are the days of just throwing butcher block or formica on your counters and calling it a day. In essence, your backsplash is an extension of the countertop. They and range in height from just a few inches to literally the ceiling. During my early career, I spent many years working for homebuilders that didn’t include a backsplash as a standard feature or an optional upgrade. From a design perspective, this is a missed opportunity to had design value in your kitchen.
INSPIRATION
Decisions…decisions. Long gone are the days of just throwing butcher block or formica on your counters and calling it a day. In essence, your backsplash is an extension of the countertop. They and range in height from just a few inches to literally the ceiling. During my early career, I spent many years working for homebuilders that didn’t include a backsplash as a standard feature or an optional upgrade. From a design perspective, this is a missed opportunity to had design value in your kitchen.
I do have a a pet peeve. It is painful to witness people with outdated poorly design kitchens, think that a bold colorful backsplash alone will make their kitchen—attractive and pleasing. No. This is highly unlikely.
If you are building a custom home or planning a kitchen renovation, just as much though should go into your backsplash, as your cabinetry, countertops, lighting, and appliance. I know—this can be overwhelming. As an interior designer that was been involved in the designing and planning of thousands of new builds—I wanted to share a few of my current favorite ideas for modern, fresh, and transitional kitchen backsplash selections.
May this post leave you inspired and ready to continue with your current design projects.
I love the (2) marble stones mixed with gold metal. Winning!
Simple yet bold patterns can be classy without being cheesy.
I love a simple gray subway tile any day. The texture adds so much richness.
This is a wine for me. Blue, gray and white? So many options for counters, cabinet paint, and hardware.
Simple—pencil glass tile. This calls for a a simple modern yet classy cabinet.
I love the 3-D look, the rich darkness, and graphic presentation here. You can’t say—is it leather?
Black can almost go with anything. I love the grooves and texture. So many possiblities.
Black and gold. Marble and metal again for the win!
As you can see, I like a lot of different types of tiles for kitchen backsplash. I am honestly in love with soft grays, blues, whites, and the boldness of black. It is very rare that I encourage my clients to jump for bright colors when selecting a backsplash.
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.
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Timothy’s Finds: Cabinet Hardware
If you are knee deep in designing a custom home or renovation you are knee deep in making selections. Trust me. I get it. No matter how excited you may be about designing and building a new home at some point you will become overwhelmed.
INSPIRATION
If you are knee deep in designing a custom home or renovation you are knee deep in making selections. Trust me. I get it. No matter how excited you may be about designing and building a new home at some point you will become overwhelmed.
No worries! I am here yet again for more solutions. There are millions of options. In this blog posts, I wanted to share a few tips to help guide you in the right direction and share the most common styles and shape that currently on trend.
I hope this posts help you make strong and confident decisions as you plan and build an amazing custom home for your family.
Tip #1 Choose between pulls and knobs. There is no hard rule here, but I would say in my design practice we typically encourage our clients to up knobs on the upper cabinets and pulls on the base cabinets
Tip #2 Consider the finish. There are usually several different finish options for each product for every vendor you choose to consider. We are about creating elevated design today. Everything should not and does not have to matter. When making your selections, consider the metal finishes you will have throughout the kitchen. Let’s remember the metal on the lighting, appliances, sink, faucets and even window hardware. They should compliment but not match.
Just as with lighting, cabinet hardware is a great way to add style and personality into your kitchen. I highly encourage you reach beyond what is on display at your local hardware store. There are many many great vendors at various price points.
Don’t miss this chance to make great selections that will elevate your kitchen!
I love the graphic nature of the pull. I can imagine it beautifully added to white or blue base cabinets. Simply Magical!
This handle is masculine yet whimsical. In addition, I love how metal an walnut is mixed in one great piece. Talk about high style!
This handle is simple and function. There are times when the basics will do just fine. If you backsplash is super busy—tone it down with the hardware!
This piece is hand painted but I love how it mimics stone. Couldn’t you see this in a kitchen in a Bahamian inspired coastal design?
Remember, I am all about mixing materials. Lucite made a come back a few years ago—it’s still here!
This piece is simple clean and industrious. The backplate adds additional detail to what could otherwise be seen as a basic piece. Would you install vertically or horizontally?
There you have it! Aren’t these options fun and exciting? I certainly hope that after reading this post you feel inspired to be creative. Even if you aren’t building a new home cabinet hardware is an amazing way to spruce up your kitchen.
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5 Unexpected expenses when building a custom home.
I hope that you are doing well! I wanted to take a moment to address a few budget items that you will need to keep in mind. Your builder or lender may not address these thoroughly. These items can totally wreck your budget if you don’t plan for them. I encourage my clients to be realistic about their numbers while setting clear expectations during your build. If you have been following me for any amount of time, you know that I feel most people end up with a home that doesn’t meet their expectations simply because of poor planning. Please include these hidden items in your overall budget when building your home.
EDUCATION
I hope that you are doing well! I wanted to take a moment to address a few budget items that you will need to keep in mind. Your builder or lender may not address these thoroughly. These items can totally wreck your budget if you don’t plan for them. I encourage my clients to be realistic about their numbers while setting clear expectations during your build. If you have been following me for any amount of time, you know that I feel most people end up with a home that doesn’t meet their expectations simply because of poor planning. Please include these hidden items in your overall budget when building your home.
Land Prep You will need land to build your home on. If you are buying your own land or already own it free and clear, it is probable that you will need to prepare the site for construction. You will be responsible for excavating and clearing the lot. If there are trees that need to be taken down--you will have to pay for it. Existing structures that need to be torn down--more money. In addition, and any debris removal and fill in dirt that will be needed to prep the land, you will have to cover the cost. Thinking of a basement? That will be more money. Plan accordingly ahead of time.
Landscaping When you build a new home your lot will be a blank slate. Depending on the type of lot there may be tree stumps that need to be removed or even if there was grass prior to construction--months of trucks driving over will destroy it. If you are building in a community with an HOA, keep in mind that you will most likely be required to finish the homesite to the standards of the community prior to moving in. I always recommend budgeting for sod over seed. It can take 3 full years for seeds to fully mature and over proper coverage. Please don’t skimp here. In addition, mature palm and myrtle trees are very expensive. Trees can easily cost hundreds and thousands of dollars. You will need mulch, lighting, hardscapes, and various plants and trees for a polished finished look. Don’t underestimate how much it will cost. Don’t forget the driveway! I have seen many people end up with a dirt drive away or gravel when they dreamed of pavers or textured concrete. Why? Well, they didn’t know that a long winding driveway would cost thousands of dollars.
Window Treatments Many people have no ideas how much coverings and treatments can cost. I am not speaking of draperies and panels but starting with the basic coverings that will create privacy and limit harsh sun rays from entering the home. When you build custom plans, often with custom windows, that will require custom sized window treatments. While mini blind and 2” faux wood blinds may have worked in your apartment or product built home--these solutions will not work in all cases. There are many highly decorative and functional treatment options that should be considered. They will cost money! Even if they are included in the build price, you can easily add $10,000 to $30,000 to an entry level custom home price.
Furniture Everyone wants a basement on the east coast. Guess what, you gotta finish it.. That’s money. Everyone wants a large living room and master bedroom. Media rooms and craft rooms while they are great to have….you have to furnish them in order to use them. Most people have know idea just how much money it can cost to furnish a house. Even if you buy everything from Pottery Barn--which is not high end furniture you can easily spend $15000 on a guest bedroom. On average, quality well curated furniture can start around 20% of your home purchase or build price. Spend 1 million dollars and you can expect to spend around $200,000 on furnishing alone. This is a rule of thumb not a requirement. Work the number, show and work with a talented designer. You will quickly see how much furniture cost.
Moving Costs Don’t underestimate how much it will cost to move! Even a short local move or cross country move will need coordination planning and scheduling. Will you do the packing yourself? Do you have tons of small accessories that will need care and protection? Do you have large pieces of furniture and pianos? It is important to research, seek referral and estimates from various companies well in advance. I hate to be the voice of bad news, if you are moving from one larger home to another prepare to spend thousands of dollars. Please include moving costs into your soft cost that will be covered out of pocket. Wouldn’t you hate to have your dream home completed and have to wait 30 days before you move simply because you are short on cash? Not a good look.
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How to prepare your finances to build a custom home.
It is very easy to get caught up in the fun and creative parts of planning to build your new home. You can spend hours a day watching videos, glued to pinterest and various magazines. One of the most important impacts on how much home you can afford and much much you can will get for your money--will be your finances. I highly recommend that everyone invest a certain amount of time working on the numbers. Have you heard the expression, “the numbers don’t lie?” Well, it is true.
I have created a list of 5 areas that are related to the numbers...the money...the cash.
EDUCATION
It is very easy to get caught up in the fun and creative parts of planning to build your new home. You can spend hours a day watching videos, glued to pinterest and various magazines. One of the most important impacts on how much home you can afford and much much you can will get for your money--will be your finances. I highly recommend that everyone invest a certain amount of time working on the numbers. Have you heard the expression, “the numbers don’t lie?” Well, it is true.
I have created a list of 5 areas that are related to the numbers...the money...the cash.
Credit It is important to understand your credit. If you are not currently monitoring your credit on a weekly or monthly basis, I highly recommend that you start. You want to make sure your credit utilization is under 30% and your middle credit score is well over 720. This will allow you to access the best loan products and interest rates. In addition, your monthly payments will impact how much money you can borrow. Keep your balances low and payments made on time. Finally, you don’t want negative items to creep up when you are in the process of applying or closing on your mortgage. This could be a deal killer. If you have unsettled debts no matter how small, make sure you reach out to the creditors before it’s too late. Did you switch cable providers, cell phone companies or even recent apartment complex that you vacated? Make sure you have no outstanding debts that may post to your credit report when you least expect it.
Cash Reserves Money makes the world go around. You will need cash in order to build a custom home. Even if you own the land and plan on rolling your closing costs into your mortgage. It is common in some cases to cover soft costs like permits, electrical and water hookups in advance. Furthermore, you will have to pay your architect, designer, and additional services upfront. There are cases where you can roll these into your loan, but many of the soft costs incurred prior to the first draw dispersal will have to come from you. If you are basically buying a home from the builder, the numbers will vary. As a rule of thumb, I suggest that you have a minimum of your 6 month emergency fund to live your normal life and 5% of the total budget of your project in cash ready to access. These funds should not be one in the same. Your lender may require additional cash reserves to close on your loan.
Prequalify and research loan programs in your area. It is important that you spend some time learning about all the options that are available in your area. Every bank may not have the same product. There are many programs and grants within rural communities and urban areas to encourage growth and development. These programs may impact where you want to build and how much you spend. When you have a clear understanding of all the loan programs that are available, you are prepared to make the best financial decisions.
Research the cost of options and upgrades It is important to understand what things cost. I encourage people to visit new construction model homes. Get copies of their price sheets and updates if possible. You can also visit kitchen and bathroom showrooms, tile and slab yards, and lighting gallery for additional intel. You want to have an idea what things cost, you will be prepared to understand your allowances and proposed budgets that will come from your builder. If you have a clear understanding of the cost of the types of vanities you want in the master bathroom, but your builder is pricing out 4 bathrooms for what you know 1 bathroom will cost...you are ahead of the game. You can address these discrepancies before the construction begins. I have a great blog post about allowances. I encourage you to read more by clicking here.
Research your local real estate market While everyone wants a house that is unique to their taste and lifestyle--it is important to understand trends and sales records in your area. Even if you think this will be your forever home, you don’t want to create a house that is so off the mark for your market that no one would be interested in purchasing should you need to sell. Also consider architectural style, size, finishes, in addition to the prices. You might think twice about a cape cod in the high desert of Scottsdale Arizona.
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.
Join our community of over 5000 readers and receive a well curated mix of inspiration, education, and resources on all things related to curating the home of your dreams.
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My best advice to anyone building a custom home.
Over the past few weeks I have completed several consultations with amazing families that are planning and entering the construction phase of their dream home. How exciting! There is nothing that I enjoy more than helping amazing people design and build quality homes.
Everyone asks, “is there anything else we should know?” Well, yes there is.
EDUCATION
Over the past few weeks I have completed several consultations with amazing families that are planning and entering the construction phase of their dream home. How exciting! There is nothing that I enjoy more than helping amazing people design and build quality homes.
Everyone asks, “is there anything else we should know?” Well, yes there is.
Let me back track for just a second. If you haven’t read it, I have an amazing free download with the most effective questions to ask your home builder prior to entering a contract. If you don’t have a copy, click here to download your free copy.
I mentioned this free guide because this post is not about the technical parts of building a new home. It’s more about the mindset. Let’s make no mistake about it Despite all your planning, the best resources, and the most qualified home builder; you will experience some pain and discomfort while building your home.
I have been involved in the design and sale of 1000s of new construction projects over my 17 year career. How you plan, how you deal, and how you move forward will dictate your overall experience and potentially the finished product that you end up with.
On a more personal level, here are the 5 tips that I can offer to anyone that is about to embark on building a custom home. Again, this will be a challenge, but for most the rewards are far more worth it.
Plan for the unexpected No matter how much you plan, things will go wrong. You will have deliveries that are delayed. People will not show up when they are scheduled. There may even be days that you need the inspector to come out and he may be a no show. If your builder has a clear understanding of the schedule and a grasp of all the tradespeople that will be working, it will be easier to recover. In your mind plan for damaged tile, broken lighting, lost items that you know have been delivered but magically disappear from the job site. Remember your mindset is important. When you walk away from perfection, you accept challenges and solutions with ease.
Be Patient It will take time to complete your project! Unless you have a limitless amount of money..you will be forced to make concessions. Maybe you will have to forego all the landscaping that you want for now. Maybe the pool will have to wait. Don’t over-extend yourself trying to include everything that you can think of. If you have the money, by all means...get it. If you are like most people, I suggest working with your builder and designer to set the framework for things that can be done later. If you really want an extra detached garage but it isn’t in the budget for now..be patient. Work with your group of experts to determine the best size, location on your lot and elements that will make it compliment your home once you are able to build.
Kindness goes a long way I understand that this is your project and your money. No problem there. If you don’t keep anything else in this blog post, be kind to everyone that works on your project. There are many skilled and talented people that will graciously pour their heart and soul into your home. It is more than a job to them. Just as you may be passionate about art, education, culture, travel and your kids; there are many salt of the earth people from all over the world that love their trade. Many tile layers, plaster experts, electricians, and landscapers can be your best friend. They will share all their knowledge and work tirelessly to deliver work that will blow mind! Don’t fall in the trap of thinking...I am the boss...and what I say goes. Yes..but NO! I have seen aggressive disrespectful people end up with $40,000 in plumbing repairs simply because they felt superior to the workers. This is not a good look.
Stay ahead of the game You don’t ever want to be the reason for delays. Stay in touch with your designer and builder to make sure all the choices that you need to make have been made. If you an item is on backorder or discontinued, as quickly as you can make a new selection. If something isn’t working out the way the builder thought it would work on paper, work with the team to reach a solution to keep the project moving. I am not saying settle for something that is not in alignment with your needs and desires. Ask questions and accept the recommendations of the professionals you have hired.
Don’t sweat the small stuff When problems come up in your project, which they will, everything will seem as though they are the biggest and harshest thing that could ever happen. I always encourage my clients to be solutions based. Let’s assess the situation and determine how we can stay on task, budget, schedule, all while ultimately achieving the predetermined goals. Most likely, when you look back on it, the bathroom fixtures that had to be replaced will all be worth it, once you are finally in your new home.
There you have it. Let’s remain calm and focusing during this process. Building a custom home will be a stressful process, but it doesn’t have to overwhelm you. Try to focus on the things that are within your control, and rely on your team for support with the rest.
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.
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How soon should I order furniture for my new home?
Wow. I am so proud of you. It is time to start thinking about furniture for your new home. This is another of the many steps you will take to create the home of your dreams. I want to be very direct and clear right out of the gate. Very few furniture stores carry inventory today. What am I saying? It is very unlikely that you will pull up to your local furniture store and be able to purchase the exact sofa that you really want. The exact arms, legs, depth, length, and fabric. In order to get custom furniture...you have to order custom furniture. It is that simple. This takes time.
EDUCATION
Wow. I am so proud of you. It is time to start thinking about furniture for your new home. This is another of the many steps you will take to create the home of your dreams. I want to be very direct and clear right out of the gate. Very few furniture stores carry inventory today. What am I saying? It is very unlikely that you will pull up to your local furniture store and be able to purchase the exact sofa that you really want. The exact arms, legs, depth, length, and fabric. In order to get custom furniture...you have to order custom furniture. It is that simple. This takes time.
Let’s go a step further. Yes, there are opportunities to purchase off the floor or even samples. In addition, there are some furniture companies that will pre-order a certain number of pieces in predetermined fabrics and finishes. No problem. The challenge is, you will be purchasing what the buyer for the store thought most people would want. Not, what you may really want. Again, in most cases you will have to order custom or at the least wait for production pieces to be delivered.
In my professional opinion, quality furniture will usually take a minimum of 12 week to 24 week to arrive in your local market. There are many factors that will go into this. Where is the furniture produced locally or internationally? If the pieces are coming from overseas...what isthe point of entry for the vendor. Once the furniture reaches the port..usually Savannah or Los Angeles...it will have to travel across the country to your local market.
When you see in stock this doesn’t mean in your city. If you are shopping in a national chain the piece is most likely in a local or regional warehouse. The furniture store will work with you to coordinate delivery. My rule of thumb is that if furniture is in stock--unless its cash and carry allow 30 days for white glove delivery and set up in your home.
If a vendor is saying Quick Ship with a set number of fabric or stain options for case good--this could vary vendor to vendor. In terms of time this could range from 14 days to 6 weeks. Let’s be very clear this is usually the estimated time from completion of the furniture until it leaves the warehouse. Another important factor is that all furniture companies don’t ship every day of the week. For example, a sofa company in Hickory, North Carolina may schedule pickups 1 or 2 days a week from their chosen freight company. Keep in mind that the furniture is usually traveling on pallets or huge boxes on an 18 wheeler. Most likely the freight company has dozens if not hundreds of pieces on the truck. They aren’t going to just pull up at your house. The 18 wheeler will need a loading dock to unload. Upon inspection and unpacking by the receiver, your furniture can then be directed to your new home.
When purchasing production pieces that are in production that have to come from Asia, again there are many varying time frames. If the piece is in a shipping container en route when you order it can be in your home in as little as 2 weeks. This is very optimistic but possible. Let’s just hope there are no issues at customs! If the furniture pieces are on order but haven’t left the production facility please allow 4-6 weeks comfortably. On- order can meet the furniture company has asked the manufacturer to make a batch of said items..or they are already made and they want them to pull and add to the next container that will be sent. Finally, if you hear that an item on-order the production facilities are in Asia, please know that conservatively you can expect 8-12 weeks. This is willing there are no production strikes, shipping or customs issues that may arise.
There are many National Brands that I enjoy sourcing from the manufacture in North Carolina and Los Angeles. When time is of the essence, I highly recommend using these types of companies. I want to point out that if you want to run to Restoration Hardware and let them “design” your entire home..no problem. I will not begin to speak of the quality but I want to make sure you understand this. RH is a curator and marketer of furniture. They don’t really make anything. It is important to understand that if you order 15 pieces for your home. They will probably be coming from 15 different production facilities in Asia, on 15 different cargo ships, and 15 different 18 wheelers to then be repackaged and sent to you. Allow time!
When you shop at a higher end more custom value point, you will most likely have your furniture made in our country. The vendor may have their own fabric selections or you may use your own fabric(COM). They have to get the fabric if you are sending directly or from a fabric supplier. In addition, if it’s their fabric..it has to be in stock. Even with casegood, most likely they are made to order. In my opinion, I would again suggest 12-16 weeks for delivery.
Construction times will vary for your new home. Some people will be ready to move in 120 day from the pouring of the slab. Others new builds could take 18 months. I think for the average custom home project under 1 million dollar in most markets in the country 6 to 8 months is a comfortable construction time frame. Your home will most likely have a mix of custom pieces, made to order casegoods, and production pieces. I highly recommend trying to have furniture in storage weeks prior to your intentioned move day. Items will come in damaged. Something will break in transit. No matter how organized you try to be...you will never be able to coordinate everything to arrive at the same time--picture perfect and ready on move in one day. Order the key pieces, spaces and items that you know will take longer and take it from there. Upholstery and casegoods first!
Whew, this is a lot! I pride myself on being open and transparent. Selecting furniture isn’t as simple as going into a store and saying, “I will take that one.” I highly recommend working with a trusted interior designer when planning your furniture order. Most designers do select product or procurement as we say. Even if you want to pick every single item yourself, it is worth the money to have a professional opinion on quality, warranty, and basic space planning before you spend $10,000 on a sectional that you aren’t even sure will fit in the front door.
I invite you to gain clarity, focus, and direction before you start ordering furniture. When you order furniture on your own, most often you will be required to coordinate delivery and inspect each piece of furniture yourself.
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.
Join our community of over 5000 readers and receive a well curated mix of inspiration, education, and resources on all things related to curating the home of your dreams.
11 Reasons reasons my clients choose to build custom homes
I love everything about amazing spaces! Luxury hotels, quaint inns, charming Spanish resorts in small beach villages, in Mexico..you name it! Much of my design work is greatly influenced by travel. In my career, I have honed my area of expertise to helping amazing people design and build amazing custom homes. Some of my clients are living on luxury waterfront lots in Miami, while others are in Texas hill country. What I have learned from working with countless families is that most people want tailored experiences and homes. Unfortunately, most people don’t know how obtainable these things are. In order to understand what my clients want, it is important to understand what they don’t like in their current homes.
EDUCATION
I love everything about amazing spaces! Luxury hotels, quaint inns, charming Spanish resorts in small beach villages, in Mexico..you name it! Much of my design work is greatly influenced by travel. In my career, I have honed my area of expertise to helping amazing people design and build amazing custom homes. Some of my clients are living on luxury waterfront lots in Miami, while others are in Texas hill country. What I have learned from working with countless families is that most people want tailored experiences and homes. Unfortunately, most people don’t know how obtainable these things are. In order to understand what my clients want, it is important to understand what they don’t like in their current homes.
Most of my clients have lived in at least 2 homes prior to designing to build custom. In most cases at least 1 home was a resale that they opted to renovate along and along. The other house was a production built new construction home. I have created 15 of the most common reasons my clients ultimately decide that a quality custom home is the best option for their families.
Overlooked cabinetry designs Most production builders overlook not only the quality of cabinets they use, but don’t think of function. Rarely will you find drawers for pots, ideal spaces for spices, or soft close doors. Typically, production builders overlook space planning and function completely. Your kitchen cabinets can be totally customized to your needs. Yes, you can have cabinets that are taller than 42”. Yes. Shelving can be used in lieu of upper cabinets. Crown Molding and spacers are just a couple of the ways that you can make your kitchen look more refined and custom. Custom cabinets are expensive, but if you are going to pay for cabinets why not purchase cabinets that support both your design style and function needs.
Unused room for the sake of tradition Many production builders are still building with formal living and dining rooms that flank the front door. Really? I am all about balance and symmetry in design. Unfortunately, this is usually wasted space that most families will never use. In addition, you end up paying for square footage that you aren’t using and you may spend 10s of thousands of dollars to furnish. When you opt for custom floorplans, you can literally recapture 300-500 square feet of usable space!
Limited cabinet heights If you are lucky, you will find a production that has 42” cabinets are a standard over 36”. You can go taller!
Limited Ceiling heights and finishes In some parts of the country production builders still offer 8 foot ceilings as a standard. 9 feet if you are lucky on the 1st floor. One of the simplest ways to make any home feel more luxurious is increase the ceiling height to at least 10’ and add 8’ doors. Talk about luxury and openness. I promise, this will immediately make any floorplan feel more luxurious. In addition, many builders don’t offer coffered ceilings, tray ceilings with built in lighting, or vaulted ceilings with rustic trusses. Again, these are great ways to add architectural detail and character to your home. Most likely, your production builder will not offer this as an option. Funny, sometimes they will include them in the model.
Not enough planned storage for guests coats and shoes Most of my clients dream of sharing their home with family and friends. This is only of the driving forces that causes them to build. Sadly, most production builders don’t have thought out floor plans that consider where you will store your guest coats and shoes. Imagine buying a production built home in Michigan...1 small closet near the front door in a 5000 square foot home. There will probably be cold weather or snow most years for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Where will you put your guests coats? Please don’t say on the back of the sofa or on a bed in the spare bedroom.
Poorly planned outlet placement When most production builders plan out outlets they think only about reducing the hard wiring cost of the home..not how you will live. Imagine moving into a new home and there are no outlets where the nightstand and tv would naturally go? Let’s take it a step further. The cable hook ups are behind the bedroom door and you want to center your 70” tv on the longest wall in the master bedroom. Crazy huh? It happens. When you build a custom home, you get to decide where you want your outlets and cable connections.
Too few (or too small) windows Yes, windows are expensive, but so is therapy. Natural sunlight is one the best natural mood enhancers on the planet. Most people grossly underestimate the value of large windows to make their home feel larger and brighter. Careful consideration should be given to privacy in relation to neighboring houses. Production builders will also argue that homeowner’s should limit the number of times the “envelope” of the home should be cut or have entry points. I have my thoughts on this. We will discuss in a later post.
Ignored future of load of electrical panels Most builders will only build to the minimum electrical standard in the region they are actively building. This where things can get tricky. Houses are becoming more technologically advanced. If you have large computer systems and servers in the home, this should be considered. If you have a lot of media equipment; think about it. Let’s say you plan on having the brightest house in the county during the holiday season with all your dancing lights and christmas trees, please don’t skimp on your electrical panel. Usually, a $4000 upgrade can save you so much trouble. Oh, don’t forget about the Tesla? You are gonna wanna charge it at home. Make your sure house is ready!
Poorly designed laundry rooms For most modern families the laundry room is a mini hub. Builders typically view that laundry room as an empty room with a washer and dryer. Cabinets, hanging rods, sinks, counter space, and an ironing station are what families of this century require. If you have outside help with daily chores and cleaning your helpers will be grateful. It is no longer cool to fold clothes in the living room on the floor.
Upgraded didn’t mean higher quality Most people quickly release that just because the builder offered it as an upgrade, doesn’t mean it’s a quality product. Upgraded carpet, hardwood, lighting packages, and counters are usually marked up heavily and are just a bit nicer than what the builder may offer as a standard. There are many quality vendors for everything you will want to include in your home. With production builders you are usually limited to their selections and vendors. Ultimately this comes back to their profit margins and perceptions of taste. Imagine paying $700,000 for a house and having to choose between 4 types of level one granite. Trust me? It does happen.
Kids not considered Most people that are building custom homes have kids or grandkids. They want everyone to feel welcome and a part of the family. Well thought out floor plans should offer kids rooms that can become teen suites the kids become older. What about dedicated kid friendly playrooms that can become the hang out space for teens? In my experience, most people that build custom homes want their kids to feel as special as mom and dad.
That’s a lot right? Trust me the reasons can go on and on. Have you purchased a home from a production builder in the past? What are some of your regrets? What are some of your things you promised yourself that will not be tolerated in your next house? Drop me an email. I would love to hear.
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.
Join our community of over 5000 readers and receive a well curated mix of inspiration, education, and resources on all things related to curating the home of your dreams.