What’s your style? 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.

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.

Goodbye for now!

What’s your style? Bohemian?

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.

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.

Goodbye for now!

What’s your style? Coastal?

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.

Click here to sign up for this amazing free resource.

What’s your style? Farmhouse or 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.

Click here to sign up for this amazing free resource.

Let’s speak more next week!