How I begin a project & the beautiful mess

To me, the feeling in a space- the atmosphere, the mood- is what’s most important.  Rooms can be happy, thoughtful, fresh, light, airy, clean, cozy, warm, moody…  (we could go on & on here.)  Sometimes we want rooms to inspire conversation & other times we want a quiet place to read & retreat to.  We really can’t choose colors or finishes or furniture (or anything) until we know how the room is supposed to make us feel.  Clients are typically comfortable talking about colors and needs and style, but atmosphere talks don’t always come as naturally because it’s not something people tend to think about.  Yet it truly is the starting point.  I don’t feel confortable making any design-related decisions until I know how a room should feel.

Once we’ve gone through the process, we can move onto some tangible inspiration.

Here, my client has pale greeny-gray walls and an open brick fireplace.  Her home feels cool right now and she wants to warm it up without painting.  She loves reds and oranges and wants a warm, happy,”cozy,” relaxed & comfortable space where she can hang out with her son and entertain.  It’s going to be be pretty but people should always feel like they can put their feet up and stay a while.  Fabrics will be soft, comfortable & durable.  Her home is a 70s split foyer with vaulted ceilings & reminds me so much of my own house…  with these modern homes, the mix of old & new, classic & modern is a serious balancing act…  in our area, many of use live in these 70s houses because they’re everywhere…   but we aren’t ready to go 70s mod and filling these houses up with traditional furniture just doesn’t work.  We have to walk the line.

We’re putting in a new kitchen with dark walnut stained cabinets and the most beautiful vintage-looking handmade subway tiles.  Here are the two colors we’re using for the tile by Pratt & Larsen:

If you’d like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.