Tag Archives: design

Choosing the Right Plan for Your Dream Home

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Whether you are shopping for “The One,” you are building a new home from the ground up, or you are remodeling the home you already cherish, the decisions you make along the way can both be intimidating and highly rewarding. It is natural to feel overwhelmed when you wonder about how to logistically turn your dreams into reality, whether that reality will be as good as it was in theory, your budget, your timeline, or anything else. To help start you off right, here are a few key thoughts to help guide your next steps.

1.  Practical Considerations

Before you design your live-in masterpiece, make sure it is compatible with your lifestyle. The absolute last thing you want is to build your dream home only to find out it doesn’t suit your needs. 

The Ins and Outs of the Home

Ultimately, your home needs to be livable. For example, if you are looking to expand your house for more rooms for a growing family or for more overnight hosting for guests, do your goals to add rooms accommodate adding extra people, with comfortable space, adequate privacy, and enough bathrooms? If you’re planning for a multigenerational home, are you considering safety, accessibility, and versatility with your family’s changing needs?

Similarly, when you consider your house’s exterior, consider the type of materials used, including choices in facades that are suitable to the climate you live in. After all, if you live in an area that is prone to hurricanes, it would be best to factor in durability for extreme storms into your choice of materials such as paneling and tiles before you get blown away by an idea that will, too.

Design Code and Permitting

Before you pull out the blue tape, make sure that you’ve gone through the red tape. While working with licensed and bonded teams will help with quality control and legality, it is helpful to first make sure that what you are considering is feasible. For example, many municipalities require additional permits for Accessory Dwelling Units; additionally, understanding that expanding your home will require changes to your electrical wiring and installing extra pipes, which could lead to additional inspections and fees for hook-ups to water and sewage. On the other hand, your plans may qualify for tax breaks and other federal or local incentives! Planning for these contingencies can help spare financial and legal heartache, and help you anticipate delays in the timeline.

2.  External Influence: Upping your Curbside Appeal

There are many great reasons to invest in exterior architecture and home exterior makeovers. Not only is your home’s outside the first impression you make to yourself and others, but putting the extra effort into the outside of your house can definitely boost your home’s value! Alongside practicalities like maintenance and, if you are or will be in a planned community, HOA restrictions, consider your personal aesthetic: do you want quirky and playful? Timeless and elegant? Hoping to accentuate a cultural tradition, such as a classic Southwestern abode or a Scandinavian seaside town? Designing with the front end in mind can help you also consider which parts of your design matter most. From there, you can make more empowered decisions on who to contact in terms of contractors, specialists, and/or agents.

3.  Insider Information: Your Interior Design Mind

While curb appeal is important, your living room’s spaciousness, kitchen surfaces, and staircases matter as well! Consider, for example, that you already have an idea for your ideal amount of natural light, both for your own personal tastes as well as ways to add eco-consciousness into your enhancements. Even more, for kitchens, laundry rooms, hobby rooms, and bathrooms alike, consider which practical elements you want to make the focal point, such as a countertop that is a conversation starter, or a porcelain sink that sets the tone for the room.

Whether you are designing the whole house, or looking to modernize one room, once again, start with a theme or favorite piece of furniture you want to design around. 

Start Building Your Team!

Once you are ready to hammer away, make sure that when you are collecting your bids, you are also looking for compatibility with the folks who will help you achieve your housing dream. After all, whether you are working with a real estate agent, or you are working with an architect, making sure that your people are also ready to execute your vision is at the front and center of everything you do. While budget and reading quality reviews will always matter, make sure that you also feel comfortable with the people you are working with. So, here’s to happy dreaming and even happier doings!

Tips for Designing a Functional and Stylish Home Office

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Link: https://unsplash.com/photos/macbook-air-beside-gold-colored-study-lamp-and-spiral-books-MNd-Rka1o0Q

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly one-third of Americans work remotely from home on at least a part-time basis. If you fall into this category, you need to have a home office available to you that is both functional and stylish. If you haven’t gotten around to putting one together yet, make it your mission to do it soon. Here are some tips on how to create the perfect home office.

Look For a Good Place to Put a Home Office

First things first: When you’re preparing to put a home office somewhere in your house, begin by thinking about where it should go. Ideally, you’ll want to stick a home office in a place where it’ll always be nice and quiet so that you can get your work done throughout the day. If you happen to have a spare bedroom in your house you aren’t using right now or if you have an empty corner in your finished basement, these would both be fantastic places for a home office.

You might also want to consider investing in the construction of a room addition to provide you with space for a home office.

Paint a Home Office’s Walls With the Right Colors

Once you pick the best place to put your home office or, better yet, build a brand new home office from scratch by adding onto your house, the next thing you’ll need to do is paint the walls in it. Instead of simply painting the walls in a home office white, search for paint colors that are going to motivate you during your workdays and allow you to focus.

There are dozens of different paint colors to consider when you’re trying to decide which paint you want to put on the walls in your home office. Light blues and greens will have a calming effect when you incorporate them into your home office design. They’ll also make your home office look every bit as stylish as you would like it to be.

Link: https://unsplash.com/photos/macbook-pro-on-brown-wooden-table-kw0z6RyvC0s

 

Invest in High-Quality Home Office Furniture

While you’re waiting for the fresh coat of paint that you put on the walls in your home office to dry, start shopping for furniture for the space. You will, first and foremost, want to select a desk. This desk should fit nicely into your home office without overcrowding it, and it should also set the tone for your home office in terms of its style. Whether you decide to go with a wooden desk, a metal desk, or even a glass desk, choose one that will both serve its purpose and dramatically improve the appearance of your home office.

There are also lots of other pieces of furniture you will need to pick out for your home office. This includes a chair for your desk, filing cabinets for all your important paperwork, a bookshelf for any books you would like to display, and more.

Select Great Lighting for a Home Office

If you’re lucky enough to have one or more windows in your home office, you should adorn them with window treatments and make the most of them by leaving these window treatments open during the day. It’ll allow a lot of natural light to come into your home office and make it feel like a more pleasant place to work.

You’ll also want to look for great lighting for a home office. In some cases, this will mean choosing a single lighting fixture to hang up in the middle of the room or installing recessed lighting. In other instances, it will mean buying several lamps and strategically placing them throughout your home office. Either way, you’ll want to be able to take control of the lighting in your office at any time.

Add Decorative Touches to a Home Office

As long as you have followed the basic steps to prepare this work space, your home office should come together quickly and look amazing. But if you want to take it to the next level, you’ll also need to find decorative touches for it that will put its design over the top. You can buy office decor online so that you’ll be able to add things like pots for plants and vases for flowers to your home office. These small touches will have a gigantic impact on the look and feel of it.

Southern Seaside Styles that Bring the Beach into Your Home

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Photo by Max Rahubovskiy, courtesy of Pexels

The sounds of waves crashing against the shore, the salty air, and the cool ocean breeze envelop you in such a state of tranquility and serenity that it makes it difficult to leave the coast. Imagine feeling that same way all year long, no matter where you live. You may not be lounging seaside, but you can bring the relaxing coastal resort vacation feeling into your home with a southern seaside aesthetic. Keep reading for a few style ideas that’ll help you bring the beach home.

Coastal Home Decor

Photo by Dominika Roseclay, courtesy of Pexels

If you can’t make it to the beach, bring the beach to your home! You don’t even need to take on a time-consuming home remodel or renovation to achieve your dream space – all you need is beach themed home decor. Accent rugs, wall and tabletop signs, and even kitchen goods can transform any space into your own coastal resort retreat in an instant.

Consider your design style and the feel you want to create to choose your perfect pieces. If you’re more minimalist, you can choose one piece of colorful accent decor to stand out against a muted color palette and simple furniture. For a bright, tropical feel, you can mix and layer pieces throughout your home.

Natural Materials & Textures

Photo by Blue Bird, courtesy of Pexels

Replicate the beauty of the coast with a little help from natural textiles, materials, and textures. These organic elements help to create the serene, inviting landscape within your home, while adding visual interest and contrast to your decor. Try to look for decorative objects or decor that use linen, cotton, jute, rattan, and bamboo, which have a beachy casual feel reminiscent of a beach house vacation. When it comes to furniture, choose pieces made of wicker, driftwood, or reclaimed wood, such as modern accent cabinets or wicker chairs. These natural pieces add warmth and a touch of beach charm that’ll feel like you’re sitting on the seaside.

Sea-Inspired Color Palette

Photo by Toa Heftiba, courtesy of Unsplash

The right beach color palette is key to turning your home into paradise. Think about the beautiful colors of the southern seaside: blues, greens, soft white, and sandy beige. Your palette should make you feel as though you’re sitting seaside at the Emerald Coast. Use a combination of wall paint, art, and furniture to create a cohesive look in your space and prevent things from appearing too monotonous.

Layer the colors! Maximize your natural light by painting your walls the color of your favorite white sandy beach, then add a fun accent wall or have decor pieces that feature vibrant colors like coral, bright yellow, and deep sea blue.

Lively Florals & Greenery

Photo by Krystal Black, courtesy of Unsplash

Creating your home seaside oasis is all about bringing the outdoors inside, from natural materials to plants. Decorating with flowers, indoor plants, and gardens adds tropical beauty to your home and perfectly complements the neutrals, emerald and seafoam greens and blues, and warm beach sunset colors of your paint and decor. It’s also a wonderful way to bring liveliness and vitality into your space – something you’ll especially appreciate during those dreary winter days. Don’t have a green thumb? Artificial plants and flowers will create the same effect!

Beach Art & Photography

Photo by Dan 7th, courtesy of Unsplash

Adding artwork is one of the easiest ways to bring the beach into your home and set the entire mood. You have two options that can be used separately or together: your own photography and beach artwork. If you have your own snaps of a previous beach vacation, you can display them on your walls or mantel in beach themed frames to transport you straight back to the sandy beaches. Alternatively, you can select beach themed art that showcases the unmatched beauty of the coast – either abstractly or realistically. Play around with size and color to create a focal point, create an art gallery wall, or accents to your space.

Give Your Home Seaside Style

Photo by Maiar Shalaby courtesy of Unsplash

Whether you live near the beach or you want to capture the island vibes of summer, you can infuse seaside style into your home with the help of a little color and beach decor. Play around to see what works for your style and your home will be transformed into your own personal paradise in no time!

By Andrew Lemieux

How To Design Space For Wellness At Home

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Chronic stress and negative emotions can strain your mental and physical health. Generating a wellness routine is more important than ever between managing long hours at work, paying bills, and other daily responsibilities.

Research has shown that creating time to practice self-care and healthy habits can elongate your life. In one particular study, researchers found that women and men who adopted healthy habits lived until they were 93.1 and 87.6 years old on average, respectively.

Self-care requires making time for a comprehensive wellness routine comprising positivity, nutrition, exercise, and optimal sleep. That’s why designing a designated space to focus on wellness is a helpful reminder to prioritize yourself every day. Here are five ideas for creating the perfect wellness space at home.

1.   Choose a Location

Decide which area of your house is conducive to creating the perfect wellness zone. Perhaps this is a vacant room, an outdoor area, or even a corner of an occupied space, such as your living room.

If you’re planning to foster a daily yoga practice, somewhere with a solid surface to place your mat is probably best. Otherwise, an empty bedroom may be an excellent place to turn into a meditation or arts and crafts room.

Do you enjoy reading? Turn a corner of your living room or bedroom into a reading nook with a bookshelf, comfy chair, small table, and a reading lamp. This would also provide a wonderful space to journal or listen to relaxing music or your favorite podcasts.

Maybe you like gazing out the window or spending quiet time outdoors, such as on a patio or balcony. Consider the space you have to work with and decide how it can best fit your needs.

2.   Design With Intent

Depending on who you are, slipping into a self-care routine could be difficult for some and easy for others. Therefore, setting an intention for your wellness can assist you in maximizing your design.

When thinking about your ultimate wellness space, how do you intend to improve your health? For example, if you plan to create an at-home gym, a large spare room or a finished basement is ideal for a few pieces of exercise equipment and an oversized wall mirror. Of course, the layout should be functional, with plenty of workout zones.

You might also want to check in with yourself and think about how you want to feel in your wellness space. Are you looking for greater tranquility to ease your anxiety and stress? Consider adding acoustic panels to maintain even more quietude.

Understanding exactly how you want your space to make you feel will help shape your wellness area into the perfect relaxation spot.

3.   Incorporate Natural Elements

You’re probably aware that natural elements, such as wood and plant decor, evoke a sense of calm. Surrounding yourself with plants has several therapeutic benefits, including better memory and cognition, lowering stress and anxiety, and enhancing mood, healing, and a positive outlook.

You might choose to create an outdoor oasis to better care for your physical, mental, and emotional health. Studies show that spending 120 minutes a week in green space is associated with higher well-being.

There are many ways to turn your patio into your ideal wellness space by incorporating an organized layout with comfortable furniture and cushions, potted plants, lighting, and a partition for privacy.

Natural elements may also come from a beautiful window view, a landscape mural, nature photography, or botanical fabrics.

4.   Enhance Lighting

Although natural light is always the best choice for your wellness regimen, direct sunlight may be too intense or distracting.

If your wellness space has a large window, framing it with light sheer curtains or adding mesh blinds can filter some brightness without making the room dark.

Of course, if your space is missing light or you’re designing a cozy nook for nighttime reading, finding lighting that enhances your wellness space is essential. A table lamp with soft illumination has just the right amount of light for you to read without hurting your eyes.

You might also want to consider adding unique lighting – for example, market lights on the ceiling, twinkle lights on furniture or plants, or colored bulbs to change the aesthetic of your space.

5.   Support Sensory Stimulation

When designing an at-home wellness space, you should consider tapping into all five senses. Think of ways to cancel unwanted noise, such as a noise machine or adding a sound system to play meditation music.

A diffuser is another option for providing aromatherapy benefits, such as eucalyptus, tea tree, or lavender essential oil. Several studies have revealed lavender’s relaxing effects on anxiety symptoms.

You might also stimulate your senses for optimal health by bringing a hot cup of tea into your wellness space or including decorative accessories, such as throw blankets and pillows for enhanced comfort.

Temperature is another crucial factor for wellness, especially since you don’t want to be uncomfortably cold or too hot. Installing a smart thermostat can help regulate the room’s temperature and provide better air quality.

Making Room For Self-Care at Home

Designing a space for self-care takes some time, consideration, and patience. You’ll likely continue adding and removing elements until you’ve cultivated a room that works best for you. However, these tips can help get you started improving your well-being at home.

Author

 Evelyn Long is a Baltimore-based writer and the editor-in-chief of Renovated. She publishes home decor advice and product roundups for readers in spaces both big and small.

How To Set Your Room According To Your Personality

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Your bedroom should be a reflection of you—your personal tastes, your favorite colors, and the moments that have mattered most. It should also be a comfortable sanctuary designed to promote rest and relaxation after a long day. But of course, a soothing space looks different for everyone. By choosing decor and following design techniques that fit in with your own unique personality, you’ll be sure to create a bedroom that will always feel like yours.

Find out how to style a bedroom that’s unique, stylish, and totally you.

Choose a Color Scheme That Represents You

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Color scheme is probably the easiest way to design a space according to your personality, and it’s essential to tie your design together.

Consider the mood you want to create in your room—do you want it to reflect your boldness and big personality, or would prefer a room that mirrors how bright and cheerful you are? If you’re the former, don’t be afraid to play around with big patterns and bold colors—an accent wall behind your bed frame would be a great place to add a patterned wallpaper. If you’d like your space to be more zen, consider using a calming color palette and adding in a soft blanket in a warm neutral tone for a soothing space that’s completely your own.

 Create Vignettes that Show Off Your Style

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You can also show off your personality in your space by creating vignettes, or groupings of decor items, to showcase what matters most to you in your room.

If you’re a more natural, earthy person, consider building a small vignette on top of your dresser with a bowl for your favorite jewelry, a collection of gemstones, and a small vase for your favorite florals and blooms. If you love the look of modern, avante-garde spaces, consider adding a stack of unique decorative books, a plant, and clock to your favorite shelf to add dimension and interest to your space.

Switch up Your Bedding

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If you want to decorate your room with your unique style but aren’t sure where to start, you can change your bedding to give your room a complete refresh without spending too much time in the home decor aisle.

If you’re spontaneous and cheerful and want your space to match, consider a bright yellow bedding to add a bit of your sunny disposition into your room, you could also consider adding personalized or customized items. If you consider yourself to be more serious and self-confident, consider a deep navy or patterned onyx bedding set to match your sure-footed style.

 Make It Functional

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Comfort is essential—after all, you’ll spend a lot of time in your room!

One of the easiest ways to make sure your bedroom is functional while still being decorated in your unique style is to make sure you can move. It can be tempting to fill up your space with all of your favorite things– but you’ll want to avoid making it too cluttered. After all, who wants to be tripping over their bookshelf or squeezing past a bronze coat rack to get in bed? Consider adding in storage under your bed or adding in a dresser with lots of drawers to hold your things if you’re feeling low on space.

 A Space That’s Just for You

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However you choose to decorate, make sure you’re choosing pieces that speak to you. Layer texture and dimension in a way that you like—after all, it’s your space!

Your room will reflect your personality if it’s filled with the things you love the most. Have faith in the little things, and your space will come together as a comfy sanctuary that is a perfect reflection of who you are.