Introducing…Interior Design Reviews from our Bay Area Clients
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Check out our new Client Reviews page! A big thank you to all of our clients who took the time to share their interior design experiences.
Tags: bay area interior designer reviews, interior designer san francisco reviews, niche interiors reviews, reviews of san francisco interior designers
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San Francisco Interior Design Newsletter: Looking Ahead
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
Trends come and go, and my philosophy as an interior designer in San Francisco corresponds with my fashion philosophy: Wear what you love. Interiors follow suit: Invest in high quality basics and opt for low-cost accessories that can be easily changed with passing trends. Read on for tips on dressing a home that will always be in style.
Grey acts as a great neutral for upholstery.
Invest in timeless pieces. While there may be the occasional instance when I would approve a pink sofa, typically investing in high-quality upholstery in neutral fabrics is the way to go. Think of your sofa as a little black dress; you don’t want anything too trendy that would make it feel dated in 2 years. Look for clean-lined pieces from reputable manufacturers such as Lee furniture or Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Quality is worth paying for, and that additional $500 may prevent you from having to purchase a new sofa in 3 years.
Accessorize with trends. Accessories such as accent pillows, throw blankets, and vases will add just the right dose of color or pattern and can be easily changed when the mood strikes you. If you aren’t sure you will love fuchsia in 5 years, opt for throw pillows rather than wallpaper.
Current trends: Purple and violet, Moroccan poufs (above is from Tazi Designs in SF), metallics, shag, houndstooth, grasscloth, black and white. For the full scoop on emerging trends, check out my Houzz article on Interior Design Trends 2010!
Stick to your concept. This is one of the hardest things to remember when decorating your home. While there will be many sofas, accessories, rugs, tables, and lamps that you love, not all of them will be right for your space. Consider the concept and look you want to achieve for the room and write it down. Keep this little blurb with you while shopping for furniture and ask yourself if the item in question fits with the scheme. If it doesn’t, then put it down and walk away. Impulse purchases rarely pay off.
Mix it up. Mix up your furniture pieces rather than sticking to one time period or theme, which can feel dated. Consider what feelings and emotions you want to invoke in each room of your home. If you want a soothing, relaxing, and airy master bedroom retreat choose muted cool paint colors, natural materials, and glass. You can easily mix high-end and low-end pieces to achieve the desired effect. Stodgy design rules and period decorating is so 1900’s. Happy New Year everyone!
Tags: decorating in style, how to decorate with trends, interior design tips, interior design trends 2009, interior design trends 2010, interior designers san francisco
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Bay Area Interior Design Newsletter: Principles of Design
Sunday, October 4th, 2009
SECRETS OF SUCCESSFUL ROOMS. Do you ever look at a room in a design magazine and immediately love it but don’t know why? A big part of my job is figuring out what my clients are drawn to. Beneath all the details lie the principles of good design. Read on as I reveal four of the key elements used to create successful interiors.
Proportion/Scale. As far as design rules, this one will get you the biggest bang for your buck. Paying attention to the scale of your room is vital. Most people don’t think about how high their ceilings are when they are looking for a new bookcase or armoire. Consider the following factors when purchasing furniture: Width, depth, and height. A feeling of balance will be created if the pieces relate well to each other and are in correct proportion to size of the room.
Smaller scaled upholstery pieces are proportional to the space.
Balance. Balance can be achieved in many ways. It’s more traditional to use symmetrical balance, but it can be more fun to create balance using asymmetry. Grouping smaller pieces of artwork together to balance a larger piece is one trick. Pay attention to the furniture placement, as well as the location of splashes of color and pattern in a room.
Harmony. This is a little harder to define, but harmony is achieved when all the elements in a room work well together. Focus on repeating patterns, shapes, tones or textures throughout a room. According to the gestalt theory of visual psychology, “viewers are actually looking for some sort of organization, something to relate the various elements” within a space.
Harmony is achieved by repeating the use of dark woods, natural textures, and pops of color.
Emphasis. Creating a focal point in a space will attract the viewer’s eye and provide contrast and visual emphasis. Be aware of your current focal point. You may not be too pleased to find that 1970’s fireplace tile is attracting the most visual attention in your living room. Try to highlight the room’s best attributes or your favorite pieces.
NICHE NEWS: I’m proud to announce my status as a Certified Green Building Professional! This knowledge will help create healthier homes for you and our planet.
* Need professional help? Interior Designer Bay Area *
Tags: interior designer bay area, interior designer san francisco, sf interior designer tips
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Bay Area Interior Design Newsletter: Max Out Your Space
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
SMALL SPACE, BIG IMPACT. If you live in the city, it’s likely that lack of space has haunted you at some point during your time here. Owning a smaller scale apartment or house provides the opportunity to take a closer look at how your space is utilized. There are countless ways to squeeze more function out of a room, no matter what the size. Read on for my favorite designer tricks that will make the most of every precious square foot.
The Stella shelf from Oly Studio provides great vertical storage.
Dual-purpose Furniture. Think of every furniture purchase as a chance to bring more function into your space. Instead of just buying a console table for your entryway, think about what other function this piece might serve. Could you use it as a writing desk? What about stashing a small ottoman underneath for additional seating?
Smart Space Planning…makes all the difference. Group your furniture together to create intimate seating arrangements. Many times furniture is placed too far apart to hold a real conversation. Resist sticking sofas and chairs directly against the wall, as this is not always the best option. A well-planned room will feel more spacious and will provide more function. (Hint: You may need a professional for this!)
Think Vertical: Use Height for Storage. This is one of the first things I notice in a client’s home when I look at storage issues. Often, people simply overlook the height of their ceilings and the amount of storage that this can provide. Look for furniture pieces that take advantage of that height. Not only will higher pieces add variety and interest to the space, they also bring the eye upwards and can enhance the feeling of spaciousness. Consider buying antiques or vintage pieces, as often they were built to provide more storage (in the place of closets).
Foldable, Collapsible Furniture. Look for pieces that can be folded and tucked away when not in use. Instead of buying 8 dining chairs, think about buying 6 and purchasing two foldable chairs to stash in the closet. You won’t need to sacrifice style, as many furniture manufacturers make good-looking foldable options.
A Niche Interiors custom coffee table uses a vintage gurney to create a functional and foldable table.
**Check out more tips from a San Francisco Interior Designer or Check out our Bay Area Interior Design Services!**
Tags: apartment space saving, city living tips, interior design tips small spaces, interior designer san francisco
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Serving up the succulents
Saturday, July 11th, 2009
Being new to the gardening world, I started my path to a green thumb by planting succulents years ago. They thrive well on sparse water and care, and there are endless varieties in beautiful shapes and colors. I spruced up the pots with new varieties this year, my latest favorite being Echeveria Metallica shown above.
We also decided to plant a vegetable garden this year. (Growing the vegetables has been easy compared to building and installing the planter boxes on the edge of our patio deck.) The green onions, garlic, and tomatoes are thriving well from seeds, and the basil plant was added after the red peppers didn’t take off. Nothing is ready to harvest yet, but hopefully before the end of the summer we will have a home grown salad. We used redwood (cut to size at the hardware store), deck screws, and metal brackets to create simple planter boxes to fit between the posts on our patio fence.
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