That is what we do every day as Interior Designers.  If our goal is to help the people we create for feel better in their spaces, when we are dealing with two or more people living in the same space there is always going to be an element of compromise.

What if the husband’s soul resonates to an authentic Texas Farmhouse style house and his wife feels refreshed and renewed when surrounded by contemporary styling?  We created this space with farmhouse elements in the architectural features while adding more clean-lined elements in the furnishing.

Vivid Design Group

Vivid Design Group

We also practice compromise when we are working on a project that has a budget, which for us to-date has been every project!  If the Builder has only allowed a certain amount for all of the light fixtures in a home and the Client absolutely loves an expensive chandelier for the Dining Room then we find ways to juggle the money around a bit, selecting less expensive fixtures in secondary Bathrooms, etc.

Vivid Design Group

And what happens when the wife wants more closet space than the husband?  Well that’s a no-brainer; of course she gets a larger closet!  Some things just can’t be compromised…

LA Closet Design

-Kathy

On Saturday afternoon we landed in the town of Mason, west of Llano, north of Fredericksburg.  We needed a place to stay for the night, and with a keen desire to avoid a Days Inn or the like we called around to some Bed & Breakfasts posted in the window of the local Chamber of Commerce.  Most gratefully we discovered The Little Red Retreat created and owned by Phil and Sandy Cook on Live Oak Street.

The Little Red Retreat in Mason, TX

I have been giving a lot of thought to vacation rental properties lately as April and I are focusing some energy toward furnishing these types of spaces for our Clients.  We talk about how you can push the envelope when designing a vacation rental property.  With a vacation home you can create a space with a strong design direction, a more pronounced “theme” because the folks staying there will only be enjoying the space for a short period of time, not long enough for a style to grow tiresome or cliche.

We also believe that most people, when choosing a vacation home, like to discover a place that is of the same quality level as their own home or hopefully better.  It becomes more than just a place to flop for the night, it becomes an experience.  And most of us like to experience something new, out of the ordinary and inspiring when we take a vacation.

The Little Red Retreat Bedroom

The Little Red Retreat accomplished all of this for us, and more.  Although the little house, which I’m guessing was not more than 400 square feet, and equipped with everything we could possibly need, was decorated in a style that I would not want for my own home, yet it took us to another place in time and created an experience for us that we loved!

I could tell, especially as an Interior Designer, that a great deal of thought and care had been put into the design and furnishing of this adorable, impeccably clean and quite functional little house.  There was an Early American theme that brought me right back to my childhood in New England, with antique furniture, tastefully framed hand colored etchings, and pretty needlepoint pillows.  Groupings of china figurines, which normally would have set me on edge, were so thoughtfully placed without a trace of dust that they added interest and charm.

Little Red Retreat Kitchen

Sandy had chosen an accent color, a rich chocolate brown, which she carried throughout the space, from a little bit of wall space above the tall white bead-board wainscot in the bathroom, to the speckled dish ware in the Kitchen cupboards.  These brown accents unified the small space,  grounding the look while various tones of rose and green happily danced around the home without creating a hodgepodge of colors.

Top quality fixtures were installed; lovely Kohler plumbing fixtures in the Bath, including a stylish pedestal sink with extra wrap around towel bars and a tray top toilet making a small space more functional, and a statement farmhouse style sink in the Kitchen.  These details, which will cost a bit more to, help the visitor feel like they are someplace special, as we certainly did.

So, if you happen to own a home which you plan to rent to guests as a vacation property, give extra thought to the furnishings, fixtures and colors you choose.  Create a space that will excite your guests, take them someplace new, or bring them back to a place from their past.  Create an experience!  After all, isn’t that what a vacation is all about?

-Kathy

My front doors before the work.

I’m so utterly grateful that the doors turned out as well as they did, it’s truly a remarkable transformation as shown in these before and after photos.  I think that the black paint (Sherwin Williams Black Magic) has transformed the front of my house.  I also got rid of all of the ugly brass hardware, new hinges, threshold and door hardware in a lovely satin nickel finish.  But the piece de resistance is the new glass in the doors.  We went from awful brass leaded glass to a simple Flemish glass.  I can now be proud to welcome someone to my home.  It also makes my doormat and the pots on my porch “pop” a lot more, an added bonus I hadn’t anticipated.

My front doors after the transformation.

If you hate your front doors like I used to, go ahead and pick a color and take a leap of faith, you will never look back with regret, I promise.

-April

by Paper Source

I found this fun tool (courtesy of Paper Source) to explore colors and how they relate to your personality.  Pick your two current favorite colors and learn a little about yourself!

Currently I am Pool, Plum and Slate.  Sorry, I couldn’t keep it to just two!

(click on the chart and it will open up a bit larger so you can read the descriptions).

-Kathy

Today, we have new tools such as Pinterest and Houzz.  Online resources chock full of beautiful photos of anything from interior design and architecture to fashion and food.  I’ve been “pinning” for about 6 months now and find creating these visual idea boards totally addictive.  It’s also very interesting to see the common thread in the photos you choose.

Photo courtesy of Pink Wallpaper

I have a board that I call “Happy Home” where I pin photos of interiors that make me happy.  As I scan the images I’ve saved, I see that many of them have a bit of turquoise or teal in them.  I knew I liked this color but I really use very little of it in my own home.  After seeing this common thread I am considering adding more of this color to my home.  When I look at the photo above, it really makes me happy.  I absolutely adore the mirror, the chest and the rug if I had a little niche like this somewhere in my house I’d gladly replicate this vignette.

Photo courtesy of Cocozy

Here is another room using a brighter shade of teal.  I love the bright cheery feel of this bedroom, the green and orange are balanced nicely by all of the white in the space.  Who wouldn’t want to spend a night in this adorable room?

Photo courtesy of House and Home.

Another board I’ve created is for kitchen ideas.  The common thread in my kitchen photos is the painted cabinet.  Not one pin is of a stained cabinet.  So, one day when I’m ready to remodel my kitchen I know that painted is the way to go for me.  I love the yellow cabinets in the photo above.  They work as a neutral even though they clearly are a pretty bold color.  The black really pops with the yellow but you could use red in the space or even better yet, teal!

My point is, if you have not started “pinning” and you have a project in your own home and are feeling a bit lost, create an account on Pinterest or Houzz.  I guarantee that if you spend time going through images and saving them to your own boards you will find like I did, that common threads emerge.  Plus it’s neater than a binder of tattered magazine clippings and it’s totally free!

If you’d like, you can follow me on Pinterest by clicking the link on this page.  Happy “pinning”!

–April

Refreshed:

by Dreamy Whites

In order to be successful I must ask the question of you; “How do you want to feel when you are in your space?”.  I need to be able to peek into your soul, just a bit.  Enough to get a sense of you, what turns you on, what makes you tick.

Serene:

by Apartment Therapy

Do you know how you want to feel?

Comforted:

Give it some thought.  This goes beyond following the latest trends.  This is about being true to yourself.

Romantic:

And when I am able to touch on that truth, your truth, and give you a space that helps feed your soul, then my soul is fed as well.

Happy:

Calm:

Stimulated:

Peaceful:

Have fun exploring!

-Kathy

So,in preparation for my own project I have given plenty of thought to all one must take into consideration when selecting a new finish for your front door.  You only get one chance to make a first impression, so you might as well make your front doors create a lasting one that says a little about your personal style.

Photo courtesy of DIY Network

The yellow door above adds a cheery pop of color to the blue of the house. The porch full of pots and flowers contrasts the yellow nicely making for a bright and happy entrance to this home.

Photo courtesy of Coastal Living Magazine

This lovely turquoise door really pops against the subtle white exterior of this house.  It’s also accented by a fun rug and containers full of color coordinated plants.  It would create a totally different feel if the door were red or black.  This color just says “beach” to me.

Photo courtesy of Coastal Living Magazine.

Here is another example of a white home accented with a red door, this really looks sharp and interesting. To me this one says “Cape Cod” and has a bit of a traditional feel.  When selecting a color for your front door, don’t forget to look around the inside of your house to pick up on color cues.  See the subtle red striping on the stair runner inside this door?  It’s tied in nicely with the red of the front door.

Image courtesy of Decorpad

If you are like me, the inside of your house is full of a variety of colors. So for me a black front door will make a dramatic statement and works well with the variety of colors I have going on inside. Cross your fingers for me, there is no turning back now!

–April

Whenever the temperatures drop we realize more than ever, how important our home environments are. When do we spend more time at home than during the fall and winter months? We truly appreciate the importance of a space that welcomes you and one that makes you feel warm and secure. If you don’t feel like your home does that, don’t fret. It is never too late to make changes to help you feel happier about your space, and if you need help, we are right here, just ask!

Happy Holidays!

While driving through port as Prince she witnessed living conditions like she had never seen before.

She and 100 other volunteers, along with President and Mrs. Carter, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood worked hard all week building homes.

At the end of the week Kathy and her team of 10 had created two of the 100 homes in the Santo community in Leogane, Haiti.  They are cute little homes aren’t they?

President Carter and Rosalynn were pleased with our work!

Our next endeavor is getting our online store up and running.  Kathy and I were in Las Vegas in August for market and found so many wonderful accessories, furniture, rugs and artwork that we can’t wait to make them available to you!

Hope you’ll check back often, we look forward to hearing from you!