One of the most gratifying but scary parts of home design is the choices you will inevitably have to make that you know you’re going to live with for the next 30 years. What color paint? Which cabinet hardware? Granite or quartz? AHHH! For most people it’s the decisions they are intimidated by and sometimes hold them back from pursuing a custom remodel. Don’t worry, with this guide we will have you feeling much more comfortable with your designs! Our goal is to give a solid base of core design principles that will enable you to knock those tough decisions out of the park!! We are going to separate this into two categories, architectural design/layout & finishes because striking a balance between this two is crucial.
Finishes
1. Neutral Tones
This is integral to any design, as any of us who have painted our home know, even though slapping up paint on cabinets, walls, etc. isn’t permenant, we’d like it to be. If you want to have a feature wall or bold colors in the kids’ bedroom, that’s great! But, in your living room, kitchen, and dining room bold colors usually don’t age well and even though it’s en vogue now, it most likely won’t be in 5-10 years.
2. Cabinetry
Our featured image for this post is a great example of a neutral “pop”. It’s not necessarily an awful idea to do a subtle non-neutral color, but be careful not to get too bold because this is another area that is labor intensive down the line to correct if a bold decision wears on you over time
3. Tiling
Graphic tiling is the new rave, but for every post or picture I see that I think are tasteful and relatively timeless, I see 5-10 that in the year 2030, I think will be a big eyesore and a design mistake we wish we can forget. See point 4 In Architectural Section for how to spice up your floors without making such a permanent mistake
4. Flooring
Think Shag Carpets, Parquet Flooring. Nasty Nasty Mistakes our beloved grandparents made. Everyone likes a nice herringbone pattern or honeycomb design and that definitely has its place. Make it a feature in a well used area. Contrast the flooring to the walls but this is usually not the place you want to be too trendy. This goes for most of the items in this list, but think about the flooring that was beautiful 20 years ago and are still beautiful now, and then add a subtle modern flair to it
5. Paint/Wallpaper
Graphic tiling is to floors what Wallpaper is to walls. A great place to experiment with a feature wall/mural is in a downstairs or common area half bath or even a dining room wall that feels boring/blank. If you’ve ever lived through or heard of the 1960-70’s this goes without explaining. (As an exception, I’d like to say that in French Eclectic style homes this may be a little more acceptable in areas not listed above)
Architectural/Structural Decisions
1. Energy Efficiency
This is something I encourage all of my clients to keep in mind, many states are mandating higher efficiency, but it really is a good idea now. I’ll take the most extreme example: Solar! It is painful to shell out the initial funds to install solar, but long-term there really isn’t a better home investment you can make if you will live there for a substantial amount of time. On a smaller scale, think heating and cooling systems, insulation, electrical systems, plumbing, windows, siding, and so on…
2. Storage Space
“There is WAYYYY too much storage in this house!” Said no one…..Ever. Implement all the storage you need and then times it 1.5x, you’ll need it, and you’ll kick yourself if you don’t.
3. Kitchen
You won’t regret taking some extra time and even spending a little extra money for a kitchen that is organized in a way that fits the needs and wants of your family. Sometimes it helps to plan it in reverse – look at cabinets, furniture, and appliances first, then plan the kitchen layout accordingly, instead of trying to squeeze or make alterations so that everything fits in a space that is already built.
4. Go Bold W/ Decor Not Structure
This I think summarizes my biggest advice I can give anyone taking on a remodel/interior design. Going bold with more permanent items will win you the approval of everyone at the housewarming party and then it will dawn on you that you will be living with this for the next 30 years. That doesn’t mean I don’t encourage bold moves. You want some pop, need to take a walk on the wild side? Get that crazy abstract painting, get the red bar stools, so on and so on. Those things are largely temporary but having neutral backdrops and a versatile base will allow you an endless opportunity to express the newest fads and designs through decor as often and efficiently as you’d like.
South Bay Design 