Why I Like, and Hate, HGTV

Before I started my own design firm in 2006, I used to love HGTV. I thought it was great that so many people were learning about design and that people were realizing the impact that design could have on their lives. HGTV has exposed a lot of people to design that otherwise may not have had that exposure.

The problem with HGTV is inherent in the media itself. In television – time is limited and you can only share so much information in that limited time. So viewers end up coming away with the impression that the beautiful kitchen/living room/dining room/bedroom/etc. they saw on HGTV was created in fifteen minutes. And problems arise when they decide to hire a professional interior designer and they expect that same level of amazing design in that very same short time frame.

The show Divine Design is a big culprit of this. I respect Candace Olsen’s work – I think she does a great job most of the time and I sometimes look at her design portfolio when seeking inspiration for new projects. It irks me though when I see her meet with a client for two minutes and then sit down and sketch out a fully finalized floor plan (to scale!) in 30 seconds. What’s even more frustrating is when specifying materials and products for her design, she takes just a few seconds to select the perfect tile, the perfect cabinet color, the perfect wood floor, and the perfect rug—and have everything work seamlessly together.

That is incredibly misleading to viewers. What the viewer doesn’t see is the reality. They don’t see hours of time Candace and her team spend developing the design plan in advance of the show. This advance time then allows Candace to summarize her choices in that 30 second slot. Summarize being the operative word.

For what it’s worth, the only TV design show I’ve seen that accurately conveys some of the challenges that go into a design project is Sarah Richardson’s Design Inc.—which I believe isn’t even on the air anymore. Design Inc. showed some of the pit falls that can happen on a real design project (clients who can’t make up their minds and cause delays in the construction schedule, products that go out of stock or arrive damaged, measurement issues that lead to a piece of furniture that doesn’t fit, etc.) While unfortunate, all of these things actually can and do happen.

In my practice, when a client comes to me saying they love HGTV, I know that I may need to have a frank conversation with them about their expectations.

I need to clarify their expectations about how much they plan to spend (because many design shows don’t say how much things really cost), as well as their expectations about how long they think our work will take (because often they see work in my portfolio that they love and they want to be able to reach a similar level of quality in a two hour consultation).

Because the truth is that good design takes time and planning. Quite a bit of it in fact.

It takes time to get to know your client and understand not only their functional goals for their space, but also their aesthetic goals. It takes time to measure a space and photograph it so that, as a designer, you have the right information to draft a scale model of that space using a computer based tool and explore the best layouts to meet your client’s goals.

Not to mention the fact that the creative process takes time. It’s true that I’ve been doing design long enough that ideas come to me quickly and I have a good sense of which design directions make sense from the get go. But really good design – design that doesn’t look like cookie cutter molds of everyone else’s – isn’t created in an hour or two.

Design like that involves time to look at other designers’ work for inspiration and precedence. Time to brainstorm different approaches to problems and see what makes the most sense. And just plain time.

Believe it or not, I come up with some of my best design ideas in the shower, or in my car when stopped at a red light on the way to pickup my son from camp, or lying in bed just after waking up for the day.

Good design needs time to breathe, to marinate if you will. If you rush it too much, you may miss out on an amazing idea or solution. You may miss out on the “ah ha” moment that happens when your ideas suddenly gel and it’s exactly what your will love.

So watch HGTV and be inspired by the shows you see. But understand that the spaces you’re admiring on the “better design” shows weren’t achieved in 30 minutes. They took time.

 

Full Design Projects vs. Consultations: What’s the Difference?

Prospective clients often contact me saying they love my portfolio. Sometimes they call attention to one or two photographs, saying they want a similar feel for their living room, bedroom, or whatever their space may be.

During my initial phone call with prospective clients like these, I ask lots of questions to understand their needs. Some of those include: what kind of help are you looking for? Are you looking for a designer to develop a full design plan, soup to nuts, or are you just looking for some specific feedback on one part of the design?

Many clients don’t know the answer to these questions because they don’t know what is involved in a full design project versus a consultation. They know they love the spaces in my portfolio and sometimes they assume that we can achieve that same level of quality and attention to detail by working together at just a couple of meetings. The reality is, we typically can’t.

The projects shown in my portfolio are full design projects that showcase how I approach a space from initial vision to final completion. Full design projects are different from consultations in many ways. Below, I touch on some of the key differences.

Full Design Projects

A full design project is one in which I work closely with my clients to design their space from scratch. This doesn’t mean that I make design decisions for them. It means that I partner with them to create the space they truly want and need.

And while many of my full design projects include all new furniture and products, for some of them, my clients want to use one or more existing pieces in our new design. Perhaps they just bought a new sofa and they love it, or maybe they have a great piece of art from their wedding. These are all situations that I’m used to dealing with.

A big question that comes up over and over is one of duration—how long do I think their project will take? The reality is that every project differs depending upon the variables involved and the client’s personality and decision making style.

For example, some clients want to see every possible option, they don’t know what they like until they see it. Other clients get overloaded with too many options and need to only see the top two choices I’ve narrowed down for them. Each of these types of clients requires a different amount of time.

With clients where there are multiple stakeholders – such as a husband and wife team or partners – I often use a different approach to understand each of their goals, and develop solutions that work for everyone. Ultimately, as my client’s (or clients’) partner, it’s my job to learn about the involved parties and figure out how best to work with them.

The scope of the project – and or type of space we’re working on– can also vary the length of the project. For example, complete remodels and new construction projects take a lot of time because we need to select every item from scratch – often things like built-in lighting, trim styles, doors, hardware, flooring, fireplace inserts and surrounds, and much more.

Compare that to a project where the structure of the space (flooring, trim, etc.) stays as-is and we’re just changing the paint colors and adding furniture, window treatments, area rugs, art, accessories, etc. Still a lot to decide, but less decisions overall.

Regardless of the scope of a project or client personality though, a full design project typically includes the following activities:

•  A kickoff meeting 
• Floor plan development
• Aesthetic/style/vision exploration
• Design concept development including color palette creation
•  Identification/specifications of all products for the space
•  Product purchasing 
• Oversight of trades specialists and contractors
•  Final installation and finishing touches

This is a broad overview of what goes into a full design project. In future blog posts, I plan to explain some of these activities in greater detail and why they’re important.

Consultations

Consultations are a very different ballgame. They are much shorter in duration than full design projects and they work best when we’re tackling one or two specific things.

In general, consultations work well for clients who want to do their design project on their own, but they need a few ideas to get started, or maybe they need a second opinion on some of their ideas. For example, a consultation could help a client who has moved to a new house and needs help figuring out how to use their existing living room furniture in their new family room.

In this type of consultation, I would come over and ask my client lots of questions about how they’d like to use the space. From there, we’d likely roll up our sleeves and start moving furniture around – experimenting with different layouts to reach my client’s goals. (Note: in a full design project, I do this on the computer. For a consultation such as this however, it makes sense to do it in person manually).

From there, it might become apparent that my client needs a smaller coffee table or maybe a new chair. During the consultation, I can suggest sizes and styles of coffee tables or chairs that they can find on their own.

Another example of a consultation type project is one where a client wants to keep all of their existing furniture but they want a new wall color and they aren’t sure what color might work. In a case like this, I can come over and look at the base color palette they already have (through their existing furniture and accessories) and then propose wall colors that will complement their space.

There are many different ways a consultation can work. It really comes down to understanding what my client needs and talking about how to make that happen.

Sophisticated, Lounge-like Residential Bar + Media Room

My clients, an established professional couple in East Norriton Township, wanted to create a bar, media room, and powder room on the first floor of their home. Because they frequently entertain large groups of family and friends, they needed a separate space where guests could socialize, gather around the bar for drinks, and watch movies or sports on a large screen TV.
At the start of this project, the area for this space was completely unfinished with concrete floors, no walls, and unfinished ceilings. My clients had explored some possible layout options and had identified an inspirational image of a curved bar featuring glass block and wood.

After getting to know my clients better, it quickly became apparent that they were excited by my suggestion that we create a modern, metropolitan, lounge-like feel for the space -- similar to what you might find in a swank urban lounge of a boutique hotel. To achieve this look, I proposed a very warm, earthy color palette of oranges, rusts, browns, and creams paired with dark chocolate furniture and a rich, dark wood Ipe floor.

The bar itself is unique in its curved shape, but also its use of a stunning, iridescent glass tile that picks up the oranges, rusts, and browns in the room. A dark brown quartz countertop, modern polished stainless steel fixtures, clean-lined yet comfortable bar stools, and a rust colored glass tile bar backsplash complete this area.

In the bar seating area, I proposed the use of rust colored floor to ceiling drapes along the entire wall—functioning as a backdrop for the cream colored lounge-like seating and maple pendant lamps that hang above small Parsons-style side tables. The adjacent wall features a candle filled, custom-designed cherry wood wall treatment that adds visual interest to the space.

In the media area, my clients wanted a TV and built-in speakers on one wall. Because the husband wanted the TV to be large enough for sports and movies, but the wife wanted the TV to not be obtrusive, I suggested that we minimize the TV’s visual impact by housing it in a dark wood, custom built-in cabinet that would extend across the entire wall. This solution accommodates the large TV size and multiple speakers by drawing your eye to the built-in’s open shelves which feature beautiful vases and other eye-catching accessories. Adjacent to the TV, I proposed a 12 by 24 cream colored, very modern porcelain tile as a full wall surround for the ribbon-style, vent-free fireplace that my clients selected. Seating in this area include two very comfortable yet modern style sofas and a soft, velvet-like recliner next to the fireplace. A thick pile cream shag rug anchors the space and provides a soft feel underfoot.

The adjacent power room features a wall of unique Asian-inspired 12x24 tiles. The wall serves as a visual backdrop for an eye-catching stainless steel vessel sink and modern faucet, a dark wood shadowbox-style mirror flanked on either side by two modern wall sconces, and a quartz countertop over a custom-designed dark wood vanity.

My client, who works full time in IT, was responsible for almost all of the custom cabinetry and a large portion of the overall construction in the space. His craftsmanship and attention to construction detail is seen in the cherry wood wall feature, the custom curved bar, the lighting installation, and the creation of the built-in cabinetry around the TV.

As a result of my work with this husband and wife team, the final outcome is a cozy, sophisticated, lounge-like space that works well for entertaining and that functions as a modern, stylish refuge where my clients can enjoy relaxing drinks at home or watch a movie. Who needs to go out when you have a space in your home as nice as this?

Using Lighting to Set a Mood in Modern Interiors

I love the way that color can set a mood. That said, lighting is equally as important in mood creation. Below I share some images of spaces by other talented designers (these images are not of my work) that convey a cozy, inviting mood in a large part due to their lighting.

This space uses pendant lights, recessed lights and under cabinet lights to provide a variety of lighting solutions and give a dramatic look.

This backlit grass resin bar is eyecatching. Candles and a backlit wall of plexi glass or a similar material (behind the bar) round out the mood lighting in this space.

Overhead lighting casts pools of light onto the wooden ceiling beams while backlit photographic images on the walls draw your eye.

This reception area does a great job with its lighting.

Carefully selected lighting makes these dark chocolate walls very dramatic.

This bar is all about mood lighting.

A successful lighting plan makes this outdoor space cozy, romantic and inviting.

A romantic hotel room. The lighting makes it.

The lighting in this bar calls attention to some great design choices - in particular, the light flooring which contrasts nicely with a dark wood ceiling.

While the color palette in this space is very neutral - the lighting plan gives it depth and interest.

These lantern style lights not only provide an excellent source of light - they also function as sculpture.

Color in Modern + Contemporary Interiors - Part 3

This post focuses on using bold colors for maximum impact. Many of the colors used in these images are colors that clients might shy away from on a paint chip. But in context with the rest of the space, these bold color choices really work.

Note: the images below show work by other talented designers except where it specifically states that the work is my own.

Many clients might be afraid to select the dark chocolate brown used on the back wall of this photo, but you can see how it provides a wonderful backdrop for the art and a nice contrast to the sunnier golden color used on the opposite wall. The dark wall definitely draws your eye.

I love the use of orange in this dining room. It adds a warm and happy feeling to the space and contrasts nicely with the dark woods and the white trim and chair upholstery.

This is a loft-like condo space that I designed for a young couple. At the start of the project they had the light brown sofa and the dark wood coffee table and small cafe table, but their walls were white and they had no other color in the space. Since the space was essentially one large loft-like room with no differentiation from the eating area to the living room, I used the green and orange colors to help divide the space. Note that I pulled green elements into the living room space (using accessories such as candles and pillows) to tie the spaces together a bit.

In this bedroom that I designed, I wanted to use a lot of color, but still have the space feel calm and restful. The soft blue and chocolate brown - accented by bright white and some black/browns - achieve this.

Although this space features bright colors, it works for a few reasons. One, all of the colors play nicely off of one another. Two, the architecture of the space - specifically the height of the walls and the complex ceiling line balance out the color impact. And three, the furniture and lighting are very simple - black chairs, white tables, and natural globe pendant lights.

Most people would never think of using pink on their walls. That said, this space, which I designed, needed to serve the needs of my client - a wedding photography, videography, and makeup studio. The space needed to be feminine and elegant - to help brides-to-be feel comfortable and in good hands. The pink wall is balanced by the use of a lot of white in the space - in the flooring, on the sofa, in the decorative trim work, and in the furniture.

Here you can see the space before and the space after. What a huge difference in how the space looks and feels when you walk in it.

Bright colors work when the users benefit from it. In this space for two very active young girls, which I designed, I wanted to create a playful, energizing room for them to do crafts, homework, dancing, and whatever else they dreamed up. The various shades of pink provide a feminine, girly contrast to the cheerful green. The existing beige carpet color and white ceiling balance out the bold use of color.

Play room before and after. The image at the top shows a vast sea of beige that wasn't much fun for two fun loving girls. The second image is all about fun.

This nursery, which I designed, features soothing pale blues accented by a bold lichen/lime green. The green provides much needed contrast to the blues and whites which are often overused in boys' nurseries.

Nursery before and after. This space in its previous incarnation (as a barely used guest room) looks drab and boring - even with the bright painting above the bed. It looks like a totally different space in the nursery image.

Color in Modern + Contemporary Interiors - Part 2

In my last post I talked about earthy color palettes. This time, I'd like to talk about using whites and other light neutral colors with added punches of bold color.

The images below (of work by other talented designers) illustrate my comments.

Here's an example of a room with a lot of whites and creams and focused punches of color. The use of white walls and a white sofa allow the windows (and beautiful view) and the lovely artwork to stand out. The space is anchored by the dark chaise lounge and the black fireplace box.

This is another space that uses a core foundation of cream and beige and then balances it with punches of color (the orange pillows and chair). The white/cream sofas and fireplace also balance nicely against the light wood built-ins and flooring.

Although this space does have a light mocha colored wall, for the most part, the palette is made up of creams and dark woods balanced by punches of orange. I love the feeling of this room - cozy and comforting yet bright and airy.










Here again is a space with lots of whites and creams and natural wood tones balanced by touches of red.

In this space, the far red wall adds interest and drama to the core foundation of stark whites and dark browns.

Color in Modern + Contemporary Interiors - Part 1

Sometimes my clients are afraid of color. I however, find color to be a useful way to set the mood of a space. It can help you feel energized, relaxed, calm, excited, happy, playful and so much more.

Many clients equate "adding color" with "adding bright colors". The reality though is that you can do a lot with earthy colors. They take you away from the world of white walls and bland beige to an environment that is warm and inviting.

Below are some images featuring earth-toned color palettes that I like. These images show work by other talented designers except where it specifically states that the work is my own.

Here the use of a warm but soft yellow balances out the gray wall. The end result: a calm yet cheerful space.

This waiting area balances two different wood colors (a light bamboo floor and a cherry wood desk front) with earthy walls in a creamy beige and two shades of green. The dark wood of the furniture provides a nice contrast against the light floor.

This is another space that uses earthy colors in a subtle way for big impact.






This was an interesting project that I worked on. The room on the left (a living room) opened directly to the room on the right (a dining room). Since you could see the living room from the dining room and vice versa - it was important to select colors that complement one another while differentiating the spaces. The colors play nicely off of each other - creating a cozy and inviting feel.

This space uses browns, olives, and tans to create a warm, inviting environment.