Weekend Design Project

in , ,

CREATE A ROOM LAYOUT

“In drawing, nothing is better than the first attempt."

- Pablo Picasso

You do not need to be great at sketching or visualizing to create a room layout. As you will see in the slideshow below, I have provided my own quick sketches with strange perspectives and blown out wacky walls and I have a design degree. When I have an idea for a space I have to get it out immediately, odd room perspective and all. I know that the accurate details and measurements will get worked out. I just need that time to flesh out the big vision before I get technical. Developing the ability to sketch out an idea or space plan will help you communicate your ideas to contractors, designers and retail associates so you can remain in control of your vision and your budget.

3 STEPS TO SKETCHING A ROOM LAYOUT

  1. Choose a room in your home. Think about how you want to use this space. Write these ideas down and create a list of equipment, furniture, storage and fixtures you will need for this space. For example, if you want to turn a spare bedroom into a home gym, your list would look something like this; a stationary bike, treadmill, weight bench, weights and storage rack for weights, a yoga mat, a foam roller, mirrors, a water cooler or mini fridge…just to name a few necessary items.

    • On paper, draw the basic shape of the room and make note of closets, alcoves, doors and windows locations.

  2. Measure the space. Length x Width = Area (area is the square footage). Next, measure the wall height and distance from the floor to the bottom of any window. This is helpful for deciding the equipment or furniture space plan. Measure any alcoves and closets the same way. Think of the whole room and all of its usable space. Now that you have the dimensions together, you will have a better idea of what will fit and the possible placement for equipment. This is where the details start to take shape and items get nixed from the wish list.

    • On the paper where you sketched the basic room shape, draw circles, rectangles and squares closely resembling the shapes of the equipment or furniture. Create more whole room layouts to see what may work best for you. This part can be frustrating and fun at the same time. It’s time to get accurate equipment or furniture measurements to see where each item will fit best in the room. This is where your superior problem solving skills come in. TIP: Use painter’s or masking tape on the floor to outline the exact dimensions of the equipment or furniture. This will look a bit like a crime scene, but it’s a great way to see how your space will function before committing to any big purchases.

  3. Sourcing equipment or furniture, creating a budget, and the finished space plan.

    • Thrift stores, store and gym closing sales, craigslist, trade with family or friends, Overstock, World Market, Article, All Modern, (Marshalls, TJ Max, Home Sense, Home Goods)…

    • Pick an amount you’re comfortable spending on your new room. Consider the extras like paint and accessories like a basket for yoga mats or plants in addition to the decided equipment or furniture. With a room makeover you have more control over the budget and can keep it simple versus a more intense renovation having plumbing or electrical conflicts eat at your budget.

    • Tadaa, you’re ready for scheduling deliveries and setting up your new space. Don’t forget the remove the tape from the floor.

    Conclusion: When in doubt, sketch it out. There are no limits to what you can dream or sketch. Be free and have fun. Who knows, you may find a new stress relieving hobby in sketching. If you lose focus and need design assistance, I'm here for you.

Glittered Popcorn Ceiling & Textured Walls 1990-2020

in ,

This is a story about a selfless mother and her determined designer daughter.

Home Improvements can be achieved with small budgets. Sometimes just refreshing a space adds the necessary value a home needs.

Picture it, USA, the 1990’s, glittered popcorn ceilings being blasted upon ceilings across America while mint green textured walls followed closely behind. Fast forward to 2005 when a selfless woman and her less than handy husband purchased a house in need of cosmetic updates. Fast forward 4x to the spring/summer of 2020 when the world had a bit of extra time on their hands to attempt home improvement projects. Cue the selfless woman’s daughter (that’s me) and her obsession for all things design to take it upon herself to forcefully tackle her mother’s neglected room. To the selfless woman, I say your “someday” came, lady and you more than deserved it. As for the task I willingly took on, I have to hand it to you (Glittered Popcorn Ceiling & Green Textured Walls), you put up a good fight, challenged my patience and had me doubting my abilities. I’m not gonna lie, there were tears and bloodshed. In the end, I believe I’m a better person and a better designer for this experience. Do I want to do it again? Pause for hesitation—only if I absolutely have no other option. I would do it all over again for my mom. She loves her new room and is in the long process of getting her final pieces of furniture. Follow up afters to come.

I’d like to take a moment to thank the YouTube home improvement experts from far and wide, I couldn’t have done it without you guys. You have all inspired me to keep going and helped me out with tips and tricks along the way.

This project took me close to two months to complete starting in late May with the carpet, bed frame and mattress being delivered in August.

A Functioning Home

in , , ,
Create a simple sketch of a space to reimagine a new furniture layout. This is a scrappy loose sketch so no need for an architecture degree.

Create a simple sketch of a space to reimagine a new furniture layout. This is a scrappy loose sketch so no need for an architecture degree.

Space Plan Evaluation

Evaluate the efficiency of your home with a few questions.

  1. FEELING: How does my home feel when I enter and how would I like to feel when I enter my home?

  2. ORGANIZATION: Do you feel organized? Do you have storage issues?

  3. SPACE: Are there rooms in your home that are not in use? For example; a spare room with random furniture, a creepy basement, narrow alcoves, oddly shaped closets?

Here is a 3 step guide to answering these questions to make adjustments and improve the everyday functioning of your home.

  1. Think about a restaurant, cafe, hotel or B&B you visited and felt like you could live there. Write down everything you loved about that space. The more details, the better. What was the scent like, what were the colors, materials and fabrics like, was here a views, did you hear music? Which of those can you add to your home to bring you that same feeling you admired so much?

  2. Do you have areas in your home where stuff accumulates or unfinished spaces that are at the bottom of the to-do list? What about where your essential items are located? Pay attention to your “flight paths” and the “dumping grounds” around your home. How about collections, are they prominently displayed or packed in boxes for someday when there’s space for them? Create a list any frustrations and inconveniences that arise from navigating your home. Keep this going for about a week to be sure to capture the day in the life of you as best as possible. Quick solution: add a decorative basket of your choosing to the “dumping ground” area to eliminate the visual clutter.

  3. Got a spare room for your “I might need that someday” stuff? Are you short on space let alone have storage for extras? Believe it or not, these are solutions to both of these design dilemmas. Take a tour of your rooms, closets, drawers, cabinets, creepy basement, shared storage space, odd nooks and crawl spaces throughout your home and make list of each space and what is currently occupying these areas. Write a wish list of spaces you’d love to have for a collection, a hobby or every day use. Quick solution: start moving like items together to get a proper assessment of how much space you will need to for your new area. Use this method for decluttering a space to create a functioning office, guest room, creative studio, craft room, game room, library with collectables… Happy assessing, sketching and shapeshifting your personal space.

Share your progress…

Feel free to share your journey, sketches, before and afters or ask a question. It’s not easy so just be patient with yourself and stay focused on your goal of creating a highly functioning space. Organizing your home will create peace and productivity to your life and it will be worth your efforts.

Need more…

One-on-one design will reset your home and create a balanced lifestyle. Schedule your appointment for Design & Wellness Coaching to receive your personalized Roadmap Plan.

Staging is Believing 

in ,

Here are 3 1/2 ways to warm up your staged home and 3 of my design pet peeves.

1. Textiles add dimension, coziness and warmth. This is not ground breaking design news. However, it's how and where the textiles are used that really communicate the feel of home. For example, a knitted blanket gently tossed on a large chair under a window with a book on top of it creates a moment that most people want to have at home. This is a warm snapshot or a glimpse of a moment for a buyer to experience while touring your home. Sometimes people need a little permission to have something special for themselves. If a buyer sees that you take time to relax and enjoy a book all cozied up in this house, then they will feel like they will finally be able to have that...in your house...if they buy it.

*The value textiles can add to a staged a home is impactful personally to a buyer and financially for you. The impression you create in your home staging now becomes an expectation for a buyer during their search.

2. Baskets are your friends! Not only do they add aesthetic texture, they serve two main purposes, training and storage. Place baskets in the known drop zones in your home. This will train you and your housemates to keep clutter off of surfaces. It will also help to locate lost items since you already know what items gather where. Once the clutter is under control the baskets then serve the purpose as the go-to spots for specific items.

*The value of baskets is time saving while being visually pleasing.

3. Life's Accessories. Add a sweater, grocery shopping tote and/or a kid's backpack to an entryway hook along with a pair of clean shoes by the door. This is how we live on a day-to-day basis so feel free to display some real life items in the house to show that real people can live there.

The value of portraying normalcy of human life and activities puts people at ease and reduces the pressure for perfectionism in their own lives.

1/2. What year was your home built? Bring in an item reflective of that era. If its a new build, then choose a design style or period that appeals to you. Find an item that reflects the feeling of this era to bring into your home. It can be a color, a small accessory or a piece of furniture.

*The value of finding your design style is the beginning of creating the feeling you want each time you enter your home or space.

3 of my design pet peeves:

1. Flippers assuming they know what buyers want. Hint: It's not builder grade anything nor is it the flipper's favorite colors.

2. Trendy or dated before the house is listed, kitchen backslashes! i.e, Tiny square tiles in metallic or beige, horizontal and arabesque.

3. Grandma Granite. Just stop it. Please!

*Bonus Peeves:

-Beige box houses. (Blaaa, boring cookie cutter)

-Stark white ceilings with bold colors on the walls trapped by 6" mouldings and baseboards...6" each for 8' walls. (Eh, eye sore)

-Different bold colors in every room. (Anxiety inducing)

-Varying heights of kitchen cabinets none of which reaching the ceiling. (Merry-go-round cabinets, dizzying to the eye)

-Crown moulding in mid-century homes. (No!)

Warning: These are my own opinions and irritations. I am having fun here and in no way do I mean to offend anyone's personal style or taste. We all have our own preferences. Creating a personal space that brings you happiness is all that really matters. My goal is to help you find your personal style so you don't have to live a cookie cutter life.

How does your home make you feel? Can you apply these tips to your home while you are still living in it? Leave a comment below.

Happy Staging!

OPEN HOUSE!

Every home for sale should have a signature scent that brings the entire home’s feel or vibe together. Rather than using toxic air fresheners try adding an essential oil diffuser to the home the day before an open house. Choose light, natural and delicious scents such as; lemon, vanilla, peppermint, white tea… Be sure to go light on these flavors since the scent of the home works best if it’s subtle, enticing and warm. Too strong of a home scent and people will be running from the home with a headache.

Natural Scent Recipe:

  • 2tbs Vanilla extract, 1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice (Meyer if possible)

  • Place in small soufflé dish or ramekin in the oven on 150 degrees.

  • Start this a few hours before the potential buyers arrive and leave on throughout the day.

(natalini’s custom “Om Spray” essential oil room spray and hand sanitizer is available upon request)