The 50 States Project is a series of candid conversations with interior designers across the country about how theyve built their businesses. This week, New London, New Hampshirebased designer Cicely Beston tells us about how family has shaped her business, why she believes money is only uncomfortable when its not discussed, and the charging formula that saves her time and money.

Did you always know you wanted to be a designer?My mom has really been my guide into this. Shes an interior designer now, but she was a florist and then had a retail store while I was growing up. Then, in a very roundabout way, she was basically given a large, multimillion-dollar commercial project when I was a freshman in college, and it was baptism by fire. I would come home, and we would do design boards together and go down to the Boston Design Center. This was back in the day when we would literally pin fabric and cutouts on big corkboardswhich, ironically, I have gone back to recently with great joy.

So you had a front-row seat to watch her figure that out.Exactly. It was a high-end retirement community. The woman running the project took my mom to High Point Market, and thenyou cant make this stuff upwas like, OK, this project is yours, because she was moving to the Cayman Islands to start an offshore womens bank.

Thats a new one! Did that early experience help you realize this was what you wanted to do professionally?No, it was more roundabout than that. I was an art history major in college. After working for Simon Pearce one summer, I moved down to Greenwich, Connecticut, to open a store for them there. My mom had a big retail store in New Hampshire at the timeit was like Crate & Barrel or Williams-Sonoma before either of those were bigand I moved home to help her. I got really into merchandising, so my mom started to let me do all the buying. I was 22, going to New York four times a year. And one day, a guy walked into the store when I happened to be there, and after looking around, he goes, I just love how everything feels and looks in here. Who put all of this together? And I said, Well, actually, me. He said that he was building a house in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and asked if he could hire me as his interior designer.

Im a yes girlI always joke that I need no tattooed on my forehead because it doesnt come out of my mouthso next thing I knew, I was working on this new-construction, ground-up interior design project. His then girlfriend, now wife is a very prominent architect in New Hampshire, so I got to know her through the project, and it was wonderfultotally soup to nuts. He was recently divorced, and all he brought to the house was his toothbrush. I helped him design the house, and then all of the interiorseverything down to the dishes. I got lucky, because I got to do high-end, ground-up builds from the get-go.

From that moment, you were hooked?Shortly thereafter, I got engaged and then married, and my then husband sponsored me to do a designer showhouse in New London, New Hampshire. My mom and I did it togetherby then, she was getting more into interior design after that big commercial projectand thats when I started getting phone calls and picking up projects.

What I remember very specificallyand this is what has been really important for me to remember this past monthis knowing that I wanted a job where I could first and foremost be a mom. I had always wanted to be a mom who dropped my kids at school and picked them up every day, and who could take them on every field trip. I knew my job could not take me away from them, and interior design was perfect for that. So I always worked from home, and as my business grew and grew, I took my kids with me. I knew I was in trouble when I took Aiden, my oldest, to a job site right after he learned to walk. It was like, Well, this is dangerous. So after that, I had a nanny for 10 hours a week who would stay home with him when I had to go to job sites. But I always just told my clients, If you want me, Im a package deal. I have a baby strapped to my back. And it worked. For a long time, I did two to three projects on my own every year, and then usually one with my mom.

Did you have separate businesses?Yesher focus was originally retail, and then as she got into design work, it was more decorating, and I dont say that disparagingly. People would come into the store and buy furniture, and she would work with them, whereas I was really learning the construction end of the businessplumbing schedules and lighting and cabinetry and tile layouts and flooring. And then when we came together, I brought that skill set, she brought her great design eye, and we were a good team.

A porch with a cozy seating arrangement and expansive viewsBuddy Sanborn

You mentioned that from the beginning, you were working on high-end new builds. What was the scope of those projects?A few of those early jobs are on my website, but I was always bad about having my work photographed in the beginning. I think the smallest was probably 4,000 square feet, up to an 8,000-square-foot house. For the most part, these were all second homes. There were a few smaller-scale renovation jobs, too, but I didnt start by helping a friend design a powder room or anything like thatit was big stuff from the get-go. I dont think I realized how rare that was at the time. It was just what was there and what I was doing.

Is most of your work still secondary properties? How do you find that those clients needs or wants are different?Very much so. Where we live in New Hampshire was always a sweet spot: We live exactly an hour and a half from Boston, and we have beautiful lakes and mountains here, so a lot of my projects are lake houses and ski homes. When COVID hit I mean, its insane what has happened here with the real estate market.

For me, its so important to focus on how the spaces live. Im a form-follows-function designer anywaythats how I start all my projects. Its really understanding my clients lifestyle and then talking about what its going to look like aesthetically. Whos going to live in the space? How much gathering space do you need? How many bathrooms? Are there dogs in and out? Where do we put wet bathing suits? But having built my own primary residence, its really not that much different. Clients are not more budget-conscious because its their second homeif anything, I think theyre less budget-conscious. The only thing I always try to make them aware of is that these homes should be places where they can come up and not think about their house. Its important to put all that thoughtful infrastructure into place so that this really important quality time is seamless.

What does a full project load look like for you right now?I have a couple. I usually get involved in the preliminary design and development stage with the architect and builder, and have a voice in how everything gets selectedfrom analyzing and editing the floor plans, to understanding the systems of the house and how its going to function, and then building up from there. I specify all of the hard surfaces and always keep in mind the end function of the room: Are the windows too low in case I have to put furniture in front of it? Are the moldings going to work for window treatments? Are my clients left-handed or right-handed when designing a kitchen? Are the countertops high enough? Then it goes all the way through to developing the furniture floor plans and designs and the whole sampling process and purchasing and installing.

Shades of white envelop a comfortable bedroomStephanie Dollof

I know youve had a lot of changes in your personal life in the past month that have changed the way youre thinking about your business. Where are you at right now?Being an entrepreneur, your life and your work life dont separate. I dont want to overshare, and this is quite a lot, but on July 6, I had a mastectomy for breast cancer. That was a big deal. Ironically, my assistant had gone through the same thing and had just finished her treatment in April, so the silver lining in that was that she totally got it. Jackie is also so much more than my assistantI mean, shes like familyand she was like, OK, weve got this. We had it all organized so that we could put the business on hold for two to four weeks.

As I was recovering at home, I was thinking a lot about work and where it fits into my lifeespecially because I have three children of my own, ranging from age 13 to 20, along with two stepchildren. And then, two weeks post-surgery, my ex-husbandwhom I co-parented with very closelydropped dead of a heart attack on his 66th birthday. He died without a will, and its all very complicated, but there isnt anybody else to make arrangements, so it is falling on my shoulders. Ive spent the last three days making all of his service arrangements. Finally, I can talk about it today. The shock has worn off, but its just devastatingand its devastating to see my children going through this, and to know what theyll always go through.

So what Im trying to decide right now is what my business should look like and how many projects I should actually take on. Last year, my project load grew to about 35to the point where I had to categorize them as majors and minors. It was pretty much a 50/50 split. I grew my team, I grew my office, and I actually opened a store in 2020because everyone should have opened a retail store in the pandemic. What it taught me, even before all of this in the past month, is that it was too much for me. I think my sweet spot is four to seven majors and trying to weed out the minorswe all know it takes as much time and energy to design a powder room as it does an entire houseand it may even be fewer these next few years as I find myself a single parent and really needing to be there for my children.

You mentioned growing your firm. What set you on that path, and what does your team look like today?After my divorce, I was actually considering going into medicine. Ive been an EMT, and Id always loved medicineI was a pre-vet major in college before I switched to art historyso I was enrolled in school to become a physician assistant. I was sitting at the kitchen table one day with a design board on one side and my anatomy and physiology books on the other, and my boyfriend, whos now my husband, was looking at me going, What are you doing? You cant do both. And hes like, Youre really good at this, meaning the interior design. Give it a run. So I did.

What did that look like for you?At first, it was going from working out of a small home office to getting an office and a shingle on Main Street. At that time, I was working with a pretty big construction firm on a project here in town, and one day I was giving my paperwork to their in-house assistant when she asked me, So, who helps you? I was like, Me? And she said, We should talk someday. That was Jackie. She had been the assistant to a very prominent local interior designer who had retired a few years earlier. I talked to her, and it felt good. When I first hired her, I remember being like, OK, I think I can afford you four hours a week. And within three weeks, it was full-time and weve never looked back.

What changed?Its just allowed me to grow. In the pandemic, we moved our office a few miles, from Sunapee to New London. Then the building were in had a vacant retail space, and thats when I decided to open the store, which meant I needed to hire someone to help me run that, and I found this incredible young woman who has just been a rock star.

After that, I started working remotely with an interior design graduate student. She was living in Florida at the time and helping me with my CAD work, and then I hired her full-time and she moved to New Hampshire last fall. Unfortunately, that has not worked outshe didnt want to work full-time, and I really, really needed her to. At about the same time, I had hired another woman who had been working for an interior designer, but she only wanted to work remotely. We tried it, and it just wasnt a good fit. So we got as big as five of us, and Ive now scaled it back down to the three. But I get a lot of supplemental support, especially right now, from my mom. Shes now living in New Mexico and running stores there, but she lives in New Hampshire in the summers. And my husband has a very full-time job of his own in development, but he helps me with a lot of my construction projects as a project manager and supports me in my relationships with the subcontractors. Ive found through this time that Im not a good manager. I dont really like delegating, and I was finding that the bigger the team got, the less design work I was doing. And so Ive gotten pretty comfortable with the idea that I only want to scale the business so far.

Does that mean just taking on fewer projects and really choosing to do less?Yes. Well, maybe not doing less, but taking on the right projectsand really taking my time to vet the clients first. Ive gotten a lot more clear about that: We now have minimums for projects that we will take onand those have gone up significantly in the past six monthsso that we can insulate ourselves to only be available for the right big projects.

A gleaming kitchen features a textured backsplash patternStephanie Dollof

What makes a project the right fit these days?Ive gotten really clear about that through COVID. I think before Id have been ashamed to declare it, but Im very clear now that, honestly, it is people like myselfwho are my age, 48 or older, and who are building homes to support their family. They have kids and dogs. Theyre educated and like to travel. They like to be outdoorsy. I understand where theyre coming from, and I feel like I know their lifestylesI may not live it to quite the level that they do, but I get them and they get me. Ive always said my business functions on two key pillars: trust and communication, and the latter begets the first. Having done this for more than 20 years now, I can see that the few clients where weve had to go our separate ways were not my demographic.

How do you start to build that trust with a client?Communicate, communicate, communicate, and then document, document, document. That means making sure theres a long and lengthy intake discussion, and being transparent about pricing and talking about it early. Money is uncomfortable only if its not talked about, so I like to say, OK, this is what it costs. Once weve agreed to that, were going to move forward into design. And then once we get through that initial hiring agreement phase, Jackie takes care of the money. She does all the billing, and if they have a question about an invoice, they talk to Jackie. Thats worked really well, especially right now, and I think having that infrastructure also develops trust. Clients can see that this is a business, and it has the proper formats in place to take care of them.

When you decided not to be the person having conversations about invoices, what changed for you?It gave me freedom. And I shouldnt say I dont talk about moneyI understand they are making huge investments in their family and in their lives, both financially and with their time, and I try to understand what theyre comfortable spending money on and how much. As long as you know your boundaries ahead of time, they trust that youre not going to be bringing $15,000 end tables into the picture if its not appropriate or comfortable for them. Thats something I try to establish early on: Do they value quality? Are they name-brand shoppers? Or do they not care?

Name-brand shoppersthats such an interesting distinction to make. Do clients like that want that cachet, or is it about reassurance because its a brand theyve heard of?It can be both. But either way, those are typically not my ideal clients. Quality is important to me, and not being splashy. So if someone comes to the table [with different values], they usually get weeded out early on.

A lively wallcovering welcomes guests into the foyerCourtesy of Cicely Beston Interiors

How have you approached billing for your work?This is one of the things I think about the mostand this is one of the reasons I try to pick apart your podcasts and these 50 States Project articles! My favorite way to bill is commission: just a flat fee based on the cost of construction, which then gives me a furnishing allowance, and then my design fee is built into that. Right now, my design agreement lays out the scope of work and what they get for my fees, but I do currently offer an hourly fee for the smaller projects. As I try to weed those out of my business, though, Im transitioning back to just a flat fee formula again.

How did you arrive at that model?I hate billing hourly. Youve heard so many designers say the same thing: It might take me four hours to find a piece of trim, but it might take me 20and I dont want to tell you that. Sometimes things just fall into place, and other times youre searching and searching and searching. Years ago, I found this old formula that dictated that the furnishings allowance, excluding mattresses and window treatments, should be 20 percent of the cost of constructionthat allows the figure to scale to the level of the buildand that the interior design fee should be a percentage of that furnishings budget. And Ill tell you, it seems arbitrary, and I dont always explain that thats how Im landing on my numbers, but after using that formula on several very large projects and then trying to keep track of my hours, it works about the same.

Do you also charge a percentage markup on the product?We do. Ill be honest: Before, when I had very low overhead and it was just me working out of my home office, my margins were much lower. Now I have to look at this and go, This is not a hobby job; I have a team to support. So weve just run the numbers and landed on a percentage that keeps us all afloat. I also explain to my clients that my markup on furniture is a little higher than on construction items like tile, plumbing or electrical, because I have true wholesale accounts for the furnishings. Because of my retail store, I have stocking showroom pricing, and my higher markup is only applied to the things were getting at true, deep-discount wholesale. And so I do explain that to them, and I think they get that its different than if I was taking you into the design center and marking up something thats already been marked up.

I used to be a totally open book. Im not going to give clients my wholesale invoices, but again, it goes back to that level of trustthem understanding they have hired me as a trustworthy established professional, and then we go from there and usually the conversation is over.

They just see what its going to cost them.Yes. I know some designers go to retail and then discount it, but I dont. Its just, This is what your stuff will cost. But in the paperwork ahead of time, it is spelled out: Furnishings are marked up X, plumbing is marked up X, cabinetry is marked up X. There are different percentages depending on the cost that I get on that item and what I feel is fair to mark it up.

How does having a retail arm impact how you shop?I go to High Point and try to use all of my own wholesale vendors as much as possible. I havent gone to the Boston Design Center in two yearsand it has really miniaturizedbut I know my showrooms down there. For fabric and wallpaper, it feels like were back to the old model of reps coming to see me or sending me books, and then lots of online memo-ing. Back when I was in retail and doing a lot of buying, this was my favorite thing, so Ill just look endlesslyif I have this image in my mind of this bed that Im looking for, I look through all my wholesale accounts first. Ill just keep looking, and Ill find it. I also do a lot of antiquing, and then I have a lot of custom stuff made. Probably, about 30 percent of what we source is through custom workrooms and craftspeople. One of the nice things of having lived in the same area most of my life and having this be a family business is meeting people and developing very long-term relationships.

An inviting hearth beckons after a long day on the slopesStephanie Dollof

What kind of local design community exists? And what kind of community have you built for yourself?New London is very interior designdense. Where my office and store are located, theres literally another interior designer across the street, and then another one within the building. There are also several established architecture firms right in our town. I think it speaks to the clientele that we have, because were all really busy.

I do a lot of my own construction projects, where I will bring in painters, electricians and plumbers, and having had those relationships for a very long time, I can tell my clients, We trust these guys. My kids go to school with their kids, and theyre going to return your call on Christmas Eve if your boiler goes out. That is the nice part about living in a small community.

Where do you see the opportunity to grow?Well, before this past month, I had actually hired [luxury brand consultant] Rachael Bozsik to help me rebrand my businessI was going to do a virtual two-day intensive, but Ive had to put that on hold until April. The concept, though, was to establish myself as the preeminentmost experienced, most trustworthyinterior designer in New Hampshire. Her way of doing that isnt about getting published in AD, necessarily. Its about getting interviewed in the Sunday edition of The Boston Globe for your knowledge of the construction industrygetting me published in the articles that my clients are actually going to be reading, and establishing my expertise there. Thats where growth is going for me.

Im also changing how my store works. Right before I went in for surgery, I was in the process of moving my office to a new building in town. My property owners were very unfriendly people, and I had the opportunity to move into a gorgeous historic building that was just renovated by the client of a very dear friend. Its three times the square footage for a third less rent, so I get to expand my showroom, expand my design library, and have more office space. And better light!

Wow, thats amazing.Im very excited about putting the showroom back together once I can lift more than 10 pounds. In the process, Im moving away from the retail model, so its going to be more of a showroom. My post-pandemic hours had been Wednesday through Saturday, but now were probably going to be Monday through Fridaymaybe even just Tuesday through Fridayand its not going to be cash and carry. This is going to be about coming to try the sofa, look at the finish of a table, and then you order it. It's more to support the design business.

Is that a more sustainable model than holding inventory for a cash-and-carry store?Yes. Its the same thing as being more patient for the better, bigger projects. Youre not going to be getting those everyday instantaneous sales that are gratifying. Its a little bit slower, but I think its a lot more thoughtful.

The new space came about kind of in conjunction with my cancer diagnosis. I signed the lease on July 1, and my surgery happened on July 6. Then all this happened, and its like, OK, sometimes the universe really is watching after you and pushing you in the right direction. Its the right thing, I think, to support me, my family, my team and the business at this time. Its going to be pretty cool to be in our own building, too, and were really going to be able to graciously host our customers and clients.

What does success look like to you now today?I know more than ever that its taking care of my family and my team. That means running a well-organized business, and it means accepting help. And now, success for me means trusting. I havent stepped foot in my office in a month, and its all fine. Success is having a team, having a family and having my business be a large part of supporting that [balance,] both financially and in the time that I get to spendwhether its taking my daughter to her riding lesson and cooking my family dinner every night, or working late some nights and them understanding that. Its very clear to me now what success is.

That elusive concept of work-life balancewhat does that mean to you?Itll never go away. I like that the business is always in my mind. My family actually embraces that, but I think I do need to have better boundaries. And its probably simply just back to a lot of the other questions, which is taking on the right projects and the right clients, and not saying yes to everything, so that there is a little bit more work-life balance.

Its funnymy husband and I are starting the last little renovation project in our house, and part of it was going to be a pretty big home office, but weve recently decided were not going to do that. Its going to be a screened porch.

Thats such a beautiful representation of that mindset shift.It is. There will still be a little home office, but its tucked in the corner and its not so prominent. The kids know that Im always workingIm always checking emails and talking to clientsand they really love and support me. Theyve all said how proud they are of me, and that means a lot. I became an interior designer to become a mother. And these two major life events have given me a lot of clarity about how important the business is to me, but also how I just have to sort of reprioritize it a little bit. I feel like a good mom that I can show them what it is to run a business, but also be a mom first.

To learn more about Cicely Beston, visit her website or find her on Instagram.

Visit link:
Why this New Hampshire designer is turning her shop into a showroom - Business of Home

Dana McMahan| Special to the Courier Journal

Im not a real interior designer, I just play one on Instagram.

Kidding. I didn't study design but have designed and renovated around a dozen kitchens over the last few years. Each has been unique, but my favorite project so far has been the complete, to-the-dirt renovation of the kitchen in a big, old Victorian in Beechmont that my best friend and I bought two years ago to "flip." (Thats air quotes because we poured every ounce of love and attention to detail into this kitchen and entire home, for that matter that we would have in either of our own homes.)

There were certainly challenges designing a kitchen with someone else, but the finished space which we wrapped less than 24 hours ago as I write this is truly a dream.

We cooked the inaugural meal there last night (lemon and summer squash risotto with a burrata and carrot salad) and as much as Ilove my own kitchen, I have to admit I have some burning kitchen envy over the one we designed together.So, how did we do it?Here are five tips to help anyone thinking of tackling their own kitchen renovation.

This may break some real estate rules, but we knew that for the look and feel we wanted a nostalgic glam that is luxurious but inviting we had to embrace rich color.

To set the stage for a space where you can't help but feel happy, we chose a vibrant hue from British paint company Farrow & Ball called Scotch Blue. It's a deep, decadent color and every other element from the matte white range to the brick chimney positively pops against it. Yes, it may be a bit unorthodox in a sea of white kitchens, but look: paint is one of the easiest things to change if need be, so we threw caution to the wind and are thrilled with the outcome.

Home of the WeekThis home was named 'Best Farmhouse Remodel' in Louisville. Take a peek inside

Now, a word of caution: with the super saturated walls, things could easily veer overboard. Following Coco Chanels wisdom to look in the mirror and take one thing off, we dialed everything else back, leaning toward warm whites and greys everywhere else with some pops of complementary colors in the marble countertops.

Tell me I'm not the only one with a kitchen where dance parties erupt on the regular. When friends gather at my and my husbands Old Louisville home, it's not uncommon for the night to end with us taking turns yelling at the smart speaker to play our favorite songs. So ensuring there would be room around the island in this kitchen for not just cooking together, but any type of entertaining was a top priority for me.

There are minimum clearances you ought to have between different parts of the kitchen, but I would swap counter space for more generous walk space any day of the week so we very intentionally sized and placed the counters to allow an abundance of space around them that far exceeds requirements.

When I visited the ceramic tile show in Bologna, Italy, last year, large format tiles were all the rage. It was a little intimidating to think about working with massive, two-feet-by-four-feet, tiles for the kitchen floor, and to be honest, the tile installers weren't our biggest fans when they saw these behemoths.

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But the result? They make the kitchen feel spacious and open, where a smaller tile could have felt busy and served to shrink the kitchen visually. We also set them on an angle at the recommendation of the tile designer (who happened to be a friend of my partner on this project), and that unexpected look gives the kitchen a fresh and contemporary feel.

In my home kitchen, I was lucky to find a floor model red Bertazzoni range for half price and was blown away by the impact the racy Italian design had on the space. (Side note: I'm still waiting for someone to explain why such a small country has so much of the world's most beautiful design!). The range was 36-inches, and even though that reduced my counter space, it has been well worth it for the ability to cook up a storm on the six burners.

So I knew it had to be 36-inches for this space, and as the crown jewel of the kitchen, it had to be Bertazzoni, this time in an elegant matte-white finish. Its so sleek yet means business for food lovers with its beefy knobs and heavy-duty grates. In fact, I have loved my experience with my own range so much that I teamed up with them on a brand ambassadorship. But even if I hadn't swapped content creation (watch out for this kitchen on Bertazzonis social media channels!) for a trade price, I'd have made room in the budget for the splurge. A gorgeous range is the single element that, in my mind, takes a kitchen from lovely to absolutely swoon-worthy.

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A fortune cookie I recently opened read "great things are made of little things."

As we were making and sitting down to our dinner at the island the other night, Michael and I both kept finding ourselves delighted with decisions we'd made along the way because we took the time to think about the little things, a lot. Whether that was the placement of light switches, how and where to template the marble counters for the absolute perfect pattern, or little niceties like pull-out drawers in base cabinets to make it easier to access things, we treated even small decisions like they were much bigger.

Use your imagination from early on in the process and really picture yourself using the kitchen. Walk around it. Envision cooking in it and welcoming friends. Ask yourself where will they sit? Where will you put groceries when you come into the house? Where will you mix a drink or peel your vegetables? Where does your phone charge?

Design it for the way you live, for the look you love, and you'll end up with the kitchen of your dreams.

Tell Dana! Send your restaurant Dish to Dana McMahan at thecjdish@gmail.com and follow@bourbonbarbarellaon Instagram.

Courier Journal columnist Dana McMahan and her business partner, Michael Downey, renovated this kitchen inside a sprawling Victorian in Louisville's Beechmont neighborhood. Here's what you can find inside:

Read more from the original source:
5 kitchen renovation tips to end up with your dream cooking place - Courier Journal

It looks like there's been a slight detour inJennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's wedding festivities.

On Aug. 19, the couple wereseen accompanying Ben's mother,Chris Anne Boldt, at a local hospital inSavannah, Ga. In photos published by the Daily Mail, Jennifer walked alongside her husband as the Oscar winner's mom was being pushed in a wheelchair by a medical worker.

Pictures taken from earlier in the day also showed an ambulance arriving and leaving the venue where J.Lo and Ben's wedding celebration is to be held this weekend.

A source previously told E! News that the "Marry Me" singer and the Tender Bar actor, who tied the knot in an impromptuLas Vegas ceremonylast month, have been hard at work "putting the final touches on everything" as they prepare to celebrate their recent marriage with friends and family at a lavish bashin Georgia.

A second insider noted that the weekend-long affairis being planned by interior designer and event plannerColin Cowie, with lifestyle guruJay Shettypresiding over the actual ceremony.

Excerpt from:
Jennifer Lopez Visits Hospital With Ben Affleck and His Mom Ahead of Wedding Weekend - E! NEWS

Pallet furniture may not be the best decor choice.Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

Insider asked interior designers which decor trends rarely look as good in real life.

Even though they may appear clean in photos, all-white rooms call for a lot of upkeep.

Painted kitchen appliances and cabinets hardly hold up to common wear and tear.

All-white aesthetics never look as clean as they do on social media.

All-white rooms require a lot of upkeep.adpePhoto/Shutterstock

An all-white aesthetic may look polished in pictures, but Stacy Lewis, interior designer at Eternity Modern, told Insider that they don't show the whole story.

"When everything is brand new the paint, the couch covers, pillows, curtains, etc. the space truly looks, smells, and feels peaceful and heavenly," Lewis explained. "Give it a few weeks, and the vibe changes a lot."

The designer added that this style choice takes a lot of work to keep clean, especially if you have pets or kids.

Contact-paper countertops reveal imperfections.

Contact paper is commonly used on kitchen backsplashes and countertops.MaxkyTH/Shutterstock

Adding contact paper to countertops is a DIY trend, but interior designer Hilda Carroll said it's a choice worth reconsidering.

"In reality, it will take a great deal of time and precision to apply the contact paper perfectly," she explained. "The most likely result is a finish that has bubbles and maybe even creases."

Though she added that these flaws are less noticeable with the marble design than with the butcher-block pattern.

Pallet furniture may not be very comfortable.

Pallet furniture can also sometimes have splinters.bodiaphvideo/Shutterstock

Pallet furniture minimalist pieces mainly made of wood may look creative and relaxing, but Andra DelMonico, lead interior designer at Trendey, said to approach the trend with caution.

"On social media and in pictures, pallet-wood furniture looks creative and comfortable with its large seating areas and plush pillows thrown on top," DelMonico said. "However, in real life, these sofas and chairs aren't that comfortable."

These pieces don't include springs like traditional furniture and lack support since many people buy pillows instead of seat cushions with a firm interior.

Don't skimp and paint your kitchen appliances.

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If you can afford it, you're better off buying a colored appliance.Olena Gaidarzhy/Shutterstock

Instead of painting refrigerators and turning them into creative canvases, DelMonico recommended splurging on a colored appliance.

"If you want a colored, large kitchen appliance, just commit and buy one. Don't try to paint your current appliances," she told Insider.

You'd need to prepare and prime the surface before adding any paint, and even then, a brush or sponge can leave a streaky finish. Plus the coat likely won't hold up against scrubbing and cleaning in the long term.

Dark spaces can have noticeable flaws.

Dark bathrooms are a popular design choice.HamsterMan/Shutterstock

Dark, moody bathrooms are trendy, but photos don't always reveal how difficult the upkeep can be, according to Hillary Stamm at HMS Interiors.

If you are going to opt for the trend, be mindful about where you include it.

"In children's bathrooms or any spaces that get heavy traffic, this can be a poor choice, as any nick or dent will show quickly," she explained. "A month after installation, we have a dented and banged-up, albeit new bathroom."

Accent walls are not always a good fit.

Accent walls can make a room feel unfinished.KUPRYNENKO ANDRII/Shutterstock

Julie Brayton, lead designer of Brayton Interiors, told Insider that no matter how trendy and fun an accent wall might seem, it may not be a good fit from a design perspective.

"While these can photograph nicely, oftentimes it really throws off the balance in a room when you're actually in it and can make the room feel unfinished and unconsidered," Brayton said.

You can still make a statement with other forms of art or unique decor.

Shabby-chic sofas require a lot of maintenance.

The cushions often slide off of shabby-chic furniture.Enrika Samulionyte/Shutterstock

Pieces that look lived-in, shabby-chic sofas can be challenging to take care of, according to Morgan Blinn, interior designer at Rumor Designs.

"Shabby chic sofas are all over TikTok right now. The worn-in look is great in photos, as they are staged for the moment, but in real life, this style sofa takes a lot of upkeep for something that is marketed to be 'effortlessly' chic," Blinn explained.

The cushions on these pieces often slip, so you'll likely need to consistently readjust them. Though some higher-end products include straps to keep them in place.

Mismatched dining chairs tend to look more confusing than chic.

This trend may make your dining room look messy.KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Getty Images

It might seem like mismatched dining chairs add variety and personality to a room, but interior designer Leah Atkins of Leah Atkins Design said this choice can look unintentional.

"Mismatched dining chairs are a cool idea in theory and can look fun and eclectic in pictures, but they tend to look messy in real life," Atkins said. "It just looks like you are living in a shared college living space where everyone brought their own chair."

Instead, opt for a matching set that fits the aesthetic of your space.

Painted kitchen cabinets usually look "too good to be true" in pictures.

The paint may not look great over time.David Papazian/Shutterstock

Many folks paint their kitchen cabinets when they need an upgrade, but Devin Shaffer, lead interior designer at Decorilla, advised thinking twice about this DIY project.

He said usually the trend looks "too good to be true."

"Oftentimes photos of people's DIY projects are taken right after they finish their project," Shaffer explained. "In the case of painted cabinets, they'll quickly start to peel, the dry paint will show bumps and drip lines, and will eventually lose their shine as grime and dirt start to collect on the improperly finished surface."

Reupholstering furniture might not be worth the hassle.

It may be worth hiring someone to reupholster it for you.LOOK Photography/Getty Images

Shaffer told Insider that reupholstering furniture rarely ends up being as easy and seamless as it looks on social media.

"Shoving cushion filling into a vintage seating piece will turn into a mess, and I can guarantee you that about five minutes into the project, you'll get frustrated and end up discarding the entire piece and fabric," Shaffer said.

Even though he said reupholstered pieces "definitely look fabulous," he instead recommended buying a new sofa or chair, or hiring a professional to do the job, if your budget allows.

Read the original article on Insider

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Interior designers share 10 popular trends that never look as good in real life - Yahoo! Voices

The 50 States Project is a series of candid conversations with interior designers across the country about how theyve built their businesses. This week, Bozeman, Montanabased designer Susie Hoffmann of Envi Interior Design Studio tells us how working for Clodagh influenced her career trajectory, how Hurricane Katrina forced her to pivot her business plans and her vision for finding a sustainable life-work balance.

Did you always know you wanted to be a designer?I look back on it now and its such a perfect fit, but the path that led me to Parsons feels somewhat arbitrary. I have always been a creative person, and I studied fine arts and English at Stanford, which is kind of an unusual choice, because Stanford is known as a technical school or for science. I majored in painting, but I really didnt know where that would leadI just knew that was my passion. After college, I went into advertising on the suggestion of people who said, Oh, thats a creative industry, maybe thats what you might be interested in. But I wasnt at all interested in it, and I found it sort of shallow.

Its also not that creative, depending on what youre working on.I know. The thing I liked about it was the people I worked with, who were amazing. It was 1998 in San Francisco, just when the whole dot-com industry was bursting on the scene, and the company I worked for was in tech. It was fun, but we worked hard and we worked late hoursand at the end of the day, it was an ad. I just didnt find any gratification in that.

That ad agency was [located along] this long road of furniture showrooms, and thats how I realized I just wanted to look at furniture. I thought, I love this. This is whats drawing my attention when Im not at work. So I looked into the Parsons program and made the leap in 2000, and once I was there, I knew it was the perfect fit. I loved everything about it, from materials to space planning to lightingeverything. And I still do.

What happened after Parsons?I was in my 20s when I was at Parsons, so I was ready to be working, and I started an internship at Bogdanow Partners, an architectural firm that focused mainly on hospitalityrestaurants and hotels. That internship led to a great full-time job that set my career path. After a couple years there, I became interested in the more meaningful aspects of designhow design might lead to wellness and a better life experience.

You were early to that. I feel like everyone wants to talk about wellness now.What happened was, I had a really serious health issue that just stopped me in my tracks. It was the kind of thing that makes you reevaluate your life. At first I was like, Wait, why am I doing design? How can I help other people? Then it became, Wait, design can help other people.

Ottomans in a bright berry hue add a playful element to a sophisticated neutral interior.Audrey Hall

How did you fold those wellness principles into your work?I went to work for Clodagh, who has always been at the forefront of that. I wanted to learn from her, so I applied for a job and was there for the next few years of my career. That was incredibly formative for meshe introduced these concepts that I hadnt learned at Parsons, and that I hadnt really learned in the hospitality world, either. Where before I had been using color to create fun short-term experiences, now I was looking at, How does your home affect your health? How does everything around you affect your well-being? Her firm was really an amazing place to work for that. She was teaching us about feng shui and chromotherapyand also things that I dont continue to employ in my work, like energy workers to rid a space of spirits. But a lot of that is still with me, because I do have a very intuitive sense of space and energy and how things work.

Meanwhile, my whole family had moved to Montana, and I just fell in love with it out here. I had been working in Clodaghs offices in New York, and there was a spa project in New Mexico, and I was like, I really want to be on the New Mexico project. I was just so drawn to the West. But the experience of coming to Montana wasnt quite as intentional. While I was in New York, I fell in love with a guy who moved to New Orleans to start a business there. I had always known I wanted to start my own business, so I moved to New Orleans to do itbut I moved three weeks before Hurricane Katrina. It was a nightmare. I came to Montana because thats where my family wasthis is where I evacuated to. I was here for six weeks, then went back to New Orleans, and it was a disaster. I realized I wasnt up for starting a business there. There was the prospect of being a part of the rebuild, but it was too much for me. I had only half moved in, so many of my things were still in boxes. So I came back out to Montana, briefly worked for a firm, and then started the business here in 2006.

How did you get those first clients after launching your firm?When I first moved out here, I was like, Gosh, is this career suicide? I mean, I had just come from working in New York for one of the top designers in the world. Meanwhile, it was all about rustic timber-log construction here in Montana, which was not my jam. But its actually been an amazing place to start a businessand I was oddly ahead of the curve, right? Montanas booming now, and it has been for a while, but it was not quite there in 2006, and what I was really trying to do was introduce a new concept and style of design altogether.

One of the first projects that launched the business came through Clodagh. It was a project she was working on out here, and she asked me if I could finish it for her. That was my breakthrough project in Montana, and it kind of started the business, which was amazing, because everyone needs one of those.

A plush gingham mount and the live-edge drawer of the nightstand nod to the West in a daughters bedroom in Yellowstone ClubAudrey Hall

Two local artists in Big Sky, Montana, combined hair-on-hide leather and vintage skis for an installation inspired by the nearby slopes.Audrey Hall

Left: A plush gingham mount and the live-edge drawer of the nightstand nod to the West in a daughters bedroom in Yellowstone Club Audrey Hall | Right: Two local artists in Big Sky, Montana, combined hair-on-hide leather and vintage skis for an installation inspired by the nearby slopes. Audrey Hall

Who were those early clients who said, We want something differentwe dont want the fancy log cabin?My first project like that is still on my websiteits the Whitefish Pool House. I met the clients through word of mouth, and they were building this Japanese-inspired pool house that was intended to be a wellness center and art gallery all in one. That concept was perfectly aligned with my philosophy and education about wellness and spa design, and there was no one else out here doing remotely the same thing. I was so youngI was 30, but I feel like I was really young thenand they trusted me with that project and were still in touch. I feel like they took a chance on me, and it was an amazing thing to be able to launch my business with a project that was and continues to be very highly regarded.

Was residential always your main focus once you launched your firm?Its been a mix. Weve done a number of restaurant-lodge projects in the Big Sky area, a golf clubhouse and lodge, and were working on a dining lodge, but the majority of work has turned to residential. I still have a passion for spa design, so if anything ever comes across my desk, Im like, Yes! Remarkably, there hasnt been much, but I imagine that will changethe fact that theres not really a destination spa in this area is crazy. But for the most part, Ive learned to take the ideas from spa and wellness spaces and apply them to the home.

When I moved here from New York, I was really blown away by all of the buildings in downtown Bozeman that were not being used to their full potential. In New York, you have all these amazing lofts and buildings that are repurposed for living, but no one was doing that here. Youd see these cool buildings on Main Street with the upstairs just sitting there dilapidated, and no one wanted to do anything with it. So I started doing loft designs, both here in Bozeman and also Billings. Those were early clients as well. After some of those clients, it was a natural progression toward high-end residential. Weve done a lot of work up in the Yellowstone Club, and now were starting to work outside of Montana quite a bitin Cabo, Mexico, and in Pacific Heights in San Francisco.

Are these mostly vacation homes?In Montana, most of these homes are not primary homesthough its changed, because so many people are moving here. Right now, my projects are about 50/50.

Was the pandemic the turning point?People flocked out here during the pandemic for obvious reasons. But Im also thinking of a client who has two homes in Montana; they had a home in California, they sold it, and now we were building them another home in Montana thats going to be their primary residence. Thats crazy, right? Some people come out here to their secondary home, realize how much they love it, and say, When I retireor when Im done raising my kidsIm going to move to Montana as my primary residence. Were also doing a home in San Francisco that is a primary residence, but I did their second home here in Montana first.

Is there a difference in your approach when designing a vacation home?Its a different mentality. In a vacation home, you have a license to have a little more fun and maybe be a little less practical. For the home youre going to be living in, you have to consider how youre living day to day and you cant do something that youre going to get sick of. It cant be too on-trend. Theres a timelessness to the primary home that you may not get into as much with a secondary home. If you think about it, its the same mentality as hospitality, right? Its short-term. A restaurant can be super colorfulits flashy, you enjoy it for two hours, and then you leave. Its the same kind of thing. You dont put something like that in the home youre living in every day because it might drive you crazy, but you can do something like that for a home youre in two weeks out of the year. I think people are often looking for something that has a little more edge or more fun.

Hoffman says the shades of blue on the kitchen cabinetry and backsplash tile in this mountain home draw from the azure skies and sense of fun of a bluebird powder day, where the sun comes out after a storm.Audrey Hall

How did the aesthetic you wanted to bring to Montana catch on?It started by just firmly rejecting anything Western. Im more apt to embrace the Mountain West a little bit now, but at first I think I was just trying to make a statement. I designed a Montana home for the Bernhardts of Bernhardt Furniture and Bernhardt Design, which was a huge honor. But I remember Anne Bernhardt called me and said, The older I get, I just get more and more contemporary. And there werent any designers out here that were doing that.

Now, I think its so important to have the context of Montanawere here, so lets embrace the palette and the materials. But you can do that without going too far in the Western direction and in a way that is still forward-thinking and contemporary. We can draw inspiration from Scandinavia, and it can still be Montanait can still be a mountain house, but it doesnt have to be the American Mountain West. Why not look to whats been happening in Switzerland for centuries?

Where does the firm name come from?When I started the firm, I had put the words interior and environments together in one string of letters in gray. The E-N-V-I kind of stood out, so I made that black. And then I was like, OK, Envi. That was my concept: its not just design, its the environment. Its everything.

White blankets of fresh snow inspired this primary bedroom's palette and layers of textures.Audrey Hall

When did you start hiring, and how did the firm grow and evolve?I had an assistant helping me almost from the beginning. Then when I had my first baby in 2014, we started to grow. I had a designer working for me, and then I brought on an architect and a business manager. As the business has grown, its been a delicate balanceIm still trying to work out, Whats the right size? I prefer smaller to larger. I feel like the larger you are, the more youre managing people and the less youre focusing on design.

Staffing has always been hard in Montana, and the pandemic only made it harder. I had almost 100 percent turnovertheres been a global shift, and it seems like were making life decisions differently, whether its, Im going to go out on my own, or, I dont want to work this much anymore, or, Im going to move back to Indiana.

Montana also draws a lot of people who are psyched about coming to the outdoors, but I dont think people understand the kind of design happening here, too, which is really high-level and actually quite incredible. I think if designers in New York knew that they could come to Montana and still have a great career, Id have better luck finding designer staff. Id love to get the word out: Design is here, and yes, were hiring. We have eight people now, but itd be better if there were 11 of us. We need senior designers.

What are you outsourcing and what are you hiring for to make sure you can keep designing and stay small?Well, I just hired this incredible new studio director. We have very similar backgroundswe were at Parsons at the same time, but we didnt know each otherand he came out here for another job but quickly recognized that the design world here was on fire. I brought him in to help rebuild my team, because I had all these incredible projects and no one to help me. Were now looking at this as a great opportunity to restructure and find the perfect balance. Is that two design teams that we have working under me, or is it just one? How many projects do we really need so that were not going crazy? Its been a challenging time to do design worktheres not only a ton of work, but also supply chain shortages, contractors have staffing issues, everythings taking forever, and everythings twice as expensive. Its been an interesting period of trying to reflect and understand what the balance should be. To be honest, I dont think I know what it is yet but Im working on it.

Beams overhead nod to the raw beauty of an expansive view.Audrey Hall

Do you see yourself moving toward fewer projects?Absolutely. I find that the projects that I really love are the ones where you can just dive inbringing this long-term project to life over a couple of yearsso I think the idea is to stay small and be a boutique firm. But its hard as a business owner to say no. I have colleagues who are like, I just cant say no, and theyre driving themselves crazyits maddening when youre dealing with staffing and working all the time. I have four children and I live on a ranch, and I cant be working all the time if I want to enjoy that. I feel lucky to be able to do this and to support my family and to have this life, but I also need that balance. Somehow, there is a ratio out there of projects to staff to life balance, and were working through it.

How many projects do you have in the works right now?We have four really big ones, and then a small, scattered group that were just trying to finish up.

Do you think you would have been asking yourself these same questions without the pandemic? Ive always been asking those questions, but I had a much better balance before the pandemic. I only worked four days a week, but now I work every day.

Just because of the volume of work?Just because I dont have the help, really. And the volume, the size of the projects. I mean, theres going to be crazy success that comes from it, because the projects that Im finishing up at the end of this year are, for me, next level. Theyre bonkers amazing. So as hard as its been, I hope theres some reward at the end. And then whatever the next steps are will have the significance of having gone through these couple of years.

Just like the fresh snow, this dining space is designed to sparkle. A kid-friendly table remains stylish with lightweight, low-maintenance Poliform chairs in leather, which are easily moved when the space transforms for cocktail hour.Audrey Hall

When the world sees the stuff youre working on right now, what do you want to happen next?Im really excited for the breadth of work were doing. Its not just to Montana, and its not just contemporary style in Montanait is contemporary Envi Design style in Mexico. Its so exciting to be able to live here and appreciate the lifestyle and the beauty of Montana, but also explore different styles and types of architecture. Working in Mexico is a whole new world, really. I mean, youre building for hurricanes, so everything is concrete. Right now, Im looking at this incredible encaustic tile for that project. We dont have that here, and I dont know that I could use it hereit doesnt really make sense in Montanabut its fun to be able to use different tools, materials and ideas there. Hopefully, it leads to other interesting projects that take us elsewhere.

How have the resources available in Montana shaped the kind of work you do?We dont have many resourcesthere are more and more coming, but we still have to travel quite a bit to understand whats happening in the design world. We use the design center in San Francisco quite a bit, and I just took the whole team to Salone [del Mobile] in Italy to see whats new. And then in terms of materials that are specific to here, like stone thats quarried nearby, I think its really exciting. Look, there are some materials that I think are way overused, like corral board, which is just reclaimed wood from a corral. And, you know, its beautiful in its own way, but Im just like, We dont need to see that again.

How have you approached billing for your work?We bill hourly and then mark up our furniture. I dont know if thats the best system, and I wish it were simpler. The thing with construction and design is its so fluid, so I feel like fixed fees dont make sense because you just dont know where youre going to end up. But at the same time, I honestly wonder if there is an easier way. I think it would be so much easier for the designer and for the client to just say, Heres the size of your project, heres how long its going to take. Itll cost you $30,000 a month. A monthly retainer, and then you dont have to track your time, and theyre not asking you what you were doing. You just say, This is what its going to cost per month. I dont know if anybody works that way, but that, to me, would make the most sense. It would just be amazing.

What does success look like for you?Honestly, right now success looks like more time at home with my family and being able to just relax and enjoy what Ive built. One interesting aspect to my life is that I run this high-end fashion-focused design firm, yet I live on a ranch with donkeys, chickens and horses. My husbands, like, a cowboy, and we are raising four children. So its a pretty big balancecountry mouse and city mousebut its awesome, and I love it.

Do you feel that opportunity to relax coming your way?Im starting to feel it now. You know, I have a whole theory about manifestation and creating what it is you want, and its coming together. I think Im getting there.

To learn more about Susie Hoffmann, visit her website or find her on Instagram.

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How a focus on wellness helped this Montana designer build her business - Business of Home

The interior design industry has a whole range of specialized fields and niches that go beyond simple design tasks of enhancing the quality and functionality of interior spaces.As the industry keeps evolving and growing at an unprecedented pace, interior designers are redefining their roles in the profession

While most people think that the interior design industry is just limited to renovating houses, offices, or even public places, it has emerged way above those and has transformed itself into our lives like never before.However, there is an ocean of career opportunities in the industry, and a designer can become a specialist in a specific field and provide professional interior advice in any of these fields

Let's look at the different interior design fields

Commercial interior designing

Commercial interior designers provide advice and services for clients seeking tasks like space planning and design of offices, restaurants, hotels, entertainment centres, community centres, studios, shops, boutiques, museums, banks, schools, and libraries. As a commercial interior designer, you may work closely with architects, builders, and engineers to ensure the overall design meets functional goals and is within a stipulated budget.

Sustainable interior designing

This is one of the fastest-growing areas of interior design specialization in the 21st century. Sustainable interior design services incorporate healthy living and a "green" or sustainable lifestyle with conventional interior design. A sustainable design specialist must ensure the efficient use of space, a reduction in energy consumption orenergy-efficient lighting.

Interior decorator

As an Interior design consultant, you can work for an architectural or design consulting firm. Reals estate firms also employ the services of interior design consultants to help 'up' the property's appealto potential buyers. You can also work with furniture firms, be self-employed, or work independently.

Lighting designing

Lighting design is important for all interior spaces, and many interior designers work solely in this niche. In modular homes, this aspect has become of utmost importance. Lighting changes and enhances the look and feel of the place; hence, this field is in demand now. Lighting design services may also include creative illuminations of exterior structures like fountains, parks, monuments, and other outdoor landmarks. As a lighting designer, you must decide and choose the types, styles, arrangements, and amount of lighting that's best for the interior space

Residential interior designing services

Residential interior designers can provide services for homeowners, home improvement stores, architects, and real estate companies. They can also work as freelancers in small interior design firms, architectural firms, or interior design consultants. Residential interior designers will also help clients choose furniture items, furnishings, textures, general interior dcor, and lighting and its effective use, space allocations, and colour schemes.

(The author is the founder and CEO, Saraf Furniture)

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A career as an interior designer - The Hans India

If theres one thing we love in the good ol U.S. of A. its watching strangers go through the trials, triumphs, and contractor-induced headaches involved with spending loads of cash to renovate their homes. We have whole networks devoted to shows about such pursuits, but if youve tired of watching the open-plan kitchen/living room combos and spacious, luxury home offices come to fruition, there might be a recently released show on the 2022 Netflix TV schedule thats made for you: How To Build A Sex Room. Never let it be said that this years TV premieres were incapable of surprising us.

How To Build A Sex Room (which has gotten a lot of attention from the internet) follows interior designer Melanie Rose as she helps eight couples and one singleton create the pleasure palaces of their dreams. Well, when I say palace I really mean bedroom/master suite/lounging area/dungeon, but whos quibbling over semantics when we can dig into all the intriguing thoughts I had while watching How To Build A Sex Room? Lets go!

I know, I know! This is a show about sexy stuff and here I am thinking about shoes. But, I can honestly say that from the first time sex room doyenne Melanie Rose appeared on screen I wanted to know where she got those shoes! Im a woman who believes comfort and style can go together, and our friend Melanie has a wonderful collection of completely practical tennis shoes (or sneakers, whichever you prefer) that are also perfectly gorgeous and coordinate well with her many Im a fancy lady outfits. Whats not to love?

One thing that baffled me is how several of the people having sex rooms made seemed to think that those private spaces would be secret, which would lead to them being even more titillated prior to sex room usage.

Ive got news for everyone. While we arent told anyones last name, and the show makes an effort to hide addresses/details that will give locations away, we do know first names, what the outside and inside of the homes look like, what everyone does for a living and, most importantly, what everyone looks like. Sorry to be a boner killer, yall, but your friends, family, and neighbors are going to know that you have a sex room and exactly where its located if they watch How To Build A Sex Room. I mean, youre on TV.

If youre someone who has watched a lot of Netflix reality shows, whether they be of the Im pulling your wig off in this fight or the hey, lets get your home organized variety, you will recognize a lot of the ingredients that make How To Build A Sex Room what it is. And, I was surprised to find that it wasnt nearly as wild as I thought it was going to be, especially considering that one of the reasons its rated as being for mature audiences is because of nudity.

And, we are now off to the races, my friends! Kudos to the producers for easing us into this sex room thing, because it takes a full 24 minutes into the first episode for us to get to the nakedness referred to in the shows rating. Truthfully, its not what I expected. I was about 80% sure that we were going to end up watching the couplesenjoy their new sex rooms after they were completed, but that turns out not to be the case. Our first hit of butt and boob (With pasties!) action comes courtesy of kink coach Iszi, whom we watch be flogged. (Take a flogging? I dont know guys, and Im reluctant to Google it.)

You know what you dont get to see on HGTV or Magnolia Network? Someone finding out that $20,000 of their design budget is going to be eaten up by an unforeseen issue (which happens all the time), and them dropping to their knees to yell at the sky, Why, you mutha fuckas?! Whhhyyyyy?!?! But, we really should, because that would be most peoples response, and How To Build A Sex Room can give us that, as well as all the random, recreational cursing we could ever want.

Most of the couples on the show seem very happy and well-suited for one another, and like folks who simply want a beautiful, private place to explore their sexuality. However, there is at least one couple that seems to have become really disconnected, likely because of the difficulties of everyday life (based on what I heard from them in the show, anyway). Im hoping that having a brand new master suite so that they can get busy in style will do the trick for them, but my money is on them needing a bit of couples therapy to seal the deal on getting their mojo back.

The sexytimes/nakedness on How To Build A Sex room is few and far between, and nothing that we were shown -- from expert demonstrations to a sex room couple Ill get to next -- bugged me at all. But, something that did make me uncomfortable is how Melanie Rose and her contractor, Mike, simulated sex acts or sorta flirted with each other.

The first time this happens, Melanie lays down on a spanking bench so that Mike can flog her with his adult son, Jeremiah, right there watching. Aside from feeling second-hand embarrassment from Jeremiah having to watch the scene play out, he notes that his mom might not like what just happened, so, yeah CRINGE.

See those two bespectacled people up there? Because we have so many preconceived notions about what kinky folks might look like, one could easily put their faces beside the phrase dont judge a book by its cover and then direct people to their episodes of How To Build A Sex Room.

Not only do frisky farmers Tricia and Gary disrobe for some dominatrix lessons, but we also see Tricia riding an ATV topless, and the couple really going for it when Melanie sets up an erotic photo shoot for them, with their activities coming close-ish to sexually explicit movies on Netflix-territory. I truly hope theyre loving their new bondage bed. They were so excited by it!

By and large, Id say the best part about How To Build A Sex Room (besides Melanies shoes) is the fact that she does design some amazing spaces that would appeal to pretty much anyone who enjoys watching home renovation shows.

Even the rooms filled with the most serious kink/BDSM gear are lovingly crafted and beautifully appointed, meaning that if you take away the kinky stuff, you just have cool rooms that many of us would be pleased to call our own and also show off to guests. Of course, my bet is on several of the people we saw here doing just that with all of their sex equipment on full display, and more power to em!

If you havent checked out How To Build A Sex Room yet, all of Season 1 is now available to stream on Netflix (opens in new tab).

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How To Build A Sex Room: 9 Thoughts I Had While Watching The Netflix Design Show - CinemaBlend

WHEN it comes to classy interior design the saying 'less is more' is always applicable.

Overloading your home with expensive pieces and statement dcor can have the opposite of the desired effect.

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Interior designer Garrett LeChic revealed the top 10 expensive things that are making your home look cheap.

In his YouTube video, Garrett lists the most common faux pas you can make when trying to make your home appear elegant.

"If youre not selecting the right paper for the space it can definitely make it look cheap as opposed to elegant, luxury, sophisticated," Garrett explained.

He continued: "The most important thing to consider with a wallpaper is the texture, the color, the finish."

"Opting for something a little bit more neutral will definitely elevate [your space]," the YouTuber told his followers.

"Remember that a trend starts off really good, it starts off really high quality, really luxurious," said the interior designer.

He explained: "It goes downhill from there as trendy pieces are copied by more affordable makers, designers, furniture manufacturers, and stores."

"The quality goes down and your luxury piece is maybe going to be considered with those lower quality pieces," he said.

While glass railings pose a massive safety hazard, Garrett also pointed out another drawback of these modern fixtures.

"If you are actually using your banister or railing for support, and youre touching it, the oils from your hand will leave prints and marks on that glass. Its going to have to be cleaned all the time," the interior designer explained.

Garrett also said: "There's so much more you can do with the space because the glass banister is actually starting to look just a little bit dated at this point."

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"A cool tone gray floor can definitely make a house look a little bit cheap, a little bit dated, because it was a big trend that kind of came and went really quickly," he said.

Garrett advised: "If you're looking at flooring and you want a gray option, look for something that has both those cool tones and warm tones in it."

"That way you can pull one or the other out as your tastes change," he explained.

"I'm talking about things like having an actual sculpture installed in your home, and murals," Garrett said.

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"Those sorts of things can be very personal to you but they can actually be very dated," he explained.

The interior designer recommends steering completely clear of this fad.

"Choosing a lighting set of everything that matches can actually make your home a little bit devoid of character," Garrett explained to his viewers.

The interior designer pointed out how expensive lighting fixtures can be to install.

"There's no point just getting something that is matchy and easy if you're going to spend that," he said.

"We are living in 2022, so if you are in the position where you are looking at buying or building a new home, there's no point in installing them," Garrett said.

The YouTuber explained that square-corned dry walls create a "better space to transition wall colors."

"You absolutely do not need to have [the rounded corner] to have an elevated space," he told his viewers.

"The fake olive tree - sometimes they can be really expensive, and they still look fake," Garrett explained.

He continued: "Consider maybe getting a real plant or look for a more affordable alternative."

4

"The reason this can make your home look cheap is it just doesn't look like the real thing," Garrett explained

"Usually, some of these quartz-type products, they tend to look like a cartoon-version of marble.," he said.

Garrett recommends taking the time to find the right piece, stone and material before investing in any marble alternatives.

"I don't understand the tubs that fill from the ceiling, I think it's something that's a little bit of a kitschy feature that is definitely not worth the money," Garrett said.

He also pointed out the impractical aspects of such a feature including reheating your bath water, issues with splashing and potential water leaks in your ceiling.

More:
Im an interior designer the 10 expensive things that make your home look cheap... - The US Sun

In a world dominated by bouncy, bridal calligraphy, Mirthos Papers greeting cards are most often splashed with a signature bold, unruly cursive lettering, the dots of is adorned as imperfect stars.My handwriting is the edgy wild child thats still beautiful, said Mirthos owner Hilary Meehan.

Playing alongside a popularized minimalism-heavy design realm, Meehans maximalist, yes-frills approach-easily distinguishes her cards on the rack.Last October, Meehan moved into a space provided by Brunswick Community Colleges Business and Industry Incubator program in the Leland Industrial Park, and earlier this year she fully rebranded Mirthos as its own entity apart from her other art ventures.The move to the Leland studio was prompted by a need to escape an over-filling spare bedroom that housed greeting card inventory, envelopes, packing supplies, art tools and of course, paper.I was busting out of a spare bedroom, she said. This is a great opportunity because this is a huge space.The Brunswick Community College program (open to non-students like Meehan) gives startups three years to rent space at a rate that moderately increases annually, and a team of business mentors regularly checks in to aid in her growth.Although she said she had long felt called to make the jump to start her own business, Mirthos launch may be better described as a push off a ledge. When the pandemic hit, Meehan was let go from her corporate, official jobby job, as she called it, at an architectural firm in Virginia.This is a pandemic love story here, she said. As an artist, architect and interior designer, Meehan said the circumstances prompted a lightbulb moment while surrounded by art supplies in her Richmond apartment and nowhere to go.It was just too heavy of a time to do a lot of really serious fine art and I just needed to do something loose and wild, she said.She started crafting abstract pieces that she then made into one-of-a-kind cards to connect with family and friends, and later began selling the cards as originals out of her familys Southport store, Lantanas Gallery & Fine Gifts.I always made art, Ive always tried to sell it and market it, and I also adore greeting cards and sending letters and mail to people, she said. Ive had pen pals all of my life, so it was just this immediate like, Wait a second. This is my business!For nine years, Meehan ran Lantanas, acting as the general manager, buyer and merchandiser to support about 80 local artists the gallery sources from. There, she had experience attending trade shows as a buyer the same venues she now attends as a seller, seeking to get her cards in the hands of more wholesale clients across the country.My time at Lantanas taught me innumerable things about small business operations, marketing and also wholesaling, she said. I knew I wanted to get into the wholesale markets and be the person offering my work.Most of her greeting card designs are text-heavy sprinkled with the occasional expletive often carrying uplifting or cheeky messages.Meehan draws inspiration from imagining a card for a specific person (whether it be a real-life friend, or design icons like Iris Apfel or Betsey Johnson).Greeting cards are the jewelry of the mailbox. And it is a completely affordable luxurious surprise that you can send to a friend. It always makes somebody smile, she said. I love mail. Youve got a hot pink envelope in your mailbox all of a sudden you know its not a bill.Though she still dabbles in periodic architecture or interior design gigs, Meehan is focused on scaling up Mirthos and expanding her product line. With more than 100 stock keeping units (SKUs), Meehan is adding more card designs and will soon introduce new stickers, notepads and more.As she grows the business and gains more wholesale traction, Meehan hopes to show other female creators that forging their own path is possible.She said, I love the idea of being an inspiration for other creative, and especially with young women in the area, that you can make your own business.

More here:
MADE: Card designer treasures her work - Greater Wilmington Business Journal

A beautiful home is often the product of a successful marriage between the homeowner and its interior designer. For the match to be successful, however, both parties must display commitment to their common design goals, respect for differing aesthetics, adherence to budgetary constraintsand the ability to execute and bring a vision to life. The practice of Mumbai-based interior design firm, Quirk Studio, thrives on this premise.

Our design approach is ever evolving and can broadly be categorised as contemporary, modern and minimalistic, with a touch of eccentricity. We steer away from trends and labels and instead adhere to our authentic design sensibilities, the clients personality, and the narrative that the site demands, resulting in fluid spaces without any particular design aesthetic embedded in them, share Disha Bhavsar and Shivani Ajmera, principal designers and co-founders ofthe firm.

This is evident in their varied projects throughout the country and abroad. Over a practice that spans the designing of homes, offices and other private spaces, Quirk Studio has evolved with every client, while sticking with their core values of creating spaces that evoke comfort and act as mediums of self-expression. Every project, therefore, is distinctive and caters to individual needs and specifications.

Also Read:'Amer Canvas' launched by Obeetee Carpets is a summer hit

Take for example the muted and welcoming tones of the home of newly married actors Anushka Ranjan and Aditya Seal in Mumbai; or the luxurious marbled faade of The Mill Project, an office in Erode, Tamil Nadu. The House of Weaves, a family home in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, housing three generations, is another personal favourite of the designers for its tapestry of emotions and its grounded ethos that stems from the identity of its inhabitants.

Bhavsar studied interior design and Ajmera felt the call of this profession later in life, however, both claim that an understanding of design came naturally to them. They met while working for a leading publishing house in India. Before long, they were exchanging notes on design and had discovered shared aesthetic sensibilities and a passion for impacting built environment through design. This mutual enthusiasm ledto the launch of their boutique design firm Quirk Studio in 2013.

Over the years, our drive to create experiential spaces that enhance the user experience, inspire them, and leave a deep, long-lasting impression has been our primary motivation. Once we started working in this industry, we loved that we could channel our creative energies into peoples homes and workspaces and see our designs come alive. The feeling is gratifying and feeds our motivation to excel, says Bhavsar.

Steering clear of trends is something team Quirk Studio assiduously believes in. Hence, they do not look to the West for inspiration or the sourcing ofmaterials and prefer to work with locally available resourcesa task they claim as being easy owing to the abundant cultureand design sensibilities of the local design contextin India.

Ajmera shares with candour, We draw inspiration from our surrounding spaces and environments, keenly collecting experiences when we travel, studying art across disciplinesto anchor and inspire us.

Also Read:Vintage florals to contemporary geometrics, wallpapers are making a comeback

Read more:
Interior design firm Quirk Studio: Eclectic with a touch of the eccentric - indulgexpress