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Project Share: Boho and Bright Girl’s Room

Boho and Bright Girl’s Bedroom

This girl’s bedroom was such a fun project. The little girl for whom the room was designed is a girly girl, but is she is also artsy, active, outgoing, and makes plenty of messes. She loves the color pink, animals, and the Beatles. Her inspiration room was the bedroom of the Julie Albright American Girl doll, whose storyline takes place in the 1960’s.

Boho & Bright; photo credit- Hannah Glogower

Challenges

I wanted to incorporate as much pink in her room as possible, but mom wanted to keep the walls neutral. They also wanted to repurpose a few pieces of furniture that were vintage pieces. I used Sherwin Williams “Blush” to paint the vintage nightstand and desk the same color. The mid-century style headboard is upholstered in a bright pink that coordinates with the textiles. She also needed a lot of storage for her toys. We used a cube storage system with brightly colored bins, some with ric-rac detailing.

Storage cubes with ric-rac detail; photo credit – Hannah Glogower

Mom also wanted flooring that was easy to clean and that could be covered or easily removed later. I selected glue-down cork tiles, which can also be used as a sub-flooring. Cork is a great product that helps with acoustics, is always warm underfoot, and helps control dust. It’s easy to keep clean, especially for a kid that does a lot of art projects in her room.

Matroishka dolls and a vintage porcelain lamp with butterflies remind us that a little girl lives here; photo credit – Hannah Glogower

Inspiration & Details

She’s also a big fan of the Beatles so I wanted to incorporate some hippie elements. The wicker hanging chair, peacock paisley fabric, lava lamp, and faux fur accents give the room a boho-psychedelic vibe, but the cool calming colors, vintage bookends, matroishka dolls, and ric-rac details on the storage bins remind you that a little girl lives here.

Another girly vintage find; photo credit – Hannah Glogower

My favorite detail is the pom pom trim on the custom window treatments and the peek-a-boo contrast fabric in the pleats. What’s your favorite detail? Let me know in the comments below!

If you’re thinking about redecorating or re-styling a space in your home, call Paradigm Interiors! You can schedule your Design Style phone consultation here. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

 

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It’s Not Meatloaf! So, Why Are There Leftovers??

Material Waste in Interior Design and Decorating

People are hot and cold regarding leftovers… Pun intended. When it comes to food I think of leftovers as a meal I don’t have to cook. When it comes to design, that’s another story.

What is waste?
I’ve yet to have a job where there was no leftover product. Trust me, designers hate leftovers as much as clients do! However, most of the time they are a necessity. In design school we learned about a concept called “waste”. Normally, waste is something we try to avoid, but in the home goods and home improvement industry it is a good thing. In my industry, waste as a concept means a designer orders a set amount of materials in excess of the surface area to be covered. The waste concept works under the assumption that we will need more product than the size of the surface area to be covered because items have to be cut or a pattern needs to match. Ordering materials in excess assures that we will get the job done on time and, even more importantly, that end product looks good!

photo credit: Jason Briscoe

What happens when there’s not enough?

There are two issues with not ordering enough product up front. The first problem is time. For example, the tile installation occurs near the end of a bathroom remodeling project. We’ve installed most everything, except the tile flooring. The tile installer comes to the job and begins to lay the tile, but then runs out of tile when he’s 90% done. We then need to order Extra tile. We have to wait for the tile to arrive. Then, we have to wait for the installer to find time in his schedule to come back and finish! Depending on his schedule, it could take several days to weeks to get him back on the job! The designer isn’t happy, the installer isn’t happy, but most of all, the client is not happy!

photo credit: Karly Santiago

The second problem is color match. Manufacturers make most products in batches. This includes everything from fabric to tile. These batches are called dye lots. If I order a fabric today that was the last of it’s batch, and I have to order more of the same fabric that is from a different batch or dye lot, then there is a risk that the 2 fabric pieces will not match. This might not be noticeable if the different dye lots are on window treatments or pillows on a sofa. However, if it is two adjacent cushions on a sofa or two pieces of wallpaper that are next to each other, the mistake will be pretty obvious.

How much are we talking about? 

Waste amounts vary from product to product and by use. For example, you will need more waste for a large patterned wallpaper than you will for something textured with no discernible pattern . The way you use the material will also change the waste. Typically, you need to calculate a 10% waste for stack bond (straight) or running bond (brick) tile pattern. However, if you turn the tiles on a diagonal, you will need to calculate a 15% waste. So, you may end up with  half of a box of tiles at the end of your job.

Running Bond Tile, photo credit: Lisa Moyneur

Believe me, I celebrate when I have minimal waste. I’m always happy to hand a client 6″ strip of fabric when the project is complete,  but that doesn’t always happen. More often than not, there is an excess of materials.  However, when the client loves the way their home looks, it worth it!

I hope you enjoyed learning about waste. If you’re thinking about starting a design or decorating project, you can book your complementary Design Style phone consultation with Paradigm Interiors here. Be sure to check out our website and sign up for the newsletter here.

 

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Transitional Bathroom Remodel

Bathroom Vanity

We completed this beautiful guest bath remodel in March. The family of four wanted the room to be welcoming to guests, while still functional for the children. The challenge with this bath is that the family didn’t want to change out the flooring tile or the tile surround in the tub/shower combo because both were in great condition. However, the tub itself was not in great shape and needed to be addressed. We had to work within the color palette of the existing tiles and make the backsplash and vanity not look like separate spaces, while still giving the space a contemporary and updated feel.

Gray shaker cabinets with contemporary bar style hardware

 

We created harmony by pulling out the gray and blue tones in the floor tiles and using those colors in the paint, mixed mosaic tiles, and cabinets. The white 4×4 tiles in the backsplash echo the white 4×4 tiles in the tub surround. The vertical application of the mosaic tiles give the vanity area some height by moving the eye up the wall. The mosaics almost have the look of a waterfall.

We added contemporary touches with the lighting, hardware, and plumbing fixture selections. Although shaker cabinets are a traditional choice, they have clean lines that work with with the contemporary accents. The light, muted, coastal blue color ties everything together and creates a soft spa-like feel. The vintage surf prints, framed in a gray driftwood add a final coastal touch.

To address the issues with the tub, we simply re-glazed the tub, giving it a fresh, bright new finish. The tile flooring and grout were cleaned, breathing new life into the old floors. We also added crown molding to coordinate with the rest of the home and give the space a crisp finished look.

 

If you’re ready to remodel your bathroom and love the look of this space, give Paradigm Interiors a call! Or schedule your complimentary Design Style phone consultation here.

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Trend or Classic: Mixed Cabinet Colors

One of the top questions when I work with clients on kitchen remodels: Is mixing cabinet colors too trendy?

It’s such a great look, that’s why you’ve seen it everywhere for the past 7 or 8 years. Most frequently, you’ve probably seen it in a transitional-farmhouse style. Usually, it’s a gray and white kitchen. However, the look has also been popular in other color combinations and in contemporary style kitchens as well. Popular combinations of this trend are the top-bottom combo, where the bottom cabinets are one color and the upper cabinets are another color. The accent furniture combination, where a china display or accent area area is a different color than the rest of the kitchen. The other combination, and probably the most popular, is the island-as-furniture combination. Images of these looks are below with photo credits hyperlinked.

The top-bottom combination: This kitchen has dark gray base cabinets and white lower cabinets. The darker color on the bottom helps ground the cabinets.

 

 

The “Accent Piece” Look: This kitchen divides the two-tone look by using white for the majority of the kitchen and gray for the plate racks and espresso station.

 

Island-as-furniture option: This island is stained a deep walnut color and looks like a piece of furniture compared to the cream colored kitchen.

 

Of these three looks the island-as-furniture look probably has the most staying power. Historically speaking, the island got its humble and practical start as a work table in 19th century Victorian kitchens. Thus, an island that is a different color and looks like a separate piece of furniture is nod to history.

My verdict on mixing cabinet colors: Classic, but it depends on how you do it!

Because I believe in creating timeless spaces, I think of “trendy” as something that looks outdated fairly quickly. Just because something is popular doesn’t always make it trendy. A lot of things can make a kitchen look dated: color scheme, counter surfaces, backsplashes. However, a true classic is something that speaks to the past in a timeless way. Kitchen islands with a furniture look are classic because they have they do just that.

If you’re ready to create a timeless classic look in your kitchen or bath, you can schedule your Design Style Consultation here.