Celebrity Homes: Jenna Bush Hager Long Island Beach House

Jenna Bush Hager may be known for being the daughter and granddaughter of two U.S. Presidents, but she’s also made a name for herself as a TODAY show correspondent and editor-at-large for Southern Living magazine.

Recently Jenna and her husband Henry bought a summer home on the north shore of Long Island. The home has beautiful harbor views and is only steps away from the beach. Jenna, mother to daughter Mila, 2, with another daughter due in August, says the beach house exposes her daughter to nature in a way that growing up in New York City cannot.

Jenna partnered with Alex Reid, a One Kings Lane stylist, to remodel the home. Together they created a welcoming and cheery space that’s perfect for a family but also capable of entertaining a group.

Photo Credit: One Kings Lane

Here’s a look at the beach house makeover Jenna shared with One Kings Lane:

The Beach House Feel

Jenna and Alex set out to creaye a “beachy casual” feel while still keeping it sophisticated. To do so they brought in colors reminiscent of the beach, blues and greens, and used natural materials like wood and sisal.

Jenna told One Kings Lane, “It’s important to me that a house reflects the landscape it’s in, and here there’s sort of a whimsical kind of nautical beach vibe.”

Photo Credit: One Kings Lane

Bold Choices

We love that they weren’t afraid to make bold choices when it came to their color and pattern choices. Jenna describes her taste as somewhat eclectic so she was completely on board with the mix of old and new that Alex recommended.

They stuck to a primarily blue and white palette, in a fun mix of pieces and patterns. However, they also brought in pops of color, like the lemon yellow traditional foo dog lamps on the side table and the splash of colors from the couch pillows.

Photo Credit: One Kings Lane

Cozy Entertaining

They were able to create a welcoming and cozy dining space that’s perfect for entertaining or for intimate family dinners. To us, the sense of intimacy comes from the linen-covered settee that’s perfect for two.

Photo Credit: One Kings Lane

The post Celebrity Homes: Jenna Bush Hager Long Island Beach House appeared first on Passion for Home - Bestlaminate Blog.

Notes From The Field - May 2015

Balcony View from New Home Site

We have been doing a lot of field trips this spring. The weather has been fantastic and we can't resist visiting project sites with clients and enjoying the great weather.

The latest field trip took us a bit further than the usual jaunt in the car. We had the pleasure of visiting a new job site at the Ocean Reef Club located in Key Largo, FL. Since the project is still in the design phase we don't have the great cabinetry photos to share from this trip. However, any location that includes palm trees, blue water and white sand is perfect after the winter we had in the Northeast, and was quiet the pleasant contrast to our trip to Nantucket in mid-winter.

First Floor View

This home will be absolutely beautiful with plenty of space to view the outdoors and enjoy the Florida sun.

As you can see construction has just begun. Within a few months we should be able to share some photos of the completed cabinetry project. For now the palm trees, blue water and white sand will provide inspiration for this project as we handcraft the custom cabinetry in our shop back in Doylestown. Mother Nature is a wonderful muse.

Superior Woodcraft is a local custom cabinet maker located in Doylestown, Bucks County, PA.

Source:

Superior Woodcraft, Inc.

Superior Woodcraft's Blog

10 Must-Have Decor & Furnishings To Design A Modern, Stylish Backyard!

Image source: asvo.org

Is your patio, deck, or outdoor room ready for summer?

No?

Well it can be now! All thanks to the shopping I've done for you, someone who favors a more modern style in your backyard.

 

What did I pick out? Well…

I found some nice, comfy seating; an interesting coffee table with substantial size; some black and white items that will standout and make an impressive statement; and a few other goodies that are sure to provide a perfect splash of color.

 

While you’re checking out all we found…

Notice how we injected a nice neutral base with small doses of a few select colors. We did that to give you options later, you know, when you get tired of all that orange and would rather go blue, red, or any other color of the rainbow.

Oh, and those planters: They’re pretty cool, too. (I love their shape and colors! ;-)

 

Personally, I envision this collection looking absolutely spectacular on…

Either a rooftop, a square or rectangular patio, in a covered lanai, sitting atop some black slate or grey stone pavers, surrounded by a black fence, or — even better — situated in front of a black house.

Sounds nice — right! Well I promise it looks even better!

Scroll on down to see for yourself — I’m confident you’ll feel the collection to be dramatic, edgy, fun, and comfortable, all at the same time. ;-)

---

*Disclaimer: DESIGNED w/ Carla Aston is not responsible for the items on these boards. Please direct all concerns to a product's manufacturer.

A

Umbrella

B

Trays

C

Rug

D

Walnut Sofa

E

Chair + Ottoman

F

Ceramic Jar

G

Planters

H

Coffee Table

I

Zebra Pillows

J

Squares Pillow

---

Would someone please bring me an orange-colored frozen drink — I’m ready to relax! ;-)

Best Laminate Floor for a Beach House

Hi Bob & Betsy,
We have a large beach house that we are renovating in MD that is on a canal. We were going to go with a light white-washed gray laminate floor that looks like wood planks for the kitchen, entry way and part of the family room (a huge surface). But reading more about laminate we are hesitant because of people tracking in water from the canal, we seldom use a/c in the summer, and do not turn on the heat in the winter.
Is there a tough laminate that could take these conditions or maybe we should go with a luxury vinyl plank?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
– Hilary

Dear Hilary,

Great question! Finding the best laminate floor for a beach house isn’t always easy.

You’re smart to be conscientious of water from the canal. As you know, laminate is not completely waterproof. Still, the right products are durable enough to stand up to the occasional spill or tracking in of water. It shouldn’t stand in your way of purchasing laminate or vinyl flooring for your home.

Finding Durable Flooring for a Beach House

Not all laminate or vinyl flooring is created equal. Some is created in a way that’s more durable than others for certain environments.

We recommend Alloc products for your beach house. These products have aluminum locking system that is sealed, making it easier for them to keep the moisture out. They are highly durable.

You may also want to consider any of the vinyl flooring products that are moisture proof. These will also help prevent excess moisture from damaging your flooring.

Kronoswiss Noblesse Shabby Chic

A Few More Quick Tips

No matter what kind of flooring you install, you want it to last for years to come. To help you get the longest life out of your flooring, here are a few more quick tips.

1. Clean up any messes right away. If you notice a puddle of water on the floor, don’t let it settle. Having dry towels on hand to wipe up large amounts of water will help prevent your floors from warping or buckling.

2. Get the right underlayment. In a humid climate, such as near the beach, moisture can be a challenge. We suggest using a 3-in-1 underlayment to make your floor more comfortable and help wick away excess moisture so it doesn’t damage your floors.

As always, we are here to help! Send us any other questions, or talk to one of our flooring experts to help you find the perfect product for your beach house. And when you’re finished, be sure to send us a picture! We love seeing what our customers have done with their homes.

The post Best Laminate Floor for a Beach House appeared first on Passion for Home - Bestlaminate Blog.

Luchtbevochtiger

De relatieve vochtigheid van een woning is één van de belangrijkste elementen als het om de duurzaamheid en de uitstraling van parket en andere houtelementen gaat. Algemeen wordt een vochtigheidsgraad tussen 50 en 55% als perfect beschouwd, niet enkel voor het aanwezige hout, maar ook voor de mensen in de woning. Een te lage luchtvochtigheid kan immers ook voor de bewoners nadelige effecten hebben. Enkele veel voorkomende fysieke symptomen bij mensen zijn een droge huid, prikkende of brandende ogen, last van slijmvliezen, bloedneuzen, hoofdpijn en geïrriteerde luchtwegen. Voor het aanwezige hout kan een te droge lucht dan weer leiden tot krimpen en scheuren. Deze komen niet alleen voor bij houten vloeren, maar ook bij meubels en houten muziekinstrumenten. Om dergelijke problemen voor mens en hout te voorkomen, is de luchtbevochtiger de ideale oplossing.

Lees meer hier

The Best Bathroom Floor Materials For Your Home

Which materials are best for your bathroom floors? Although bamboo, cork and hardwood flooring are beautiful options, because of the humidity, you want a material that will withstand frequent moisture and temperature changes.

Luxury Vinyl Tile for Your Bathroom Floors

Luxury vinyl tile is our top bathroom pick for a number of reasons, such as:

1. Luxury vinyl tile is completely waterproof thanks to its PVC backing, whereas a lot of standard vinyl relies on various backing materials that can’t always handle moisture.
2. Luxury vinyl tile has countless design options. From a bright and bold tile design to the appearance of hardwood flooring, you can pick pretty much any style you’d like.
3. Luxury vinyl tile is very cost effective. It’s another way to get the look of tile while sticking to a lower budget.

Additional Bathroom Floor Materials

Not quite sure luxury vinyl tile is the best fit for you? Here are a couple more bathroom floor options to consider:

• Concrete doesn't need to be dismally drab! As HGTV shows, you can use concrete tiles to create a stunning, yet practical, bathroom floor design.
• Tile is one of the most common options for a reason, this material can be used in countless colors and patterns (from pebble stone or marble to natural or intricate) while providing durability as well as resistance to stains and moisture. As BHG reminds us, choose a slip-resistant tile to prevent falls, and radiant heating to make the bathroom floors a little cozier.

What if you really want hardwood, bamboo or cork? One great option is to use these materials in a powder bath; in addition to creating a beautiful foundation to the room, you can simply continue the existing flooring as these spaces tend to be adjacent to common areas.

Want to know more about your bathroom floor options? Come visit our showroom to talk to our experts and see materials first-hand! They can show you luxury vinyl tile, concrete, tile, or even discuss options for a powder bath. Remember to contact us for a free in-home estimate, too.

Photo credit: Armstrong - Empire Walnut – Raven LVT

Updates + Favorite Things

Midweek greetings everyone! Today’s post is a little bit of everything, a smorgasbord of what’s happening in my life and favorite things since I have no projects or spaces to share this week. Let’s start with home improvement. My aunt will be moving into the Las Vegas house in July, she’s my mom’s best friend and sold her house in southern California so she will be living there while searching for a house to purchase, she may stay as little as three or as long as six months which is totally fine with me, I could use a break from the back and forth trips. 

Before she arrives, I’m under pressure to finish the kitchen and bathroom that are halfway done. On my latest trip the countertops were installed hooray! I’m so very excited about the Caesarstone quartz countertops and the faucets are in too (not shown). Next up is backsplash tile and lighting for both spaces and appliances in the kitchen, it all must be completed by the 4th of July so I’ll be spending a few weeks out there in June to make sure it all happens. Much to do!

 

I also styled an outdoor room for hayneedle – the space will be featured on their blog in June, I’ll share the link when it goes live, here’s a little peek.

On the topic of fitness, I’m started making it a priority in my life last summer and it’s the new normal for me which is a great place to be mentally and physically, especially since I was far more sedentary before. I work out almost every day by setting aside one hour for activity and always mix it up to avoid boredom. When people ask me what I’m training for my response is always "for life!" although I’m talking with some friends about training for a Tough Mudder next year.

I’m in pretty good shape, stronger than I’ve ever been in my life. Matt bought me a new bike for Mother’s Day, I take relaxing rides around town once or twice a week. I lift weights at the gym at least twice a week for stronger legs, chest, arms, and back with weights, kettle bells, and medicine balls. I mentioned before I also take fitness kickboxing classes, those are my favorite. I’ve found there’s nothing like beating the hell out of a punching bag to make you feel great. I also find myself watching more action movies with tough chicks that kick butt. Coincidence? I think not.

The sweat a ton and it really tightens my core, the class gives me that feel good euphoria that comes from an intense workout. I never thought I’d get to a place where I actually crave that feeling but it’s happened. I also started taking bikram yoga once a week if I can squeeze it into my schedule, it’s more challenging due to the heat but the stretching poses feel amazing. A note of encouragement: whatever it is that gets you moving and makes you feel good, do it. Your body will thank you with results. 

We all know how hard it is to find a great pair of jeans that fit right. Last year I discovered that the White House Black Market petite jeans fit me best, but then I discovered jeggings, yes jeggings, for women and the clouds parted. What’s better than the stretch of a yoga pant but look of jeans, I ask you? My favorite are the American Eagle brand and I have them in dark wash and black and wear them so much I may need an intervention.

For skin care, I’ve been using more oils on my face lately, they’re moisturizing and help fight those pesky fine lines. Whatever Helen Mirren is using, I’ll have what she’s having. Meanwhile, the three I rotate are Josie Maran Argan Oil Light (nighttime), Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil (daytime), and Suki Nourishing Facial Oil (anytime).*

My two favorite daytime moisturizers are Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation and Mario Badescu Cellufirm Moisturizer. At night the anti-aging battle continues with the facial oils and Mario’s Peptide Renewal Cream. I recently invested in a Clarisonic Cleanser tool and it’s soooo great for deep cleaning and exfoliation. *affiliate links!

On the topic of travel, we have no big family vacation plans for the summer other than two separate weeks in Las Vegas in June. I’m taking a trip to NYC with my sister in September, she lives in Salt Lake City so I don’t get to see her very often but we made a pact to take a trip together every two years and just love Manhattan. We had the best time on our last trip. I’ve seen all the touristy stuff, I’m more interested in hidden neighborhood gems and the best of Brooklyn. Suggestions?

We are officially booked for our three week trip to Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia in November. I’m SO EXCITED to be journeying to these countries. 4 nights in Fiji, 6 nights in New Zealand (South Island), and 12 nights in Australia. Thank you so much for all of your amazing suggestions on where to go, what to see, what to eat. In Australia, we will spend time in Brisbane/Gold Coast and Sydney, but we’re torn whether to go south to Melbourne for a city experience or north to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef, but we’re leaning toward Cairns. Thoughts? 

I haven’t traveled internationally by plane in ten years so I welcome any travel tips you have for navigating airports and cities on that side of the planet. Any tips you can share on long flights over the Pacific to foreign countries with kids? And how do we stay alive while driving on the opposite side of the road because this looks very strange to me.

That will be an adventure.

What’s the latest with you? Discovered a great beauty product or pair of jeans lately? Enjoying a new fitness routine? Traveling anywhere interesting this summer?

…

Updates + Favorite Things is a post from Centsational Girl Republishing this article in full or in part is a violation of copyright law. © 2009-2015, all rights reserved.

The post Updates + Favorite Things appeared first on Centsational Girl.

Desk Yoga for Shoulders and Neck

I constantly have tension in my neck and shoulders, no matter how much yoga I do (I’ll blame this on my broad swimming shoulders). Sitting behind a computer screen all day only seems to amplify the tension and tightness.

Everything from bad posture, stress, soreness from activity and long periods of sitting can all lead to shoulder and neck pain. I’m ALWAYS stretching at my desk, so I wanted to share 10 of my favorite moves with you! Some are stretches and some are modifications of yoga postures. Desk yoga for shoulders and neck can be used anywhere – your car, watching tv and at work! They’re all seated, so your co-workers shouldn’t get too distracted! You may choose to do all of these, or just a few – totally up to you.

First things first – fix your posture! How many times do you find yourself slumping over the computer, typing away? You’re probably doing it right now…

Good Posture:

This most likely won’t be comfortable at first, but as you work on having better posture throughout the day, your muscles will strengthen and it will be easier to sit like this for longer periods of time.

How to:

• Plant your feet firmly on the ground, about hip distance apart.
• Move away from the back of your chair, allowing your back to be straight, as if your back was against a wall.
• Shoulders should be relaxed.
• Neck slightly tucked towards the chin.
• Ears above the shoulders.
• Use this posture through all of the following moves!

Start by sitting in good posture, take 3 deep breaths, inhaling and filling up through your belly and chest. You can do this to help you relax throughout the day. It’s amazing what your breathe can do! And please, don’t try these if you are having serious neck and shoulder pains or if any of these cause more pain.

1. Rolling the Shoulders

• Take a deep inhale, filling the lungs completely.
• Exhale while rolling the shoulders forward, up to your ears and then back, allowing your shoulder blades to relax down the back. Continue for 3-5 rounds. Reverse directions.

2. Neck – Yes, No, Left, Right

• On an exhale, gently allow your neck to tuck, moving your chin towards your chest. Only tuck your chin enough to where you feel a stretch.
• Inhale your neck back to neutral.
• Exhale and allow your neck to gently tilt back, gazing at the ceiling.
• Inhale your neck back to neutral.
• Exhaling, turn to look over the right shoulder.
• Inhale your neck back to neutral.
• Exhaling, turn to look over the left shoulder.
• Inhale your neck back to neutral.
• Continue for up to 5 rounds.

3. Seated Good Morning Stretch

• Inhale your arms up, reaching above your head and being energized through the fingers. Hold for 1-3 breaths.
• Exhale, reach your right hand to your left wrist and bend to the side, getting a stretch throughout your side body and shoulder. Do this for 1-3 full breaths in and out.
• Repeat on the left side.

4. Eagle Arms

• Inhale both arms to your sides.
• Exhale your right arm under the left, hooking at the elbows. Your right palm will try to reach the left palm (as you can see, this is even a hard pose for me to achieve – it’s OK if your palms don’t get there. Grab your wrist if the palm is too hard).
• Inhaling, lead with the elbows, raising the arms up. Hold at the top for 1-3 breathes.
• Return to center. Leading with the elbows, move arms down towards the belly button. Hold for 1-3 breaths.
• Switch arms and repeat the sequence. Left arm will hook under the right.

5. Reverse Prayer Hands

• Reach both arms behind you, bending at the elbows.
• Work on moving the hands close together, palms touching in the middle of your spine. If your palms cannot touch, reach your arms behind you enough that you can feel the stretch in the front of the shoulders. Your flexibility will improve as you practice this!
• Hold for 3 breaths.

6. Arms Clasped Behind your Back

• Clasp your arms behind your back, lifting through the chest, rolling your shoulders back.
• Hold for 3 breaths.

7. Seated Twist

• Maintaining good posture, exhale and turn towards the right.
• Use your left hand to wrap around the right thigh, allowing you to go deeper into the twist.
• Keep your gaze over the right shoulder and take 1-3 breaths, using your exhales to go deeper into the stretch.
• Return to center and repeat on the other side.

8. Seated Spinal Twist

• Inhale your arms up, bending at the elbows and allowing your hands to grab the shoulders.
• Position your fingers so that your thumb is behind shoulder and fingers are in front.
• Triceps should be parallel to the ground
• Inhale as you turn towards the right and exhale as you move through to the left.
• Continue for 5 rounds, moving with the breath.

9. Seated Cat

• Maintaining proper posture, allow hands to grip the knees.
• Using your arms to stabilize yourself, exhale and hollowing out the stomach towards the spine, rounding the back and tucking the tailbone.
• Let your shoulders relax.
• Head and neck drops towards the chest.
• Hold for a breath, come to center and move to cow.

10. Seated Cow

• Maintaining proper posture, allow hands to grip the knees.
• Using your arms to stabilize yourself, exhale and lengthen through the back creating a small back bend.
• Let your shoulders relax.
• Drop your head and neck back, moving your gaze towards the ceiling.
• Hold for a breath, come to center and move to cat. Repeat the cat and cow sequence for 3-5 rounds.

So there you have it, 10 of my favorite stretches to do while seated! Which exercises are your go-to for relieving shoulder and neck tension?

Stay tuned for part 2 of Desk Yoga. It will be all about Low Back, Hips and Legs!

Namaste,

Alana

The post Desk Yoga for Shoulders and Neck appeared first on Passion for Home - Bestlaminate Blog.

Tell Me a Short Story: The Wind

Calista was walking down the stairs one step at a time, carefully holding onto the banister. She hated living in a two-story house. Every time she was alone, she would hear the creaks and moans of the house and feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

It wasn’t fun, but her parents left her here alone often. They claimed they wanted to teach her how to grow up but she knew better. Her mom, Bekki went out often with her friends – or at least that’s what she told her husband, Calista’s stepfather.

Calista knew better.

Her mom never seemed to grow into the mature woman Calista always wanted her to be. Before she was a toddler, her parents got divorced. Since then, her mom had dragged her along from house to house while she paraded around town finding one new boyfriend to fill the void after another.

It was exhausting, but Calista was 16 and she knew it was almost time to leave home. She’d be different from her mother, she said. She never had a boyfriend of her own and all her friends teased her. She had had enough of men in her life. She didn’t need someone else to worry about.

That night as she eased herself down the stairs putting both feet on each step before moving forward, she felt different.

Her stepdad had left about an hour ago. He was drunk and had told Calista that he was going to the bar so he didn’t bother her. Didn’t he know that she wanted him home? Didn’t anyone know that she wanted them in the house?

As the wind whipped around their small town, she started to get the feeling that she wasn’t alone. She wanted to chalk it up to the same spooked out feeling she always had, but this time felt different. She was scared, but she felt more grounded. She was nervous, but she felt rational.

She finally made it to the bottom of the staircase, unsure of what she would do if she ever found someone in her house. Right now, she just wanted to make it to the phone to call her mom and beg her to come home.

Calista rounded the corner to the kitchen. As she picked up the receiver and looked out the window, she saw him.

There, in the backyard was her grandpa. He lived a few blocks away but this was the first time he’d ever come over unannounced at such a late hour.

Her heart skipped a beat while she breathed a sigh of relief that the presence she felt was a familiar one. But she was concerned.

She opened up the backdoor. The screen blew quickly into the side of the house.

Bang!

Her grandpa jolted to attention.

“Calista! How’d you get to my house?”

He was confused. This wasn’t the first time she’d seen him disoriented, but she knew what to do.

Calista invited her grandpa into her home and sat him down at the kitchen table. The wind was blowing too hard and she didn’t want to be out in it anymore than she had to be.

As they plopped down and started talking, his confusion seemed to fade. There, in the comfort of her home, the fog lifted. He finally started to seem more clearheaded when he admitted: “I have Alzheimer’s, Calista. You’re the first person I’ve told.”

It was a heavy statement that sparked the next four hours of conversation. They talked about his cat scans, what the doctors had said, and his prognosis. Calista didn’t care that it was late. All Calista could think was how grateful she was to be the first adult he told. Her mom and dad were too unstable to handle this but with her by his side, her grandpa could get the help he needed.

The post Tell Me a Short Story: The Wind appeared first on Passion for Home - Bestlaminate Blog.

Sub-Zero and Wolf Product Demonstrations

Did you know that you can attend product demonstrations for Sub-Zero and Wolf to help you make decisions when designing your dream kitchen? The demonstrations are hosted by The Fretz Corporation, and they have given us the below information to share with all of you.

Founded in 1932, The FretzCorporation has grown to be one of the leading appliance wholesale distributors in the nation representing luxury products including Asko, Best, Franke, Scotsman, Sub-Zero, and Wolf. The Company's longevity and success can be attributed to a tradition based on uncompromised values of reliability and genuine respect for the customer.

Located in Philadelphia, PA and Columbia, MD, spacious world class showrooms feature the finest brand name appliances in the industry. Live displays allow guests to experience the many features that make these appliances the preferred choice of consumers, designers, and retailers alike.

A Sub-Zero and Wolf product demonstration at a Fretz showroom is an experience like no other. Guests begin arriving at 6pm where they are greeted by friendly staff and led into the state of the art 11,000 square foot showroom where more than 150 Sub-Zero and Wolf products are on display. Ample time is allowed to inspire creativity as guests enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while browsing a variety of luxury kitchens, ranging from traditional to contemporary.

All guests are then gathered into the kitchen studio where knowledgeable product specialists present the key features and benefits of the full line of Sub-Zero and Wolf products. Throughout the presentation, Chef Catherine Bereson prepares a delectable multi-course meal for all to enjoy. The progressive meal is thoughtfully planned so a wide range of available products is highlighted – jumbo lump crabcakes in the Wolf wall oven, tenderloin on the Wolf charbroiler, roast turkey from the convection steam oven, and more.

After the educational presentation, guests can top off their meal with warm chocolate chip cookies and chocolate dipped strawberries while taking a final tour around the showroom. Chef Catherine and Fretz product specialists are available to answer any additional questions. Guests leave filled with a new knowledge of Sub-Zero and Wolf products and new ideas for their dream kitchens.

The event time is 6:00–9:00 PM and seating is by reservation. For event dates, visit www.fretz.com.

Superior Woodcraft is a local custom cabinet maker located in Doylestown, Bucks County, PA.

Source:

Superior Woodcraft, Inc.

Superior Woodcraft's Blog



How Much Do Interior Designers Charge For A Remodel Design?

Here on DESIGNED, I've discussed quite a bit about what clients should expect to spend when hiring an interior designer to remodel their home.

This link, and this link too, are sent to homeowner's who contact us about projects. These links provide potential clients with a full understanding of the types of projects we work on, as well as what they (generally) cost.

 

RELATED: STOP! Before You Remodel Your New Home, Ask Yourself These 5 Questions

For the most part, if you only have $10,000 to spend on a remodel, it doesn't behoove you to hire a full-service interior designer.

When you're undertaking a remodeling project, you want every penny you spend to go towards the purchase of products and labor expenses, thereby assuring you that you'll get the most bang for your buck. However, you must remember this:

Not all of that $10,000 budget will go towards product purchases and labor expenses.

That's right — if you're working with me, my minimum project design fee of $3000 must be accounted for. So, ultimately, once that's factored in, you're only left with $7000 to cover the expenses of the remodel. And, if you're wanting me to be honest with you, I must say...

That's not a good allocation of funds.

 

However, if money is tight, and you absolutely want to work with a designer...

I recommend you fish around online for one who performs inexpensive online services. You could find one who, perhaps, runs a business with lower overhead and a tight design process.

Or...

Another option for the budget conscious would be to book a consultation with me. I offer an interior design service where I can provide you with some insights and direction so you can perform a project on your own.

You see, here at my studio we're geared up for "full-service design". It's how we prefer to work because...

Full-service design requires a hands-on attitude; one where every step of the design process is overseen by me and my oh-so talented staff.

Business models, such as ours, where we invest as much time, money, and effort that's necessary into design projects that transform clients' homes are expensive to run. That's why I just can't afford partial or low-budget projects. Unfortunately, they just don't pay the bills.

Btw: When I say our minimum design fee of $3000 is "our minimum", I truly mean that it is the lowest we go. In fact, most of our remodel projects command design fees that run closer to $5000 – that is unless we're remodeling a big kitchen or family room, or we're working within multiple parts of the house; if that's the case, the fee could increase substantially.

 

RELATED: These 7 Items Should Be Considered Before Remodeling Your Home

When determining your budget, you must also remember that there is a chance that you will wind up wanting to do more on your project than you originally intended.

You can perhaps understand with remodels, that projects can tend to snowball, from a partial remodel to a full-gut reno, before you know it. Once people start really thinking about their project, it's hard to put good money on top of bad, for example: put brand new beautiful countertops on top of rickety, old cabinets.

No matter how much clients think they have a hard budget number in mind, things inevitably happen during the design process that might change your mind and push you to spend more.

For the record: Here at DESIGNED, we try to allow room for a little bit of project growth in our design fee estimates. However, because we also have to protect ourselves against these issues, we typically like to price the back end of our projects on an hourly basis, as this allows for scope creep.

 

CLICK HERE for INSTANT ACCESS!

Ultimately, when you're trying to determine your budget for the design of a remodel, your end projection can be estimated by a percentage — that percentage being...

Eight percent – that's how much of your budget you should, at the very least, devote to paying for an interior designer's services. (Note: 12% is more what experienced designers charge.)

At 8 to 12 percent, you'll be able to afford quality design, attention to detail, and quality service. Your design goals will be at the heart of your designer's every decision — which is exactly what you should want more than anything else from whoever you're working with.

We’re Painting!

Now that plastering our fourth bedroom is complete and the new plywood floor is installed, we’re super excited to be able to move onto the more fun part of getting this room finished and we’re starting with painting – everything. Whilst our room doesn’t look like this any more, it’s still a long way off... 

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