Kristin is a Registered Interior Designer (RID) in the State of Texas + a Nationally Certified Designer (NCIDQ) who’s thrilled + humbled to support you simplify your home + life.
The Real Reality: Our homes are multi-faceted and require various levels of support during our time within them.
No matter what area of your home you’d like to improve, I know these Interior Design tips will help you move forward in a way that will help guide where you should put your energy next in your home.
1. I always start with the 3 Ps: People, Patterns + Potential.
Regardless of the project, no matter the location, size, type, I always start here. I work on lists + diagrams of each of these simultaneously because they are all so interwoven and need to be thoroughly thought of together.
✔ People: Who’s using the space currently? Who will or would you like to use in the future? Are there any special needs by these users? And yes, this may include pets!
✔ Patterns: What is happening in the space? What going on now (that you want to continue) and what need to be eliminated? Are there any new things you want to happen here? What needs to be simplified/improved overall? We’re always looking to create simplified, efficient patterns no matter what space you are working on to save you time and energy.
✔ Potential: What are your goals for the space? What challenges do you want to overcome? These can be as broad or as details as you’d like. This can be for a small or large area (small = cabinet, large = entire room). What excites you about transforming this space? List out all the positives that can come of the improvements you want to make. How will these changes improve other areas of your home/life as a domino effect?
Ex. When I redesign my pantry to make it more efficiency, it will make meal prep much easier and save us more time throughout the day that I can use for other things that are important me.
Ex. When we redesign our current office room to also accommodate a guest, we will no longer have to overhaul our entire living room each time someone comes to stay, and they can have their own space to comfortably store their belongings.
People Pattern + Potential drive all of the questions I ask my client + all the decisions I make thorough the design process.
2. Avoid creating spaces that feel “flat”.
What does a space feeling flat mean? Well first, I am referring to entire rooms on this one. The exception being the garage, discussion for another day my friend. So a room that feels “flat” is one dimensional. It is one style, has no variation or texture, it lacks layers, it is hard to focus on anything because everything feels very similar and lacks contrast (or might have too much…stick with me).
WAYS TO AVOID A ROOM FEELING “FLAT”:
✔ Integrate complimentary styles to your primary/preferred style (Ex. You love modern, add natural elements to contrast and enhance your modern decor).
✔ Add texture and variation in a room through textiles/woven items - blankets, pillows, storage solutions - but only bring in things you love + use!
✔ Add layers through collected items that tell a story of what you love - when you display items you love + don’t overcrowd them, the soul of the room is felt. What you love comes to life!
✔ Contrast is essential and can be loud or subtle, depending on your style. Contrast can come from framed artwork, fabrics, a rug, paint, etc. If you love a light and bright white room (me!) look to add contrast on your wall art and other elements that soften the room.
Work within the design boundaries you feel most comfortable + good in, always.
3. Curate what you want people to care about.
If you watched my IG stories on this topic, you know I talked about choosing the “show ponies” of your space. Yes, this is my term, AKA focal points. Everything cannot be the show pony of the room, it would become overwhelming, loud and draining. Pick your moments. What do you care most about in your room? Is it artwork? It is your incredibly comfortable couch? Is the fireplace? Is it a colored glass collection on a shelf? Is it your big dining table where everything happens? Is it a framed favorite family recipe in your kitchen? Pick a few “show ponies” and then give them breathing room. Don’t overcrowd them. They’ll be even more amazing, trust me.
4. Natural light is always a good idea.
Now you may need to be thoughtful about managing this light (window treatments, etc.), but let’s be honest, everyone looks great in natural light. Everything looks better in natural light, much like a great photo. Bounce more light around in a dark room with lighter walls and lighter decor through out. The light that does come in will bounce around more easily. If you love dark and moody, choose your moments and use lighter/brighter spaces adjacent to it to enhance the moody tones you love.
5. Low maintenance spaces = good design.
High maintenance spaces can ruin a beautiful design. It can take all the amazing elements you’ve curated over years of experiences and your own hard earned money and destroy it. If a space takes a lot of work to manage, you’re constantly cleaning up in it (for long periods of time + feeling frustrated), things are hard to find and difficult to put away, and oh by the way, it leaves you feeling completely drained, it is too much. It is too high maintenance. It is poorly designed. This is fixable.
HOW TO CREATE A LOW MAINTENANCE SPACE:
✔ Create a foundation in your room of reduced clutter + basic organization of your essentials
✔ Add efficiency + remove obstacles to complete your normal day to day tasks
✔ Simplify your patterns + normal daily habits to make them as easy to do as possible
✔ Infuse your personal style + aesthetic around this decluttered + simplified foundation for your space
✔ A well-designed space is only as good as your ability to maintain it
PS. Did you catch this conversation it in my IG stories? If not, no worries. See “Interior Design” highlight on @fuzzyhipposhop to re-watch this video conversation. You can also find this in my IGTV.
