Tips of the Trade for Kitchen Design & Renovation

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, and this holds true no matter how large or small your home is.  For some homeowners, the opportunity to design and install a new kitchen is like a dream come true.  There are many ways that great kitchen design and expert installation can add value to your home, while enhancing the way you live.  So, what features and designs inspire some of the most beautiful custom kitchens today?   Here are some tips of the trade for today’s kitchen design and renovations.

First Things First, What Inspires the Layout?

Many homeowners want to make sure they incorporate their beautiful outdoor views from the kitchen.  Designing the layout with plenty of windows to take advantage of the view can be challenging.  At the same time you are maximizing the views, you need to decide the type of appliances that will be purchased for the kitchen and where the cabinets will go.  By balancing these three key features you ensure beauty, as well as function for an area of the home families enjoy the most.

Almost all of our homeowners request a design that will accommodate professional grade appliances, so this is one of the first things a homeowner will need to decide before a kitchen plan is created.

Function or Beauty – No Need to Pick Just One!

Once the layout is complete, it’s time to talk about the specifics.  With an array of functional options for kitchen cabinets from dish organizers to oversized drawers for pots and partitioned cabinets for serving platters, today’s cabinets can accommodate almost every small appliance and kitchen accessory available and provide solutions that are not only functional, but add to the beauty of the kitchen design.  No longer are the days when countertops are used to store small appliances and kitchen accessories, now you can customize cabinet or pantry areas to put these items out of sight until you need them. 

In addition, features like glass insets on your cabinet doors, or even open cabinet shelving can provide a unique, yet functional storage solution for any style home.  Your custom kitchen can now be just as beautiful as it is functional!

Focal Points Are Not Just for the Living Room

Custom kitchen designs can be inspired by something as simple as an incredible light fixture over the center island, or even a wine storage solution within the cabinets.  No matter what your personal style is, choosing a focal point for your kitchen that speaks to your lifestyle or design preferences can set the tone for the kitchen and all the areas that are open to this heart of your home.

Finishes and Details to Make a Statement

Many homeowners tend to choose finishes for their cabinets that are white, or light painted.  Light grey colors are currently trending and more requests for moldings like stacked crown and under cabinet molding are popular to give the cabinets a more finished look.  Moldings are also used to hide the under-cabinet lighting that many homeowners are choosing to install.

Kitchens are the place where families and friends like to hang out and enjoy relaxed entertaining.   Inspiration for kitchen design can come from just about anywhere.

No matter the size of your kitchen or  the outside view, we can make the heart of your home both beautiful and functional.  If you are ready to redesign and renovate your kitchen, we would love to help.   Please contact Interiors by JohnHenry, decorator and licensed contractor today for more information on how to design your dream kitchen, bath or other interior space

Icing on the Cake: How To Use Accessories in Your Home Decorating Project

When it comes to interior decorating, one of our favorite parts of the overall project are the finishing touches.  Things like pillows, vases, photos, artwork and other accessories are like icing on the cake of your overall design!  The finishing touches are critical to any home renovation or decorating project because they complete the look, tie in the details and make your newly decorated space a special part of your home.  Here are some of the ways we use accessories to help our happy clients love their homes!

Complete the Look

There are several basic components of any well designed room.  Color, texture and patterns in the fabrics, wall treatments, custom window treatments and furnishings are among these basics.  But when it comes to completing the look, adding the right accessories can make the room and its purpose stand out.  For example, if you desire a more casual feel, you can use pillows throughout the space for a welcoming, relaxed feel.  Using bright colored or metallic finished accents can give a punch to an otherwise neutral color scheme for glamour and excitement.  Don’t forget about table and floor lamps for illumination and area rugs to soften the feel.

Tie in the Details

They say that “God is in the detail" and we couldn’t agree more! Make your newly decorated space truly yours with meaningful artwork or sculptures to add color and balance.  Choose wall art of varying sizes and shapes to add interest and dimension for an eclectic feel, or for a more traditional look select artwork that is more balanced.  Well placed mirrors can give the appearance of more space to a smaller room, or a sleek, modern feel depending on the style of the mirror.  Add well-placed baskets for things like magazines, books and remote controls so your room is well organized and have their place where everyday clutter is out of sight.

Create a Special Oasis Truly Your Own

Personal style plays a large part in the accessories you choose for any room in your home.  How you live in your home should be all the inspiration you need for selecting the right accessories.  From your favorite colors to inspiring patterns and textures, everything you choose can reflect parts of yourself throughout the space.  We suggest shopping when you have time to look around and be more selective.  Make a list of things that you can envision working with your furniture and room theme and look for pieces that are not only the right size, but the best fit for your personality and lifestyle.

Accessories can take a room from ordinary to extraordinary in no time at all!  If you have a room that you would like to add interest, color and personality to, but you can’t seem to find what speaks to you, contact Interiors by John Henry today.  We can help you find the finishing touches that will transform your house into your home.  If you are thinking of custom window treatments or a kitchen or bath renovation, we can help with those too.  Feel free to contact us today for a consultation.

A Simple Guide to Interior Decorating Styles for Your Home

The first question many of our clients ask when we begin a new project is whether or not the decorating choices they make for their homes need to reflect the architectural design of their home.  This is clearly a subjective topic, but for us, it usually comes down to personal style and taste.  Each client, and every home are unique, with different lifestyles and preferences.  Inspiration can come from many sources, but there are some basic decorating styles that can be tapped into for the best overall look for your home.  We wanted to share with you some of these styles:

Architectural design styles:

Art Deco – this was popular in the 20’s & 30’s and feature rounded fronts, streamlined and geometric style of furnishings with sleek lines, wood, chrome and glass materials.

Arts & Crafts – a style that was prevalent between 1910 & 1925, featuring simple form with no extraneous decoration.  Made popular by architects Frank Lloyd Wright’s craftsman style of architecture and bungalow style by Greene & Greene., Arts & Crafts often uses local materials in the design.

Asian – inspired by design elements from Japan, China, Vietnam and Thailand.  Asian style fuses natural fibers and elements like bamboo and colors from nature to create a relaxing, calm, natural environment.  The furniture of Asian-inspired design is usually lacquered or hand-painted.  The addition of brightly colored accessories or statues of animals and mythical creatures is widely used to complete the look.

Contemporary – these designs feature sleek lines, solid colors and muted neutrals with bold punches of colors.  Furniture can be lower to the ground and often features metal frames and straight legs with basic shapes and forms.

Geographic inspired designs:

Coastal – inspired by all things from the ocean, this decorating style looks to create a light and breezy feel by utilizing light fabrics for window treatments and beach-themed accessories.  Blue and white tones with gold accents are most often the center of coastal palettes.

Country – rustic elegance with extensive use of white wood paneling and soft floral panels makes this a soft, yet beautiful style for any home.  Muted hues and pops of red, black or pure white accents with handmade, rustic features of floral and stripes are basic in country style.

French – Ornate and fanciful, French design utilizes colors that range from rich to softer, muted shades characterized by rich details and extensive use of gold, bronze and gilt.  Layering antique or heirloom furniture with dramatic window treatments and lots of fresh flowers finish the design.

Mediterranean – inspired by the coastal regions of Spain, Greece and Italy, this decorating style favors colors that echo the sea and include terra cotta, yellow and lavender.  Short furniture pieces with turned legs, heavy hardware and burnished finishes bring a richness to the overall feel, along with velvet, linen and textured fabrics, as well as textured walls.

Everything in-between:

Eclectic – has been the trend for a catch-all of styles with unlimited possibilities that focus on the basic building blocks of design:  color, pattern, texture, composition that make Eclectic designs anything but thrown together.  Eclectic spaces are quite cohesive and inspire imagination and surprise with unexpected contrasts.

Mid-Century Modern – originated in the 50’s & 60’s and epitomized by the Rat-Pack days of Palm Springs, this decorating style has a heavy influence from Scandinavian design and architecture that characterize simplistic, yet functional styles.  Minimalist design with use of glass for walls with pops of deep colors like orange and olive green to top off quirky furniture styles.

Traditional – with furniture styles usually from the 18^th-century English and 19^th century neoclassic, French country and British colonial, this classic style creates calm and orderly décor.  Utilizing mid-tone colors and muted fabrics featuring simple florals, solids, stripes or plaids to create symmetry in any space.

Transitional – inspired by both contemporary and traditional this style usually focuses on updated furniture designs with clean lines and a deep-rooted sense of history in some pieces. 

So, the question begs, do you need to decorate your home around the specific style that fits the architecture? We feel that home decorating is about exploring your creativity and passion, and less about the style of the home’s design.  For instance, just because you live in a colonial style home doesn’t mean you need to decorate in a traditional style.  Here are three simple steps to choosing your home décor:

1)   Research different design styles in decorating magazines and cut out pictures of the room designs that please and inspire you.  Pay attention to the colors and textures of each style, as well as the details of the furniture in the pictures that appeal to you.

2)   Make note of the architectural details in your home that make it unique or challenging for decorating.  Are your rooms small or large?  Are your ceilings high or low?  Do you have moldings or other details? Consider window and door locations as well.

3)   Choose a color palette, fabric patterns, window treatments, furniture pieces and accessories that best suit your taste and personal style.  We recommend creating an account on Pinterest or Houzz.com to “pin” or create “idea books” that include the items that inspire you and make you feel good.  Use these as inspiration when you go shopping or when you meet with your decorator.

Interiors by John Henry helps our clients combine the colors, textures, fabrics and furnishings that make their home a reflection of their personal style, while working with the space and architectural features of the home to highlight the best features and downplay the challenging areas.  For more information about choosing a decorating style for your home, custom window treatment options or any kitchen or bath remodel or renovation, contact us today.

Sources:  http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/design-styles-defined/pictures/index.html

Window Shades For All Seasons

Years ago many of our clients would change their window treatments or shades with the seasons.  This was a popular practice in the past because in the summer, keeping out the heat was a priority when air conditioning was scarce and in the winter keeping the heat in was imperative to surviving the cold and weather.  Nowadays, with many of our homes properly heated and air conditioned, we no longer need to change our shades and window treatments with the seasons and with the new innovative window treatment products on the market that help with light shading, heat and cold absorption and UV protection it’s very possible to keep your window treatments and shades all year long.   Here are some of our favorite all-season shades to keep your house light and airy all year long!

Shangri-la Sheer Horizontal Shades  

These unique window shades are made to float between two sheers and diffuse the sunlight, evenly distributing it throughout your room.   These shades put you in control of how much light and privacy you need to make your home comfortable. These shades also offer a great amount of UV protection: 87-88% when open and up to 99% UV protection when closed.  This is a plus, because you now can protect your expensive home furnishing from the damaging UV rays. These Sheer Horizontal Shades look beautiful just as they are or with an accent top treatment which we can provide in a vast array of colors and patterns to coordinate with your home décor.

Cellular Shades                                       

Cellular Shades can meet your demanding style and total coordination needs, while its unique cell structure helps save you money. With cellular shades there are many options to meet your needs such as skylight treatments, fixed specialty shapes and they are custom fit to your specific window width and height with energy saving technology and many fabric choices . Cellular Shades can be one of the most efficient shading solutions available, so be inspired to transform your home or office into a beautifully efficient oasis by learning more about these great shades.

Solar Screen Shades                              

Solar Screen Roller Shades come in a verity of patterns and weaves such a Sheer Weave and Basket Weave and many more.  They can be manually operated, with a clutch control and motorized for those hard to reach places and for your convenience. 

Solar Screen products can also be used in a variety of shade styles not only Roller Shades but Roman Shades too. The Solar Screen products often provide the ultimate in shading protection, some materials block up to 90 percent of the UV rays and help protect from the sun's heat and glare before it reaches the window or glass. In addition to providing excellent sun control properties, many of the mesh like materials, also helps screen out the insects. These shades offer excellent outward visibility and are available in a variety of colors and weaves and can improve daytime privacy and view protection.  Beauty and flexibility make Solar Screen Shades a great choice and if you are looking to dress up your space over or around your Roller, Solar Screen Roller or Roman Shade with a Valance or Cornice and some elegant side panels and hold backs we can make that happen too!

These are just a few of the multitude of window shades and treatment’s that work in all seasons.  Please feel free to contact Interiors By John Henry for an in-home consultation.  We can help you decide what custom window treatments can work in your home throughout the year that will also reflect your personal taste and style. 

Click here to download our FREE Window Treatment Guide