Staycation In Style

We made it! It’s officially summer and even though it may not seem like summertimes of the past, we’re still gonna adjust the bass and let the Alpine blast the way The Fresh Prince would want us to.

If you’re among those people too afraid to travel, but you’re getting tired of being home, now is the perfect time to give your outdoor space an upgrade.

Below are some tips to help you create an outdoor oasis where you can escape the quarantine blues and relax in style.

Let’s dive in!

Tip 1: Start with a little landscaping

Incorporate your favorite plants, gravel and pavers to refresh the landscaping of your outdoor space. You can enlist the help of a professional or go the DIY route. Whatever you decide, make sure your space is taylored to your personal needs, budget, and aesthetic.

PHOTO COURTESY OF https://magnolia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/image29.jpg?x29613

Tip 2: Bring the interior to the exterior

To maximize comfort, create an actual living space outdoors. Add a sofa, a couple of accent chairs, nesting tables, and an area rug or two to give your outdoor space warmth.

Use a neutral palette with natural elements like hemp, wicker, or bamboo. Have fun mixing patterns, textures, and pops of color through your accent pieces.

Tip 3: Use your space to zone out

If you have been blessed with a sizable outdoor space, you can make the most of it by creating different zones. For example, you could include an intimate two-person dining zone for you and your honey. For larger families, do a table that seats at least six to ensure there’s plenty of room to eat, drink, and be merry.

To enhance the space, add sleek dining chairs, an area rug to define the zone, and your favorite outdoor plants in stylish planters. Don’t forget to finish the look with your tablescape!

Tip 3: Incorporate a zone for games, too.

Good old-fashioned games like Bottle Ring Toss and giant Connect Four are perfect for keeping the kids and the adults busy.

Outdoor movie nights are another great way to keep your family entertained. Set up a screen and projector, get some oversized floor pillows, blankets, snacks, and enjoy.

Remember your citronella, lavender, or peppermint to repel unwanted insects during your outdoor fun.

Enjoy! :)

Working From Home? I Can Help!

Working from home (WFH) has become the new normal for many of us and some may find themselves living the WFH life indefinitely. Since we’re not sure about the future of remote working, I have a few suggestions to help you taylor a polished, efficient home office space that’ll keep you organized and inspired to do your thing.

Let’s begin!

Extra Space

Do you have a spare bedroom? If so, use it! No matter what size the room, you can make it the perfect place to add a desk, chair, rug, and lamp. If you feel up to it, paint a warm-neutral accent wall to help create a cozier environment.

I created two different mood boards that you can build inspiration from, depending on your design taste. The first, I designed with women in mind, while the second option has more masculine elements.

No Extra Space

Don’t have the extra space for a full office? How about the dining room? Find a corner and add a small desk, a comfortable, but compact chair, a small area rug to give the illusion of a separate space. You can also create this workspace in a corner of the living room, or behind the sofa, if your layout permits.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST

If you have a vacant window, create a niche office space with a floating desk and chair. Bonus: scenery and natural light!

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST

Add a Few Accessories

• Plants are life and a must in any space.

• A shelf or two, if space allows, to keep your desk clutter free.

• A basket for storage

• A dry erase calendar
  
  

Stay Focused with These WFH Tips

• Choose a spot that is free of distractions

• Develop a routine and stick to it

• Don’t sit for too long, get up and stretch

• Most importantly, be patient with your new routine. We are in this together!
  
  

Take A Shelfie!

Would you like to know how to style your kitchen shelves? I have a few tips on how to accomplish the perfect shelf(ie)!

Okay, let’s dive right in!

Clear off your shelves, so that you can start anew. Fill in the back of your shelves with items like cutting boards, framed artwork, or maybe even a serving platter. Adding these vertical pieces gives your shelves height and depth, setting the stage for Instagram-worthy shelves.

Photo courtesy of Studio McGee

Fill your shelves with items of different heights, finishes, and textures. Layer books in groups of two or three. Since we’re discussing kitchen shelves, I suggest using cookbooks, but please use any books that you love to complement your space. Stack your books and place smaller decorative pieces on top. Or stand them up and use a vase or canisters as bookends. You can also try both styles on different shelves for a stylish mix.

Photo courtesy of The New York Times

If you read my previous post for the bedroom, Spring Forward and Refresh, you know I love using plants to instantly add life to a room. Plants are great for the kitchen as well. Don’t forget Real or faux will do the trick. Try cascading plants like string of pearls or a fern. Plants like these drape over your shelves and provide nice visual interest. Also consider potted aloe, eucalyptus, or arrowhead.

See a few of my favorite items below:

CUTTING BOARD, BOOK 1, BOOK 2, CUTTING BOARD, GLASS DECANTERS, SALT/PEPPER SHAKERS, PLANT (LINKED ABOVE), BRASS CANISTERS, STACK OF WHITE DINNER PLATES, AND SERVING BOWL

Spring Forward and Refresh

With the COVID-19 pandemic keeping the world indoors, now is as good a time as any to freshen up living spaces and truly make home a place you want to be. For too many people, being on the go is a great way to avoid the dullness of home, but no matter your lifestyle, home should always be treated as a sanctuary.

Stay-at-home life being indefinite means prioritizing our surroundings and making sure our home situation is one that is inviting and restorative. Incorporate a few simple upgrades to home, tackling the most important rooms first: master bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, or your home office area. Above all, make elevating your living space something you can enjoy. A redecorating project may not have been on your list of immediate to-dos a few weeks ago, but we’re living a new normal that we literally can’t run from. Why not make where you have to be the place to be? - Tristan

Rose Pillow, Cactus Lumbar, White Bedding, Table Lamps, Wall Art, Lattice Rug, Cowhide Rug

Let’s Start with the Bedroom

If your bedroom’s in need of some TLC, it won’t take much. Pull out your lighter-weight linens, switch out your artwork, change your lighting, and put down a new area rug.

Keep the color palette neutral and soft — perfect for spring. Painting any space is the easiest and most affordable way to create instant change, so if you’re feeling ambitious, add a fresh coat of paint to your walls. I suggest a color like Extra White by Sherwin Williams to really brighten up the room.

Add life to your space with some greenery. House plants are beneficial for their air-purifying properties. The rubber plant also helps remove pollutants and is very low maintenance. Very necessary during this time.

I’ve created two different mood boards—one high-end and one low—to show you how to spring forward with style. The seven pieces I’ve selected are easy to incorporate and will help you create a fresh, relaxing bedroom, effortlessly. Click the links to bring these looks home. - Erika

Blush Lumbar, Olive Pillow, White Bedding, Table Lamps, Wall Art, Oriental Gray Rug

Tristan Burno is a communications specialist and personal brand advisor at UR Communication, a Los Angeles-based creative consulting and communications business specializing in personal brand development, publishing, and consumer brands.

Kerlin Kitchen Project

Well, it’s been an 8-month process, but I am SUPER excited to announce that the kitchen renovation I started in February is complete!

BEFORE

When I first met with my client, she knew exactly what she wanted — a bright, functional white and gray kitchen. I love a woman who knows what she wants.

I knew right away that white shaker style cabinets, gray subway tile, and satin nickel knobs were a must. My client’s other must-haves were ample lighting, more storage space, and more countertop prep space (she’s quite the cook and baker). The entire kitchen, except for the faucet and appliances, had to go.

After measuring and planning the space, I came up with a design that offered exactly what my client wanted and needed. The extra storage and counter space was achieved by adding a peninsula and a custom pantry. I added a breakfast bar at her window, creating additional seating. I made a spot for her cookbooks, too, eliminating the need for the bookcase, which added too much clutter.

BEFORE

BEFORE

We discussed and selected new vinyl flooring, a beautiful farmhouse sink, smokey gray glass backsplash tile, quartz countertop, custom cabinets, a smokey gray paint, recessed lighting, and the satin nickel hardware. Of course, a rendering was developed so my client could see our vision for her new kitchen laid out before beginning the renovation.

FINAL RENDERING

Because this is an older house, we had to keep all existing walls in tact. That’s okay; I still was able to provide the functionality that was needed. If you know anything about older houses, you know that there’s a lot of ground settling over the years. This, at times, causes shifting of the floors and walls, which in turn gave the contractor a run for his money. He hung in there like a true champ and got the job done, and I must say, he did an amazing job with the installation. The kitchen is beautiful. My client is pleased and so am I. I really love how much bigger and brighter the kitchen is, now.

And now, the AFTER...

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER

Would you like to know where we sourced a few of the items for this kitchen renovation? There are links below…

1. Cabinets: Custom/Local 2. Wall Paint: Tin Lizzie by Sherwin Williams 3. Houzer Sink: Build.com 4. Cortec Vinyl Flooring: Avalon 5. Crystal Knobs: Included with cabinetry 6. Satin Nickel Cup Pulls: Included with cabinetry 7. Ocean Gray Glass Tile: Builder Depot 8. Calacatta Lincoln Quartz Countertop: Local Vendor

A Nightmare on MY Street

“A Nightmare on Elm Street”

I made a huge mistake when I hired a “friend” as my contractor. Things seemed to be going as planned in the beginning, but as time moved on, the renovation process did not. I’ve known Chris* for years; we’ve done work together in the past, as I’ve done renderings for his flips. He was in the process of remodeling my mother’s powder room and had just taken up the carpet on the first floor, when the the fire happened (see previous post) https://www.tayloredinteriorsolutions.com/blog/2018/6/22/back-to-life. So, I asked him to be my contractor, to help me restore my mother’s house.

The first red flag was when I noticed that Chris didn’t reach out to me to keep me in the loop on his progress. I always had to check in with him. I’d ask him how things were going, what had been done, and about the overall process. He would tell me one thing, then do another, or things just weren’t getting done at all. When I pressed him about it, he would give me excuse after excuse. I asked for receipts many times; he never sent them. I asked him for permits. I never received those, either. I later learned that the permits were never acquired. Yes, Chris had been lying to me the entire time about having the permits needed to work on my mother’s house. Smh.

After making my way through all of Chris’s fraudulence, I had to call the structural adjuster to take a look at the house and assess how off track things were. He was disappointed and shocked by the state of the house. It was so serious, he was able to get an additional month’s stay in our temporary housing approved. Thank God for that!

Recent video of framework, after my new contractor took over the renovation.

Thanks to my friend and fellow designer Lauren White, I was able to get a new contractor on board who’s moving right along with the renovation. He’s completed more work in three weeks than Chris had in about five months. Unfortunately, my family and I will have to live through the last of the construction once we move back in at the end of September, but at least now I know we’ll be in a habitable home before the year is over.

I trusted Chris as a paying client and a friend, to do the job he agreed to do, which is to restore my mother’s house for my family and I AND to get it done in a timely fashion.

As if things haven’t been stressful enough since my mother passed, having to deal with a contractor who is unreliable, dishonest, and not worth my time or money has been a complete nightmare. I gave Chris money that I will probably have to go to court to get back and the friendship we once had has been ruined by his shady business practices. But, through the mistake of choosing the wrong contractor I’ve learned a few lessons that I must share for anyone who is about to begin a major renovation...

1. Do your research!

   Ask the contractor for referrals or find online reviews to assist you in making an informed decision. This will save you time and money in the long run.

2. Confirm your dates before you start.

   Before getting started, ensure that you have a hard date for when your contractor will begin working and a reasonable estimate of time for when everything will be complete, and get it in writing.

3. Expect daily updates and do unexpected pop ups.

   Your contractor should be communicating with you at all times. You should not have to stalk your contractor to get answers to your questions. Also, visit the property a few days a week. This will help you keep a watchful eye on the progress of the renovation.

4. Make sure your contractor has a payment schedule.

You should know at all times what your money is being spent on—labor, electrical, plumbing, etc. and get receipts for all money transactions.