How to Find the Right Interior Designer

Creating the space you live in is a big deal.

Whether you’re to remodeling your existing home or build your dream home, projects can quickly become too large to manage alone. Maybe you don’t currently live near your decorating project, or you work too much to allow for full control of design and execution. Or perhaps you just need the help of a professional to bring your space together beautifully.

A great interior designer will listen to your wants and needs to make your home a personalized space with expert design and provide the extra assistance managing the project’s budget and timeline.

Image: Cupersia

In fact, many designers can help you save money with their industry connections, inside information on the best deals, and manufacturer discounts. A trained designer can create professional layouts and designs that make their value worth their fees.

But before you rush to consult the first name you find, use this checklist to ensure you choose a credible and experienced designer who can deliver a result that you’ll love for years to come.

How will you find an interior designer?

The best starting point is to ask friends, family, or coworkers for a recommendation. Word-of-mouth is still the most valuable publicity around! You may also want to research professional associations in your country or city for a list of participating designers, which leads to our first checklist point. Trends are always changing, and you want a designer who stays up-to-date on the industry and can recommend new ideas, like these hot styles:

The best starting point is to ask friends, family, or coworkers for a recommendation. Word-of-mouth is still the most valuable publicity around! You may also want to research professional associations in your country or city for a list of participating designers, which leads to our first checklist point.

Check Credentials

The first item on your checklist should be a review of the designer’s credentials. Are they a part of any local or national design organizations and continuing education? For example, in some states across Canada and the United States, an interior designer must possess a license and NCIDQ Certificate to call him- or herself an “interior designer,” while anyone can use the term “interior decorator” with no formal training or certification process.

This is important to know if you are considering hiring someone who is an “interior decorator” — he or she may have good taste, but no education or training in lighting, layout, materials, and more. Do the research in your state or country to find out what training a designer may or may not have.

Finally, look for testimonials from the designer’s website, or a list of references directly from the designer. Don’t be afraid to call a reference and ask specifically how the designer listened and interpreted that client’s needs. After all, it’s your home; you should love your space and the process it takes to create it!

A professionally educated designer will be able to think creatively based on new trends and your available space to create unique spaces like this colorful office, which takes advantage of pre-existing exposed brick walls.

Image: Artistic Designs for Living

Examine the Portfolio

Next on your checklist should be a close examination of the designer’s portfolio. Most people remember to do this when interviewing a designer. But it’s more than just looking for a “wow” factor.

First, look for a range of different styles. The portfolio may look gorgeous, but if everything has a similar design? Then you know that your home will also end up looking like a close copy of all the others.

A great interior designer can adapt to use dramatically different color palettes, styles (contemporary, traditional, period, etc.), textures, and layouts to customize a home based on your lifestyle. You certainly want to see a few designs that reflect some of your taste within the portfolio! This simple design below looks great, but didn’t require a massive budget to accomplish.

Also look for designs at different price points (you can ask about the project budget for the images). With an unlimited budget, an interior designer can create fantastic portfolio images. However, it’s just as important that he or she can finish attractive designs for any budget.

Ask for portfolio images that reflect your budget, a few more expensive projects, and a few from a lower price point to get a sense of what’s possible. If you’ve found a credible, trained interior designer with a varied portfolio that excites you, it’s time for the final step!

Image: Robert Jenny Design

Have a Conversation

Today, many people work with designers who aren’t located in the same city as the owner or the home. This is especially true in the case of a vacation home; the owner could be in New York, working with a designer and second home in Florida. It’s easy to believe that if you like a designer’s portfolio and background, then that’s all you need to get started — but watch out!

You should always, always speak to the designer as close to “in-person” as possible, via a phone call or Skype if you truly can’t arrange a face-to-face meeting. Speaking directly to a designer in a meeting is the only way to test your future working relationship and ask some specific questions.

Have a few talking points in mind and bring in some photos of rooms that inspire you. Here are some potential questions to help you tell whether or not you’ll be able to work with and enjoy the collaborative design process with a particular interior designer.

• Does he/she listen to you and ask questions about your unique lifestyle?
• Does he/she try to persuade you just because “it looks good,” or because there is a real reason pertaining to your floor plan, budget, etc.?
• Can he/she comfortably accomplish your goals within your budget?
• Can he/she adapt to suit your style, schedule, and other needs?
• Is he/she friendly and easy to reach by phone or email? You’ll be spending a lot of time talking, so you should get along with your designer. Otherwise, you won’t enjoy this process, which should be energizing and fun!

If you feel that the interior designer is listening closely to your ideas and able to interpret your style, you’ve found a winner. Your home must reflect your personality and have unique touches, like the airy and bright beach-themed living room below with the distinctive natural driftwood elements.

 

Image via Amy Lau Design

With these three checklist items: a credentials profile, a close look at their portfolio, and a face-to-face Q&A session, you’ll be able to tell whether or not an interior designer will help you create the perfect space and make the process enjoyable.

When you’re working with the right interior designer, the experience of decorating your home and watching all the different pieces come together is just as thrilling as the final result. Use these tips and questions to get started on giving your home a professional makeover!

What have your experiences been with finding an interior designer? We’d love to hear from you on social media, or in the comments section below!

The post How to Find the Right Interior Designer appeared first on Freshome.com.

from Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Magazine http://freshome.com/find-right-interior-designer/

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Helsinki Design Week 2016: Design Takes Over the Finnish Capital

Helsinki’s 12th annual design week took place at the beginning of the month, centered around the 47th iteration of Habitare, the main design show established in 1970. More than 250 events across the city and the show itself were organized around the theme of “better.” Here are some of our favorite finds – including a minimal wardrobe by Laura Huusari (above) that hangs from the ceiling to maximize floor space.

These simple stools are made from three interlocking squared wooden arches by Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences graduate Tia Aitola and were showcased in the new designer area of Habitare.

Rusko by Finnish designer Maija Puoskari is a collection of three mirrors inspired by mountains and chains of small ponds. Doubling up as coat hooks, they can be used on their own or arranged in overlapping compositions.

The Aava pendant by Laura Väre was created as part of a project with Aalto University to explore the roots of Finnish design in the Nuuksio Forest. Inspired by a tree trunk, the curved edges of the nested plywood sheets also recall inverted landscapes of mountains and auroras, while the plywood filters the light creating a comfortable light source.

The Tovi shelf by Finnish design duo Hanna-Kaarina Heikkilä and Anni Pitkäjärvi is a modular system that comprises ceramic, cork, metal, wooden and mirrored elements that come together to make functional ‘micro-shelves.’

Piipou by Studio Kaksikko is a two-cup pot designed for small space living. It is equally suitable for making tea or filter coffee and therefore replaces a lot of bulky kitchen paraphernalia. It is available in black or white and is made in porcelain by the designers themselves.

Exhibited as part of Protoshop, Habitare’s exhibition of prototypes by new designers, Party stool comprises three identical plywood forms, combined together to create a durable seat. Its designer, Carlo Raymann, has recently completed a BA in Interior Architecture at the University of Art and Design at Aalto University.

The Crescent wall lights, which rotate to create different effects, are by Hanna Anonen, a graduate from the Applied Arts MA program at the Aalto University School of Art, who has also worked as an industrial designer and studied in France.

Designed for small space living, the ADB&B (Armchair, Divan, Bench & Bed) by Japanese designer Yuka Takahashi is as multifunctional as its name suggests. It is made from PEFC certified Finnish wood and designed to flatpack so people can move it from one home to the next.

And finally, the Block & Brick collection by Tuulia Penttilä is handmade in Finland from locally sourced wood and designed to be as flexible and durable as possible. Different formations provide everything from dog dining tables to spice racks.

from Design Milk http://design-milk.com/hdw16-design-takes-finnish-capital/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/151153331919

Pick Me Up Giveaway + Best of the Web

We all have (at least) a little bit of darkness in us. No matter how sunshiny your disposition and outlook are, you’ve probably been to a place that felt tough to climb out of. Whether it’s a funk, a bad day, or a deep hole, using your own creativity to pull through the bad stuff can be incredibly gratifying and healing. Which is precisely why Adam J. Kurtz’s new book, Pick Me Up, has me ready to handle any dark or sucky life moments that come my way.

Adam is a part of our D*S family, and he’s known for his humorously honest empathy for stuff that can be hard to talk about — like feelings. This page-by-page self-pep talk in book form, as Adam says, is “the realization that life and feelings don’t always follow a linear path. Life can be a confusing mix of murky possibilities. You will change repeatedly. Anything can always happen.” Flip to any page in the book, and you’ll find a chance to jot down goals, remind yourself of how amazing you are (because you ARE), doodle a wish, or maybe admit all the things you’re trying to make excuses for. It’ll pat you on the back when you need it, or not let you off the hook when you’re being impossible.

Adam’s book hits shelves on Oct. 4 — the same day as our new book, In the Company of Women! — but today he’s giving two readers the chance to win a copy of Pick Me Up for themselves and a friend! To enter to win two copies of Pick Me Up, comment below with a positive affirmation for yourself by Monday, Oct. 3 at 10 am EST. (Two winners will be picked by random selection to win two copies apiece.) Good luck, and have a great weekend! —Kelli

• Grand Entrance: As we enter the seasons of hosting and festivities, One Kings Lane’s design tips for small-space entryways couldn’t be more timely.
• Flower Power: I can’t stop thinking about this bold and whimsical mural Dana Tanamachi created for Emporium Pies in Dallas, TX. See more photos on her Instagram.
• Fashion Idol: This video by Vanity Fair featuring several celebrities — like Lupita Nyong’o — sharing their beloved style icons is such an interesting and fun clip.
• Votes Count: No matter your political preference, if you haven’t registered to vote yet, do it now.
• Costume Quest: If you’re a parent like me (or just really into Halloween!), you’re already on the hunt for the best costumes. Oh Happy Day has DIY kids’ costumes that will blow your mind!
• Pretty Priorities: Fall is a time when I reorganize and refocus, and these saddle ring file folders at Anthropologie would make for a lovely desk mate.

• Must-reads: What to Do When You Fail, In the Company of Women: Giveaway #1, Giveaway: Win A Consulting Session with Grace
• Beauty + Self-Care: The Beauty of Self-Care: Lesson 4 – Ritual + Aveda Giveaway, Seven Pajama Sets for Fall
• Before & After: Converting 188 Square Feet on Wheels into a Home, An Iowa Living Room Gets an Artful Makeover
• Food + Drink: In the Kitchen With: Sara Washington’s Food Reel – Stuffed Eggplant
• DIY: DIY Laptop Skin Using Images From Your Smartphone
• Decorating: Decorating for Your Differently-Abled Child + Giveaway, 12 Earthy Rooms Full of Decor Inspiration, 15 Modern Grasscloth Wallpapers for Fall
• Interiors: Nestled in a Nature Preserve, a New Jersey Couple’s Customized Retreat, A Dreamy Escape in the Texas Countryside, Studio Tour: Hello Miss May, Hasbrouck House Tour, A Beachy Retreat in the Heart of Brooklyn

from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2016/09/pick-me-up-giveaway-best-of-the-web.html

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/151151338954

A Tel Aviv Apartment Gets an Injection of Color

Working under architect Amir Navon, Rotem Hanan and Sivan Livne Hakim designed this 105-square-meter (~1130 sq ft) apartment that’s located in the center of Tel Aviv. The outdated interior needed a renovation that restructured the layout for better functionality, which was made difficult thanks to its diagonal footprint.

To help define areas in the apartment, they incorporated different colors and materials within niches. The living room’s floor became a light grey tone, which aided in lightening the space up. The floor within the blue living room niche was replaced with a wooden parquet that they painted to match the wall and ceiling color.

The graphic bathroom features a shower that’s outfitted with matte black tiles from floor to ceiling. The rest of the bathroom has white tiles with contrasting grout.

Photos © Gidon Levin 181 Architecture Photography.

from Design Milk http://design-milk.com/colorful-apartment-tel-aviv/

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In the Company of Women: BIG GIVEAWAYS!

To celebrate the last few days of pre-orders for our new book, In the Company of Women, we’re doing a huge series of giveaways! Just see all the links below to enter. All contests are open to all readers (domestic and international) and you can enter all three giveaways, but can only win one. If the random number generator picks you for all three, we will contact you to choose your first choice prize package.

**YOU CAN PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE BOOK RIGHT HERE, AS WELL AS GET TICKETS FOR OUR BOOK TOUR!**

To enter the FREE BUSINESS CONSULTING SESSION with Grace Bonney and women from the book, ENTER HERE.

To enter to win the FREE HUDSON VALLEY GETAWAY to Hasbrouck House, ENTER HERE.

To enter to win one of four GIFT PACKAGES (each containing a selection of artwork and home goods made by the talented women from the book), ENTER HERE.

from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2016/09/in-the-company-of-women-big-giveaways.html

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In the Kitchen With: Sara Washington’s Food Reel – Stuffed Eggplant

For years, we have dedicated our In the Kitchen With column almost exclusively to first-person stories. I thought it would be nice to bring in an additional focus this week with a short film by documentary filmmaker, Sara Washington. Her short captures the story behind Lauren Rose’s featured Stuffed Eggplant Recipe. Here we get to see the food through both Sara and Lauren’s lens. —Kristina

Why Sara chose Lauren Rose’s story to feature: Lauren and I both grew up in the same city of Stockton, CA. We both come from families that really value gathering together around food, and we both grew up watching our grandmothers in the kitchen, but the dishes that were on our tables were very different. My grandmother moved to Stockton from Texas, hers immigrated from Lebanon. I really liked the idea of this food portrait being of a food-obsessed Stocktonian by another.

 

Portrait by Rebecca Goldsmith.

More from Sara about telling food stories through film:

I love hearing people’s stories through food. I love hearing people’s stories, period, it’s why I am a documentary filmmaker. But when food is added to the equation, there are additional dimensions of texture, smell, sound, and taste that enhance my understanding of where they come from, and maybe what they aspire to be. When food and memory are married in these stories, it’s never just about the dish itself, but who they were with and what they were doing when they ate it.

When I think about places I’ve lived and experiences I have had, I remember them through the food I ate. I trace this back to the family I grew up in. I remember hearing my grandmother on the phone with her sister. They caught up only briefly on family news before their conversations turned to all of the foods they had recently prepared and eaten. They traded any new tips they had learned for old recipes, and critiqued the food at their most recent potlucks.

I don’t think you have to have been raised in a food-obsessed home like mine to be able to understand the language of dishes that define our lives when portrayed on film. And because food lends itself so well to sharing, when one person steps into the time machine that represents the taste and smells of their childhood, we all get to go with them.

Stuffed Summer Eggplant

Ingredients

– 1 large classic eggplant
– 1 large yellow onion
– 2 garlic cloves
– 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
– Salt and pepper to taste
– ½ pound ground beef (20% fat)
– ½ pound ground lamb
– 1 tablespoon cayenne
– 1 teaspoon cumin
– 1 teaspoon sumac
– ¼ cup pine nuts
– 6-8 small Indian eggplants

Baba Ghanoush

Ingredients

– Pulp of 1 large classic eggplant (see above)
– 1 garlic clove
– ½ cup tahini
– 1 teaspoon salt

Yogurt sauce

Ingredients

– 1 ½ cup Greek yogurt
– Juice from half a lemon
– 1 bunch of fresh mint, chopped
– Salt to taste

Preparation

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Puncture the skin of the large classic eggplant several times with a sharp knife. Bake for 1 hour or until the exterior is soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Dice the yellow onion and mince the garlic and cook in a saucepan over medium heat with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste, and continue cooking until the onions are caramelized. Add the beef, lamb, cayenne, cumin, sumac and pine nuts and cook until the meat is done. Salt and pepper again to taste. Set saucepan aside to cool.

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Cut a large “X” into the skin of the small Indian eggplants. Roast them on medium heat in an oven-proof saucepan until they are soft. Open the eggplants at the “X” and stuff the meat and onion mixture inside each eggplant. Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and set aside.

To make the Baba Ghanoush –– Slice the cooked large classic eggplant open lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the pulp and dice it finely. In a medium bowl, add the garlic clove and a teaspoon of salt and mince the mixture. Add eggplant pulp and ½ cup tahini and mix well.

To make the Yogurt sauce –– In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon juice and salt.

To assemble your platter –– Spread the baba ghanoush on a small platter. Stagger the stuffed mini Indian eggplants on top of the baba ghanoush. Drizzle yogurt sauce over them and sprinkle with chopped fresh mint.

About Sara: Sara was raised in a really big family in California’s Central Valley, the oldest of six children. She earned her undergraduate degree from UC Santa Cruz and her graduate degree from The New School. Both degrees are in documentary media. To see a drink-related feature by Sara from our archives, featuring Crystal Sykes, click here. She can be found on Twitter and Instagram, and see a three-minute interview with her here.

About Lauren: Lauren Rose is a private chef, sommelier, and cheesemonger based in Northern California who enjoys creating unique dishes and wine pairings. Find out how to join her next EatWith pop-up dinner here, follow her on Instagram here, and find her on Twitter here.

from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2016/09/in-the-kitchen-with-sara-washingtons-food-reel.html

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/151149349839

3 Pattern Designers Re-Think Natuzzi’s Re-vive Chair

Italian furniture brand Natuzzi Italia employed the skills of three of the top UK-based pattern designers on a special collaboration where they were asked to reimagine the company’s iconic Re-vive chair. Dubbed the “world’s first performance recliner,” the best-selling Re-vive received three distinct looks from Patternity, Eley Kishimoto, and Camille Walala for Re-thinking Re-vive, an exhibition that allowed the public to test them out during the London Design Festival.

Patternity

The designers worked all summer to create their own designs, which took inspiration from the brand’s concept of “harmonious living” through three elements tied to their native region of Apulia – the sun, olive trees, and leaves, handcrafted lace, and classical architectural motifs. The designers were given two recliners to customize, one for display at the main store in London and the other for a live event that engaged the audience on September 19th. For the display chairs, the designers were encouraged to customize the white quilted leather cover any way they liked using paint, vinyl, applied materials, or anything else they chose. The results are pretty remarkable and completely unique, and will be sold with proceeds going to charity.

Patternity

Eley Kishimoto

Eley Kishimoto

Eley Kishimoto

Camille Walala

Camille Walala

from Design Milk http://design-milk.com/3-pattern-designers-re-think-natuzzis-re-vive-chair/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/151149198079

15 Modern Grasscloth Wallpapers for Fall

I love a flat, shiny wallpaper as much as the next girl, but sometimes it’s nice to use wallpaper to add some texture to a room. Grasscloth often gets a bad rap as being a little too 70s, but I think when used in the right context, it can look modern and sophisticated and add just the right amount of warmth to a room. I didn’t know until recently, thanks to Better Homes & Gardens, that “grasscloth” is actually a catch-all term for a range of natural fiber papers made of everything from hemp and jute to reed and arrowroot. So today I rounded up 15 of my favorite textured grasscloth papers for anyone looking to add some texture and warmth to their walls this season. xo, grace 

from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2016/09/15-modern-grasscloth-wallpapers-for-fall.html

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Fresh New Tools and Utensils for Fall

With Back-to-School in full force, we’ve been reminiscing of the joy we used to get from shopping for new school supplies. Amidst the rows of pencils, paint tubes, and stacks of paper, remembering that feeling of excitement of a new semester and a fresh start.

Though our fresh starts aren’t quite as ritualistic anymore, we do still feel excitement and enthusiasm when we stumble upon a quality tool in our field or clever new design. This month we explore both – first a collection of fine dining cutlery, and then a look at bespoke utensils you would never have dreamed of!

Everyone has heard the saying; “the right tool for the right job”, and “you are only as good as your tools.” These sayings are very true when it comes to the choice and use of tools. While many people choose to ‘make do’ with what they have at the time… “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”

The truth is that having the tool that is specifically designed for a specific job, especially if it’s a job that you perform repeatedly, is a wise investment.

So to put it in food terms… You can have the most perfectly cooked steak, but if you’re left with only a butter knife to dive in… you will most likely be disappointed with the meal and have a bad experience. Investing in good knives is a must for those who are constantly searching for the ultimate dining adventure.

The inaugural launch of Cédric Ragot’s collection of specialty knives designed for Maison Henri Mazelier, a fourth generation knife maker from Thiers, France, was in 2012. Up until now, the only carriers of Mazelier knives were select European 3 star Michelin restaurants. Patrons could purchase the knives from the restaurants directly… but now they are finally making their way to the US…and let us tell you, we cannot wait!

We are very taken by the craftsmanship and design of this collection. From the Katana knife inspired by the art of samurai, with its sleek protective and magnetic cap which acts as a knife rest, to the “Haussmann” knife evoking Parisian heritage by using dynamic lines and shapes paying tribute to modernism and creating a twist on art deco stylings. This collection brings a thoughtful and refined experience to the table.

And then there is the over-the-top creative collection of bespoke utensils by Steinbeisser…

Because sometimes the right tool hasn’t even been invented yet… And when the right tool does not exist, why not create one.

Steinbeisser launched the “Experimental Gastronomy” initiative in 2012, bringing renowned chefs and international artists together to realize a one-of-a-kind creative, gastronomic happening. For these events artists create unique, bespoke and experimental cutlery and dishware.

Driven by a search for new ways to enjoy food, these pieces don’t follow the normal rules of usability. Instead, they challenge diners to reconsider preconceptions about the relationship between tableware and the user. They can be loved for their thought-provoking function but also for their beauty. All pieces are exclusive artist collaborations and available on the Steinbeisser site.

from Design Milk http://design-milk.com/fresh-new-tools-utensils-fall/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/151147365814