Designing

I don’t have formal training in interior design. But years of learning from my dad, my aunt & uncle, and design books have taught me to let the “house talk to you.” In other words, let the house dictate its design and don’t force something into it just because I liked it. In my case (and my relatives), I tend to buy older houses and then renovate or remodel them based on the original plans and time period for the house. My favorite style is Mid-Century Modern, but I own something closer to a Victorian home, so it has slowed down my MCM purchases a little bit :(. For any home we renovate or restore, no matter the era, we do put in modern kitchens and bathrooms! Sometimes this is challenging to design. For our home right now, it has been a major research project, since our home is 100 years old and there is no easy way to know exactly what an era appropriate kitchen or bath would be ;). I have spent a lot of time researching older style kitchens and bathrooms and figuring out what different styles of tile, species of wood, and trim finishes will honor the tale of the house, while also having functional spaces. I tell people for all old houses I design that it is more like curating art for a museum. A process. A mad hunt. Research. Frustrations. But slowly, the blank canvas of the home comes together and it’s really satisfying!