When designing kitchens for our clients, we see many different pain points as well as design mistakes that should be avoided with thoughtful planning. Your kitchen is a large investment in your home and in most cases, the most heavily used space, so you want to put careful thought into how it’s laid out and work with a trusted designer to ensure all details are covered.

What are some common mistakes when designing a kitchen? Here are the most common issues we see in kitchen designs or complaints from clients on their existing kitchen before we rework the space.

1- Not planning for more than one cook in the kitchen.

This is a must! Look at your daily rhythm and who is in the kitchen while cooking. Do you and your spouse cook together? Does one cook while the other cleans? Do you have a tiny human (or three) who helps out often or just hangs out in the kitchen while you're cooking? This is an essential question you need to ask before any space planning happens to strategically place work stations as well as ensuring adequate distance and walk areas.

2- Not taking a complete inventory for storage.

Here's another common space planning mistake that can lead to a kitchen layout or design that doesn't work well for your household. Having enough storage, and the correct type of storage in a kitchen is key, and the needs vary so much from family to family. We work with a professional organizer to take a complete inventory of everything in our clients’ kitchen from the very beginning of our process to ensure storage is accounted for when we plan cabinetry.

3- Not planning for the clutter of additional activities in the kitchen.

We all use our kitchen for other activities other than cooking and eating. For many, it's a place we may work for a bit, kids may do homework, we may go through mail, charge our devices, or simply walk by the space with items we may want to set down somewhere in the kitchen. It's important to take all of this into consideration to plan for designated spaces for everything that may enter its way into your kitchen.

What other mistakes have you witnessed either in your own kitchen or a kitchen you've used?

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Working with a designer for your next construction project may not be the first thought in your mind, many may assume that they’ll spend more working with a designer on an already large investment. This is such a common thought process, one we completely understand. Something you may not know about working with a designer is our goal is to protect your investment, whether you’re furnishing your home or renovating/building, which is what I’d like to focus on here. We work on behalf of our client in every way, including making wise investment decisions throughout their home. Our goal is for you to not only love the design, but also work to ensure the entire project aligns with your planned investment.

Personally, I’ve been in the construction industry my entire life and have worked with contractors and builders for many years. Because of this, I’ve vetted many trades people and have hand selected the ones that I’d recommend to clients. This is a big deal because we’re not just bringing in anyone who is quickly available (big red flag) or the least expensive (also red flag) or lack of good references (you’ve guessed it…red flag). Going with a contractor or builder that have any of these red flags will absolutely cause you many headaches that we help our clients avoid. Working with a designer will help you in this selection process and give you invaluable guidance on how the process, timeline, and project investment planning works.

In addition to finding the right contractor, working with a designer will shorten the time not only YOU spend on selections and project management, but also it will decrease the time the contractor or builder will need to spend on the selection and project management phases of the project saving THEM time and money, thus YOU time and money. There are many contractors and builders who will actually only work on new build or renovation projects if a designer is on the project because they know it will run quicker, and smoother, which allows them to focus on quality management so there are less mistakes and efficient use of time.

We also live in a time of product manufacturing and shipping delays, which are inevitable. One of our focuses in the design phase of every project is ensuring all selections will meet the timeline of the project. We are not recommending products that have a 8 month lead time on a project that will need it in 4 weeks. That just wastes everyones time, and our goal is to be as efficient as possible to cause the least amount of disruption in our clients’ homes. Of course if that product is really worth the wait we’ll plan the project accordingly and prioritize as necessary so there are no major hold ups and unfinished spaces while waiting.

Lastly, when it comes to construction projects, either new construction or remodels, the unfortunate times the investment figures do creep over the initial plan are usually because of two things. Either something majorly unforeseen came up during the project, which happens, even with experienced contractors who can usually anticipate potential issues from the beginning. Or the design vision does not fit the selection allowances or changes are made after the project has begun. Working with an experienced designer can prevent the latter from happening. When we sit down with clients from the initial meeting and we look over images and discuss the overall vision of the space, a large part of our process is ensuring the investment matches this vision. There’s nothing worse than dreaming with the client and telling them it’s not going to work with their space or planned investment, but we have those hard conversations in the beginning. No one wants to get to the end of the project and not be able to finish with those dream selections or going completely over what they’re comfortable with on the project in the end all because of poor planning. With our experience, we understand the overall vision and work with you to achieve that with a design that compliments your planned investment before construction even begins.

Construction projects don’t need to be a headache or a full-time job, as some people describe them. Working with a designer isn’t just about the pretty things, though making our client’s visions come to life is certainly an incredible part of our job, it’s ensuring the project runs smoothly, on time, sticks to the plan and is the least amount of a disruption to your life as possible so that everyone is happy in the end.

Planning a project soon? Let’s chat!

I have several clients in a similar life stage that I’m in with young children at home, and I’m so happy to see a shift in clients wanting to invest in their primary suites. As a mom of four (currently ages 3-8), I enjoy having my own space and a cozy primary suite is very high on my own priority list, so I can certainly relate.

Below are a few things I like to focus on in designing bedrooms that feel comfortable and cozy. As always, I like to recommend timeless selections, especially those that are fixed such as lighting, wall finishes, and flooring.

lighting

Lighting may be the most important element in designing bedrooms (or any room in my opinion). The wrong lighting affects the mood positively or negatively and the bedroom needs to be the retreat of the home.

I like to add multiple lighting options including recessed, central task lighting, low lamp lighting, as well as accessory lighting such as picture lights or sconces. The size and layout of the space dictates what is used where, but a good rule of thumb is to have at least 2-3 different types of lighting in a bedroom setting. Also, never underestimate the power of a dimmer switch!

Texture

The bedroom is a perfect opportunity to use many different types of textures and adds to the coziness to the space. I like to layer and repeat textures throughout a room for balance. For instance, if I’m using a natural fiber rug in the space, pairing it with something soft and adding a similar texture basket or accessory elsewhere in the room.

Window treatments

Window treatments are the often forgotten about or deprioritized element of any space, but especially in a bedroom. It’s a missed opportunity to not include window treatments in a bedroom especially because they add another level of comfort to a space. They also aid in acoustics quieting the space in addition to making the room feel complete.

I usually layer window treatments in a bedroom as they need to function differently throughout the day. Privacy is one component, sun blocking may be another priority, but having different options in the space is key.

Calming Colors

I’m not saying I always go with a 100% neutral color palette in bedrooms, but creating a calming environment means paying attention to what colors I use in the space and how they make our clients feel. Typically, bold, bright colors are not as calming as neutral, muted tones, so I always consider this when choosing a color scheme in bedrooms. Also, I like to use color in items that can be easily updated such as textiles, to keep the space timeless.

Designing your home for today and the future can be a challenge. You want all the fun styles and patterns you see on Instagram and Pinterest, but you also want to ensure you still love it in 5-10+ years. Renovating and decorating your home is an investment, so you certainly don’t want to find yourself wishing you made different design decisions down the road.

Working with a designer can really help with these decisions. We have not only been following trends for decades, but we know and have experience with quality, what lasts, and what doesn’t. We’re also exceptionally skilled at gathering all of those inspirational photos you’ve collected, asking the right questions to hone in on your unique style, and assist in making the right design decisions you’re guaranteed to love now and in the future.

I’ve put together a free guide with secrets to timeless home design; be sure to download this for comprehensive tips. Today I’m sharing a few more design secrets I incorporate in my design process to ensure my clients love their home for years to come.

Look at your history

Design is personal and what you may love in a home, someone else may not. That’s why it’s important to look at your own personal style trend (You may not know you have a style, but I promise you do!). Browse through your Pinterest Boards or saved images from as far back as you can go. What common theme do you see? Are most of your images light and bright or dark and moody? Is there a specific color scheme that seems consistent? What about specific design elements? Trends come and go, but your style and what you’re drawn to is unique to you, so this is the first place you should look in determining which design direction to go to ensure you’ll love it for years.

home style

One of the first things you should consider when building, renovating or redecorating is the style and architecture of your home. I’m a huge fan of eclectic style and bringing in multiple style elements into a space, but it’s important to compliment the original style of the home first and foremost. Not only will this ensure the home flows and doesn’t seem out of place, it will also stand the test of time as well as appeal to others down the road if you eventually sell. I always encourage bringing in different style elements where they are easily able to be changed such as lighting, rugs, paint, and non foundational furniture pieces (ie a funky accent chair vs a large sectional).

involve everyone

I’m not saying to bring in every aunt, cousin, friend, and co-worker when it comes to design decisions (I actually discourage that for many reasons I won’t get into here), but an obvious oversight I see happen time and time again is that one person living in the home is trying to make all of the design decisions. Now every home and family works differently, and I completely get that, but we always encourage, from the beginning of our process, to meet as many family members that are living in the home and try to involve them throughout the design process whenever we can. I do this when making design decisions in my own home as well. When the decisions are made by everyone living in the home, it’s appreciated more, it feels more like everyone’s home, and thus, enjoyed for much longer than if one person makes all of the decisions. I say it over and over but design is so personal, it’s important that your home reflects the people who live in it through and through.

Be sure to check out our free timeless home design guide with practical tips on making timeless design selections for your home.

Family friendly AND beautiful home design sounds impossible but it can exist. As a mom of four little ones, I get the challenge of wanting your home to be an inviting, calming environment you and your family enjoy being in on a daily basis as well as a place you want to invite others into. But you also don’t want to babysit every surface of your home or not allow your kids to be kids. This is a balance I try to achieve in my own home. It’s also a common challenge many of my clients face and we work through together. Here are a few things we focus on accomplishing in projects with families so everyone can comfortably enjoy the spaces we create.

Open Floor Plans

An open floor plan is something we strive to create for our remodeling or new construction projects if possible. Not only does it create togetherness in a busy household, it also allows young kids to have independence with a watchful eye nearby. Challenges do exist in this type of floor plan such as how to decorate so the areas flow, but also have specific purposes. Another common challenge of wide open spaces is acoustics (did I mention I have 4 little ones?). Adding sound absorbing materials such as vintage rugs, upholstery, and windows coverings can help tremendously.

Performance Fabrics

Speaking of upholstery, you don’t need to have dark fabric, furniture covers or 1970s plastic over every piece in your home. We recommend performance fabric for all of our client’s homes who have children or pets to prevent stains and add an extra level of wear resistance. Also, investing in quality furniture pieces make a huge difference. Kids are hard on furniture, sofas especially get a lot of use in homes with families, so it’s important to ensure it’s made to last and not going to sag or lose its shape in just a couple of years.

Invest Wisely

On that note, I know it’s tempting to buy lesser quality items with plans to replace in the future after the kids are older or have flown the coop. My advice is, if you’re going to invest in your home, spending a little more on quality, foundational items will be worth it in the long run rather than having to spend more in total to replace it sooner than you’d like. Plus you get to enjoy it longer instead of waiting for the next stage to enjoy your home. We typically recommend investing in core, fixed pieces in a space such as items that are fixed, things you sit or stand on, including flooring, and saving on trendier, easier to change out items such as decor and accessories. This rule of thumb is actually something we follow in spaces without children or pets as well.

Focus on Bedrooms

In family homes, its common to forget about the bedrooms while focusing more on the family gathering spaces, but I always like to point out the importance of bedrooms. Many parents are inclined to decorate their kids rooms for them to “grow into” but this is where I tend to disagree. Kids rooms and their interests are bound to change over the years of course, but I like to allow this space to be theirs (with boundaries of course). After all, most kids walls need to be re-painted and items in the room replaced every few years as it is, why not allow it to reflect the stage they’re currently in and give them a space to reflect their individuality?

On the same note, I encourage parents to focus on creating a bedroom for themselves that they enjoy retreating to at the end of the day. Having their own space that they enjoy being in, that is separate from the gathering spaces in a home, is just as important as the kids spaces. Because the primary suite likely doesn’t involve as much wear and tear as the main spaces, you can make all of those design choices you may feel limited on in the rest of the home.

Having a home the entire family feels comfortable in is a huge priority for all of our clients, thus our goal in every design project. Making wise, informed design decisions are key in achieving this, and I’d love to walk along side you for your next home project. Contact us today to start this discussion!

Charlie here, the other half of Kelley Lively. I’m sitting down with my super talented wife of almost 10 years to discuss the ins and outs of the business and design process, as well as life as a business owner/designer/wife/mom…

1. Why did you get into interior design?

   I’ve always noticed the details. Put me in a room where something is not symmetrical, level or balanced and I start rearranging everything. I grew up in the building industry and have always been so inspired by beautiful spaces taking note of all the finishing details and dreaming of how I’d do things in my own home. After college and the corporate world, I decided to return to my roots and work in the family business. It’s there where I found how much I loved working with clients in their homes, helping them make selections, contributing to their own dream homes coming true. In 2013, we started Interiors by Kelley Lively and have grown from there. Project after project the design passion just burns stronger and I can’t get enough of it.

2. What is your favorite part of the design process?

   All of it. No really, if I had to pick one, it’s seeing the space all come together at the end. There’s so much anticipation and excitement. Installation day is such a wonderful chaos with our team and I love working toward something beautiful together.

3. What’s your least favorite part?

   Waiting. I’m not very patient and encouraging my clients to do something I’m not great at either is hard to do. Quick design is never good so it’s always a lesson in patience. But always worth it.

4. If you could describe your style aesthetic in one word, what would it be?

   Simple. I don’t like to overcomplicate anything, especially design.

5. How have your designs changed over the years?

   I’ve always tried to keep things simple and neutral but I’ve slowly incorporated different styles over time curating a more custom look. It takes a little more boldness to mix and match styles and keep a balanced space but overall it ends up feeling unique to our clients and that’s the goal.

6. Speaking of clients, how do you think they’d describe you?

   I’ve been told I have good energy :) I do get really excited about design so I guess that’s accurate. I’ve found I’ve been able to gain my clients trust early in the process so that during those times we are waiting on furniture or seeing half of a project complete, they can maintain the vision we created together because of trust. Those are always the best working relationships in my experience.

7. How do you balance work, life, and family?

   It’s not easy, as you know. I was raised to be an early riser, my dad always said that to be successful and have fun you have to get up early. I feel like that helps me steal hours of the day. Utilizing resources available to us have been key. We try to delegate and outsource to people who are more skilled or efficient at something when we can so that we can have time with our family and not try to do it all. There’s a lot of tag teaming between us and times when we have to be intentional to take a break to keep the balance.

8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

   I like the organic growth our firm has seen recently and I’d like to continue to do so in a way that feels natural by doing what I love. I enjoy large scale renovations where I can get to know my clients well and design their home room by room and design additional vacation or second homes for them. We’ve also had a couple of commercial projects come up for our firm that I’m excited to work on in the near future. The sky’s the limit but I’m dedicated to being mindful about our growth and making educated decisions about growing our team and projects.

When do you let your kids decorate their own room? That is the question I, as a designer and mom, want to know. Balancing my love for pretty interiors (and maybe a little OCD at times) and my desire to develop our kids’ creativity and independence is such a hard thing for me. Our twin girls are 5 years old and are obsessed with organizing and re-decorating. I have to grit my teeth when they re-organize my curated and styled shelves, perfectly re-styled, in their eyes, with their favorite princess books and Barbies on display. I have to laugh when I hear them in their room late at night still gabbing away with purpose, when we said goodnight hours ago, only to find that they have rearranged their room to their liking, including the art on the walls.

They’re doing EXACTLY what I did my entire childhood. I remember dreaming about furniture arrangements and waking up needing to rearrange my bedroom immediately. (This has not changed by the way, ask my husband). I was reminiscing with our girls one day about my childhood bedroom and the different ways I had it set up and mentioned that I had a rainbow painted on the wall at one point. Who remembers when Rainbow Bright was the big thing? Well my room reflected my obsession with a huge bright rainbow along with matching bedding and canopy. I cringe thinking of all the matching boldness that was my room but I’m sure I adored it when I was young.

So here’s the dilemma, do I allow our 5 year olds to dictate how they decorate their room? How much control do I give them? In the past I would make the decision and sell it to them with genuine excitement and they wouldn’t question it. That’s not flying these days, they have opinions, and ideas, and they want to do them right now. Do I allow them freedom and just close the door when I can’t handle their design choices? Or do I try to maintain some sort of control over the decisions?

I’d love your opinion on this topic; in the meantime, I’m browsing these adorable girls rooms that I’m trying to unsuccessfully sell to our 5 year olds.

Brooke Wagner Design

Amber Interiors

Cherished Bliss

Raquel Garcia Design

Meg Strasburg

A lot of people love the idea of neutral decor, but it tends to cause overthinking. "This beige doesn't match that beige and this is the wrong shade of off white."  Sound familiar? Do yourself a favor, don't overthink it. The key is balance. Having a good amount of neutral color variations in different textures will balance a room. Trying to match each shade of white/beige/gray won't look natural and it may drive you crazy, and it’s better to mix it up to add dimension to the room.

Here are a few examples to give you an idea of what I mean by balance.

House of Jade Interiors

House of Jade Interiors

The above room pulls off neutrals beautifully. The sofas, pillows, rug and wall color are all different shades of creamy white/beige, but because they're all different textures, they flow well together. The subtle blue touches in the artwork, pillows and chairs give the room a bit of color without overpowering the neutral room.

Studio McGee

Amber Interiors Design Studio

Above are more examples of various shades of neutrals used together. Here, not only do the textures vary but patterns vary as well. Patterns are an excellent way to jazz up a neutral room so it doesn’t feel too bland. Again, balance is key. Be sure to use large and small patterns together. Too many large patterns can appear too bold; too many small patterns appears to be busy.

House Seven Design

Once again, a wonderful example of mixing patterns and textures. There’s both rough and soft textures layered giving the room dimension.

Struggling with paint colors? Check out my post here for tips! Have questions? Comment below!

As I write this, I’m sitting in a room with paint swatches all over the walls. We are in the midst of room shuffling in our house and our current office will soon become our twin girls’ room, but before that can happen, it desperately needs to be painted.

Painting makes such a huge impact in a room. It can be a gorgeous, subtle backdrop to a well decorated space that invites you in to stay a while. Or it can be a stark eye sore that leaves you begging for sunglasses, or at least an explanation on why this color was ever considered a good idea. How do you avoid the latter? How do you avoid picking the wrong paint color? How do you even start? It’s a process, one I’m currently experiencing in my own home. As I go back and forth between my two main picks that I’ve been eyeing for a few weeks now, I thought I’d share with you my go to tips on how to choose a paint color and make this decision process more simple.

Design by Amber Lewis, Photographed by Tessa Neustadt

Design by Orlando Soria, Photography by Zeke Ruelas

House of Jade Interiors

1. Choose your paint color LAST

   Yes, you read that right. We’ve all heard that paint is an inexpensive way to make a huge impact in a room (and it’s true!). But often times, this is the first thing people do when they decide to decorate a room. It generally looks like this: they go to the paint store, pick up a few paint swatches, pick out a color and paint. Then they struggle finding furnishings and decor because nothing coordinates perfectly with the paint color they fell in love with, and then they end up with decor they’re not thrilled about.

   Save yourself the time and trouble, choose your paint color last. There are so many more paint colors out there than there are fabrics, furniture, and accessories. Making a decision on your paint color first limits yourself on ALL of the other decor in your space, so don’t jump the gun, wait until you have at least most of the room decor decided on.

2. Consider undertones

   Stay with me here, this sounds more difficult than it is. There are very few true colors, most will have undertones of another color. You want to ensure the undertone of your paint color is in the same family as your decor. Say for instance your color scheme in your room has cool blues and grays, and you want to paint the walls a soft gray as a backdrop. There are thousands of grays, but cool grays will compliment your decor better than warm grays in this scenario.

   If you’re unsure of the undertone, look at the darkest color on the bottom of the paint swatch, that should give you a hint. If that doesn’t work, put it against something that is pure white.

3. Make the house flow

   Generally, your entire home should reflect similar undertones, either cool or warm, to flow nicely. I tend to decorate rooms as if the adjoining room is a part of the same room. Keep this in mind when choosing paint colors as well, you want the entire house to flow well from room to room so pick a whole house palette that compliments each other.

   Not every room in your home needs to have different color paint on the walls, there is no harm in finding a good neutral color and sticking with it throughout the house. You can always add different colors with accents and accessories; there’s no rule saying the color in the room needs to come from the walls.

4. Find a jumping off point

   Choose a main focal point or inspiration item in the room: a rug, painting, fabric, etc. and use that as a jumping off point. What colors do you see and want to highlight? That’s a good place to start on choosing your wall color. What would be a good backdrop for that particular item? If you can, take a fabric swatch to the paint store when selecting paint chips to take home.

5. Online search

   Once you’ve started to narrow your choices down, search Google and Pinterest for the manufacturer and color name of your choices to view images of rooms painted in that color. Keep in mind that lighting is different in the image versus your own home, and your computer screen will make the color appear a little different. I always do this after I’ve narrowed it down to a few colors just to see how it looks in other rooms with decor.

6. Buy paint samples

   I know this sounds like an annoying, unnecessary step but trust me on this. It’s worth it to buy a couple of samples than to make a decision based on a small paint chip and regret the decision after the fact. Some paint companies even have sample decals you can order and just stick on the wall.

   Be sure to look at the swatch vertically (if the color you’re choosing is for the walls), not laying down on a table or on the floor. The color will look completely different. Also be sure to separate the swatches quite a bit so you’re viewing them separately, not just comparing.

   Paint on multiple walls and live with the swatches for a few days. View them during different times of day, at night, when it’s cloudy and when it’s sunny.

7. A few last things to keep in mind when choosing paint colors…

   Because walls reflect each other (especially if it’s a glossier sheen), paint always appears brighter or darker on the walls once a room is painted.

   Spend some time making a good decision, but don’t obsess about it. I know it’s easy to do, but if you find yourself going around in circles just go with your instincts.

   Ask around for recommendations, you’re not the first person who has gone through this process so chances are you’ll find colors that have been tried and true.

Is it too early to say I'm ready for fall? I could live in a constant 75 degrees, and it's been sweltering here in Virginia. Like sweating just walking to the car...THAT hot. I think I just like change, which is why I look forward to new seasons. I also try to do small updates in my home whenever there's a change of season. Here are a few quick ideas if your decor is lacking color and you're up for a little update as well.

1. Accents, accents, accents. Jazz up a neutral space with colorful accents such as vases, paintings, or other colorful decorative accents. It's an quick update and they're easy to change out if you want to put together a new color scheme.

2. Fabrics. Add colorful fabrics to your room with pillows, curtains or blankets. Here are some of my favorites.

Source

3. Let nature do the work. Bring in greenery or fresh flowers to add an easy punch of color to your space.

4. Area Rugs. Define a space and add color at the same time. Area rugs are easy to switch out if they get dirty, outdated or you want to change your scheme. Here are a few of go to rug sources. Also, read about layering area rugs here.

5. Mirror mirror on the wall. You've heard of mirrors making rooms look larger, but they also reflect OTHER colors in the room which gives the illusion of even more color!

6. Shelving. Have a regular old bookcase? Paint or wallpaper the back of the bookcase to add interest!

7. Show off your dishes. Bring your colorful dishes out to display through glass cabinets or shelving.

8.  Determine your color scheme in advance. Decide which colors you'd like to bring into the space. Pick out paint swatches, flooring, fabrics, and furniture prior to purchasing. Combine pictures and samples together to see how it will look before bringing it into the space.

9.  Wallpaper.  The old school wallpaper has a bad reputation but the newer kinds allow for a much easier removal, so it's not a forever commitment. It's a great way to bring in patterns and interest to a room.

10. Tile accents. Add tile accents to wainscoting or shower in the bathroom or update a back splash with colorful mosaics.

Source

11. Paint. We all know it's a simple way to add color to your room. Why not try some of these neat ideas. Also, here are a few tips on choosing paint colors.

12. Metal Accents. When shopping for new furniture, look for furniture with metal accents which add interest without adding a new color to your scheme.