Once you have the budget determined for your bathroom renovation, its time to outline all the tasks that need to be done and in what order to help you manage the timeline of your project. In this article we will walk you through who you need to hire and what responsibilities each tradesman has to complete your job. A quick rundown on insurance before we start – Make sure whomever you hire carries the correct insurance.  Each trade or the GC you hire should carry General Liability insurance usually in the amount of at least 1 million dollars.  This protects
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Bathroom renovation costs can vary significantly depending on the plumbing fixtures/requirements, tile selections, storage considerations, etc.  In this article, I want to give you a walk through of the costs of a standard 5’x8’ bathroom.  Think hall bath where the door opens and there is a single sink vanity, toilet, and shower/bathtub combo lined up against the wall opposite the door.  I’m choosing this bathroom for our example because it is a common layout and one of the less complicated renovations.  It’s also one of the less costly bathroom renovation projects that we work on. We’re located northwest of Chicago
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Back to the top 10 list this week.  With still no green leaves outside and an occasional warm day around here, I thought it would be fun to resurge the list with a vacation flair and talk about the trend we saw of Coastal influences in furniture.  So let’s head for the beach (or imagine so) and look at how touches of coastal influence can brighten up your interior all across the country -not just at the beach. This bed by Universal Furniture is the perfect example of a coastal piece.  Combining texture and warm color tones gives this bed
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I want to take a quick break from our top 10 trend list to answer a question that came up in a recent conversation – what do Interior Designers really do?  Most people can answer with some version of “pick colors, and fabrics and furniture…” and while that is a small piece of the puzzle – what we really do is help you maximize the beauty, functionality and investment in your space.   With all the access to online photos – Pinterest, Houzz, etc you may wonder why you can’t just copy a picture that you find in your own
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“Bringing the outside in” is always a good strategy in design to link beautiful exteriors with beautiful interiors.  When I write this phrase, I’m sure you imagine serene interiors with natural finishes and pops of green.   Well – not exactly.  If you’re remotely close in location to where we are, northwest of Chicago and most recent home of the Polar Vortex, you know looking outside for us right now means a sea of white.  2018/19 is proving to be a winter white wonderland here in Illinois, so I thought I’d take a new twist on bringing the outside in and
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Happy New Year!  January brings us back to the top ten trend list for 2019 this week.  As you take down the holiday decorations think about something new this year for those bare walls.  The quickest way to freshen up your space is with new art and this is the year to do it!  Vibrant, bright abstracts, watercolor landscapes and whimsical animal art top our list of what to look for in 2019 and beyond. Exhibit A…this first picture.   This series is a New Perspective favorite as both Pam and I fell in love with the quirky formality of these
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Pantone’s 2019 Color Of The Year is (drum-roll please) “Living Coral”. Let’s take a quick break from our top 10 trend list to look at the color of the year for 2019.  Pantone announced the color this week and it is definitely a step away from the recent past year winners.  Take a look at the color of the year – even if its not one that resonates with you – because you are about to see it everywhere! Pantone is the color company that produces the Pantone Matching System.  The system provides a way of standardizing colors to be
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Remember the dusty silk ivy plants of the early 90’s?  We tucked them everywhere – cabinet tops, end tables, bookshelves, you get the picture.  And many of us, as we pulled down the dusty faded greens, said “never again” (myself included) until I changed my mind after our trip to High Point this fall. #3 on our Top Ten Trends is silk greenery.  As unbelievable as it is, greens are back and in a whole new way.  We can’t wait to start incorporating these accents into our jobs! From a Composition Perspective The silk greens of today are much more
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I’ve always been a fan of unique multi-level furniture pieces – especially tables.  Years ago, I splurged and bought a coffee table with cute storage ottomans tucked underneath.  It’s always a consideration when we start a furniture layout for a family room – how can we get a multi-level usable piece in the space?  One of the unexpected trends we saw on our recent trip to market was– multi level tables.  What a great way to incorporate different durable surfaces into one piece of furniture! Hands down the most practical implementation of this concept shows up in end tables and
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Pam and I are just returning from four power packed days scouring the showrooms in High Point, North Carolina.  To those familiar with the interior design field – we conquered the ever daunting “market”.  Each year, twice a year to be exact, all the major furnishings and accessory companies display their new releases, fabrics, styles, and colors in one location.  It’s a great way to get inspired, become aware of the trends and make connections to our always important team of suppliers. Armed with good comfy shoes and Pam’s itinerary, we saw showrooms of furniture, artwork, rugs, accessories, and lighting. 
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