Why You Should Install Bespoke Bookcases

Creating a balance between function and beauty is the job of the designer and one area that a designer must be able to do this is with storage solutions – everyone needs storage but how do you make it beautiful? One of my favorite ways is with bespoke bookcases!

What is a Bespoke Bookcase?

A bespoke bookcase is one that has been custom-designed for a specific space. Because of this, there isn’t just one type of bespoke bookcase – rather the imagination of the designer is the limit of how many different shapes and sizes bespoke bookcases come in. My favorite type of bespoke bookcases are those that are built into the room and installed into the space using joinery for a beautiful and seamless finish. 

Unlike a regular bookcase that you might purchase from a furniture store and have moved into a room, bespoke bookcases present a variety of creative opportunities and will pave the way for a more seamless design. Keep reading to find out why!

The Advantages of a Bespoke Bookcase

More Creative Control

Nothing will give you more creative control than custom-making elements of your design, such as a bookcase. Rather than having to think of the premade piece and how the rest of the design can match it, you are able to think about how the bespoke piece will match the rest of your design. It means that you can think outside the box and make bolder decisions, which is the mark of a really skilled designer. 

Additionally, creativity doesn’t just encompass what the finished piece will look like – it also dictates how it will function. Each person and family has their own individual needs when it comes to storage solutions. Starting from scratch allows the designer to keep the client’s specific needs in mind. For instance, we designed a bespoke bookshelf for a family with a desk and chair behind the doors because the client needed a space to work, but didn’t want the living room to be cluttered with an office desk. Because we were going with bespoke furniture, this wasn’t a problem and we were able to find a solution that was both beautiful and functional!

Allows Room for Joinery

One of my favorite elements to use in a design is joinery – this is where woodwork is used to join a design together. For instance, the crown molding at the top and baseboard of this bookcase wraps all the way around the room – There is no gap between the bookcase and the ceiling. It blends into each other and the bookcase now seems a part of the wall. This little detail completely elevates the design, because the joinery makes everything look so intentional and thought out. 

Creates texture and dimension

A design without texture and dimension is hardly a design at all. It quickly becomes boring and does not feel welcoming. Bookcases in general create a lot of dimension and texture. However, when the bookcase is bespoke and installed using joinery, the entire wall is transformed and suddenly it’s no longer flat. Each shelf literally creates nooks and crannies of depth and dimension giving the eye much to dance on. 

Adds Value

It’s no secret that bespoke bookcases may come at a higher cost than an Ikea flatpack bookshelf. But if you have a custom bookcase built into a room, you’re adding tons of value to the property. Increasing storage space automatically increases value. Additionally, having custom woodwork elevates the look of a room, thereby increasing property value. So even though it may require a little more money upfront, there is no doubt that the value will be returned to you upon selling the property!

Get a Bespoke Bookcase Today!

A bespoke bookcase is the ultimate storage solution, turning storage into beautiful decor – the marriage between beauty and function. Whether you’re interested in a built-in bookcase with a hidden desk, or a case framing a window with a little place to sit, we’ve got you covered! Head to our services page to book your free consultation today!


Before and After Transformation: Master Bathroom

The bathroom is where you begin and end the day – it’s important that it’s a space where you can feel clean and calm. Personally, I believe that the best bathrooms are ones that feel open and airy, full of light, to start the day with a feeling of a fresh start. Likewise, it’s important that the lighting fixtures are appropriate for a nice atmosphere in the evenings before bed. That’s why this week we’re bringing you a master bathroom transformation – to show you just what a difference design can make!

The Before

The original bathroom was alright. There was nothing wrong with it, so to say. But it was all one-dimensional. Nothing about this bathroom excited me. I really did not like the way that the drapery fell over the windows – there was too much fabric and the color did not really match the general atmosphere. The built-in bathtub was very large, giving a feeling of luxury – but it wasted a lot of space and made the entire bathroom feel smaller. The warm lights combined with the pale yellow wall color made the whole room feel yellow – which is not the ideal color for a bathroom if you ask me. Something about the color scheme made everything feel outdated. One look at this bathroom and I knew that a drastic transformation could take place – and it would be one that would be worth it.

The Design & Process

When first designing this bathroom, I knew I wanted to opt for a more neutral color scheme, focusing on whites and greys – this would look beautiful with natural lighting and feel very clean. To begin, we painted the walls in Farrow & Ball Pavillion Gray #242 as our starting point. The next thing we wanted to tackle were the floors. The bathroom is one of my favorite places to experiment with tiles, because there are so many areas where tiles are appropriate – on the floors, around the shower, etc. I chose an array of tiles for the floor, the shower, and some detail work. I wanted to play with different patterns, to ensure the final design had a lot of texture and dimension, unlike the original. 

Additionally, I wanted to ensure that the whole design featured lots of little details – this would help keep the eye fluttering across the room, while still holding true to a simple and clean design. One of the areas I was able to achieve this was in the shower. I chose a classic white and grey marble tile for the majority of the shower walls. But I wanted to create a little arched wall niche in the shower – the perfect place for soaps and toiletries. This little alcove was such a great opportunity to get patterned tiles in, this time in mosaic, the same as the shower floor. My contractors did a fantastic job creating this arch – truly only a real stone craftsman can produce something this perfect, because it involves cutting and shaping all of the stone/tile manually. I’m always so grateful to have the best team!

I also managed to get a lovely texture incorporated into the custom vanity we had built for this bathroom. I love the diamond shapes in the doors and the way that the drawers are installed – slightly unconventionally. I think there’s little more luxurious than having two bathroom sinks, so that’s what we opted for. We chose to have a freestanding tub to create more floor space and open the bathroom up – additionally, we opted for glass shower doors rather than curtains to keep the space feeling airy. 

We sourced the mirrors and vanity lights from Restoration Hardware, with the vanity lamp shades custom made in my workroom in gray silk by Fabricut. To really tie the entire design together, we chose to use roman shades which really elevates a room. We used linen from Pindler & Pindler and hand-embroidered decorative tape from Samuel & Sons to tie all the patterns together. Unlike the previous shades, I made sure that these were not bulky, but rather lay flat. Lastly, we installed a toilet from Toto (my favorite place to source toilets) and had chrome hardware installed to match the metallic of the mirrors. All of the plumbing supplies, faucets, and fittings were from Rohl in polished chrome.

The Finished Bathroom

I am incredibly proud of how this bathroom turned out. I think it feels elevated, clean, luxurious, and bright…truly the best place to start and end each day. I think the two bathrooms are so radically different, you may not even tell that they were once the same bathroom!

If you are interested in renovating a bathroom in your house – let us help you! Head to our services page to book your free consultation today. 


My Favorite Way to Start a Design: Tips and Tricks for Rugs

Whenever you’re designing a space, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is your color palette. Your client might tell you featuring colors they want, but unless you’re well versed in interior design, it can be difficult to know what shades and tones to choose – what unexpected combination will take the design to the next level. And I’m here to give you one of my secret go-to tricks that will ensure your design palette comes together seamlessly. 

My Secret

…Start with a beautiful rug! This will allow you to match all your paint swatches and fabric choices right up against the rug. You can choose tones that compliment or are similar to tones in the rug, which will then build the foundation for the rest of your palette and design! Oriental and Persian rugs are so intricate and, although you might not realize it when you first look at them, feature so many different colors and tones. That’s why using it as a base for the rest of your design is almost like a life hack. Let’s take a look at an example from a project earlier this year.

A Rug for a Home Office

I designed a home office for a gentleman in Great Falls, Virginia. We started with a beautiful rug that both the client and I loved. When you first look at the rug, the stand-out color is blue. But upon further inspection, you begin to see all the beige and mocha details and tones. There are actually many different shades of beige and mocha, which gave us a lot of options on the direction we wanted to take. If we were going for a moodier design, I would likely be drawn to the deeper caramel browns in the rug for the wall colors. However, this was for a home office, so I wanted the room to be a place that felt inviting to work in – full of natural light. Additionally, the color of the wood floors was already similar to the mocha colors in the rug. To contrast this, we focused on some of the lightest tones of sandy beige in the rug and found a paint color that matched and complemented this. We then decided to match the fabrics to the darker shades, working as accents, without taking away any of the airiness of the room. 

Taking this approach meant that when the final design came together – the blue was able to stand out even more against all the colors in the room that were complimenting it. The rug became a statement that made sense.

Tips for Finding the Perfect Rug

We know what you’re thinking….it’s all great, but how do you even find a good rug to start with?! 

Budget

The first thing to consider is your budget. The best rugs will be handmade, so money is definitely something to consider. Beautiful rugs can get expensive pretty quickly. However, they do so much for a design that I would encourage you not to be afraid of spending a good portion of your budget on the rug – especially if it will be your color palette. This is another reason I often start with the rug – it should never be an afterthought. You don’t want to leave it to the last minute and then discover you can’t afford it! 

Size

The next thing to consider is size – will it cover most of the floor? Just a seating area? Underneath a coffee table? If your budget is tight, you can try to find a rug with a smaller surface area – that way you can still get the punch and palette of the rug without breaking the bank. 

Material

I always recommend going for woolen rugs, as they are much more durable. Woolen rugs can be put in high-traffic zones and still look fresh years down the line. Other materials wear down quickly with foot traffic and can end up looking fairly drab. 

See it in Person

My next tip is to simply google any rug show-rooms near you and make a day out of it! If you’re working with a client, ask them to come with you! It is impossible for me to tell you which rug to choose because each one – especially the handmade ones – are unique. You’ll know what the right rug is when you see it. 

Work with a professional

Lastly, if you are still struggling, there is no shame in working with an interior designer! You may not have the time to select the ideal rug for your project. If you work with a professional interior designer, you can share your preferences and let the expert narrow down the best choices for you. Head to our services page to see how we may be able to help you today!


Kelley Astore Interiors

Expert Interior Design & Renovation Services of Every Style.

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Northern Virginia, Washington, DC,
and the Greater Washington Area

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