Renovations Archives - Page 16 of 17 - Kelley Astore Interiors

Designing for a Teenager: Bright and Fun Inspiration

At Kelley Astore Interiors, we are just as eager to create bedrooms and spaces for children and teenagers as we are for adults. We talk a lot about the importance of a design being true to who you are, and arguably that is even more important for teenagers. We all remember what it was like being that age, and having a safe space for teenagers to unwind and truly be themselves is very important for their development.

A little while ago we had a client with a daughter wanting to redo her room with some gorgeous colors! We took these colors and created a completely custom room and bathroom for her. This young lady chose bright pink, apple green, and turquoise – I absolutely loved working with this bright gorgeous palette and had a lot of fun with this design. Keep reading to learn about each element and how we brought the room together.

Custom Window Seat & Extra Storage

When I saw the space, my eye was drawn to the large window sill and I immediately saw the potential for a lovely window seat for her to unwind, do her homework, and hang out with her friends. We got started on building this for her. We decided to install drawers beneath the window seat as well as bookshelves on either side for extra storage…we all know teenagers have a lot of stuff!

After the drawers were installed, we painted the window seat and surrounding bookshelves white. I then got to work on incorporating her beautiful bright colors of choice. We went for the apple green seat cushion and colorful throw curtains. We installed roman shades of matching colors. The apple green is the main color on the bottom and the bright pink is the main color on the top, which balances itself out and creates a cohesive look. This particular teenager did a lot of ballet and dance, so we made sure that her beautiful white tutu stayed on display – a practical and beautiful way to store it.

All the fabric is by Osborne and Little.

Bedding

To ensure that the color palette remained consistent, we opted for a turquoise headboard as the main color of the bed. Now the bright pink, apple green, and turquoise each have their moment of shine and no color overtakes the other. We used the same patterned fabric for her pillows as we used in the roman shades, once again tying the whole design together into one.

Custom Memo Board

Every young person needs a memo board for notes, reminders, pictures, memories, and inspiration! Ensuring that your teenager has a desk and a designated place of work will help them develop a healthy relationship with work and establish a work-life balance. We upholstered this board with Pindler turquoise-colored cotton, white grosgrain ribbon, and silver nail heads from Houles. We sourced the desk from CB2. Looking at how much she covered this memo board from top to bottom, we couldn’t recommend getting one for your teenager more!

The Design is in the Detail.

Every designer knows that the small details are what will truly tie a room together. Although she had chosen bright pink, apple green, and turquoise as her palette – if everything in her room were one of those three colors, it would look like a Crayola explosion…and not in a good way. It needed balancing to allow those colors to shine, and we chose neutrals and white. We went for a darker wood on the ground to help the colors pop. We painted the walls a nice neutral to ensure they didn’t look too hospital-like. We then took inspiration from her beautiful white tutu and began incorporating more white into the design. As previously stated, we painted the bookshelves and window seat white. We knew that we wanted to allow the window seat, memo board, and bed to shine, so we went with white, but played with texture. The rug on her ground, her desk chair, and one of the throw pillows on her bed are all a furry white texture. This gives consistency without detracting from the beautiful bright colors.

Interested in renovating? Get in touch today!

We had so much fun with this design and are eager to continue working with clients to help them create the home of their dreams. Whatever the nature and scope of your redesign, we take full responsibility for seeing that the entire project is finished on time and on budget and that all work is of the highest quality. We take the worry out of the process for our clients. Visit our services page to get started today!

5 Reasons to Install Stair Runners Today

When designing a space, a number of factors must be considered: function, aesthetics, comfort, and practicality. Depending on the project, each of these factors will be given more weight and priority. It’s a gift then when certain design choices are able to fulfill all the roles in one go, like stair runners. A stair runner is a strip of carpet that lines the center of a staircase, leaving the side edges exposed. Not only do they look amazing and tie a design together, but they are extremely functional and practical. Keep reading to find out 5 reasons to install stair runners today.

1. They make a space more welcoming

Carpet naturally has a warm and welcoming feel. The soft material brings comfort and reminds us that the home should feel safe. The cushioning beneath the feet softens each footstep, padding our treads. Therefore, having a strip of carpet run along the stairs warmly invites guests and home-dwellers alike to climb up and down the padded steps, into the heart of the home. Because stair runners leave the edge of the stairs exposed, they create another dimension, giving additional texture to the design. This draws the eye to the staircase in a welcoming manner and easily ties a design together.

2. They add traction

Stair runners don’t just make a space more welcoming because of how they look and feel, they give so much traction to the staircase that guests and home dwellers will physically feel safer walking up and down the steps. According to the National Safety Council, up to 12,000 deaths occur at home per year in the USA due to accidental falls on the stairs. If the staircase was designed with slippery wood and you’re wearing socks, it’s no surprise that a fall will take place. Adding stair runners helps prevent this. They are especially good if the home dweller is more at risk of a fatal fall, such as an elderly person. They’re also very good if there are a lot of children quickly running up and down the steps, as children love to do. They make stairs so much safer, which feels more welcoming.

3. They’re an easy way to cover up damaged stairs

If you’re renovating a space or looking to spruce up a design, stair runners are a cost-effective way to cover up any staircases, not in prime condition. If the wood on your stairs is particularly worn or scratched, simply cover it up with a stair runner to make it look good as new! Naturally, people walk in the center of the stairs, so this part will wear out the quickest. Easily make it look new with a stylish stair runner choice.

4. They protect the wood underneath

If your home is newly renovated and you’re not trying to cover up any wear and tear, perhaps you’re more interested in protecting against wear and tear. Stair runners do this as well. If you’ve chosen a nicer or more expensive wood for the staircase, you don’t want it to get scratched up by rough shoes or heavy lifting. Stair runners are here to save the day! Lay down a strip of carpet and protect the most vulnerable part of the treads.

5. They offer a stylish and cheaper alternative to carpeted stairs.

The final reason to get stair runners installed is for how amazing they look! They give a fun opportunity to add some color and texture into a design. If you’ve just purchased a home and were hoping for carpeted stairs for the safety reasons discussed earlier, stair runners offer a cheaper and easier alternative to getting the full staircase carpeted.

Get yours installed today!

The stair runners pictured here are all sisal runners. Sisal is a woven material from natural plant fibers and provides a lovely texture. Additionally, sisal doesn’t get worn down as much as traditional carpeting. If you’re interested in installing stair runners and are not sure where to start, head to my services page to book a free consultation today – you tell us exactly what you want, and we’ll get the job done for you!

How to Bring Character to a Room Through Woodwork

Wood is one of the oldest materials known to architects and interior designers. Humans are connected to wood. As Donald Culross Peattie said in American Heartwood, “Wood if you stop to think of it, has been man’s best friend in the world. It held him in his cradle […] was the frame of the bed he came to rejoicing, the log upon his hearth when he was cold and will make him his last long home. It was the murmuring bough above his childhood play, and the roof over the first house he called his own.”

This versatile and hardy material is one that is not going to go out of style. In the United Kingdom, they use the term “joinery” for woodworking, especially aesthetic woodworking. It refers to the way that two pieces of wood are joined together. But the name also demonstrates the way that cleverly used wood can “join” or tie elements in a room together.

The ways you can use wood in interior design are near endless. It’s a practical, often cost-effective, and easily accessible material that looks amazing. Keep reading to find out 3 easy ways to bring character to a room through the woodwork.

Coffered Ceiling

Coffered Ceilings are a great way to add dimension and character to a room, making it appear taller and more interesting. A coffer refers to sunken panels in a ceiling, often in the shape of rectangles, squares, or circles. Coffered Ceilings date back to the ancient Greeks and Romans who used stone to create the coffers. They were a symbol of prestige and formality.

Today, the most common type of coffered ceiling is created with wooden beams crisscrossing to create geometric patterns and shapes, and the results are stunning. Painting the sunken parts of the ceiling the same color as the walls, and then painting the wooden beams the same color as the trim is a quick and easy way to tie a room together into one cohesive design. Alternatively, staining or leaving the naked wood with a simple varnish adds beautiful depth and color.

Built-Ins

Bespoke built-in units are one of our favorite things to create for our clients at Kelley Astore Interiors. We always use wood and often use glass for added texture. Wooden built-in units are such an easy way to add character, storage space, desks, TV stands, and more without taking up too much space. The combination of shelves and cabinetry provides space for decor, books, and clutter that you want to put away. The wood provides a lovely contrast in texture, and once again can be painted or designed to match the wooden trim and coffered ceilings.

This built-in unit will house a TV, books, and family pictures. It transforms the room into a truly wonderful place for the family to come, relax and watch a good movie. As we find ourselves spending more and more time at home, it’s lovely to have your TV and all the components fit nicely into one area.

Floors

Perhaps one of the most common ways to incorporate wood into a design is with wooden floors. Wooden floors are elegant, practical, and look simply amazing. No matter which wood type and color you choose, wooden floors always provide a lovely contrast to the walls. They can be dressed with rugs to section a room off.

Whether you choose to use the same type of wood on your floors as on your coffered ceiling, or you choose two contrasting tones, using wood for multiple elements in your design will automatically bring character to a room and tie a design together. In this entryway, we used the same wood for the floors as we did for the stairs and banister. Do you see how it makes the room look cohesive?

Choosing Wood & Designing

If you are looking to renovate a room and incorporate wood, be sure to check out our article on different types of wood for kitchen cabinets or anywhere in your house where you want bespoke wooden cabinetries and units.

At Kelley Astore Interiors, we work with the best craftsmen and woodworkers to help turn your dream home into a reality. Attempting to install coffered ceilings, built-in units and wooden floors can be difficult and overwhelming without proper experience and training. So let us help you! Head to our services page to book your free consultation today.

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