Posts

Home renovation? The choice of the construction company will make a big difference!

Let’s see why the choice of the construction company is the first step to take when renovating!

We know, we’ve said it a million times, renovating your home can become a high source of stress and turn into a true nightmare!

There are really so many things to think about and pay attention to, and if you can’t be there all the time, it all amplifies exponentially, bringing huge bellyaches and heavy losses of money and time.

How can you avoid experiencing the work period badly?

The choice of the right construction company that will put hands on your home is a FUNDAMENTAL thing.

It is a choice that will make a difference both in the final result of the work and in the psychological component you will experience during the entire renovation phase.

Below are some hints on how to choose the right company for you

ON LINE RESEARCH

In the internet age, everything is now at your fingertips!

And it’s really hard for a construction company not to be present in some way on the internet!

PAY ATTENTION, however, to not dwell only on the most appealing website, it’s not enough to choice of the right construction company!

You should know that often the pictures you see on various websites are not photos of jobs actually done by the company, but bought from foreign sites!

In the end, the website is a showcase, and we always try to present ourselves at our best.

If you see crooked photos, perhaps out of focus, then yes, it will be their work; but if you see “magazine” photos, ask yourself questions…

Very few businesses rely on professional photographers to capture their work.

When you see a beautiful picture, go further and read the description to see that it is compatible with the image you just saw…

Focus on the contents; they will give you a first idea of who those construction companies are and what they do.

If they also have social media channels you can follow them and start “knowing them”, you can even interact without any commitment!

Search and evaluate their reviews!

Pay attention to those constructors without reviews, as well as, for those who have them, you have to understand if they are real customers or friends and relatives!!

SPECIALIST VS. GENERALIST

I recommend you avoid those companies that give you an endless list of services!

the longer the list is, the less quality you will have!

It is impossible to excel in everything and guarantee an excellent product or service if you are not specialized!

It is clear that you can find a company that has a highly skilled staff in the various sectors, but it must be specified very well on the site, perhaps in the section OUR TEAM, for example.

Also, remember that a construction company that renovates apartments will hardly do a very high-quality job if you need to renovate a cottage!

The construction company must be chosen based also on the work you have to do.

EVALUATE THE KEY IN HAND SOLUTION

If you choose each master craftsman yourself, you might save something, at least at the budget level, but to do so, remember that you will have to spend a lot of time finding the “right” ones.

Moreover, if they do not know each other, the risk of misunderstandings that will generate errors and delays (resulting in increased costs) is really great.

The construction company surely has workers with whom it collaborates, who will be just as serious; a good company cannot risk “losing face” because of a mistaken collaboration!

And for sure, these professionals already know each other and have definitely already worked together.

Try to understand whether these laborers are subcontracted by the company or whether each has its own costs. Especially try to percieve how many subcontracts there are!

I’ll tell you this because the more steps there will be the higher the final cost will be for you!

BE WARY OF TOO LOW ESTIMATES!

Quality and low prices DO NOT go hand in hand!

it would be nice, but it’s not like that!

the reality is that if you spend little you will get little!

A low share for the job done has 2 implications

– either low quality,

– or at each small variation, the price will magically increase (you know when they tell you “this can’t be done this way, we have to do it like that, but it costs X (ex) more”?)

In the end, the risk is to pay more than what you would have paid using the company that had a higher estimate.

MAKE AN IN-DEPTH MEETING

Once you have identified the one you think could be the right company, make an in-depth meeting!

Prepare a piece of paper with many questions and make them show off their works and reviews!

This will help you to understand how they work and therefore if they are the professionals you were looking for, but also their accountability: if they know how to listen to you, and if they answer all of your questions exhaustively, they will be there if problems arise, taking on responsibility and doing anything to solve them.

Because there may likely be problems during the work, and a company present will really make a difference!

In conclusion, take the time to look for the right company for your needs, don’t be charmed by sites that look too good and quotes that are too low, choose a company that specializes in what you need…

If you need a hand with your renovation don’t hesitate to contact me!

/9 Comments/by

Are you renovating home? Listen to the heart and not the others!

Renovating home…

If you are planning something, whatever it is, you can be sure that the people around you will have their opinion about it, and will be happy to let you know it!

This, therefore, also applies if you are renovating your home!

You start all thrilled with a thousand ideas, you can already imagine how it will be, and slowly everyone “destroys” your dreams with “if I were you…” “in your place…” “I would do this differently…”!

Often they give you a suggestion for a part, an element, without knowing all the rest of the project.

But, above all, they don’t know why you’re taking a certain decision!

Most of the time, people are full of good intentions, but not really being in your shoes, their suggestions will be dictated by their tastes and their experiences, which are not necessarily suited to yours!

Designing or renovating your home is definitely exciting, and it is normal that you want to share all this with friends and family!

But, often, their advice and suggestions get you confused!

And it is possible that, following some of their ideas, in the end, you will have a home that isn’t really the way you wanted!

And, above all, that doesn’t fully adapt to your needs and your way of being!

Why does this happen?

HOW ARE YOU COMMUNICATING?

Often this happens because of how you communicate information with them:

  • are you simply making them aware of your plans?
  • are you looking for suggestions?
  • or do you seek their approval?

How you tell them things will make a big difference in whereby they will understand them and reply accordingly!

If your intention is only communicative, to make them aware of what you are doing and share your joy, you must show your projects as if all the decisions had already been taken!

If you are sure of your ideas, others will be inclined to support your vision and share your joy, without intrusion.

Or, in any case, with less “invasive” ones!

When they have anyhow to give you their point of view, accept it, think about it and see if it really is something that fits you, your personality, and your needs.

If it doesn’t, go over it without hesitation, remember that it is you who must live in that house, not them!

BE CAREFUL WHO YOU ASK

If, on the other hand, you have doubts about some part of the project and would like to receive effective advice, do not ask everyone, you would come out more confused than ever!

instead look for someone who is more like you, who knows your tastes and your needs and you will see that they will give you thoughtful advice that really can be useful to you!

But, even in this case, although surely this suggestion will be based more on you, do not take it as pure gold.

Evaluate it in every detail, to be sure that it really fits your needs.

Otherwise do not be afraid to change it, maybe the basic idea is right, but some details are not entirely in tune with your way of being.

As we have said, home renovation is exciting, but it can also be stressful, especially if the project is large and the process is long!

During the path, you may feel frustrated and have a thousand doubts about your choices, and unasked advice can really throw you down…

ONLY YOU KNOW WHAT YOU NEED!

When this happens, stop, take a deep breath, and always listen just to your heart.

Only you know your very personal tastes, your rhythms, and your needs, and, therefore, only you know what can make you happy!

For example, if your dream is a large open-space kitchen because you love to receive friends and relatives and while you cook you like being able to chat with them, you don’t have to change your mind if someone tells you that a closed kitchen is better because at least you don’t see disorder and above all odors are not smelt!

Remember that a design decision is not necessarily better or worse than yours, only different, dictated by different tastes and needs.

What is right for someone could be very wrong for you!

When customers ask me for help, the first thing I do is talk at length to understand their tastes and needs to study together with the best solution that makes them happy!

Projects don’t always meet my taste, but woe if it were so, the house is not mine!

So, when you start sharing your exciting restructuring plans with others, and the advice starts to arrive copiously, remember that you are the captain of the ship and that only useful friends have to get on board!

The house must reflect you, not them!

If you are renovating your home and need help putting YOUR ideas together, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

 

/0 Comments/by

How to mix different patterns: here there are some tips!

Is it possible to mix different patterns?

Polka dots, stripes, paintings, flowers, and so forth… are patterns that bring joy and a touch of character to the home.

As for the different styles, even with the patterns, you can play by combining them together, of course, all with some criteria to avoid falling into exaggeration: not all the various prints placed close together fit well!

Again, therefore, the key word will be balance!

First of all, we must keep in mind that this type of combination does not only concern textiles, but also walls (maybe if you use wallpapers) and rugs!

Starting with textiles, such as bedspreads, plaids, curtains, and pillows, remains the easiest thing to do, also because it is more easily correctable in terms of time and money!

So how do you mix two or more different patterns together?

Here are some small tips to be able to combine different patterns perfectly and have a home that reflects your personality!

START WITH TWO PATTERNS

The first suggestion is to start with only two patterns!

The easiest match is the tone on tone, different patterns, perhaps geometric, but the same color.

(from Pinterest)

Vice versa same fantasy with different colors

(from Pinterest)

You can also use similar patterns on contrasting colors like in this example.

(from Pinterest)

If, on the other hand, you love a pattern with more colors, the second pattern should have at least one color in common in this way, the melange will undoubtedly be harmonious.

There are so many patterns, you’re spoiled for choice, so to start, choose what will be the main fabric, the one you like most of all.

Once this is chosen, the second pattern must be a little more neutral, or with at most a touch of color that is present, as mentioned before, also in the first fabric.

PAY ATTENTION TO SCALE

Another attention to pay off in choosing different patterns is the scale of the chosen designs, i.e. their size, better if the sizes are different!

Observing the scale, especially when there are multicolor fabrics, is essential for an optimal result so, if the first pattern has a large design, you will have to then, in the second pattern, choose a small design.

For example, suppose that the first textile has large flowers, as for the second textile you can choose a small geometric pattern (stripes, squares…).

The geometric prints are excellent as a second pattern because they are really flexible.

The gist is that one of the two fabrics should definitely stand out over the other with more striking colors and patterns, and the other should be a little more neutral!

(from Pinterest)

NOW TRY WITH THREE PATTERNS!

Since three is considered the perfect number, even in interiors: when choosing fabrics combining three types of textiles becomes really an ideal choice!

In order not to exaggerate, I suggest you use a solid color that ties the two patterns together; if they have a color in common, for example, that will undoubtedly be a perfect combination!

Otherwise, choose a color present in the main fabric.

Don’t use more than three shades, but also use them throughout the rest of the house, including furnishing accessories!

(from Pinterest)

If you are afraid to make some mistakes don’t hesitate to contact me!

 

/0 Comments/by

Paintings, prints, and photographs… here how to put them on walls!

Paintings, prints, and photographs are decorative elements on walls that immediately catch the eye!

Deciding, on a given wall, which and how many paintings, taking the measurements, and planting the nails is not as simple as saying it!

It happens, in fact, that you spend time on this work only to see that:

– the paintings are badly placed,

– too close together or, on the contrary, too far apart,

– they do not all have the same distances.

– or perhaps there are frames that don’t fit at all with the others!

Placing paintings according to specific criteria will have a different effect than arranging them randomly.

So what to do to get a good result? Here are some tips for you!

CHOOSE THE PAINTINGS TO PUT TOGETHER

The first thing you need to do is to group everything you would like to hang in specific groups such as frame color, frame type, or according to content (i.e., prints, photographs, graphics, and so on).

Exclude those paintings that have nothing to do with the style and furnishings of the house.

If they have a sentimental value better to keep them in a different place, the risk indeed is, if it is not the right place to put them, to end up “hating” them!

You can try to transform them by changing the frame or painting it, but even so, it doesn’t mean that they fit the rest of the elements!

Or maybe you could also find a way to make it “the unique piece”, giving it importance with proper lighting too!

However, it’s better to not mix them with other paintings that are too different!

Made the groups, you have to decide where to place each of them based on the style and color of the room: in a rustic environment, for example, it is better to avoid pop art paintings!

HOW TO PUT PAINTINGS AND WHERE?

Once you have chosen the paintings and the room you will have to find where to hang them: if you have the impression that a wall is a bit empty and sad, it is undoubtedly the right place!

Now, you have to decide how to place the paintings to have an attractive and pleasant composition.

You can take a whole picture (from floor to ceiling) of the wall where you want to place your paintings and then use some graphics program (even a simple PowerPoint) and from there study your schemes.

Or you can measure the part of the wall you want to decorate, taking care to leave enough space around it, especially if you have other furniture on the nearby walls.

Mark this space on the floor, then, knowing that the eye has a tendency to look initially to the upper left and then go in search of a focal point that is usually central, start the composition right by putting the main picture in the center.

From there, put the other pieces always remaining in the dèsignated space.

If the composition sits on top of a piece of furniture center the picture in relation to it!

Of course, the scheme you make, whether you do it “on the floor” or with a graphics program, doesn’t have to be made up only of paintings; you can also combine mirrors, letters, numbers, or other objects!

This could give your composition sparkle and personality.

LITTLE TRICK FOR A WALL WITHOUT TOO MANY HOLES!

Now… how to put the paintings exactly where you want, at the proper distances without puncturing all the walls?

Here is a little trick to avoid damages: take some sheets of paper and cut them according to the profiles of each frame, possibly from the back, to also mark the position of hooks.

Most importantly, to avoid forgetting the combination, you can write what picture it is.

After that, place your cutouts on the wall, following the composition you decided on the floor, or in your graphics program.

Fix these sheets of paper with paper tape (to avoid peeling off the plaster).

Also, I recommend using the level to be sure that all the cutouts are straight!!

In conclusion, when you are sure that everything is in order, plant the nails in the points corresponding to the hooks.

And then replace the papers with the paintings!

And voilà, the job is done.

From now on, your walls will be real works of art!!

Do you have any doubt about how to hang paintings on walls?

Don’t hesitate to contact me!

If you’d like more tips like this one come to see my YouTube channel!

 

/0 Comments/by

Entryway and passages: instruction for use!

Often, the entryway and passages, being passage areas, are somewhat put in the background.

Today I would like to focus on these two environments to make them always pleasant and harmonious (and maybe take the most advantage of them!).

The entryway is the very first room we come in contact with, and it’s the house’s calling card!

CORRECT THE DEFECTS

How to do it when long and narrow entryway or open on the long side of a hallway?

Irregular entryways or where a lot of doors open are definitely unpleasant to look at!

If we have this type of entryways (and it often happens), we have to regularize volumes and paths, let’s see how:

– Too long paths, such as hallways, can be “slowed down” and “modulated” with color, prints, consoles, mirrors, or architectural elements.

– It is an excellent thing to draw attention to one or two key points, such as a particular wall or a significant painting.

– Irregular spaces can also be harmonized by using a piece of furniture to fill an empty area or closing off an area to create a small closet.

– Uniform style, color, and finishes with the rest of the home.

PAY ATTENTION TO THESE DETAILS

– Of course, the more natural light there is, the better it is, but if it is not possible, check that the lighting is good, not just the central light point.
A false ceiling with recessed spotlights might be a good idea!
This even if the entryway gave directly into the living room: it would help visually delimit the space.

– Warm and light colors are always good, but since these areas are transit zones and the stay is short, you can even venture stronger colors to have an impact effect!

– Try to use low furniture, because tall ones, especially if there is little space, are too dominant.
If it is necessary to have a wardrobe, it is better to have a wall one; if it isn’t possible, the ideal is to mask it with the colors of the walls so that it is concealed and does not overlap too much.

– In the entryway, an “emptying pocket” is essential!

– If large furniture can be too pressing, remember to avoid too small accessories, they would be lost!

– If you want to draw attention to something, whatever it is, it needs to be big and very well lit, even better if it is effectively lit with a spotlight pointed at it.

– Never show the bathroom from the entrance, try to mask it as much as possible!
The connection to emphasize is always the one with the living room.

– Entryways and hallways can also provide other functions, such as a small study or a library area…

With small tricks, even the “strangest” entryway and hallway can become welcoming and very pleasant.

Do you need a hand with your entryway and passages? don’t hesitate to contact me for a consultation!

/0 Comments/by

Here how to choose floors while renovating your home

How to choose floors?

Are you about to furnish a home, change it, or perhaps renovate it?

It is an actually beautiful emotion: you go shopping, choose materials and furniture… everything to create your own nest according to your personality.

Let’s focus on how to choose the floors because they are the highest difficult ones because the most definitive…

But it is also the one that is often undervalued or rather done without considering the whole!

CHOOSE MATERIALS

The first choice to make is the material among tiles, marble, terracotta, parquet, resin, stone, cement, or even carpet and linoleum, even if this two are less used.

It’s a style choice!

Broadly speaking, but of course, everything is declinable:

– the tiles adapt to a tendentially modern style;

– wood, in various shades, and marble are more versatile and adapt to everything, but give the best with a classic style;

– terracotta and stone are more for a rustic style;

– the cement fits well with an industrial style;

– the resin fits with everything, it will depend on the decorations and the finish.

Whatever your choice is, you have to take into account that the floor is in effect a piece of furniture, with its own color!!!

It may seem obvious, however, when we talk about the tiles, there is attention to their colors.

But, for the parquet and the terracotta, their shades go into the background or are chosen based on the impulse of the moment.

Let’s make an introduction, for many years there has been the possibility of having a floor that looks like a parquet, but it is not wood: in fact, there are laminate and porcelain stoneware planks.

At first, the fake parquet was really immediately recognizable, now we must admit that these reproductions, with the naked eye, can often be mistaken for wood.

Not only that, they are becoming very material and so, even to the touch, except that they are colder, you might think it is a wood essence if you have underfloor heating, a good porcelain stoneware could almost mislead you!

The same is true for terracotta: today, there is some fake porcelain stoneware that satisfies the eye, but that is much easier to manage!

ATTENTION TO COLOR, SHAPE, AND LAYING

Whatever the choice, shades, sizes, shape, and laying become, as mentioned, furniture elements to all effects and must be studied according to the style you want to give to the house!

Neutral colors, light or dark do not matter, will adapt to any style and will act as a background; you will only have to pay attention to the shades, that is: if you choose a dark floor, try to put light furniture so as not to burden the environment!

Colors tending to reddish or yellowish, if saturated, instead they are more difficult to combine both in style, but above all in colors!

A yellow-colored floor cannot be matched with pink-colored furniture (and vice versa!).

Loaded colors must be “played down” with whites, contrasting colors, and gray.

A note: the stronger the saturation is, the more the gray must be quantitatively greater or it must darken, otherwise it will not be noticed.

If you choose the parquet, remember that the woods are more or less knotty, and you have to take it into account when choosing the style of your house!

Knotty wood fits better with rustic styles, and smooth wood is good with modern style
Furthermore, it is NOT good to mix different types of essences!

The advice is to combine at most three, with colors decisively distant from each other!

If you already have items of furniture, keep them, or better, their colors, in mind when choosing the floor; but, if you are starting from scratch, think about what kind of furniture you would like, to see the whole and so to choose the right material and color!

If you have any doubts about how to choose floors, don’t hesitate to contact me!

/0 Comments/by

Furnished “grandma” house for rent

Furnished house for rent?

A couple of weeks ago, Lucia (a fictional name) approached me because she had inherited a charming one-bedroom apartment in a semi-central area of her city.

The house was partially furnished, so she had tried to rent it out but couldn’t find a tenant.

To understand it, I went to inspect the apartment myself.

The apartment per sè was pretty, but it had an old, slightly beaten-up sofa, a partially broken chandelier in the living room, and a missing mattress on the bed.

Despite having a beautiful custom-made wardrobe, the apartment could be described as somewhat “neglected.”

THE PRICE MIGHT HAVE BEEN RIGHT BUT…

The rental price considered the favorable location and the fact that no renovations were needed (even the painting was very recent), but not the actual condition of the furnishings.

That meant that those who would have been willing to “settle” for those furnishings might not have been able to afford the rent, while those who had the means certainly didn’t want to pay that amount for an apartment that wasn’t “perfect”!

People are becoming increasingly demanding.

A few years ago, perhaps because there weren’t many options available at the time if you rented a furnished house, you would settle for what was there.

Often, you would find a “grandma’s house” or, perhaps even worse, a mishmash of styles thrown together to clear out homes or basements.

THINGS HAVE CHANGED!

Today, it’s no longer the same.

People want to be able to live in apartments that are perhaps simple but well-maintained in order to feel good!

Often, people looking for furnished houses do so because it’s not their “permanent destination,” and, understandably, buying furniture that may not fit well in another home (in addition to the stress and cost of moving) is not always the preferred choice.

However, as mentioned, they shouldn’t have to sacrifice comfort!

Therefore, offering a better product is a winning decision!

“But then I don’t know who will enter the house; I risk they break everything!”

I often encounter this objection.

It’s self-evident that one can never guarantee for anyone: and there is always this risk.

However, it is also true that the phrase “the beautiful attracts the beautiful” holds some truth.

So, if one finds something nice and comfortable, the tendency is to take care of it.

At the same time, since we never have absolute certainty, we’ll make minimal-cost interventions.

Certainly, expensive designer pieces will not be used (obviously, I’m referring to “normal” accommodations, not luxury ones… the target audience is different there!).

HERE’S WHAT WE DID

That said, Lucia accepted my help to modernize and improve the apartment a bit:

I kept the kitchen but changed the sofa and light fixtures, added a mattress, rearranged things for better functionality, and, together with a colleague, colored the table, chairs, and coffee tables to make them more attractive.

Curtains and decorations were the icing on the cake.

This is the result:

Thanks to the assistance of a competent real estate agent, the apartment was rented out on the first visit, with a slight increase in the rent!!!

Taking care of a rental property means always having a tenant inside and, therefore, receiving income.

If, on the other hand, you don’t make a minimum investment, the risk is to leave it vacant, turning it into just an expense!

So, if you have a furnished house for rent and are struggling to rent it out, don’t waste any more time.

Give it some appeal, and if you need help, you know you can contact me!

/0 Comments/by

Changing the perception of environments with colors

Changing the perception of environments with colors is it possible?

Visual perception has a strong impact on our brains: a room will seem smaller if it is empty, compared to a furnished one!

This is because the furnishings delimit spaces but, above all, they are for us a “measuring meter”.

For example, if we see that on a wall there is a double bed with 2 nightstands and still advances free wall we know with certainty that that wall will be longer than 2 meters.

The bed is, in fact, 1mt 60 wide, the two nightstands will be at least 40 cm so, making the calculations, we are definitely over 2,5 meters.

LET’S SEE SOME TRICKS

Today I want to give you some little tricks on how to create different visual effects by simply using color on walls and ceilings:

  •  To “lower” a room, it will be enough to paint the ceiling a darker color because this will optically lower and, therefore, give the impression of a lower room.

  •  In corridors, which are often long and narrow, it will be useful to color the ceiling and the back wall with a darker color to give the impression of greater breathing space.
    This will give the impression of a wider corridor.

  • If you need to shrink a very long room, you only need to color the back wall a darker color, because visually it will bring the wall closest to you.

  • On the contrary, to lengthen a room, you should keep the ceiling light and paint the walls a darker color.

  •  Furthermore, to “compress” a room it will be enough to paint both, walls and ceiling, with dark color.
    On the contrary, to enlarge, everything will have to be clear.

  • Finally, you can paint everything dark and leave only the back wall light, in contrast to the rest.
    In this case, the wall will give a lot of prominence to whatever element you put in front of it.

USE WISELY COLORS!

Depending on how the walls are colored, the perception of these environments will change and appear more or less deep, wide, high, or low.

Knowing how to play with visual effects can be useful to “improve” an environment.

And it will do without masonry works that perhaps, because of a load-bearing wall, cannot even be done!

If you want to transform home environments, the correct use of color is a fast, and above all, changeable solution !!!

If you still have doubts about how to do it, you can contact me!

 

/0 Comments/by

How to give character to our home?

To Give character to the home is not always easy!

When you furnish your home, you often go to a furniture store and buy more or less all the furniture in the same style, and paint the walls only white, so you can be sure that everything is absolutely harmonious!

Is it wrong?

Absolutely not, God forbid!

There will be nothing that “disturbs” neither those who live in the house nor those who come as guests.

I’ve noticed, however, that this is not an aware choice most of the time, but rather let’s say, a NOT chosen: the easiest decision to avoid making mistakes!

And that’s a pity.

Because you’ll be bored very soon!

The house, in fact, will not fully reflect your personality!

Did you’ve done it too?

If so, let’s see how you can change things, giving character to your home, but, above all, making sure that it really represents yourself!

Obviously, you can’t put many things, maybe of different colors, in a completely random way, it will be like a fist in one eye and so really visible and, somehow, annoying.

So what can you do to create unique environments that truly reflect you?

– MIX OF STYLES

One of the first ways is the mix of styles, you must be careful and do it in a thoughtful and studied way, but it can really give fabulous results.

I mentioned it in my last English video two weeks ago, you can find it here!

Your personality undoubtedly has many facets that cannot be told in a single style, isn’t it?

– WISE USE OF COLORS

Another way to give character to your home is the wise use of colors: colors, indeed, have such strong and impacting psychological meanings.

Knowing how to use them in the right doses and in the right environments can help to create suggestive and captivating atmospheres!

I have talked about color psychology in a video that you can find here.

Personally, I don’t recommend the use of a thousand different colors, although in different rooms.

If you really want to do it, then you should use colors a little desaturated to avoid overloading.

And, above all, you have to seek a common thread that unites these environments with such different shades, so, in this case, maintaining the same style of furniture can be better (we already have a lot of colors!)

– INSERT SOMETHING HANDMADE

Then you could consider inserting something handmade, something made by you, from recycled, taken up, modified… more personal than this what can there be?

I understand that it’s not always easy because it takes imagination and, above all, manual skills!

For the manual work, if you don’t have it, you can easily find a good craftsman to give you a hand.

As for fantasy, you can take a look at books, magazines, furniture stores, and antique markets!

Don’t underestimate antique markets: there are many trinkets, but it happens to find many interesting things!!!

All these things are inexhaustible sources of ideas.

Attention, however, the risk is that you like everything and therefore to make a potpourri anything but harmonious!

That’s why relying on a home professional could be the best thing to do: he will listen to you, understand you and then direct you to the best choices to furnish your home in a way that reflects you 100%.

Where you will ALWAYS feel at ease and those who come to visit you will love your home even if they have tastes totally different from yours, this because it will talk about you!!!

So if you are preparing to furnish your home or if, just because of wrong choices (or not choices) you want to change something in your home do not hesitate to contact me !!!!

/4 Comments/by

Different styles together at home… is it possible?

My job is fantastic, allowing me to relate to people with very different characters and tastes…

It is fascinating to listen to them, ask and investigate to really understand what do their taste are, so that I can help them create their dream home…

That one where it is nice to come back after a day of work, and where you are excited to share moments with friends and family.

FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE TO UNDERSTAND…

And I have to be very careful because people often start with an idea and then go on to express sometimes diametrically opposed tastes.

To really understand, I ask a lot of questions!

Not only, but I also show a lot of pictures of different styles to try to catch the moment when that twinkle in the eye arises that lets me know that that is exactly the genre they like.

It’s not always easy: sometimes you get those who are a little eclectic who come to me, but they still do it their own way!

In fact, I happened to find a foreign client who bought a really superb property who told me that he would like to furnish it with a mix of rustic and modern…

But then he shipped three containers of furniture and items of every possible and imaginable style!!!

Why am I telling you this?

It could be that you are also an original person who likes different genres because one style alone is not enough to “tell” your wonderful, multifaceted personality!

How can different styles be mixed together to create unique and special environments?

Balance is the key word! It is okay to dare, but you also have to find the correct balance between things!

How is this done?

You have to find one common thread among the various styles and environments in the house.

USE COLOR

One of the easiest leitmotifs to use is color; different furnishings, united by color or different shades of the same color, will happily coexist in the same room.

Little “accent” touches can be given by textiles such as pillows, always without overdoing it, especially if there are more than two styles!

An example in these photos taken from a magazine:

CHOOSE ONE MAIN STYLE AND COMBINE IT WITH ANOTHER

Another way is to choose a main style and combine a few different items witch give character without weighing it down.

For example, suppose you have a preference for modern, but perhaps you inherited a beautiful antique table… you can easily combine it with modern chairs as in these examples:

(credit Pinterest)

You don’t have to give up travel or family memories: all it takes is a little attention to make sense of the combinations!

If you are putting up a house or plan to change the look of your current abode and you’d like to put different styles together but are afraid of making some stylistic “mess”, don’t hesitate to contact me.

 

 

 

/0 Comments/by