Interior design secrets for creating a cohesive living room

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Wondering how to make a room look cohesive to achieve a designer look? I’m sharing three main designer's secrets to put your room together in style!

Define Your Design Style

Everyone has their own unique design style, you do too! You may say, I'm not sure what my design style is and how to blend two styles together. Don't worry, select your two favorite styles, for example here we have modern style furniture with glam accessories to tie everything together. Some people make a mistake matching all the furniture pieces which lacks interest and personal touch.

Creating a Furniture arrangement

While designing your space it’s important to understand furniture arrangement. The most common mistake is to position sofas against the walls. If the furniture is not laid out properly it looks cluttered and affects the traffic flow in the room. Make sure the furniture is away from the walls and there is enough space between furniture pieces. For example, there should be at least 18 inches between a coffee table and the sofa.

Another tip is to lay out the furniture around the focal point of the room. Most people think that that it has to be a TV or fireplace. The focal point could be anything in a room defined by the use of the space by the homeowners.

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Nail your proportion

While selecting furniture, choose pieces that are proportionate to each other. A small rug in a large living room just looks off or a small table lamp on the tall side table. Another tip is to choose sofa size according to the room size. A bulky sofa is going to look out of proportion in a small living room.

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Create storage solution

One of the main reasons your living room doesn't look cohesive is when you have too much hodgepodge around. Remove all the extra clutter and use cabinets to store toys and games in storage bins if your kids are little and put them away when not in use.

Cohesive color palette

The last thing you should choose is paint! Open concept spaces connecting other spaces should especially look cohesive. To achieve a feeling of continuity choose two to three colors throughout the house. Each color can be used in different values and intensities to produce a wide range of effects. For example, if you are painting navy blue kitchen cabinets, then choose a light shade of blue for the adjoining living room walls. Another tip is to paint all the trims the same shade throughout the house to create a sense of flow from one space to another.

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If you wish to purchase these furniture pieces for your living room, click on the items below.

Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

 

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Which countertop material should you choose for your kitchen: Granite vs Quartz

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 Whether you are creating a new kitchen or improving the old one, the trick is to tailor it to the way you live. Choosing a countertop for your kitchen renovation is simply more than complementing the style of your cabinets-it must also meet your functional needs. That means supporting the task of cooking-standing up to knives, hot pots, rolling pins, and spills. Listed below are the pros and cons of these two countertops – Granite and Quartz.

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Granite kitchen countertop

Granite is a natural material and is quarried out of the earth and then sliced up into pieces, polished and sealed that we see and use. To familiarize yourself with countertops, it is really important that you actually go to the warehouse and pick the slab that will get used in your house. If you try to pick granite off of a sample, you’re going to find the top that shows up at your house probably isn’t going to look like the sample that you looked at. Granites are priced in levels. So, it starts at levels 1,2, 3 goes up from there. Some granite warehouses are going to have it as A, B, C. Same concept either way, but A or 1 being the lowest cost granite and they get more expensive as you go up the line. Speaking of quality, it doesn't go by price. So, when you pay more for granite it’s not higher quality more durable granite, think of it as a semi-precious stone, where the less of it there is the more it’s going to cost.

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 PROS of Granite countertop

●     Varies in price anywhere from $45 to $110 per square foot.

●     Resistant to high temperatures, scratches, and etches.

●     Each slab is unique and varies in color.

●     Easy to clean.

CONS of Granite countertop

  • Prices could get very high for exotic slabs.

  • Granite is a porous material and needs to seal at least once a year.

  • Typically, you have to pay for the whole slab.

Quartz kitchen countertop

Unlike granite, quartz is a manmade product. It is made up primarily of natural quartz about 90-93%, crushed up and mixed with 7-10% resin binders. Because of this, Quartz is very dense and non-porous. So, you do not have to worry about sealing it as you do with granite. You can select off a little sample. Quartz is heavy but a little more flexible than granite, so less likely to break on the installation. Some of the popular companies selling quartz are Cambria and Caesarstone.

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PROS of Quartz countertop

The price point varies from $65 to $200 per square foot.

  • Easy to clean.

  • No sealing required.

  • Nonporous making it antibacterial and stain-resistant.

  • Resistant to scratches, etches.

CONS of Quartz countertop

  • It is not heat proof (use a trivet for hot pots)

  • Cannot be used in outdoor applications.

Other popular choices for countertops are marble, concrete, soapstone, stainless steel, butcher block.

If you need help in selecting kitchen finishes including your countertops, we would love to help you through a VIP shopping day. We call it Kitchen designer for a day where we select kitchen finishes, flooring, and lighting in a day. To learn more, click here. If you need any other design direction reach out to us to book a discovery call in our calendar to discuss by clicking on the link below.

jennychohaninteriors.com/contact

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Kitchen cabinet guide for your next remodel

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Today we'll give you a crash course on cabinetry for kitchen remodeling. Let us provide you with the basic foundation elements before you go out and start shopping for cabinetry and have an idea for some of the things to look at as well as some of the questions to ask before you start making your selections. One of the things we see a lot happening is that clients are looking for cabinets with a really good idea of what colors they want or idea of the door style but it comes to the detail of how the cabinet is going to function, it's not something they are familiar with.

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Natural wood vs MDF cabinets vs Thermofoil cabinets

In this blog post, we will focus on the differences between natural wood cabinets and MDF cabinets. Next, we will see the differences between the paint stain and thermofoil cabinets as well as constructional elements to the cabinets which give you more or less functionality. When it comes to Wood and MDF, both make excellent Cabinetry, and depending on what we are looking for we will be more prone to go to one or the other. For example, if we want a cabinet to showcase the natural beauty of the wood then you need to go with natural wood which will show all the knots and grains. With MDF we do not have any pre-existing grains to worry about as it's made by compressing high-density fiber. When you get to the construction elements you also have an option of going with a plywood constructed box versus an MDF cabinet box, both can perform well but there are differences in the quality and they both can last for decades. Thermofoil, which is a vinyl wrap on MDF board is the least expensive and doesn't last long probably 15 to 20 years.

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Cabinetry style

Let's talk about door styles. Whether it's modern, traditional, transitional there are many options. Flat-panel cabinets are modern style and raised panel design is considered a traditional or even transitional style. The flat panel cabinet doors are typically smooth and may not feature visible hardware. A transitional kitchen can have raised panels and glass front doors. So choosing the right kitchen cabinets is really something to think about. When choosing cabinets you need to decide are you going for prefabricated cabinets or Custom Cabinets. Prefabricated cabinets are built ahead of time and installed on-site, as are custom cabinets designed according to your kitchen area.

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Cabinet organization

Storage is important to everyone. Think about what kind of storage you need for your kitchen remodel. Cutlery dividers are the most common request for kitchen drawers. Pull-out cabinets are also another storage solution soft close hinges, great for cans, oils, spices, etc. another option could be a pull-out of smaller trays within the cabinet storing smaller appliances, pots, and pans.

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I hope these tips were useful! Ready to discuss your next project? I can help! When it comes to picking finishes, I can definitely help you through our Kitchen designer for a day service where I provide selections for cabinetry, backsplash, countertop, lighting, flooring, etc. Reach out to us to book a discovery call in our calendar to discuss by clicking on the link below.

jennychohaninteriors.com/contact




Want some Interior Design Inspirations and need to be on top of the latest design trends. Here are some blog posts you might like to read…

 

 

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How to arrange pillows on a sofa like a pro

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Let's have a pillow talk! Pillows are like the jewelry of a room. Pillows give you the option of creating understated beauty and appeal or adding a big statement to a room! Cushions and pillows in any space introduce color, texture, and form. It's time to talk about throw-pillow rules: what the guidelines are for pillow numbers, pillow placement, and pillow selection for color and texture.

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Pillow size and shape

Decorative pillow sizes range from 14 to 20 inches square and from 12 by 16 inches to 16 by 26 inches rectangular. If you desire a modern look choose throw pillows that are uniform in size, shape, and color. For those who favor a more traditional or eclectic vibe, go for an assortment of pillow sizes, and shapes.

Pillows color palette

Colour palette hues for pillows can be determined by the colors you like, the style you are going for, Another tip is to pick a color from the artwork or rug in the space.

Pillow arrangement

When it comes to decorating with accessories, think of an odd number of pieces. This applies to the number of pillows on the sofa as well. For example, grouping pillows in a three or five pillow arrangement.

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Choosing pillow inserts and changing pillows seasonally

Another tip is to change pillows seasonally, which means pillow covers are the best way to go when it comes to changing pillows every season. Choose a pillow insert 2 inches larger than the size of your pillow cover. So if you have a 20-inch pillow cover you will need a 22-inch pillow insert. Pillows are the easiest way to upgrade your home decor and they are a great bang for our bucks! 

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Chopping pillow!

There is a trick to chopping pillows for a finishing touch. When chopping pillows, chop in the middle not too hard and then lift up the corners of the pillows. It's just a fun little detail to add a designer’s touch.

To get the perfect chop a good down pillow insert works best in a pretty pillow cover!

Hopefully, you have got some pro tips on how to decorate with pillows! If you wish to purchase these furniture pieces for your home office, click on the items below.

Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

 

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How to design a modern glam style home office

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As we are working from home more than ever and would like to work in a space that's designed to be productive and comfortable at the same time. This blog will give you design inspiration if you love modern glam design style. In this post, we will talk about glam furnishings and how to create a home office that is glamourous as well as functional to work in.

To begin with, we wanted to make sure that the layout was practical and had a proper flow. We arranged the desk in a way so that you do get ample natural light and also a change of scenery when working long hours.

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Let’s look at the key details on how you can get a modern glamorous decor look for your home! These pieces will ensure your home office gets that modern glam vibe!

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White lacquer finish furniture with gold and acrylic accents

The Janie white lacquer desk was placed next to the window. It has three convenient drawers, staying organized is super simple. Featuring a lacquered wooden top, clear acrylic handles, and a geometric gold base in your workspace. The Famke white lacquer has a glam design and angular molding combined with its lacquer finish and acrylic accents. It has adjustable shelves, soft-close doors, and abundant storage space.

Office chair

This Beatrix grey chair has gold stainless steel legs and a matching handle on the back for a luxe, glamour effect.

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Tufted Accent chair

The minimalistic Kennedy swivel chair has a comfortable foam fill that makes it as plush and inviting as it looks.

Stool

The Shelby counter stool is used as its multifunctional and can be used as a footstool or a side table. It has a metal framework with geometric bars and a white hide cushion.

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Metallic accents

Purchase small metallic accent pieces. We choose two Labyrinth lamps that have antique brass and creates a stunning pattern of metalwork.

Dramatic Lighting

The Calypso three-tier chandelier is chosen as it has hand leafed in a champagne finish with metal disks in three tiers makes this piece a really special statement

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Floating shelves

These classy modern shelves give this home office more surface area and depth. Install over a workstation to add accessories and style.

Rug

The Wabi Sabi - zob01 rug acts as an anchor and used because it pulls the blue and gold from the furnishings. The Gavaughn area rug infuses modern spaces with a statement-making layered abstract. Crafted of natural and durable wool, this Tibetan hand knot offers a luxurious and painterly-inspired addition to your home office.

Here is a Concept board of all furniture pieces used for this home office.

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If you wish to purchase these furniture pieces for your home office, click on the items below.

Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

 

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