Entries by tfiori
Getting comfortable in today’s world
Have you found yourself trying to get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable? For many of us, the daily news has bred a sense of uncertainty about our world and our surroundings. Displaced from offices, schools, college, and our jobs, home is the one place where everyone finds calm and comes back to center. Throughout the pandemic, […]
Trend forecast from the 2020 Kitchen & Bath Show (KBIS)
Last month I had the pleasure of traveling to Las Vegas for the National Kitchen and Bath Show (aka KBIS). I met up with a few designer friends and we spent three days searching for exciting new products and attending informative seminars. The first trend we noted was iron clad shelving with mixed materials like […]
Designing for an Investment Property
We recently completed a renovation for a client’s investment property. Our goal was to maximize the value of the property by keeping costs low while trying to achieve a high end look. By making the property more attractive to potential renters now, the client avoided an even larger renovation project in the future. The result? […]
Whatever Happens in Vegas…
In a few short weeks we will be attending the National Kitchen and Bath Show in Las Vegas. Over six hundred companies will be showcasing their wares at this industry’s largest trade show. Designers, architects and contractors will gather to learn about the latest innovative products, technology, design and trends. One of the featured […]
Non Slip Tile Treatment!
We recently discovered a product called Stone Grip Non-Slip Tile Treatment that promises to “dramatically increase traction and improve safety on slippery floors even when wet.” According to the product specs, Stone Grip is an easy to apply slip solution with a sprayer, microfiber T-mop or Stone Grip Applicator. Clean and dry the floor, apply the […]
The numbers don’t lie
Nineteen percent of US households now have more than one adult generation living under the same roof. That percentage is rising and is equivalent to the 1950’s. #multigenerational Why are these numbers on the rise? These statistics will help to understand the surprising uptick: The average cost per year of Assisted Living in the Northeast […]
Connecting to Art
I love when clients have artwork that serves as the inspiration for a space. Most often they are sharing a piece of their unique story. It becomes more challenging when we seek out artwork for our clients. The process needs to be approached in a thoughtful, creative, and authentic manner that lends itself to […]
How to determine a budget
I’ve been designing homes for almost twenty years. In all those years, can you guess how many clients come to us knowing exactly what their budget is? The answer is one. Surprised? Designing well for clients involves asking tons of personal questions – learning what a client is comfortable spending from the very start is […]
The Future of Real Estate: Boomers
According to the US Census, the number of households with three generations under one roof and at least one member the age of 65 and over has grown from 1.7 million in 2006 to 3.2 million in 2016. At this month’s Business of Home Conference speakers from Curbed and Zillow, talked about how these multi-generational homes are impacting the […]
The Future of Real Estate
“The Future of Home” design seminar took place last week in NYC. It was a great experience. One of the most interesting talks was given by Zillow and Curbed entitled “The Future of Real Estate”. They had plenty to say about millennials. Here are my three takeaways. More people under the age of 34 continue […]
Statistics to focus on the positive
A Wall Street Journal article cited statistics from The United States of Aging Survey – adults 60 and older were asked to identify their biggest concern about aging: 40% said that maintaining physical health was important; 32% said maintaining mental health; 25% said living independently and 13% said getting to visit family and/or friends was […]
How we designed it…
We started with measuring and drafting up a basic scaled floor plan. Our client already had the majority of what she needed for the space, so our job was to interject color, personality and to create a space that flowed with the rest of the house. We decided to use this embroidered floral fabric on […]
Our favorite Kitchen and Bath “forever” trend
Last year at the National Kitchen and Bath show there was one feature that stood out to us that we’re using in all of our designs: Lighting…everywhere. This “simple” feature combines beauty, safety and function. These products are now readily available to consumers and they just make life easier…for anyone, at any ability.
Five ways to create an energizing guest room
Our goal for any space we are designing is that it becomes a place where you will gravitate. Here are our top five (simple yet effective) wellness tips for creating a space that is bound to make your guests want to stay longer. 1. Inject color – How do you want to feel in this […]
Envisioning your future
A friend recently told me the story of a woman named Rose who was a patient at the nursing home where her Dad resided. Each and every day my friend would see Rose, dressed to the nines with lipstick and hair styled – position her wheelchair by the front door…waiting for someone to take her […]
5 ways to adapt basic blueprints to Livable Design
Are you thinking of building a second home? Not just another home but one with subtle nuances that will accommodate your family into the future? We call adding these inconspicuous refinements “livable design details”. Proactive design that enhances and welcomes every generation. A “simple” first step is to find a house plan (or blueprints) that […]