Design Made Easy

I'll admit, I'm a little obsessive when it comes to making lists. You name it - I'll list it!

But nothing beats the lists one makes ahead of a New-Year, these small promises of;  'I'll go to the gym more often, I'll be better about saving for retirement'.

This year one thing high on my list is helping people re-imagine their home and offices.

Here is your easy design 'to-do' list for 2015:

1. Location, Location, Location - What is good for home buying, is even better for your furniture pieces! Remember the day you moved into your house, all the boxes were everywhere, and you just couldn't even think about how the sofa or arm chair would look like in the room? So your kind mover just put the sofa there, and it stayed there ever since. Do yourself a favor, just tilt that arm chair in a 45 degree angle away from that coffee table, just for a day, see how it works.


2. Light - Much has been written about the importance of lighting, yet we seem to over look the effect light on our mood. It's pretty easy, no need for expensive lighting fixtures. A simple light bulb change from bright daylight, to warm white, can often do the trick. Even just lighting a candle at the dinner table.

3. Art - We are afraid of buying art. It seems like something only people with money, or artistic family members (i.e. my talented brother), have art on their walls. In order to buy art, you need to better understand what you like. Notice, I said LIKE. What's great about art, there is no wrong or right - if YOU like it, most likely it will go well with other things in your home. Don't fear it, just hang it up, you can always take it off.

4. Color - Pick a wall any wall, living room, bathroom, closet. Just paint it. You can even start with a small bookcase, or that tired side table. Feel the impact color has on you. Let go of the fear of color, try to go bold. Give yourself a small gift of color.

5. Purge - Let's be honest, we all make mistakes. I for one bought the most uncomfortable, unsuitable, very un-like us sofa in the world. It was leather, it was tufted, it was the biggest elephant in the room. My husband and I both quietly, yet separately, resented that sofa. We dared not talk about it, it was of a very good make, it was expensive, it became the bane of our living room. When I was pregnant with my 3rd, I was binge purging everything. From the 300 IKEA shelving units, to my street "finds" We donated, sold, and put on the side walk more things than I care to mention. But nothing gave us greater relief then selling THAT sofa. We ended up getting the sofa we knew fit our lifestyle best. Same as with clothes, don't be a trend victim, go with what suits your lifestyle, I assure you all the other pieces will fall into place.

See?  Pretty simple.

What's on your list this year?

Happy N(ew)Box Year!

Crunch time, almost 2015 o'clock. 

Seems like these days we have very little time (attention span?). We need to "like"/"share"/"post". How is this effecting our design environments? I'm not too sure…

As 2014 draws into a close, and in the spirit of keeping it simple, I wanted to share NoBox Studio's top 5 design moments in 2014.

5. Favorite design trend - This year saw the return of texture and pattern, after many years of keeping it clean and stark, more and more clients of mine have been willing to explore adding some eclectic flair into their offices and homes.

4. Best "high end furniture on a shoe string budget" finds - It might come as a surprise but it seems like www.overstock.com has satisfied many of my clients for look, price, and extremely cheap shipping rates. 

3.  Biggest office transformation - Nothing makes me more excited than walking into blah offices, these blank canvas spaces allow a designer to play, and completely transform the space.  I was extremely honored when Intiguia had allowed me, for a second time, to help with their new expansion.

2. Most inspiring trip - As an ex-pat it seems that most of my travel time is used to visit family back home. This year I had the opportunity to travel to my favorite city - London!  Walking the streets I enjoyed one of the most vibrant places in the world. But what really caught me eye was the use of every single space. It's a big and crowded city, yet it manages to create small moments where you can pause and just look at books. 

1. Proudest moment - 2014 opened with an exciting phone call from New-England Home magazine's Louis Postel, asking if I minded talking about my design. No doubt it was a good start for 2014 and I'm happy to say it has been a great 2014. I'm looking forward to 2015!