Category Archives: Blog

There’s Always Room for Holiday Spirit – RealSimple.com

How to Decorate a Small Space for the Holidays

Don’t have room to trim a tree? Not to worry. There are so many other festive ways to decorate your small space for the holidays.

Recently, I had the opportunity with RealSimple.com to explore several fun options for maximizing holiday spirit, when space is at a premium. Following is a link to their article “How to Decorate a Small Space for the Holidays”.

Click here to read the article

We hope that these ideas will inspire you to make some new holiday traditions. As always, if you need assistance, we are here to help!

Also posted in Holidays, Small Spaces

There’s Always Room for Guests – Realtor.com

How to Make Any Room a Guest Room

Even when the size of our living space is limited, we want our houseguests to feel special and truly welcome. However, providing them with a home away from home, without compromising square footage or functionality, can feel challenging.

Recently, I had the opportunity with Realtor.com, to explore how rooms can multitask to include welcoming sleeping arrangements in just about any space in their article “Crowded House for the Holidays? Here’s How to Make Any Room a Guest Room”.

Click here to read the article.

We hope that this will inspire some new options and ideas for you. As always, if you need assistance, we are here to help!

 

Also posted in Small Spaces

Custom Furnishings Pros and Cons – WSJ.com

WSJ podcast custom furnishings

More than ever before, we value our homes as a place of refuge. However, we are also cautious about spending. When most of us commit to a renovation or buying furnishings, we view the expenditure as an “investment”. We need confirmation that we are receiving a high level of quality and good value for our money, but are not always clear how to make this assessment.

Recently, I had the opportunity, with WSJ.com on their program “Watching Your Wealth “, to explore what points to consider before buying custom home furnishings. Following is the link to that podcast episode, “A How-to on Custom Décor”.

Click here to listen to the podcast

We hope that you will find some value in this for yourself. As always, if you need assistance, we are here to help!

Also posted in Custom Furninshings, Podcast

Are You Investing Wisely in Your Home?

Are You Investing Wisely in Your Home

Whether you are renovating your home, giving it a cosmetic facelift or purchasing furnishings, there is more how-to information available on television, the Internet and in publications, than you could possibly use in a lifetime! Unfortunately, many of these resources are supported by advertisers whose primary focus is to sell us something, rather than to educate us.

On a quest to support people in creating the home that they need and want, I invite you to reflect on the concept of “value” as we explore some of the pitfalls to avoid when purchasing home furnishings.

Although similar principles apply to a range of items from kitchen cabinets to office furniture, we will use the purchase of a sofa, as an example. Most of us own a sofa, it is one of the largest, most visible furnishings in our home and we usually live with it for a long time.

Today, two of the most common factors driving sofa purchases are price and availability. Although we all welcome saving money and receiving faster deliveries, corners often get cut to provide these benefits.

A Sad Story

The life of a good quality sofa, subjected to normal wear, is generally about 10 years. A neighbor of mine is about to purchase her third sofa, in less than 5 years. After she owned her first sofa for about 2 years, the cushions collapsed and lost their shape. After she had owned her second sofa for about 2 years, the fabric at an arm seam split open. The quality of neither sofa was worth the financial investment to repair them.

Quantity vs. Quality

To keep pricing low and allow for quick availability, manufacturers often mass produce sofas in limited upholstery and finish options. Although this reduces the selection available, it does not necessarily affect the product quality.

What You See, Isn’t Always What You Get

Other means of cutting costs, however, which are not as visible on the outside. Can make a significant difference in the life of a sofa. A few of these are:

  • Sofa frames not made from moisture-resistant hardwoods.
  • Plastic or metal legs provided instead of sturdy wood ones.
  • Springs used that are faster to install, but do not last as long.
  • Upholstery fabrics, which may initially look and feel great, but do not wear well.
  • Cushions made with lower-cost, less-dense foam that doesn’t retain its shape.
  • Skimpy padding on upholstered arms.

Again… What You See, Isn’t Always What You Get

Online suppliers, because they do not have the overhead of brick and mortar stores, often entice us with extremely low pricing. Unfortunately, being unable to see furnishings in person presents some real limitations:

  • The quality of the construction, fabrics and finishes or the fit and comfort of the seating cannot be verified.
  • Online color rendition is often so poor, that the grey sofa you ordered may arrive looking very much like a blue sofa or a brown sofa.
  • In addition, the purchaser usually bears the cost of returning any items to the supplier, which can be substantial, when a large, heavy sofa is involved.

In Hindsight

My neighbor, who is about to purchase her third sofa in 5 years, is a bright, educated professional, who loves television programs on home design. Although she had the funds to purchase better quality sofas, price and quick delivery were the deciding factors behind both of her initial purchases. If she had spent the combined cost of the two sofas on just one sofa and waited a few extra weeks for delivery, her life would probably look much different now. Most likely, she would be sitting pretty on a sofa that would have lasted her 4 or 5 times longer than her original purchase.

You do the math. I encourage you to recognize and invest in quality!

If you need some assistance, we can help! In addition to full-project design, we also offer design consultations, when you just need a few hours of support from a seasoned professional.

Thank you for stopping by our blog. We hope that we were able to inspire some new design options for you and that you will check back with us regularly!

If you enjoyed reading our blog and are not already receiving our e-newsletter, inside design, please take a moment to click here to join our mailing list.

 

Also posted in Small Spaces

5 Design Tips to Bring Fresh Personal Style to Your Pet-Friendly Home

5 Design Tips to Bring Fresh Personal Style to Your Pet-Friendly Home

With a succession of snowfalls and cold, gray days, many of us have developed a serious case of cabin fever. Since we are pretty much stuck with the weather and stuck indoors, why not use this time to re-accessorize your pet-friendly home and bring in a fresh feel? We hope that these ideas will inspire you to bring home your personal style!

Continue reading »

Also posted in Pet-Friendly Design

Simple Office Updates on WSJ.com

Home Office Tips

Whether your firm provides you with a dedicated office space or you are one of the millions who work from home, everyone benefits from a well-designed workspace.

Your office is an extension of your firm’s branding and a few small changes can create big results for you, your employees, consultants and clients.

I had the privilege of discussing some simple suggestions for updating an office with Veronica Dagher, On-air / Online Columnist, WSJ.com. Click on the link below to get some ideas which may work for your space.

Click here to view the WSJ.com article

Need some assistance in transforming your work space into one that is fully functioning and sends a strong professional message? We can help!
Contact us at info@higginsdesignstudio.com

Also posted in Small Spaces, Video

5 Design Tips for Blending Style and Functionality in Your Pet-friendly Home

AKC Blending Style and Functionality crop

We are so pleased to be featured on the American Kennel Club’s online site WOOFipedia.com as their “go-to design expert”. In the article, 5 Design Tips for Blending Style and Functionality in Your Pet-friendly Home, we were invited to share steps that we can take to protect our furnishings from pet-related issues.

Do you need some solutions for making pet-friendly selections for your home with Fido… or Fluffy?

Click here to read the article:

Although pets add so much to the quality of our lives, no relationship comes without its issues. If pet-related design dilemmas are getting the best of you, please give us a call… we can help! Contact us at info@higginsdesignstudio.com

Also posted in Change, Pet-Friendly Design

What’s Not Working?

What's Not Working

This time of year, most of us are spending more time inside of our homes. As a result, any concerns that we have with the design or function of our space can seem more pressing. This post investigates possible solutions to some of those ongoing dilemmas.

Continue reading »

Also posted in Change, Small Spaces

5 Tips on Giving Your Pet-friendly Space a Fresh Look

5 Tips on Giving Your Pet-friendly Space a Fresh Look

We are so pleased to be featured on the American Kennel Club’s online site WOOFipedia.com. In the article, “5 Design Tips on Giving Your Pet-friendly Space a Fresh Look”, we were invited to share simple, easy ideas for giving your home an updated look that is both elegant and pet-friendly.

Do you need some solutions for giving your home with Fido… or Fluffy a fresher look for the new year?

Click here to read the article

Although pets add so much to the quality of our lives, no relationship comes without its issues. If pet-related design dilemmas are getting the best of you, please give us a call… we can help!

Also posted in Pet-Friendly Design

We’re Online at AKC’s WOOFipedia

WOOFipedia Holiday Decorating Tips

We are so excited to be featured on the American Kennel Club’s online site WOOFipedia.com. In the article, “7 Pet-Friendly Holiday Decorating Tips“, we were invited to share ideas for transforming a home into one that is both elegantly festive and pet-friendly.

Do you need some workable design solutions for living happily with Fido… or Fluffy this holiday season?

Click here to read the article

Our pets add to so much to the quality of our lives. However, no relationship comes without its issues. If pet-related design dilemmas are getting the best of you, give us a call… we can help!

Also posted in Pet-Friendly Design