Interior Design Scottsdale, AZ by S Interior Design

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Tips To Improve Curb Appeal With Your Garage Door

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Below is a guest posting on how to improve your home’s curb appeal by the look and design of your garage door. Here in Phoenix many homes have front facing garages and they can sometimes distinctly define the look of a home; for better or for worse. This makes it very important to have a garage door design that compliments and enhances your home’s elevation design.

First impressions are absolutely important, especially when we’re talking about your home. There’s nothing like the feeling you get when people stop, stare, and marvel at the way your house looks. More importantly, that first impression matters when you’re thinking about putting your house on the market. House-hunters will surely want to call your real estate agent with just one look at the front of your home.

That impressive look, of course, can be achieved when you make an effort to enhance the curb appeal of your home. There are many ways of improving curb appeal, but did you know that your garage door can play an instrumental role in bringing fresh excitement to your home’s façade?

Admittedly, a garage door can look incredibly bland, which isn’t surprising since many homeowners just concern themselves with keeping it functional with maintenance and garage door repair. But with a little creativity from your end, your garage door can do so much more, especially when it comes to improving curb appeal. Here are some tips on doing just that.

Paint your garage door.

If the color of your garage door matches the paint of the exterior, then it’s time to do some repainting on it.

As it stands now, your garage door will tend to disappear into the walls. So pick a color that will contrast to the rest of the house in an attractive way. The best color for your garage door would be one that is a few shades darker than the paint on your home. A house painted a light tan, for example, would look great with a garage door with light brown paint. The point is to create a contrast that isn’t too stark.

Do some accessorizing.

If your garage door already came with handles, windows, patterns, or side arrows, then you’re all good on the accessorizing front. However, if your garage door is a little on the simple side, you can enhance the way it looks by adding accessories around it.

Consider placing potted plants on either side of your garage. For added flourish, you can have shrubs, tall plants, and other kinds of greenery close to the garage doors. If you can incorporate some decorative stonework on your driveway, then that would make your garage door pop nicely.

Add lighting fixtures.

When installed in the right spots, exterior light fixtures almost instantly make everything look great. Put up exterior lighting with the garage door as a focal point, and you can be sure that they will enhance curb appeal.

A wise choice is overhead and side lights. They provide much-needed illumination and security, and make the garage door look stunning at night as well. Of course, you have to make sure that the lights you install complement not only your home’s color tone but also its overall style to make the overall look of your home stand out.

If you have a big enough budget for more lighting, then you can go for ground lights that point upwards, preferably towards the trees and tall plants around your garage door.

Balance everything with the front door.

It would look odd if your garage door is all spruced up and your front door isn’t. So whatever enhancements you did with your garage door, it would be a great idea to do the same for your front door. It will make the look of your home more consistent and balanced.

Garage doors don’t have to look dull. Follow the tips above, and your garage door should be able to contribute significantly to the overall curb appeal of your home.

Moving to Phoenix? 3 Tips

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Below is a guest post on the subject of how to successfully navigate a move to Phoenix, AZ. S Interior Design has added some personal commentary (shown in bold font).

Downtown Phoenix

3 Essential Interior Design Tips to Take with You to Phoenix

If you’re planning on moving to Phoenix, you’ve got a lot of different things to consider before the big day. Not only do you need to find a home that suits your needs in terms of location and budget, but you also need to think about how you can make a property in a brand-new space feel like home, with interior design strategies that match your personality.

Ultimately, the way that you decorate your home in Phoenix could be the factor that makes or breaks how quickly you settle into your new life. After all, moving to a new home in a new city is a big change, and it can be difficult to adjust. The things you’ve become accustomed to in your old city, are a little bit different out here in the desert.

For example if you’ve come from the east coast, then you’re probably used to a lot more rain and thought that taking care of your lawn was never a big deal, but in Phoenix if you want to keep your lawn looking great, you’re going to need to learn a whole new set of tricks, or get some help from a Lawncare specialist

You may want to consider a landscape plan that includes mostly native plants that are more likely to thrive in the dry hot climate and eliminate or minimize grass areas.

If you’re a sun worshiper then the 300 days of sunshine each year will keep you more than happy! 

And when you’ve found your dream house in Phoenix and are ready to turn into a home, the good news is that these three essential interior design tips could make it easier for you and your family to find the peace you need after a complicated cross-city move.

One of the most common challenges when moving to Phoenix from the East coast or the Mid-West is scale and proportion of furnishings. Often the architecture in Scottsdale/Phoenix will include very high ceilings that can make your existing furniture feel too small and out of scale.

1.     Stay True to your Style

When you’re moving to a new city, it’s easy to let the inspiration around you take over and make all of your decisions about your new space for you. While there’s nothing wrong with taking some insight from the homes around you and the other properties that you viewed in the space if you feel like making a change to your typical interior décor choices, it’s worth staying true to your personal preferences as much as possible.

By keeping some crucial pieces of your personal style in your home, you can ensure that you’re less likely to feel too overwhelmed by the change of moving to a new city. Whether it’s a specific colour scheme for your bedroom or a couple of art pieces that you take with you wherever you go, find your signature style pieces.

2.     Start Small

Moving to a new city already means that you’ve made a pretty big decision recently. With that in mind, you don’t necessarily need to make all of your interior design choices at once. Instead, start by focusing on one space at a time. Decide on the room in your property that you most want to work on. For instance, would you feel more comfortable if you had a serene bedroom to come home to every night or a relaxing living room?

Once you’ve chosen the space that matters most to you right now, work on that. Remember that you can always add more pieces later on if you need to.

3.     Leave Clutter and Chaos Behind

Finally, while there’s nothing wrong with bringing items from your old home with you to your new property in Phoenix (particularly those signature pieces mentioned above), leave the clutter behind. While you’re packing up your home, be extra brutal in getting rid of anything that you no longer want or need. The more you leave behind, the more of a clean slate you’ll have to work with when designing your new property.

If there are any specific pieces that you want to make a feature of your new design strategy, you can always mention them to your interior designer, and see if they can come up with any unique ideas for how to transform your new space.

Kitchen Remodel Trends-2019

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The article contained in this link is a great summary of popular design trends in kitchen design. S Interior Design loves to know the trends but always designs to meet each client’s needs and desires trendy or not!

S Interior Design Kitchen Design-Remodel

https://www.themostchic.com/kitchen-trends/

What to Know When Making Your Home “Smart”

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smart home pic

Technology is moving so quickly it can be a challenge to keep up with the latest and greatest options to make ‘your home smart’. S Interior Design recommends that you don’t get carried away and install every option available, but rather assess your personal lifestyle and determine the best products to support that.

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Thinking of Remodeling Your Kitchen?

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Below is a guest post focusing on the back splash design element for the kitchen. When S Interior Design works with their clients on kitchen remodels, we generally select the larger design elements such as counter tops and cabinet style before selecting the back splash materials. There are however situations where the ‘perfect’ back splash material guides the design direction and we build from that design element. The article below is easy to read and provides guidance on how to select the best material for your back splash taking not only looks but functionality into consideration.

How to Choose the Perfect Kitchen Backsplash

A great kitchen backsplash is not only functional, protecting your walls from grease and dings, it’s also beautiful, a design statement that adds to the beauty of your home and the character of your space.

The options for style, materials, pattern, and color are endless, so the task of choosing one can be overwhelming. In order to help you choose the right one for your kitchen, here are six questions to ask when choosing the right kitchen backsplash for you.

1. How much do you want to spend?

The first question you should ask yourself is how much money you want to spend on the project. The size of your budget will affect the quality and brand of material you are able to buy. It will also affect whether you will be able to hire a professional to do the installation or whether you will need to take on the task yourself. 

Before you start shopping, identify your budget and stick to it. You’ll be more pleased with the result if you don’t stretch your funds beyond their limit.

2. How often do you cook?

If you cook regularly, you’ll want to make sure you choose a backsplash material that is durable, stain resistant, and easy to clean. Classic subway tile is stylish and versatile and is very easy to clean. Brick is classic and durable, but it’s tough to clean and will show grease stains over time. Stone, however, is one of the most durable materials you can use for your kitchen surfaces, but it often comes at a steep price.

Whatever you choose, the rule of thumb is that the more often you cook, the tougher, more heat-resistant, and long-lasting the material should be.

5. How much space do you have?

The amount of space you have for your backsplash will help determine whether you should go simple or busy with your backsplash design. This will also affect how much you have in your budget to spend on your backsplash material. You can make a great statement with an interesting material, pattern, or color across a small and concentrated space.

Keep in mind that busy tile patterns, when applied across a large area, can overwhelm a room and grow tiresome over time. The larger the space, the simpler the pattern should be.

3. Do you want to install the backsplash yourself?
If you choose a backsplash material or tile that requires intricate designs or hefty cutting materials, you may be better off hiring a professional to handle the installation.

Most DIYers can handle simple running bond or stack bond tile patterns, but herringbone and parquet-inspired styles may be more of a headache than they’re worth, so calling in the pros may save you a great deal of time and frustration. How much you’re willing to spend on the project will affect whether you can afford to hire a pro, of course.

4. What is the style of your kitchen?

Do you like sleek and modern or traditional and timeless? Is your home rustic or minimalist? Trendy or classic? The style of your home and especially the style of your kitchen will affect the type and style of backsplash you choose. Fish scale tile says trendy and playful, marble says stately and tasteful, subway tile says classic and sensible. Whatever you choose, don’t forget to coordinate it with the style you love.

You’ll also want to make sure that your backsplash coordinates with your countertops, cabinets, appliances, and flooring. If you need help picturing the finished product, try a design app that lets you take photos of you space and try on new styles.

6. How do you want your space to feel?

Once you’ve decided on the style you’re going for, you should then decide the way you want your kitchen to feel. Do you want to convey simplicity and function or are you looking for luxury and decadence? Do you want to reflect light into the room or create a sense of comfortable warmth?

If you want to create a light and airy feel in your home, then choosing a light-colored or transparent material is the way to go. Avoid dark soapstone and marble and heavy brick.

If you want to create a feel of luxury and indulgence, then heavily veined marble or sturdy granite might be the right choice for you (granite is very durable and heat-resistant as well).