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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.

Home Remodels Gone Wrong and Lessons Learned

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Guest Post for S Interior Design
By: Paige A. Mitchell

There’s nothing worse than a botched DIY home remodel. But what if you were able to know what not to do before you dove into a home remodel on your own? Here are some prime examples of mistakes to avoid during a home remodel, in hopes that you will be wiser before jumping into the deep end.

Not Planning Ahead

Jumping into a home remodel without a distinct plan in mind is a recipe for disaster. For all intents and purposes, there is no such thing as “over planning” for a home remodel. Make sure you know exactly what you want to remodel and you know why you want to remodel it. Then, make sure you have planned everything as completely as possible, from the budget to the materials to the daily schedule. Leave no stone unturned.

Trying To Stay With The Trends

Everyone gets a little excited when they want to dive into a DIY remodel and the first place they turn to for inspiration is Pinterest. The problem? Going crazy with what the current home trend is, only to have that trend expire after a month and you be left with a less than desirable kitchen filled with Spanish influence. Be sure to pick a look for your home remodel that fits your personal interest and is also timeless. That way, you won’t feel that remodel itch a month after you complete your project.

Running Out Of Budget On The First Day

In the same vein as making sure you plan your home remodel ahead, make sure you completely map out your home renovation budget before diving in. That means making sure you have a realistic budget in mind with real-time numbers for all your materials and labor planned out. Just because you are performing a DIY home remodel does not mean you shouldn’t take labor into account. Even if you are able to perform the entire remodel on your own, which is hardly ever the case, you have to take into account time lost while doing that work.

Did you use paid time off at your work to perform the home remodel? Are you missing out on projects that could have earned you money? Your own time will play a factor in your budget. Along with that, make sure you know exactly how much supplies you need and how much it will all cost you. There is nothing worse than stopping at your home improvement shop only to get to the register and not have enough money for your supplies.

Measuring Once, Cutting A Hundred Times

Measure your work, then measure it again, then measure it again! The last thing you want is to measure your flooring or wood for your patio, get ready to lay it all out, then realize you mis measured and have to cut everything all over again. What could be worse than that? Ruining your materials because you cut too much and have to start from scratch. Check, double check, and triple check that all your measurements are correct so that you only have to cut once.

Going Cheap And Suffering

You’re already saving money by performing your home improvement project on your own. Make sure that when you do spend your money, you are purchasing items that are so cheap that they will fall apart in less than a year. If you are trying to DIY a home appliance, considering instead saving money on a home warranty and have the experts come in to make repairs. The last thing you want is a puddle in the bathroom because you thought you could fix the sink. Make sure you are being frugal in the right places and splurging when you need to same. Same with buying the right materials, know your limits. If you are even slightly unsure about performing a task, hire a contractor.

Are You A Interior Design Guru?

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Take this fun quiz to test your interior design knowledge! (This post was originally provided by Chais Lund)

Ideas To Design a Symmetrical Kitchen

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We are hard wired to appreciate a symmetrical balanced design style, or one that is asymmetrical. S Interior Design strives to understand which direction their clients lean prior to our development of their design plan.  This post deals specifically with symmetrical design ideas for kitchen design.

A formal definition of symmetry: having sides or halves that are the same : having or showing symmetry
You describe something as asymmetric when it lacks the mirror-image quality of symmetry.

Below is a guest post specifically on achieving symmetrical design in a kitchen.

How to Achieve Symmetry in Kitchen Design

Symmetry creates visual balance, which brings with it a sense of order and peace. Striving for symmetry in your kitchen design can make your kitchen a more relaxing and enjoyable space to work in. This is especially important, considering the kitchen is often the most used room in the house. The following design ideas can help you bring much-needed symmetry to your own kitchen’s design.

Look to the Light

Lighting is one of the first places where asymmetrical choices can affect the mood. Begin first by balancing the overhead fixtures. Replace a single off-center fixture with two evenly spaced fixtures, or use a larger center fixture. This will add balance to the room.

white kitchen
H/T thekitchn.com

If your kitchen has a large window at one end, hang a mirror at the other end or use mirrored tiles for a back splash opposite the window. This will help balance the light from the window.

Rooms with additional lighting, such as task or under cabinet lights, also benefit from symmetry. Make sure these lights are used evenly throughout the room, or that the fixtures are hidden away when the lights aren’t in use.

Shelving and Storage

Your storage solutions are another simple way to add symmetry to the kitchen. If you have exposed shelves or storage, opt for two of each. For example, frame in each end of your pantry with exposed shelves. If you run shelves above the sink, use an even number. The goal is to keep everything balanced.

Seating Strategies

A large kitchen island doubles as an in-kitchen eating area, homework station, or just a place to relax. This means you need seating in your kitchen.

The amount of seating depends on the size of your island. Generally, you can easily fit up to three stools along one side of an island. One stool will look unbalanced, while two or three provide more symmetry. Make sure the stools all have the same color and design so they can carry the symmetrical look to completion.

Cabinet Balancing

Cabinets are a more costly change, but they will provide the most bang for your decorating dollar. Make sure the cabinets you choose are all the same height. You can select cabinets of different widths, but balance them on either side of a focal point. Generally, the focal point is the sink or oven range.

brown kit

H/T modernir.blogspot.com

Opting for cabinets in a single color can provide a cleaner, more symmetrical look. Also, make sure that the knob or handle design is the same throughout the entire kitchen. For example, avoid opting for handles on drawers and knobs on cabinets; instead, use the same on both the drawers and the cabinet doors.

Finish With the Accessories

Accessories are the final key to symmetrical design. Whether it’s balancing any artwork on the walls, or centering a hanging pot rack perfectly over the center island, balance is necessary. Don’t overlook your counter tops when arranging items. For example, balance a pretty soap dispenser on one side of the sink with a lovely glass vase with a single flower on the other side.

The Rule of 3- By Fresh Home

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Great article about the pleasing use of  ‘3′ items, colors, fabrics etc. when decorating and designing.

The rule of three is a guideline that can be bent. Essentially, it was put into place so that people understand that a odd-number of items is more interesting than an even-number of items.  So, yes, you can arrange 5 items or 9 items into a grouping and still achieve the same visual interest.

Rule of 3modern-bathroomThen again there are people who absolutely love a symmetrical design layout  and 2, 4, 6 will work better for their eye.