Lisa Gilmore 1/13/23 Lisa Gilmore 1/13/23

4 Things to Consider Before Renovating a Room

This is the time of year when many people like to dream about what the year will look like and what they want in many areas of their lives. One of those areas is the home.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Seamus Payne Photography

As you look around your home, there may be one or several areas you aren’t 100% happy with, but it can feel daunting to decide where to start and what to do first.

A whole house renovation is overwhelming for most homeowners, and sometimes it’s better to start with one or two spaces. However, it can be hard to pare down your wish list.

That’s where Lisa Gilmore Design can help.

Whether we are working with a new client or just giving general advice to someone, we recommend a homeowner think through these four aspects of a design before beginning a project.

4 Things to Consider at the Beginning of a Design Project

1. Don’t worry about labels.
Sometimes, people get stuck trying to find the right label to describe their style like mid-century modern, coastal, or farmhouse. But, trying to find the perfect words can cause stress and stop a project before it begins.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

One of the best things about working with a professional design firm is we break through those barriers and labels, help you clearly define what you like, and create a style just for you. If you have a space that has been customized for your unique style, labeling it no longer matters; you just feel at home.

2. Understand your style.

Though having a label isn’t important, knowing what you like is. Looking at magazines is often especially helpful in identifying what you do and don’t like.

While sites like Pinterest, Instagram, and Houzz are also great for inspiration, sometimes they can offer too many options, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed and distracted. If you are struggling to identify what you like, go to a local store and pick up a few of the major design publications, such as Elle Decor, Traditional Home, and Architectural Digest. Dive into the pages; tear out things you like and circle specific furniture pieces or colors that catch your attention. Allow yourself to focus on the pages of the magazine and zero in on what is attractive (or not) to you!

3. Prioritize room functions.
If you want your professional or DIY design to be successful, it is critical to define how you want a room to function.

For example, if we are working on a guest room, but you really want it to be a playroom that a guest occasionally sleeps in, that is an important detail to share. Professional designers can create spaces that meet multiple needs and still look beautiful. But first, you must thoroughly communicate your needs.

4. Narrow down your color palette.

Though it’s fun to dream about what furniture or lighting would look amazing in a space, it’s really better to start with a room’s color.

Color is important, but it also differs from person to person. So, what colors make you feel good? What colors make you the most comfortable?

We recommend people start by looking in their closets. Do a quick scan of your wardrobe. What is the dominant color? Often we can start there to build a design.

Sometimes people realize they have a closet full of black and want more color in their life. That's okay too. This is simply a starting exercise to help you identify how different colors make you feel and which you are naturally attracted to.

Considering these four areas before you contact a design firm or visit a home improvement store will make your project less stressful. Knowing your budget and when you would like the project to be completed are also critical things to know before beginning.

Just like a vacation is more enjoyable if you know things like what you want to get out of the trip and what type of hotels you like to stay at – all before you book anything. The same applies to your home renovation projects.

The most successful projects are those that are well-thought-out and well-planned before the project starts.

If you are considering a project that would benefit from professional design services, we would love to help.

To get more advice from Lisa Gilmore Design, see our projects, and find ideas for adding liveable glamour to your home, follow us on Instagram or sign up for our newsletter.

Lisa Gilmore 9/24/21 Lisa Gilmore 9/24/21

How to Incorporate Your Style into Your Bathroom

At the end of a long day, many of us retreat to our bathrooms for a long soak in the tub. Even a few minutes spent washing your face can feel like you are washing away the day. Though we don’t usually say it aloud, what most of us want from our bathrooms is a place to relax and recharge…

At the end of a long day, many of us retreat to our bathrooms for a long soak in the tub. Even a few minutes spent washing your face can feel like you are washing away the day.

Though we don’t usually say it aloud, what most of us want from our bathrooms is a place to relax and recharge.

Yet how can you do that with a bathroom decorated by the previous homeowner or décor that is so blah that it doesn’t feel like you at all?

With every bathroom project, one of my goals is to find ways to express a homeowner’s personal style. Check out these photos to see some examples!

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There are a myriad of ways to introduce your personal style into your bathroom. Consider these ideas to get you started:

Choose a vibrant color or highly textured wood for the vanity
Pick interesting hardware; consider it jewelry for the home
Select a bold wallpaper as focal point for the room

Just like any other room in your home, bathrooms can be an expression of your taste and a joyful space to spend time in.

If you’d like to see more of my projects and ideas for adding liveable glamour to your home, follow me on Instagram or sign up for my monthly newsletter.

Lisa Gilmore 3/10/21 Lisa Gilmore 3/10/21

STYLISH VACATION HOMES

A vacation home is an opportunity to create a space of luxury for yourself, to unwind enjoy, and feel better than a five-star hotel! This beautiful waterfront condo recently featured on Rue, is a reflection of just that. Style to the max, however approachable and family-friendly. Everything you could desire for a waterfront vacation retreat!

Vacations – we all love them, we all crave them, quite honestly we all need them!

More and more we are seeing people taking vacations into their own hands and creating their perfect retreat, and they are having fun with it!

If you are going to have a vacation home, why make it bland and boring and filled with second-hand items? This is an opportunity to create a space of luxury for yourself, to unwind enjoy, and feel better than a five-star hotel! After all, you have earned it, right?

This beautiful waterfront condo recently featured on Rue Magazine, is a reflection of just that. Style to the max, however approachable and family-friendly. Everything you could desire for a waterfront vacation retreat!

Creating an exciting and powerful entry to greet your guests and set the tone!

Light and airy, however not lacking style. Isn’t this colorful terrazzo backsplash just eye candy? Paired with other colorful elements in the space and you’ve got excitement without being overpowering.

We created a floorplan for entertaining, family time and relaxation in mind. And of course, all fabrics are durable and have living to the fullest in mind.

Who says your vacation home can’t feature a formal dining area? Afterall, feasting with friends and family are the most fun, right?

When designing this space, I had a very clear vision of dancing banana leaves over the dining table, searching high and low, I couldn’t find what I was picturing, so I got to work with our trusted network and designed and manufactured our own – it’s such a beautiful statement and also a piece of art!

Luxury at its finest – moody colors combined with soft colors, this master suite certainly feels like a luxury hotel experience.

Creating spaces for kids to feel the excitement is so important, allow their imagination to wander through their vacation experience as well!

I love it when clients allow us to get a little playful! This powder room features wallpaper called “Cabana ladies” with a closer look, you will see they are modern illustrations of retro topless ladies!

Soothing gold and cream wallpaper and pretty colors make this guest room exciting and welcoming and a great getaway experience for them as well!

This vacation condo is such a testament to creating the most beautiful place for you to unwind and enjoy. There are so many great elements that it’s hard to say what our favorite is – what’s yours?

Want to see more? Check out the full gallery here and also a video tour of the space!

*Photography by Native House Photography

Lisa Gilmore 2/24/21 Lisa Gilmore 2/24/21

LUXURIOUS VACATION HOME MASTER BEDROOM

We are seeing people take vacations into their own hands and making pretty sweet vacation homes, that they can enjoy at their discretion. For this recent Gulf Coast vacation condo we completed, the master bedroom is full of design and the opportunity for a really, really, amazing beautiful sleep.

If 2020 taught us anything (okay, actually a lot) I think that one big takeaway is to savor vacation and travel!

However, we are seeing people take vacations into their own hands and making pretty sweet vacation homes, that they can enjoy at their discretion.

What's one of your favorite things about vacation? Obviously, there are many, but for me, it's a good healthy sleep and waking up to no alarm - and if there is a good view, well, that's just a big bonus!

For this recent Gulf Coast vacation condo we completed, the master bedroom is full of design and the opportunity for a really, really, amazing beautiful sleep.

TEXTILES

Textiles are huge in interior design, but even more important or a bedroom! In this space we mixed velvets, soft linens and cotton blends with a dash of leather and natural grasses.