What was once our refuge away from the outside world has turned into the workplace, gym, school, and entertainment center – all in one. Working from home is not a new concept. It has been around for many years, with changes in technology making it easier than ever before for people to avoid the commute and work remotely.
However, with Covid-19 (coronavirus) forcing many of us to work from home, it forces us to take another look at our environment, and how it can best suit these new functions. …more
Like millions of other people around the globe, you are stuck at home in self-isolation due to Covid-19 or Coronavirus. Aside from dealing with working from home, playing teacher to your children, or worrying about finding a job, if you are out of work, there are things you can do to stay busy, including giving your living space a home makeover.
DIY (do-it-yourself) projects do not have to be expensive or time-consuming – although you probably have some extra time on your hands these days. If you are not sure about what colors might look good on your walls, which pillows to buy, or where to find that perfect rug, I am still available for video conferencing.
I am also going to give you some guidance as to how to spruce up your living room, den, family room, bedroom, or other areas of your home. Thanks to the internet, shopping from the comfort of your couch or kitchen table has never been simpler. …more
As 2019 comes to an end, so does a decade. As they say, out with the old and in with the new – new design trends, that is. It is time to take a look at predictions for interior design trends 2020!
Today’s consumers want quality and sustainability. People have become aware of how their impulse buying of the past is now taking up space in landfills. To that end, our society is gravitating towards more classic designs that incorporate a contemporary edge. Under no circumstances does this mean boring. Think warm palettes with rich accent colors, clean lines, and modern art. …more
Green interior design often conjures up images of the outdoors, nature, springtime, and renewal. The earth renews itself in the spring as green grass and plants sprout from a ground that was cold and covered in snow. Of course, here in Coral Springs, Boca Raton, Parkland, Delray Beach, and throughout South Florida, we are surrounded by green year-round. That does not mean we should not incorporate the color green into our homes.
Many people think about creating a lush environment with living plants, which, besides adding a touch of beauty to the home, also help to clean the air. Through the use of green design features, you can bring harmony and balance to your surroundings, helping you relax at the end of a busy or stressful day. The use of green interior design can help reduce anxiety and depression, soothing the spirit.
Using Green Interior Design in the Home – From Ceiling to Floor
Unlike many neutral colors, there are right and wrongs ways of using the color green in the home. It is possible to use green shades from ceiling to floor, as long as you understand the rules of color in interior design. …more
Hygge décor is not what people think. It is not a thing that you can go out and buy; it is more of a feeling.
Hygge (pronounced hue-gush) is a Danish word. The Hygge definition means a certain quality of coziness, and when incorporated into interior design, it helps to bring a feeling of well-being or contentment into your home. In other words, it is a state of mind that will have you feeling present in your environment and enjoying the present.
When we talk about hygge in interior design, it is about creating intimacy and bringing coziness into your home. Hygge style is not cluttering your home up with expensive furnishings and artwork, although you can certainly create a cozy feeling in that way. It is more about enjoying life’s simpler side.
The cozy meaning of hygge has played a role in Danish culture since early in the 1800s. It made its way across the ocean to the US in 2017, with eight books published on the topic within a few months of each other.
Hygge décor became one of the hottest home design trends in 2017. Does that mean you have already missed the bandwagon? Not at all, remember, it is not as much about style as it is creating a feeling.
Incorporating Hygge Décor Into Your Home
When some people first hear about hygge décor, Scandinavian design comes to mind with its simple, clean lines. Today, there is a movement towards environmental sustainability and green living. While hygge“style” is neither of these things, they can become a part of it because hygge is not a design trend in and of itself, but a state of being. You can incorporate sustainable design anywhere, at any time.
As you look at the photos below, courtesy of Ocean Blue Coastal Retreats, you will see that the rooms are uncluttered. That does not mean you must put away all your favorite possessions. Remember, it is more about creating a “feeling” of coziness and warmth. Those precious photos and knickknacks hold meaning and add your personal touch. The Swedish word lagom fits in well here, as it means just the right amount.
Color schemes in whites and neutrals create a calming sensation. Warm woods, plants, water features, bamboo, and other natural elements are a stark difference when compared to wrought iron, chrome, and metals. One invigorates and excites while the other brings relaxation. Again – it is about creating a specific feeling.
Think for a minute about hygge meaning and the word cozy. When looking around your home and contemplating the cozy definition, what comes to mind?
For many people up north at this time of year, fireplaces bring a sense of warmth and coziness. Cuddling up with a good book, your pet, or someone you love and enjoying the moment.
Lighting can alter the mood in any room, and there is nothing like the natural light flickering from candles. In fact, candles are an important aspect of creating a hyggelig (hygge-like) atmosphere in the Danish home. Not only do you find candles burned in their homes, but in classrooms and boardrooms, as well. Here at home, more than a billion pounds of wax go into the manufacturing of candles sold in the US each year. If you regularly burn candles in your home, you are well on your way to creating hyggelig.
Throw blankets, oversized pillows, floor cushions, plush rugs – these are items that bring a cozy feel to your home. As a matter of fact, cozy blankets are a crucial aspect of hygge, so go ahead and drape one over a sofa or chair.
While you are at it, think about carving out a small area in your home as a cozy reading nook.
Going Beyond Hygge Décor In Your Life
There is a certain mindfulness to hygge. It is being present in the moment and brings a sense of wellness to your life. Taking hygge into your kitchen may find you brewing a cup of hot chocolate, making a hearty stew, or baking a cake or cookies. Think comfort foods that fill the home with a pleasing aroma.
What is hygge going to do for you?
Whether you are incorporating hygge décor into one or all the rooms of your home, stocking up on candles and wool socks, or preparing your favorite soup, you are living in the moment and creating a new “feeling” in your life. If hygge sounds like bliss to you, then you are not alone.
Would you like help incorporating aspects of hygge décor in your home? HK Interiors provides interior design services that can help you transform your home or office into the vision you desire. Call us at 954-401-8542 today.
Interior design can be overwhelming for a homeowner – there are so many colors, styles, textures, patterns – where do you begin. An excellent starting point is the Pantone color system.
Today, many people are familiar with the fact that a new Pantone color of the year is chosen to spotlight each year. What they do not know is that Pantone has helped standardize the manufacturing industry through its Pantone matching system (PMS). Different manufacturers working on the same project can maintain consistent colors throughout their designs.
The widely produced Pantone Solid Colors palette has over 1100 unique colors used primarily in graphics, print, and publishing.
Unlike the CMYK colors which are made up of only four elements (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow), the PMS system consists of a wider range of colors, maximizing color consistency and reducing the degree of variation found in the CMYK system.
The Pantone color system, or Pantone Color Matching System, is the most widely used standardized color system today. There are actually two separate systems for Pantone colors – one for print and packaging, and the other for fashion and product design. The last one is the one we will focus on today. …more
It is easy to get so caught up in decorating your home that you forget to think about functionality. This is especially important when considering various types of window treatments. The way a window functions in your home should be the primary factor in what type of window coverings to buy.
Things to consider when making this decision include:
Do you need the window treatments to protect from sun and heat – the South Florida sun can be brutal during the long winter months. Proper protection can also help lower your electric bill. Another issue to consider is the protection of your furniture and flooring from fading. Some products offer UV ray benefits.
Does your home have a zero-lot-line? If so, you may want window coverings that can give you added privacy. Opaque materials provide privacy when back-lit as people cannot see in from the outside.
If you are hoping to sleep late in the morning, getting blackout curtains or shades is a good idea. These products can also help reduce glare and eliminate the penetration of natural light when they are closed.
Are you hoping that your window curtains will enhance your décor without blocking the outdoors view? If so, you may opt for sheer fabrics.
One of the hardest decisions people have when reimagining or planning their living space is chandelier size and design. Anyone who has ever walked into a lighting store can tell you how overwhelming it can be at first glance. You do not even have to look up to see all the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Where do you begin?
There is a trick to selecting the right light fixtures for your home or room. You have to know what size will work best, and then what type of style will compliment your furnishings. Today, we are going to focus solely on chandelier size and leave style for another day.
The most common room in the home for a hanging light fixture is the dining room. Dining room chandeliers can make or break your design, meaning that you must focus on getting the right size.
Some people also opt for a kitchen chandelier, especially if they have an eat-in kitchen. Placing a mini chandelier above a small, corner kitchen table can add ambiance to the space. If you have a kitchen island, that gives you another option for specialty lighting. Just remember to keep the hanging lights a minimum of 28 to 34 inches above the top of the island. Pendant lights, spotlights, orbs, track lighting, box lights, and even a small chandelier will create spectacular ambiance in your kitchen.
Ceiling height is another issue, especially when choosing vaulted ceiling lighting for a living room. Yes, you can spend hours of time researching chandelier options, or you can speak with an interior designer who can help you get it right with minimal time and expense.
Choosing Dining Room Chandeliers
Your dining room chandelier will be a focal point of the room, catching the eye and creating ambiance for all your dinner parties. If you have frequent buffets or gatherings, you are going to want lighting that will truly enhance both the mood of the event and the appearance of the food. Too large a chandelier will be overwhelming. Underestimating your dining room lighting will cause it to look out of place and not enhance your table. The goal is to wash the table in light, elimination shadows without adding heat to the room.
There are two primary ways of selecting chandeliers for dining room ambiance:
As a fixture for an empty room before purchasing furniture
If you are moving into a new home and have not yet purchased furniture, follow this rule:
Measure the length and width of the room and add them together. The number of feet is equal to the number of inches in diameter of your chandelier. For example, a 10’ x 12’ dining room equals 22’ – corresponding to a 22” chandelier.
If your dining room already has a dining table
Matching chandelier size to a dining room table is also easy. The rule here is to keep your chandelier no larger than one-half to three-quarters the width of your table.
Hanging height is also crucial when considering chandelier placement in a dining room. The bottom part of the chandelier should hang no lower than 30 to 32 inches above the top of the table.
You may also want to consider using a dimmer switch to adjust the lighting in a dining room. Buffets often do better with brighter lighting, while intimate dinner parties may do better with a softer glow.
How to Select the Right Living Room Chandelier
There is a lot to take into consideration when buying a living room chandelier. You have to think about the height of the ceiling, the size of the room, the style and positioning of the furniture, as well as ambiance.
If you have a high ceiling, your chandelier will have to cover a great deal of space, often hanging low in the room. Creativity is a big part of living room lighting. Again, speaking with an interior designer can make all the difference in the world for how your room will come together in the end. Creating an ideal living room lighting scheme is crucial to the functionality and ambiance of your home.
In addition to selecting just one central chandelier, you can also opt for ceiling lighting to go with the hanging fixture or multiple smaller chandeliers placed around the furniture layout. Using four smaller hanging lighting fixtures is an excellent option when a living room has a ceiling fan. Many ceiling fans also have light fixtures to consider.
A Final Word on Chandelier Size
You do have a little leeway when looking at chandelier size for a room. In addition to the measurement instructions provided in the dining room section, here are some other options to consider:
Rooms smaller than 10’ x 10’ – select chandeliers between 17” and 20” wide
Rooms around 12’ x 12’ – choose chandeliers between 22” and 27” wide
Larger rooms around 14’ x 14’ – select fixtures between 24” and 32” wide
In addition to the rooms mentioned, long hallways or entrances to the home are excellent opportunities for hanging a chandelier. Bedrooms and even bathrooms, especially over a central custom tub are other options for hanging a chandelier.
Please contact HK Interiors to discover how our interior design services can help you transform your home or office into the vision you desire. Call 954-401-8542 today for all your interior design needs.
For many years, beige and cream were the warm neutral shades everyone seemed to use in their homes. Times change, and so do interior design ideas. Move over warm neutrals and say hello to slate gray and silver. Of course, there are many different shades of grey you can consider. As you can probably see, we are spelling gray with both an “a” and an “e.” There is no right or wrong way to spell the color grey.
Grey interiors are versatile. You can use varying shades of gray hues on your walls, including light gray paint and blue-grey paint which will bring out different emotions and accents in a room. Silver textured or patterned wallpaper can also make a room pop. Grey bedroom furniture is often soothing for improved relaxation. Furnishings, light fixtures, and accessories in shades of silver and gray offer exciting contrasts.
You have likely heard of “smart” buildings, where everything is automated, including air conditioning, security, lighting, and more. However, do you know the difference between green vs. sustainable buildings? Perhaps you have heard of eco-friendly environments. That automatically leads you to believe that the materials used were sourced in an ecologically sound manner. You think safety and reduced toxicity and that is why it is time to understand the difference between these terms.
When comparing green vs. sustainable, it is vital to know that these terms do not mean the same thing:
Green building definition – a building that reduces or eliminates a negative impact on the environment. One that creates positive influence on the environment and climate. Green buildings may include any of the following features:
Solar or another form of renewable energy
Healthy indoor air quality
Efficient energy and water resources
Adaptable design to changing environment
Utilization of green roofs and rain gardens
Use of non-toxic, sustainable, low-impact, and ethical materials
Reduction of waste and pollution
Recycling and re-use abilities
Design and construction that considers the quality of life of occupants
Consideration of environments needs in design, construction, and operation
A green building may vary in definition from one city to another. Culture, environment, climate, economics, and resources are some of the issues that may impact green architecture. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) provides the rating systems for green building design, construction, operation, and maintenance. The U.S. Green Building Council developed the LEED system.
Sustainable design definition – here, the goal is to eliminate a negative impact on the environment through skillful, sensitive design. Through a minimalistic approach to impacting the environment, sustainable design utilizes renewable resources. The focus is on creating a healthy, productive environment for the building’s inhabitants. Principles of sustainable design include:
Use of environmentally friendly products
Optimize building site potential
Enhancement of indoor environmental quality
Protection and conservation of resources, such as water
Optimize renewable energy
Enhance operational and maintenance procedures
What Is the Primary Difference between Green vs. Sustainable?
When comparing green vs. sustainable, the primary difference is that sustainability design is a broad ideology that takes into consideration social, environmental, performance, and financial implications. Green design focuses more on the environmental aspects.
While many green products are environmentally friendly, looking at them from the sustainability aspect involves digging deeper. How are they sourced, where did they come from, what resources went into the production?
For example, if you were to look at purchasing wood planking for your floors, a green definition might be that the wood contains no measurable volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) or urea formaldehyde. Taking it a step further, sustainability would mean that the company adheres to highly selective processes where a new tree is planted for every one that is cut down. If a company uses only mature timbers, it minimizes the impact on the environment.
How does knowing the difference between green vs. sustainable help you make decisions in your home’s interior design?
While we will delve more deeply into this topic in a future blog, for right now it can help you be aware of products that you are purchasing, and the impact they have on both your health and the environment.
HK Interiors can help you discover new ways to improve your home or office using green or sustainable products. Call 954-401-8542 today for all your interior design needs.
