Advice From the Design Team
We share tips from Devon every week on the blog and Instagram Q&As, and it’s one of our favorite ways to engage with all of you. This week, we decided it was time to open up a discussion with our talented design team on the blog! They took some time to come up with their #1 piece of design advice to share with you. Whether you’re getting started on a big renovation or just looking to add a few new pieces to your space, these designer-recommended tips provide some really valuable guidance to the design process.
Hannah Lewek, NCIDQ - Senior Designer
Hannah just recently shared this piece of design advice with a friend who bought their first condo, “she was feeling overwhelmed with how to approach picking out so many pieces for each room, and making sure they all coordinate. I told her to find one inspiration piece, something you really love for the room first. Maybe it's a funky rug, or a bold piece of artwork. Use that as your jumping off point and then make sure everything else you pick coordinates with that piece!”
She also shared the importance of staying true to yourself when designing your home. “Trends will come and go, but if you stick with a style you love, you'll never grow tired of it!”
a sneak peek at one of the projects hannah has been working on:
Emily Smith - Associate Designer
The number one piece of advice that Emily shared is “Don't be afraid to take risks! Some of the best designs come from crazy ideas. Even if the initial plan isn't executed, it usually will lead to something even better or spark some sort of inspiration. This also helps to make sure that each project is unique with their own special touch to stand out from the crowd.”
Take a look at a few of the designs that emily has lead:
Jordan Mclary - Associate Designer
Whether you’re choosing furniture or construction materials, Jordan’s piece of advice is “Always order samples: You get to see the texture, color, and finish up close which can be so important when you pull a whole palette or space together. Images online usually don't do the material justice.”
If there’s one rule Jordan recommends following, it’s “The power of three: A magic number when it comes to design, forces the eye to move around the display (light fixture arrangement, shelf styling, pillow arrangement, etc) and create a level of visual interest that even numbered arrangements simply can't compete with.”
here are a few of the designs jordan helped create:
Mallory MClain - Junior Designer
Designing your space can be challenging, but this piece of advice Mallory shared can help ease your mind. “Trust your gut. I used to be way more self-conscious about if the finishes and furniture I've selected actually worked well together, but now I'm much more confident in my eye for design and allow myself to have more fun with it.”
Check out some “in progress” projects that mallory is working on:
Mackenzie Zehner - Junior Designer
The number one design tip that Mackenzie follows and recommends is to “Always follow the 60-30-10 Rule for color. The 60-30-10 Rule helps create your color palette for the space, while keeping it balanced. For example, 60% is the overall color for the room, 30% is the secondary color in the space and 10% is your accent color. This can be used when designing with neutrals or color.”
Take a look at a few the projects mackenzie is currently working on:
We absolutely love sharing our design advice with all of you, and we hope these tips can guide you through your next home project. Huge thanks to the design team for contributing their knowledge!
-dgw
