Ask Devon - February Q&A

Welcome back to another roundup of our favorite Q&As from the series Devon hosts on Instagram every weekend! The month of February brought in a ton of new and interesting questions, ranging from furnishing concerns to career advice. We love hearing from all of you, and we do our best to answer all of your design questions. So, be sure to follow along on Instagram every weekend!

Should rooms facing each other have matching window treatments?

If the windows are the same size in both rooms (or at least proportions), then I’d keep them the same. But they don’t have to be, especially if the windows are different sizes. Then you need to do the type of treatment that fits the window best. You should keep it cohesive though. If the type of treatments are different, keep the fabrics the same. Or, at the very least, keep the hardware the same.

Do you ever do custom furniture?

Absolutely! We’re not the firm that does everything custom… we like to mix some special, custom pieces in with prefabricated, made to order pieces. Our favorite thing to do lately has ben these custom plinth coffee tables. We pick the perfect slab of stone, and Beckerworks makes it into the perfect sized table for the seating area.

Any tips for making a steam shower?

Steam showers are very decadent but need to be done properly or they’ll become full of mold. Two tips: 1) You need to tile the ceiling, and have it installed on a slight slope so water can drip off easily. 2) You need to fully enclose the shower in glass but you should have a pivoting transom window so that you can crack it open and let the steam out once you’re done. Otherwise, you’ll have to leave your door cracked when you’re done.

Is it a bad thing that i am being pickY about my work place as a new graduate?

No, make sure that the place you start your career at is a environment that you are able to grow and learn in. Make sure there are people working there that inspire you and can teach and mentor you. That said, it’s important to expose yourself to different firms early in your career to discover what you like best and where you ultimately want to end up. Internships are the best way to do that because they’re for a defined amount of time and they also build your resume and give you even more opportunities when you graduate.

Type of light fixture for a narrow stairwell that has walls on either side (straight stairs)?

If it’s narrow and enclosed, stick with recessed cans. They’ll brighten it up and keep the space open. We always do 4” LED recessed lights for a modern look.

Are arches (doorways, mirrors, furniture) going to stick around or go out of style quickly?

Arches have been around literally forever. I don’t think you ever have to worry about them going out of style. If you like them and they make you happy, put them in your home. That’s all that matters!

Where to look for a floating stone vanity for a powder room?

This isn’t something you can buy off the shelf in my experience. Talk to your countertop fabricator about making one. You’ll need some pretty substantial brackets on the wall to support it too, so keep that in mind. Also, pro tip: get a modern p-trap so that you don’t see a gross PVC pipe sticking out of the bottom.

How do switch up hardware once you have the holes in your cabinets?

Open your drawers and measure the distance from one screw to the other. There’s your pull length. Knobs can be replaced with new knobs, or you can drill a second hole and switch them to pulls.

Want to build a home that’s great for casual/informal hosting. What are must haves?

I’d suggest a more open floorplan, a big kitchen island (because that’s where everyone inevitably seems to hang out in casual settings), and a well-rounded seating area. More technical, but I’d also put your lights on dimmer switches so you can control the ambiance. And, add a fireplace to make it extra cozy.

How do i find a good builder for a new house?

Hire a design team first (architect and interior designer). Perfect your design, and then send it out to bid to at least three builders. Your design team should be able to help with this. This is my number one tip when designing and building a custom home: design first, then bid it out. Sorry if this upsets anyone (and I’m sure it will), but it doesn’t make sense to hire your builder first. They can’t give you a proper price if they don’t know the design or quality of finishes yet.

Engineered Hardwood vs. Normal Hardwood?

Repeat after me: “engineered hardwood floors are real hardwood.” Engineered floors are a newer development where layers of plywood are glued together in perpendicular directions and a “wear layer” (the finished part that you actually see) is secured to the top. What does this do? Resists severe expansion and contraction. It can also be glued down to substrate without a plywood subfloor, so this is good in condos/high rises. Engineered hardwood is also more cost effective because you don’t need as much as the expensive hardwood for the same amount of floors (since the lower layers are plywood). Fact: In 99% of our projects, we use engineered hardwood. It’s a superior product to solid wood in our opinion. One caveat: make sure you buy a quality engineered wood. Look at the thickness of the wear layer, and make sure it’s at least 1/8”.

That completes our roundup of the best Q&As from the month of February! If you’re not already, be sure to follow along on Instagram so you never miss out on our weekly Q&A series.

-dgw