Happy Valentine’s Month! I know, the day may have passed but it’s still the month to love and be loved.

Of course, we all say FOREVER a lot when telling someone special how long we’ll love them, right? Well, I feel the same way about old buildings and millwork and furnishings mostly because so much of it was built so well that it actually can be loved forever.

With all the mass produced furnishings, décor and even the mass-used phrases like “rift cut white oak”, it’s always delightful to get to work with clients who are interested in blazing a different trail by reclaiming the past (...isn’t it ironic?). It means the end result will be one-of-a-kind, just like them.

Recently, I worked on a furnishing project where the house itself was filled with reclaimed architectural elements. As it happens, it was almost 10 years ago that I was lucky enough to have designed this house as a new construction project with some amazing clients and the builder I worked for for a decade, Michael Greenberg & Associates.

The reclaimed flooring and post & beams are elements that are common in MGA’s work and details that I’ve been exposed to for so long that I've come to truly appreciate as one of my own favorite styles. I really love mixing those antique details into clean-lined modern interiors.

A Love for the past

Integrated reclaimed shutters that the client found and reclaimed brick flooring in a herringbone pattern

The original client for this house is an artist and collaborating on the project was truly a fantastic experience that brought the project to new levels. We managed to incorporate not only reclaimed architectural elements such as old shutter doors and vintage hardware, but also reclaimed natural elements like various shells and bits of driftwood the client collected that were embedded into the fireplace surround and outdoor walls and walkways. The finished house has an amazing character to it that is absolutely one-of-a-kind, but adored by the masses because of it. When the new owners called me to help furnish the space and make it their own, they were very interested in continuing the vintage character that’s in the existing detailing into the furnishings. Given my affection for the home and desire to compliment the architectural detailing, I agreed and embarked on a journey to orchestrate a symphony made up of the treasures of others’ pasts.

Some of the found pieces even look like what’s on trend but how cool that they are not bought from a website or catalog - meaning your friend won’t have the same piece. I mean, unless they found the matching twin or its’s a piece that was from a mass-produced collection that’s come and long gone - but if that happens, maybe the pieces can be friends too.

During my quest I visited many local antique centers, some smaller boutique places for furnishings and décor, a large (beautiful!) antique furniture store that is 2-hours away (but more than worth the rainy day trek), architectural salvage yards and some online dealers. Sourcing mostly in person helps because I can easily see the quality of the piece before committing to the purchase and I can be sure it will last.

(FYI, If you’re interested in knowing my sources here in Connecticut, sign up for my newsletter below and I’ll send you the list with my notes!)

Bedroom with Vintage Furnishings, Décor and Linens

The actual process of designing spaces with mixed vintage and modern pieces can be much different than your standard design process because you might be planning your vision around something that is already existing (after you actually find it, which can take 5 minutes or 5 weeks), as opposed to planning the existence of your vision and building to suit. It can (fittingly) be done backwards when using antiques in modern interiors. That being said, and despite taking twice the amount of time, I find it can be an incredibly inspiring experience.

Knowing that each piece has both an old past AND a new future is exciting, not to mention sustainable! Consider it a sequel or the next chapter in it’s story.

Timeless means it’s story hasn’t ended.

What I love most is incorporating old vintage elements and details that have been reclaimed into something new altogether, an architectural detail or totally new piece of furniture. While some antiques are truly heirloom and quite perfect the way they are, other things are begging to transform into something new, something that can become timeless, i.e. something to love FOREVER.

Yours Truly, Erin

If you want a copy of my antique source list, click here! Reclaimed style not your thing? Well, I work with clients with a wide variety of tastes and styles because I work with clients who are individuals looking for their homes to be true reflections of them. I would love to hear more about your project and talk to you more about how we can make it truly bespoke.

Learn more about my design services and creating future antiques

We all have certainly felt stuck inside during the “situation” that is 2020.

Everyone is typically so busy running around trying to get more done in a day, it's almost been odd to stay put. And with being home so much in this past 9 months I’m sure you have started realizing more and more how much you can't stand being in YOUR current “situation”, aka. you're tired, out dated, why-would-they-put-this-door-here-anyway?! home.

But if you have been considering starting a new construction home or renovating your kitchen or bathroom this is actually a perfect time to really pay attention.

You can start thinking about the ways you can enhance your new home to meet your specific needs by becoming aware of the ways that your current home is (and better yet is not) working for you and your family.

EMK INTERIORS STARTING A NEW CONSTRUCTION HOME PROJECT OR RENOVATION 1.png

As in, how do you function in your everyday life and how does your space help or hinder?

If you are like most clients I meet with, there is the “usual” way to start a design project. You spend hours flipping through piles of design magazines or you fall down an Instagram or Pinterest hole searching through a never-ending plethora of gorgeous images….

…all because inspiration is important. But it doesn’t mean it works.

I’m going to let you in on the secret of the MOST important thing to know when starting a new construction home or renovation or any other interior design project…or ANY design ANYTHING!

It’s arguably even “the Golden Rule” of design and for good reasons, you should be mindful of it. In fact, you’ve most likely even heard it before.

Form Follows Function.

That’s it. That’s the magic secret.

As is true with most people, the ‘usual way’ of starting a project with photos doesn’t do very much for you at the start except maybe make you jealous of other people’s homes. And while I cannot stress enough the value that comes with hiring a professional Interior Designer to help with your home design project and definitely recommend that be your next step, I know you might be anxious to start NOW.

So what do you need to know when starting a new construction home project?

“What's the first step?”, you might be asking?

We know that gathering photos helps to point you in the right direction of what you want your space to look like and helps communicate that to a certain degree, but remember how we talked about how things function (or don’t function) for your lifestyle? If you want a GREAT DESIGN that is personalized for exactly how you exist in this world then, in the end, it is NOT just about what it looks like. A GREAT DESIGN encompasses the GOLDEN RULE OF HOME DESIGN.

It’s first about how it works and second about how it looks when it’s working, especially when it comes to larger projects such as starting a new construction home or designing a new luxury kitchen, but even a bedroom has an underlying purpose.

DESIGN IS A PLAN FOR ARRANGING ELEMENTS IN SUCH A WAY AS BEST TO ACCOMPLISH A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. – CHARLES EAMES

Think about it, would people care what a Ferrari looks like without the utilization of race technology in its engine?

Short answer…no.

The whole appeal is that a Ferrari goes fast, handles like a dream and, oh yeah, at the end of the all-important list, it ALSO looks super sexy whilst doing it. It's what makes the Ferrari a great design, and really, who wouldn't want a super sexy Ferrari?

emk-interiors-starting-a-new-construction-home-ferrari

So it's the same with designing your home. The first step to starting a new construction home design or renovation project is simple. All you have to do is pay attention.

Here in 2020 you've been using your kitchen as a restaurant, a classroom, an office, a greenhouse, a launderette, a distillery (maybe? no judgement)…whatever it is, take some time to notice how your space is working for your needs.

Do you always feel you have ZERO counter space where you actually need it? (who doesn’t…)
Do you DESPERATELY need a way to combine all three of your current food storage cabinets into one pantry so you can actually see what you have so you stop buying lifetimes supplies??
Does it turn out that, although very cool and trendy, you DESPISE having open shelving for your dishes because you have to wash the dust off of them before you use them?
Are you and your whole family all well over 6 feet tall so it’s a rather (ahem) sizeable AGGREVATION for everyone to have to bend over the kitchen AND bathroom counters that are ‘too-short-for-those-who-tower’?
Are you left-handed so having to load the dishwasher on the right in your kitchen drives you CRAZY?!

……..WAIT, HOLLLLLLLDDDD ON! This is a list of all things that don't work for you! Shouldn't you be determining what you DO want and need not what you DON’T want or need??

Not necessarily. These are all real issues of clients of mine. Determining what doesn't work for you actually asserts your pain points, so they can be addressed first when designing your new space.

““DESIGN IS AS MUCH A MATTER OF FINDING PROBLEMS AS IT IS SOLVING THEM.””

— Brian Lawson

It’s important to make note (even get out the spiral notebook!) of these things that DO NOT function for your lifestyle in addition to a list of things that currently DO work well. After all, why reinvent the wheel that works so smoothly already? This information you gather is arguably even more helpful to share with your designer when you begin to develop your project than all of your collected photos combined.

Why? Well, everyone isn’t you! Everyone has their own individual needs, everyone works differently in their own space and everyone has their own preferred styles. Think of your project almost like your very own customized Ferrari.

THE NUMBER ONE GOAL when starting your new construction home design NEEDS TO BE FOR YOUR NEW SPACE TO HANDLE YOUR INDIVIDUAL LIFESTYLE LIKE A DREAM...

AND OH YEAH, LOOK SEXY WHILE DOING IT!

Now is the perfect time to pay attention to how you use your space so you'll be ready to communicate to your architect, builder and/or interior designer exactly what you need and make informed design decisions when the light turns green and you’re ready to begin building your dreams in 2021.

Yours Truly, Erin

BTW…For those of you interested in building an entire barn garage to house your Ferraris and 20+ other Luxury Sportscars, I have some experience… ;-) Call me! I’m always looking for great clients looking to do something special with their designs and the more unique the project, the more unique the design.