Creating the perfect interior for your own home is daunting. We all struggle with following the current trends balanced with our likes. Now, consider the architecture of your home, your lifestyle, how easy is it to change your look in 5 years, and your budget! If you have an active family, you may live hard in the house and durable finishes are important. If you are empty nesters and live gently in your space, fine finishes add glamor and fragility is not an issue. Is this your first house, when you have big dreams but low budgets, or your last house and you want everything you ever dreamed about? Do you have the physical space to accommodate your ideas, or is your space challenging and very creative solutions need to be found?
Many, many thoughts and emotions go into making these decisions! Kitchens and bathrooms are rarely redone unless they are over 20 years old. With such permanent decisions to make, how do you make the right ones you are confident you’ll enjoy for many years?
First of all, do a little soul searching. As designers, we LOVE many things we see, but that does not mean they belong in our personal home. It is important to learn what kind of environment relaxes you or inspires. Dogs, kids, and muddy feet usually are not a good mix for white rugs and furniture! For kitchen and bath areas we recommend floors that hide dirt and stained base cabinets in areas that are in heavy use or for seating. Stained cabinets are more resilient than painted cabinets to bumps and feet and pet slobber. Don’t go with the trends unless you love that look and can feel comfortable long term living with it! We find that color palettes change quite often, so what colors do YOU love around you? This does not mean playing it TOO safe in your color selections. If so, you will get bored. Nor does it mean playing it TOO daring, because that causes mental fatigue and confusion after a while. Some personalities enjoy a bold pop of color or pattern or texture, balanced well in the combination of selections. Other personalities live best in monochromatic tones with pattern and texture to bring interest. The accessory items in the room also make a difference – type of art and moveable furnishings- they all play a part. The room needs to be balanced with the adjoining spaces, so all aspects and viewpoints are considered!
The structural/functional layout of the space are as important as finish selections. The structural components create mass and visual interest and complements the details. The kitchen or bath design must FIRST work functionally. Space planning provides an opportunity to consider varied heights, depth, and sizing to create balance as well as unexpected and pleasing structural accents.
If you are not comfortable making decisions on your own in creating solutions you will love, find the right designer who can help you. Look at their portfolio of work, and you will come to understand their abilities and flexibility of style. Some designers have ‘signature looks’, some are very eclectic. It is easy to replicate a look from a magazine, and far more challenging to bring together unpredictable combinations! Most importantly, your designer should listen to you and return a design plan that reflects YOUR style, needs and aesthetic.
Our design firm specializes in challenges! In fact, we THRIVE on them! They make us happy!
Design Solutions, Inc, led by Joni Zimmerman, has been at the forefront of the Annapolis design community for over 35 years. Joni, with over 40 years of experience in design and architecture and Andrea Wheeler, with over 15 years in the kitchen and bath field, work both collaboratively and independently to design and help clients create spaces reflecting their own personal style that function well for their lifestyle.
Joni, drawing on experience with psychology and human dynamics, designs in layers, adding detail and interest to create spaces that are timelessly classic yet surprising and refreshing. Unique spatial challenges and redesign are some of her specialties. Andrea, with training in art & design, brings an unexpected combination of shapes, colors and textures to create balanced environments. Both designers are adamant about selecting elements truly reflecting their clients’ preferences, subtly guided by trends yet thoughtfully designed to remain relevant for years.
Joni and Andrea believe the design process is most effective when they truly understand their clients. Their goal is to create a design that meets the functional and financial demands of each client while achieving a look that fits perfectly for both the client and the home.
Having built the business in Annapolis for the past 35 years, Joni now lives in Talbot County and works with clients on both sides of the Bay Bridge. Andrea lives in Annapolis and directs their creative studio on Chinquapin Round Road. They welcome new clients to contact them at dsikitchens.com.
Design Solutions, Inc. Annapolis, MD, Talbot County and beyond info@dsikitchens.com (410) 757-6100
