Advice on interior design is available everywhere—from TV shows and websites to books, magazines and apps. We love seeing people become engaged in design and educated on the wide range of possibilities. But we hope you’ll proceed with caution. It’s not that style errors are a matter of life and death. It’s just that it’s easy to choose designs that aren’t necessarily reflective of your own personality and character. And since you’re typically stuck with your interior design decisions for years, styles that don’t quite fit can tend to grate on you. Interiors that give one person comfort may unleash chaos in someone else. This goes beyond favorite colors or hot trends, right to the heart of interior design, where you find questions of composition, balance, repetition, space and more. The goal is to find that unique combination of design elements that gives you comfort, support and balance. In one home, that perfect balance was struck through the use of symmetry. A pair of comfortable swivel chairs sit beneath matching indigo patterned paintings. Matching bookcases below the paintings contain similar, but not identical, arrangements of books, vases and bowls. Woods and bronzes help warm up the simple white bookcase shelving. Two matching poufs in front of the fireplace provide additional seating. The sofa is accented with a pair of pillows with a blue pattern that echoes the artwork. The effect of the symmetry is to achieve order and simplicity, which I promote at every opportunity. After all, your home interiors should be the setting or the backdrop of your life—not center stage. Antique bronze and blue are complementary colors. Together, they offer a rich palette of richness and depth, which brings out the beauty of wood and stone. In the home office, a unique, whitewash-stained wooden desk rests on metal, Sawhorse-inspired legs for a warm, rustic look. The black leather chair features a contemporary silhouette with an antique brass frame. An adjustable desk lamp has bronze accents. The bookcase combines a sleek, black metal frame with concrete shelves, for another unusual pairing. It’s kept uncluttered for an orderly, peaceful look. Items on the shelves include a bronze-accented lamp and a pair of high gloss-finished wooden bookends. The elegant artwork behind the desk is a simple midnight-blue and bronze with mottled white. Deep blues are again picked up in the rug, which adds a stately vibe with a modern pattern and satisfying texture. Within the framework of symmetry, the living room repeats the blue-and-bronze color scheme. A large midcentury brass clock above the fireplace keeps the natural stone visible, rather than hidden behind a painting or television, while its straight lines and color create a beautiful contrast. The sofa is a soft, neutral blue. The pattern on the round brass side table features echoes the darker blue-patterned rug, as well as the rug in the office, tying the rooms together. Indigo blue books adjacent to bronze vases on the shelves repeat the color scheme. The soapstone-topped coffee table echoes the shape of the fireplace. A pair of tall, matching floor lamps with long wooden bases, brass pulls and simple linen shades combine both the colors and symmetry found throughout the home.

Example of a large classic home bar design

J. Bloom Photography
Example of a transitional freestanding desk concrete floor home office design in Omaha with white walls

This green-loving homeowner came to us with a specific vision in mind - they wanted to go green. By incorporating a fun, geometric tile, a mix of black and gold accents, and a gorgeous free-standing bathtub, our team was able to turn this bathroom into their dream space. After the remodel was complete, the homeowner incorporated plants and additional green accents to take this green bathroom to the next level and truly make it their own.

We developed this innovative solution using a motorized mylar roller shade combined with a motorized cellular shade. With the mylar roller shade down, the views are unobstructed but 99% of the UV is blocked, minimizing heating issues during long summer days. The mylar shade can be retracted to allow full solar heating during the winter. Lowering the cellular honeycomb shade provides optimal insulation on the window, which is further boosted if the mylar shade is also lowered. Best of all, it can be controlled using hand-held remotes, or controlled or programmed for automatic operation, even from halfway around the world using a tablet or mobile phone.

Example of a classic open concept laminate floor home design design with a corner fireplace and a tile fireplace

Jennifer Mayo Studios
Small beach style l-shaped vinyl floor and gray floor eat-in kitchen photo with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, turquoise cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Inspiration for a small eclectic front door remodel in San Francisco with a white front door

Graphic black-and-white floor tile gives the remodeled bathroom a timeless pattern and a crisp foundation for the room’s warmer wood and brass details.

Stacked Tiered Travertine Spillway
Pool fountain - mid-sized contemporary backyard stamped concrete and rectangular aboveground pool fountain idea in Houston

Softly illuminated in rich emerald green, Facet's textured pattern has a modern feel. Available in Emerald, Blue Sapphire and Amethyst.
Trendy home design photo in San Diego

Drill holes for power cords so that the cables are all hidden away.
Beach style home design photo in Miami

Leah Muse Photography
Home design - contemporary home design idea in Austin

Catherine Buley, High Tech Turf & Trees, Rain Garden Nursery, LandscapeMakeover.biz We Love Turf Renovation Projects!!! Scott spent nearly ten years managing a Top Rated Resort golf course in California. Months after he renovated the entire course, California Golf Magazine re-rated it as the #1 Resort Golf Course in California. Now we apply this same turf technology to all types of landscapes. Here Scott takes an AFTER PHOTO of this project.

accent wall in basement
Wine cellar - contemporary wine cellar idea in Cleveland

Dining room - modern dining room idea in New York