Example of a mid-sized trendy l-shaped kitchen design in Seattle with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, paneled appliances and an island

Mark Trousdale, Lisa Sze
This is an example of a contemporary porch design in San Francisco.

Luis Angel
Photo of a modern landscaping in Los Angeles.

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.

Rimm flowerpots and vases have a stringent, modernistic form and expression with a beautifully defined rim of varying heights that acts as a frame-like central motif, hence the name. The new Rimm collection presents plants and flowers in a timeless balanced way, allowing the intrinsic beauty of materials and handcraft to stand out.

Natural stone can add so much to your garden design. We love the structure and elegance this light stone adds.
Inspiration for a mediterranean courtyard deck remodel

Example of a kids' single-sink and wallpaper bathroom design with quartz countertops, white countertops and a built-in vanity

This piece can either be an end table next to a couch or side tables for a bed. Elegant custom turned legs with floating shelf midway and table top. Custom two toned finish, espresso stain with hand burnished red paint. Close up of leg detail. photos by Kimball Ungerman

Inspiration for a modern home office remodel in Montreal

Conan Y. Fugit, Katherine Fugit
Home design - eclectic home design idea in Wichita

Modern Farmhouse
Inspiration for a mid-sized rustic dark wood floor and brown floor wine cellar remodel in Detroit with storage racks

Full house remodel in Sunnyvale, CA Golden View Renovation
Kitchen - kitchen idea in San Francisco

subway tile accent wall with black wood wrap-around trim
Inspiration for a mid-sized industrial hallway remodel in Houston with white walls

A nursery for twin girls.
Elegant nursery photo in Nashville

21STM001 Basketweave with Black Dot
Inspiration for a transitional bathroom remodel in Toronto