Homes Misc
Trend: Flexible doors for wide openings. With open floor plans and wider openings between spaces becoming more popular, interior bi-fold, double pocket and barn doors offer the ability to divide the space when needed or keep it open. “We’re finding that interior doors these days need to provide flexibility in space defining,” says senior associate Kyle Sheffield of LDa.
Keep the color pieces simple, so you can easily change the accent when you need a different look. In the space here, the accent piece is the red chair, while the rest of the room is simple and neutral. A chair makes a great accent piece, as it can be reupholstered in any color fabric you like, and when you are tired of the look, it can be moved to another room. Just remember that the vibrancy of colors increases against a white background, so even a little color can have a huge effect.
In a true neutral color scheme, a pop of color should always be used sparingly. Consider adding a bright artwork, colored cushions or a side table. Remember to choose only one standout color and not to overdo it. This can be particularly useful when decorating children’s rooms, as their favorite colors can change frequently.
When planning a neutral room, always consider texture. “Texture” refers to the surface characteristics as well as the appearance of an object. Therefore, texture is not just about how something feels to be touched, but how it looks as well. Tactile texture relates to an actual feeling of a surface — rough, smooth, soft, hard — whereas visual texture is one’s perception of what the texture may feel like.
Metal roofing. Low maintenance, a crisp aesthetic and an affordable price point make this a favorite roof finish of mine. Metal roofing can be site-fabricated, where the pans are formed from metal coil stock, or it can be premanufactured and arrive onsite already formed into pans. The preformed pans can be installed quickly and, depending on the finish, can have a warranty of up to 35 years. I like the look of natural Galvalume, a bright silver that dulls with age, and its natural patina protects the finish from corrosion. When that’s not right for the project, I select a gray Galvalume that mimics a natural metal finish. Zinc Grey is a good default choice.
Large-format porcelain tile. I especially like large-format porcelain tiles, which offer the look and feel of natural stone at a much lower cost. They’re virtually indestructible and, unlike many natural stone products, they’re rectified, meaning they have a uniform thickness. When the tiles have a regular depth, it allows us to use a thinset application on walls or floors, which is much less expensive than a thickset (or mudset) installation. Textured finishes vary by manufacturer but usually include honed, hammered, polished and raked. Right now I like offerings by Mosa USA and Floor Gres.
U-channels for recessed glazing. This is a simple, hidden component that makes floor-to-ceiling floating glass and cast acrylic panels possible. The U-channel is set to align flush with the adjacent finished surfaces and disappear. Begin your search by checking with a local glass shop or try C.R. Laurence online for a full range of glass attachment hardware.
Aluminum doors. These doors are functional and utilitarian, and the slender profiles prioritize the visual connection to the outdoors rather than a bulky frame and hardware assembly. With aluminum doors, I look for “thermally broken” frames that have separate interior and exterior frames and that minimize heat transfer (and condensation) in either direction. Check out Fleetwood and Arcadia for starters.
Basic lever handles. Because door hardware is subject to such heavy use, it’s a place where low quality translates disproportionately to dissatisfaction. You want a lock set that reliably latches and a handle set with some weight. The door hardware should support the other hardware decisions in the home. Keeping it simple and neutral allows for flexibility in selecting those other components. Levers are easy to use from an accessibility standpoint too. Current favorites of mine are made by Omnia, Emtek and FSB.
Embrace LED lighting. A great way to change your quality of light and even save you a little extra money in energy bills is to swap out your existing lighting for energy-efficient LED bulbs. Don’t worry, you won’t necessarily have to rewire the whole house. Often you can simply replace the lightbulb. Or strip lighting can be cleverly added for an interesting effect.
Rhombe Color collection by design duo Stilleben for Lyngby Porcelæn, a company within Rosendahl Design Group. Photo from 3 Days of Design
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