I’m having the exterior of my house painted, and my painter offered to throw a coat of paint on my kitchen cabinets while they’re here. The cabinets are super worn, and we plan on a gut renovation (with a possible extension) in a few years, so I don’t want to go crazy, but I can’t look at these chipped cabinets anymore so I’m going to take him up on the offer. I mean, I still need to pay, but…

I live in an old house in Connecticut with a detached former barn, and my style is pretty eclectic. I love blue, but there is already a lot of blue in the house. I think the painter expects an easy “paint it white,” but that’s not really my style.

I’m working with silver metal hardware that I don’t want to change, and I wouldn’t mind some new lights. The breakfast area has black-and-white checkerboard flooring. Besides that, I will do whatever you tell me to! And if I’m not being too greedy, I’ll take a suggestion for the counter stools, too. Backless, if possible.

Thanks!
Not Ready to Renovate in Connecticut

PS I have to be honest and tell you I uploaded some photos to Chat GPT and said help me facelift my kitchen in Toledo Geller’s style and it completely missed the mark. Your job is still safe!

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The good news? Demo was done.

The bad news? Demo confirmed that there was not going to be a magical solution to our very low, very inconsistent basement ceilings. And I decided my simple plan of making the floor and ceiling clean and neat wasn’t going to be enough for me. (Who saw that one coming?)

Once the acoustic tiles came down, we could see what was actually happening up there: ducts, vents, pipes - everywhere. The highest ceiling height we could possibly get was about 7½ feet, and in several areas, we were looking at closer to 7 feet.

So instead of fighting to make the ceiling feel uniform, I started thinking about how we could use all of those changes to our advantage.

But first: the floor. Because that seemed like an easy decision I could check off my list.

The First Actual Decision

I went to Floor & Decor and picked out a light-colored LVP. We don’t usually (read: never) shop there, but it’s local, in stock and the convenience is really undeniable.

Normally, when we’re designing a basement for a client, we try to make the flooring feel like a continuation of the rest of the house. If there are dark wood floors upstairs, we’d typically look for something downstairs that relates to them.

But this is a 1950s house, and the basement very much feels like a basement. There is no grand staircase connecting the two levels. Nobody is going to walk down here and wonder why I didn’t continue the dark wood.

And with ceilings this low, I actually felt like doing the opposite would help. I wanted the floor to be light, fresh, and quiet - something that would make the entire space feel a little more open.

One decision down. Many more to go.

What Are We Actually Doing Down Here?

Once I could see the ceiling heights and all of the columns clearly, I realized I couldn’t figure out the floor plan until I figured out what we actually wanted to do in the basement. And even though I tried to be chill and not have a plan, every good design starts with one. We do love space planning, so it was impossible to ignore.

There were two easy answers.

Ping-pong. I love tennis, so naturally this felt like an essential basement activity.

And TV/movie watching. The entire point of this renovation is to give the kids a place to hang out with their friends, pile onto a sofa, and watch movies without being in our way. Or us being in theirs.

The windows are at the back end of the basement, which felt like the natural place for the TV-watching area. The problem? There are four lally columns back there. Three that almost align, and one in the middle of nowhere. If that one column weren’t there, this renovation probably would have happened a long time ago because the floor plan would have been so obvious.

I decided to beef up the walls around the three columns that almost align and create some synergy between them by making them actually align. One got wider, one got longer. Now there will be a rhythm to them, making them feel almost like an entryway into the TV area.

But the column in the middle remains a problem.

Virginia suggested a back-to-back sofa with TV viewing on one side and a gaming TV on the other. We’ve done this once before.

I said no.

I don’t love electronics or video games, my kids aren’t obsessed with them, and I’m going to resist dedicating square footage to gaming for as long as I possibly can. I am, however, realistic enough to know that I may eventually be overruled, so there may be somewhere to accommodate it should that dark day arrive.

That still left a LOT of basement.

So I started going through the list of Things People Put in Basements.

Pool table? No.

Foosball? Maybe, but does anyone actually play foosball?

Air hockey? I do love air hockey, but the nice tables cost considerably more than I want to spend on air hockey, and the less expensive versions are just…crap. I am a firm believer in buying nice things or not buying it at all.

My husband suggested a golf simulator, and for about five minutes we were both extremely excited about this idea.

Then we realized how much ceiling height you need for a golf simulator.

Seven feet is not it.

Back to the drawing board.

Maybe We Don’t Need More Games

At some point, I realized I was approaching the problem backward.

I didn’t necessarily need to fill every part of the basement with an activity. I needed to create places where kids would want to hang out.

I kept coming back to the idea of a long, swanky banquette somewhere near the ping-pong table where people could watch their friends play, hang out, talk, draw, read - do whatever it is they do when they’re not staring at a screen. I’m envisioning it in cabana stripes. Why? I’m not sure.

My kids are really creative when they play. They’re not always looking to be entertained by a TV or a video game. I wanted to leave room for that.

At first, I had the banquette in one location. But there was another corner of the basement that I could not figure out.

And when I say I couldn’t figure it out, I mean I spent several nights lying in bed thinking about a corner of my basement.

Normal behavior.

Eventually, I realized I had the whole thing backward.

That awkward corner was actually the perfect place for the banquette. It could wrap the corner in an L-shape, and because the ceiling is already lower there, instead of trying to disguise it, I could lean into it and make the whole area feel intentionally cozy.

And moving the banquette freed up the other area for something I hadn’t originally planned on at all.

Enter: The Snack Situation

One of the lally columns in the front of the basement near the stairs needed to be incorporated into a closet because there’s an alarm panel nearby that we need to maintain access to. Building that closet created a natural little nook alongside it that could be perfect for a snack bar.

Mini fridge? Obviously.

Microwave for popcorn? Probably.

Movie-theater-style snacks? Yes.

And then I came across an inspiration image on Pinterest that made me rethink the whole thing.

What if it wasn’t just a little snack station?

What if we created something more like a kitchen island or peninsula - except not a kitchen island or peninsula at all?

Think about where everyone ends up when you have people over. They stand around the kitchen island. They pull up a stool. They eat. They talk. They hang out.

Why wouldn’t teenagers do exactly the same thing?

And suddenly, I knew what that part of the basement needed to be.

Not a bar. Not a kitchenette. And definitely not a bunch of traditional cabinetry.

Something younger. More playful. Maybe a little weird.

Could it feel tented? Could the bar back be a wild wallpaper? Could the whole bar be upholstered instead of millwork?

I had no idea yet.

But unfortunately for everyone involved, I now had a plan.

If you missed the first Designers Behaving Badly: What Happens When A Designer Starts a Renovation Without a Plan?

Note: Added after this article was written: I took my daughters with me to purchase the LVP in person because the store pricing was better than online (???), and they fell in love with this white one. It’s really quite white, not light gray as it kind of looks in this image. It has a definitive ’80s vibe to it. Without a plan, I could be swayed… Do I listen to them? And yes, that means I still need to purchase the flooring because I couldn’t pull the trigger…

They also really liked this guy Michael who helped us out at Floor and Decor. Shout out to Michael! And is there anything more fun than being a silly and random 11 year old girl?

But here we are.

Our basement has been kind-of, sort-of on my list for a while. My kids are getting to the age where they need less of a playroom and more of a place they actually want to hang out. Somewhere they can pile in with their friends, watch movies, play games, and generally be comfortable without being in our way. And, probably more importantly, without us being in theirs.

With all of my kids away at sleepaway camp and about three weeks left before they came home, I had a thought: What if we just did it now?

I called our favorite contractor and asked if there was any chance he could come in and start demo.

He said yes.

I spent a weekend throwing out or donating almost every single thing in that basement. It’s a big basement, but it had mostly been home to toys (or, more accurately, parts of toys, abandoned dolls, a broken and graffitied Barbie Dream House and thousands of loose LEGOs) and almost no furniture - except for a massive overstuffed blue toile sofa that the previous homeowners couldn’t get up the narrow stairway and left for us.

The only problem? I had absolutely no plan.

What I Knew

I knew the floors needed to be redone. We had a flood about three weeks after we moved in (and yet, miraculously, the previous owners said that in the 30+ years they lived here, the basement had never seen any water).

Because of the flood the carpet had already been ripped up, and we installed French drains, but I never replaced the floors or repaired the walls in that area because I knew that one day this renovation would happen.

I also knew the ceiling had to go.

The existing basement had a drop ceiling with acoustic tiles, many of which were missing. There had also been various leaks over the years, so I really had no idea what we were going to find once everything came down.

Beyond that, I was surprisingly undecided.

And in my middle age, I have finally made peace with the type of person I am: someone who thinks and pontificates, has a hard time committing, and then acts a bit spontaneously. My vacation planning is like this too. If I’m being honest with myself, I always knew that doing this basement would be an impulsive decision.

Basements are tricky. Ours has low ceilings (very low), several lally columns, and ceiling heights that seem to change every few feet depending on what’s happening above. I kept trying to make sense of the columns and figure out where to hide them, but they really didn’t line up with anything. The changes in ceiling height should have been useful for defining different rooms or zones, but nothing felt particularly obvious.

And normally, all of this would bother me.

My job is quite literally to have a plan.

But this time, I decided we could figure it out as we went.

For the moment, my criteria were surprisingly simple: make it clean, make it somewhere the kids and their friends actually want to be, and create a foundation that would allow me to add some personality and fun later down the road.

So we started ripping things out.

And once the ceiling came down, we could finally see what we were actually working with.

Which, of course, is when “down the road” became right now.

In the coming weeks I’ll be sharing the process of my basement renovation, the design decisions, what changes once the walls and ceilings are opened up, how much a basement renovation actually costs, and all of the unexpected things that inevitably come with renovating.

Next up: the electrician needed a lighting plan, which meant I suddenly needed an actual floor plan. So much for winging it.

If You Liked This, You Might Also Like…

Basements: The Most Underrated Square Footage in the House
A look at some basements we’ve designed for clients and basement renovation tips (which I may or may not be following!)

There Will Be No Recessed Lights
Why we’d almost always rather use a decorative flush mount than a recessed light - a philosophy my seven-foot basement ceilings are currently putting to the test.

Space Planning is Our Love Language

Why we believe the best rooms start with a good floor plan - even when the designer in question tries very hard to skip that step.

Design Time

One of our favorite kinds of projects is when a client calls us back years later and says, “We’re finally ready to finish the rest.”

A few years ago we transformed a former playroom into a bar as part of a larger renovation, but we intentionally left the rest of the room and the adjoining room fairly untouched. This summer, we’re back to finish the story.

The brief? Southern charm meets strong plaids. Equal parts masculine and feminine. If you’ve been following us for a while, you know that’s exactly the kind of balancing act we love.

Our design presentation was virtual, so we packaged these labeled samples up and sent along to our clients with a little note not to peek before our call to review.

We’ve also been tackling a massive foyer with soaring ceilings and curved walls that’s getting the full paneling treatment.

Curved walls are one of those details that look beautiful... until you’re the one trying to figure out how to panel them. Fortunately, we’ve solved this puzzle once before, and we’re excited to take another crack at it. The goal isn’t to repeat ourselves - it’s to create something that feels completely unique to this house.

In Progress

So much dust, demo, and hundreds of tiny decisions made this month…

Our newest Tudor got a bit of an accelerated timeline thanks to a very exciting deadline: our clients are expecting a baby. This month.

That meant shifting from “let’s take our time and plan every last detail” to “what can we do first that will make this house clean and dust-free before the baby’s arrival?”

One of the biggest changes was surprisingly small on paper. We moved an entry opening about five feet.

Five feet.

That’s it.

But those five feet completely changed the furniture layout, finally gave the living room a logical TV wall, improved circulation, and created a beautiful sightline through the house. It’s possibly the detail that got us this job. Our client was having such a hard time understanding the potential in its existing configuration - it was nearly impossible to lay out. After a few minutes of scratching our heads during the consultation, the answer became clear: the opening just needed to shift.

We are also working on two kitchen renovations that were intentionally scheduled for summer demo, when the families have kids in camp, travel plans, and access to an outdoor grill.

Outside the office...

Jessica’s Corner

I started the month in Palm Beach for the 4th of July and ended the month in Palm Beach for my dad’s milestone birthday. Plus, a trip to the Berkshires in between and tons of dinners with friends.

Some things I bought myself :

Literally in love with this hat I bought at a boutique in the Berkshires. It currently says unavailable but linking anyway because I hope for your sake it comes back.

Obsessed with these progressive readers - they are flexible, which I didn’t expect, and make them so comfy. (Btw, this is a complete sentence I never expected I’d make.)

My husband surprised me with a sheep he got at an estate sale as a joke. The surprise was on both of us when we found out he paid $30 for it and similar ones are listed online for over $2k!

This Month’s Favorites

• What I binged: Elle and The Idaho Murders (life is about balance, ya know?)

• Best drink: This matcha latte from famed Palm Beach coffee shop Drift was absolutely insane. I had to stop myself from finishing it before we got to the beach.

• What I tried: Had my first Lymphatic Drainage massage and hoping I can find the time to make it a regular thing.

Virginia’s Corner

With my daughter headed off to college this month, we hosted a graduation party in one of the monsoon storms we’ve had in New Jersey this summer. We didn’t let the weather get us down, though, and entertained both inside and outside, dance floor and all. I couldn’t resist the opportunity for custom cookies from the sweetest local bakery in her new school theme. (Virginia Tech - conveniently, she chose the school with my initials, and I can’t wait for the VT merch.).

Most of my free time has been spent getting her dorm-room-ready, but I’ve been escaping to my happy place as often as possible: our boat on the lake. Impromptu dinners, hosting friends, even a TG team excursion on a Summer Friday.

Some Things I Bought Myself

I came home from a vintage shop with this Belgian horse breeding medal that had been turned into a necklace. The inscription reads 1906 and references the Fédération des Sociétés Chevalines (Federation of Horse Societies) and the Kingdom of Belgium, so it likely began life as an agricultural or horse breeding medal before someone gave it a second life as jewelry.

This Month’s Favorites

• What I made in the kitchen: this delicious watermelon fruit salad with berries and lime dressing

• What I’m reading: The Briar Club

• What I did: picked flowers at a cut-your-own farm nearby

  

Worth the Hype?

One of the fun perks of growing our influencer accounts is that brands have started sending products our way to try. We never want this newsletter to feel like a commercial, so you’ll only see things here that we’d actually recommend to a friend.

That being said - these are the items I’d genuinely buy on my own:

This candle dish! It’s so stinking cute. And it’s versatile. I also used it as a wine bottle coaster when hosting some friends in my bar. Code ALCREATOR20 for 20% off

And this candle is truly stunning- it’s a modern take on the vintage candle and so freaking chic. Can’t you picture a table filled with them in various colors?

Candles are certainly within our zone of genius, but we were also gifted a few things we love that feel slightly, well... off-brand. Sharing anyway because we genuinely love them.

• This power bra really, truly, genuinely helps posture. I have been wearing it around the house while cooking, tidying up, etc. Huge fan of multitasking!

• Somehow my kids’ socks and my socks always get mixed up, but having these pink socks has been a blessing for laundry sorting. Also, extremely comfy, and wearing low-cut socks is a hill I will die on.

• Obsessed, obsessed, obsessed. More on this one soon.

Looking forward...

• Truth be told, August will be like half over by the time we post this, but this month brings an interesting pace to our office, with all of our staff out at various times for vacation. It’s reminding us that while we love what we do, and we live for it, it’s also really nice to completely check out for a bit.

• On a whim, I decided to renovate my basement.

• Our studio wallpaper should be going up soon - we are insanely excited to get some pattern and color up on those walls and can’t wait to share what we picked for our own space, and why.

If you enjoyed this little peek behind the scenes, we’d love to know what you want more of. Design process? Projects? Shopping finds? Life? Hit reply - we read every email.

First of all, thank you for sending this in. I have to tell you... I think you’re giving yourselves far less credit than you deserve. When I first opened your photos, I didn’t think, “This room needs a complete overhaul.” I thought, “This room has a good starting point.”

You already own several great pieces and they are moving in the right direction. What your home needs isn’t new furniture. It needs layers.

One thing we say all the time is that people assume a room feels unfinished because they haven’t bought enough furniture. More often than not, it feels unfinished because it hasn’t been given enough definition.

And that’s exactly what’s happening here.

Let’s start with the dining room...

You mentioned wanting to build something around the window, and I want to agree with you on this… but I just can’t. I’m sorry! That wall feels like it wants to be symmetrical, but it’s just slightly off. Adding something symmetrical to it (like shelving on either side of the window) is just going to call even more attention to it being off center. And the window is super low, so your built-in would need to be lower in that area, too (it would look like a bench there).

I’m actually wondering if you have enough room for a server or buffet on the wall between the door and the window, and you can then add an awesome oversized mirror or art above to give the space a focal point. You might need to flip the table 90 degrees to give a little breathing room, but I think it will fit. This is a dresser, and I don’t know why but I’m feeling really drawn to it for your space instead of a traditional server with doors. Obviously, if you need taller storage, look for something similar (and check dimensions!) but I’m very into those cute bun feet.

Read more

You don’t need another one telling you to buy extra-long twin sheets.

Instead, I thought I’d share a few of the things that might not make every list, but that can make a tiny dorm room feel a little more functional, a little more personal, and a lot more like home.

Cafe Curtains (Trust Me on This One)

One of my favorite dorm hacks is using inexpensive cafe curtains to hide the storage underneath the bed. If you've read our post on why we obsess over space planning, you already know we believe every square inch should earn its keep.

Most dorm beds are lofted, or at least high enough to fit bins, suitcases, and all the inevitable “I’ll deal with this later” stuff underneath. Instead of staring at plastic storage bins for the next nine months, hang a simple cafe curtain around the bed for an instant cleaner look.

They also work beautifully if your dorm room has one of those old-school sinks or washstands. You can use them to conceal everything stored underneath while adding a little softness to the room.

It’s one of those small details that makes the whole space feel more intentional.

Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper

I’m normally the first person to advocate for the real thing. Seriously.

But dorm rooms have a pretty short lifespan.

Peel-and-stick wallpaper lets you add personality without committing to a weekend-long installation (or worrying about getting your security deposit back). Whether you line the back of a bookshelf, create an accent wall, or frame a desk area, it adds so much character with very little effort.

A Rug That Can Handle College Life

One thing I’m especially excited about is the rug. Ruggable generously gifted us one for her dorm room, and honestly, I would have had a washable rug on my list regardless.

Dorm rooms see everything - Starbucks spills, muddy shoes, late-night snacks, who knows what else… Being able to throw the rug in the wash instead of living with stains for the rest of the school year feels like a no-brainer.

Beyond the practicality, a rug is what helps transform a room that feels institutional into one that actually feels warm and lived in. It’s one of the biggest design changes you can make in a dorm, and it instantly makes the space feel more finished.

No-Drill Curtain Hardware

Window treatments make almost every room feel finished, but most dorms aren’t exactly designed with decorating in mind.

That’s why I love no-drill curtain hardware. It installs quickly, doesn’t require making holes in the walls, and instantly makes even institutional dorm windows feel softer and more homey.

It’s one of those upgrades that has an outsized impact.

Towels That Actually Stand Out

This one isn’t really about decorating - it’s about surviving communal laundry.

Skip the plain white towels.

Choose towels with a pattern, colored trim, or even a monogram. Inevitably, someone will pull your laundry out of the dryer or things will get mixed together. When your towels are distinctive, they’re much easier to spot and find their way back to you.

Practical? Yes.

Pretty? Also yes.

Wireless Sconces

Every dorm room deserves better lighting than the overhead fluorescent fixture.

Wireless sconces are one of my favorite ways to instantly create ambience without hiring an electrician (or violating dorm rules). Add a pair above the bed or beside a desk, and suddenly the room feels cozy enough to study, read, or just unwind after a long day.

Good lighting changes everything.

My daughter’s vision for her freshman dorm room is decidedly neutral - a tiny bit painful for me since I love color. She really just wanted to copy and paste her bedroom at home, but we were able to agree upon this re-interpretation.

As a designer I have spent my entire career creating homes for other people. It’s a funny feeling helping your own child create her first one.

It’s only a dorm room. But it’s also the first place she’ll make entirely her own.

I have a feeling that’s why this one feels a little different.

Xx, Virginia

The end of school, dance recitals, baseball games, trying to squeeze in every school event and graduation party before everyone disappears for summer... and somehow there are still kitchens to design, clients to meet, and blueprints to draw.

Here’s what’s been happening around here:

This month we were the Consultation Queens. We had five consultations in June. Five. And three the last week in May. I don’t love talking too much about projects before they’re underway (we fully believe in the power of The Jinx) but let’s just say, we’re excited about some of these projects we’re already hired to work on (and some we hope to be).

One new project we are excited to kick off is the design of a Craftsman home in Mountain Lakes where we’ll be redesigning the kitchen and creating an addition that finally makes the house work the way the family lives.

The other is... another Tudor. At this point I think the Tudors are finding us instead of the other way around.

What we’ve been working on:

One of the projects we’re quietly obsessing over right now is a kitchen for one of my friends (yes, I absolutely mix business and pleasure - and, those happen to be some of my favorite projects).

Her design brief? Ralph Lauren meets Jackie O. Timeless, tailored, elegant... but never fussy.

The house is over 100 years old, and the more we study it, the more we’re realizing that the kitchen was never meant to be the star of the home. The formal rooms got all the architectural attention while the kitchen quietly did its job behind the scenes. Instead of fighting that history, we’re leaning into it.

Think inset cabinetry, a hood that feels like it could have once vented a wood-burning oven, furniture-like details, and materials that look like they’ve belonged to the house for generations.

I’m sharing a few of our inspiration images below because this one has us counting down until construction starts.

There’s something about working on older homes that feels different. They already have a story. Our job isn’t to erase it - it’s to continue it.

We also wrapped up a Design Blueprint bedroom that reminded us just how much can change when you get the layout right. This primary bedroom was severely lacking in storage, so a clever built-in cabinetry wall within the bedroom is going to be a workhorse and house tons of clothing.

We polled our instagram audience about a color scheme our client was in between. The green and blue scheme won online but the red and blue scheme won for our clients, and we’re really happy about that because we’ve been wanting to do a red bedroom for quite some time.

Outside the office...

June also happened to be my birthday month.

A surprise gift showed up on my doorstep from my parents - they had already gotten me the most gorgeous pink sapphire hoop earrings so I really wasn’t expecting anything, but my mom is the best gift giver (it’s 100% her love language), and more than the gift, I loved being surprised. I’m a notorious control freak who tells my husband what to buy me for any and all gifts and genuinely can’t remember the last time I was surprised. If you ask my husband he will gladly let you know that the control freak things goes for all aspects of my life, not just gifts.

My birthday month also included my two favorite competitive sports: tennis and mahjong.

Some gifts I bought myself this birthday:

I have a thing for gladiator sandals, so I ordered these during the Amazon Prime Sale on Shopbop (because somehow buying them through Amazon makes them feel like a bargain... even when they’re not). The exact pair I bought is already sold out, but these are similar

Speaking of gladiator sandals, here’s a ridiculous story: A few years ago I ordered two pairs from A.Emery directly. They were beautiful, but they had those lace-up ties that refused to stay tied, so I decided to return them. That’s when I discovered they’re based in Australia. Shipping the sandals back was going to cost over $450 - more than the pair the sandals combined.

Needless to say, they’re now the most expensive sandals I never wear.

I also bought myself another pair of sandals I already own in white - but this time purchased in black. Fun fact about me: I hate black footwear. I forced myself to buy some boots this year, I think I wore them once. I do think I’ll wear these sandals, though. There’s something perfect about the kitten heel and the casualness of the thong - when I have a little fear that I’ll be over- or under- dressed these kind of blur the line and you could pretend that you intended for either.

Worth the Hype?

One of the fun perks of growing our influencer accounts is that brands have started sending products our way to try. We never want this newsletter to feel like a commercial, so you’ll only see things here that we’d actually recommend to a friend.

That being said - these are the items I’d genuinely buy on my own:

• A self-tanner I’m currently testing (I’ll report back once I decide if it earns a permanent spot in my routine)

• A dry shampoo that’s already earned it’s place in my medicine cabinet - it’s more of a spray, less of a powder and makes my hair feel a little cleaner

• A laundry detergent that has made opening the linen closet feel like a luxury hotel.

• I’m not sure that I’d buy this one myself, but it is super cool, and I do like the idea of using it as a hostess gift. They are these tiny wax beads that let you turn almost any pretty vessel into a candle. I might be a little too practical because I kept thinking about the clean up of turning my vase or dish back into a vase or dish after the candle burns out, but I do think Virginia (our resident candle and scent lover) would love something like this.

This Month’s Favorites

• Best meal: last week I made my own Korean Beef Bowl out of the random ingredients I had in my fridge and it was so good I’m going to do it again tonight. I worked with ChatGPT on the recipe and we made a great team

• Most-used purchase: My Botox is wearing off and this face tape buys me a couple of extra weeks

• Song on repeat: Drop Dead and Homewrecker

• Design obsession: I’ve been reorganizing and optimizing our Pinterest account and I am a woman obsessed. I seem to be working on it every waking moment. While organizing, I’ve come across some old pins we’ve saved showing different treatments to un-trimmed openings that I’ve gotten re-lost in analyzing

• What I’m reading: House Love: Moor Baker Architects and The Wedding People

• One thing making life easier: Why is it so hard to remember to exfoliate? I’ve been using these pads and really like how clean they make me feel after I’ve already cleaned my face

• What I binged: Off Campus, Maternal Instinct and Voicemails For Isabelle. I Might finish Office Romance before June is over, too. So you know, a little true crime, YA porn and Rom-Com makes a perfect cocktail for a 40-something woman

Looking forward...

• We’re photographing Heritage Home in Chatham, NJ so stay tuned for that drop.

• Kicking off the design of a few projects, and also starting construction on a few.

• And hopefully a little time to sit outside with a book before summer disappears.

• A couple of trips to West Palm Beach and Palm Beach - we’ve been waiting for our construction permit for quite a bit, so hoping that the 2nd trip will be to check in on a construction site.

• Maybe we can convince Virginia to write next month’s wrap up?

If you enjoyed this little peek behind the scenes, I’d love to know what you want more of. Design process? Projects? Shopping finds? Life? Hit reply - we read every email.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what happens when a room doesn’t have a television in it.

The answer, unfortunately, is often: nothing.

It sits empty. And that’s a little sad.

Not because every room in a house needs to be occupied at all times, but because it says something about how we live today. We have become so conditioned to gathering around screens that a room designed simply for conversation, games, reading, or connection can feel almost purposeless. (Have you see Toy Story 5 yet? Spoiler alert: it’s about how everyone is glued to screens and kids have forgotten how to play. It hits a bit too close to home.)

To be perfectly honest, we aren’t exactly standing on a soapbox here.

Years ago, we used to cringe when clients asked for televisions in their formal living rooms or bedrooms. We would gently try to talk them out of it, convinced that these rooms should be reserved for reading, conversation, or some idealized version of gathering.

Fast forward a few years, and we’ve both retroactively installed televisions in our own personal formal living rooms.

Because, well...it’s easy.

Sometimes after a long day, you just want to watch a show.

So we don’t judge you. Please don’t judge us.

But the older we get, the more we appreciate having at least one space in a home that encourages something different. And deep within we know we need a screen-free room. A place where conversation can happen naturally. A place where someone might pour a drink, pull up a chair, and stay awhile.

Those moments don’t happen because a designer picked the perfect fabric. They happen because the room gives people a reason to be there.

When we were designing a recent project in Tenafly, New Jersey, we found ourselves staring at a beautiful formal living room and asking a question we ask often:

What would make someone choose to come in here?

The family room - with the television - was directly adjacent. If given the choice between a room with a screen and a room without one, most of us know which room wins.

Not because we’re lazy or because we’re doing anything wrong but because screens are easy. They don’t require participation or conversation. They don’t require us to come up with something to do.

But the older I get, the more I think some of our happiest moments happen when we’re forced to do exactly that.

A game of cards.

A mahjong session.

A glass of wine with a friend.

A conversation that starts with, “How was your day?” and somehow ends two hours later.

Those moments rarely happen because someone planned them. They happen because the environment makes them possible.

Which is why, when we looked at this room, we weren’t focused on decorating it. We were focused on creating a reason to gather. For more about the decisions that went into this room design and getting people to gather here, read our blog here.

Watch the full tour of the room here.

For furnishings inspired by this room, click here.

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If someone forwarded this to you, welcome to TG: The Method.

We don’t just believe beautiful homes matter. We believe the way they’re designed changes how people live in them. That’s what TG: The Method is all about.

Here’s what she shared with us:

Hi! I have a “What do I do with this?” question! It’s giving me a ton of gray hair. The wall is right off the kitchen in our mudroom, but we have closets with cubbies and hanging space for all of the kids’ stuff because we preferred it hidden and not exposed like in traditional mudrooms. So I’m thinking a not-so-obvious command center with a bench. Help!

First of all, congratulations on not having backpacks, cleats, solo socks, sweatshirts, tennis rackets and water bottles exploding all over this space (can you tell that I’m jealous?). Hiding the chaos behind closed doors was absolutely the right move. The space is clean, organized, and you already made the smartest decision by hiding all of the mudroom clutter behind closed doors. You’re ahead of the game.

That said, this wall is begging for a little personality.

I love the dark stone floors (are they Belgian Bluestone?) - they ground the space and give it a sophisticated, almost European mudroom feel. But between the white walls and the simple architecture, the space feels a bit unfinished. It’s almost too polite. This is exactly the kind of spot where we would introduce something with a little charm and character.

Normally I’d tell you to wallpaper the entire area and call it a day. A textured grasscloth or subtle patterned paper would give this space a big hug. But from what I can see of the adjoining rooms, that may be a larger commitment than you’re looking to make right now.

The reason you’re probably stuck is that most ready-made benches are designed to appeal to everyone. They’re practical, neutral, and inoffensive. Unfortunately, that usually means they’re also a little boring. (We talk about the ready-made conundrum in our Dining Room design article, too).

This may be the only opportunity in this area of your home to introduce some color, pattern, or personality, so I’d encourage you not to waste it.

We see this all the time: people are willing to take risks in a powder room or a bedroom, but when it comes to highly functional spaces, they default to vanilla. The irony is that these are the spaces you walk through every single day. They deserve a little joy too.

For the command center itself, I’d skip the traditional corkboard and whiteboard options and look for something with a bit more personality. I’m obsessed with the magnetic boards from Mustard Made. They come in incredible colors, the accessories are adorable, and they feel more like decor than office supplies. Whether you go tone-on-tone or mix contrasting colors, they bring a sense of fun that most organizing systems lack.

And let’s be honest: no matter what you choose, it’s still going to hold school forms, dentist reminders, and camp paperwork. It’s a family command center. We don’t need to pretend it’s art. But if it’s going to live out in the open, let’s at least make it cute.

Side note: the Pottery Barn organizing system had an absolute chokehold on me when those catalogs arrived in the mail in the ‘90s. Who remembers that rail system? I could not wait to grow up and have labeled baskets and matching file folders.

We’d also love to see a wall sconce on this wall. Perhaps it’s a sconce in between two boards, or a picture light above.

One day, when the kids are grown and the paperwork is gone, this wall can retire from command-center duty and become a proper focal point - an amazing piece of art would be great here.

You Didn’t Ask, But We’re Here So...

While we’re talking about this space, I’d also consider ways to warm up the architecture itself. The black stone floors are doing a lot of the heavy lifting, but everything surrounding them is very white and very crisp. If this were our project, we’d be tempted to introduce a little more warmth through paint and millwork, maybe some paneling if you don’t want to wallpaper.

That could be as simple as painting the doors and trim a color - or even just a warmer white - or as involved as adding crown molding to give the space a bit more architectural presence. A classic blue would look fantastic here for a little personality (see our roundup of favorite blue paints). And if you’re thinking, “Jessica, I just painted everything white,” don’t worry - we have an entire guide dedicated to the whites we actually use.

See more benches, boards, and organizing sources at the links below:

An awesome entry mat

That cool globe sconce above

Magnetic board in fun colors

Plaid bench (also great for dining banquettes)

The rest of our mudroom picks

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:

• Why That Beautiful Room Never Gets Used
• Designing a Foyer that Sets the Tone
• Think Before You Checkerboard

Have a design dilemma keeping you up at night?

That’s exactly why we created TG After Hours.

This first edition is free, but future submissions will be reserved for paid subscribers. Send us your awkward corners, weird layouts, questionable renovation decisions, and decorating debates, and we just might feature them in an upcoming post.

Enter this adorable townhouse in Chappaqua, NY, with our adorable client and her adorable boys.

This project felt especially personal because we’ve known her forever - truly forever, back when we were design babies ourselves. She works in marketing within the design industry, and I think we first met sometime around 2011. After unexpectedly losing her husband, she decided it was time for a fresh start and a new home for herself and her young sons. We were incredibly honored when she called us to help shape this next chapter.

She had us weigh in on this house before she even made an offer. Before falling for finishes or furniture placement, she wanted to know the bigger question: Could this home actually become what she needed it to be? And from day one, the mandate was crystal clear. She kept saying she wanted the townhouse to feel like a jewel box (which she said in her perfectly adorable Southern accent) - layered, charming, intimate, and full of personality. We immediately understood the assignment.

Initially, she told us the kitchen simply needed a facelift and an extra run of cabinetry under the window. It wasn’t bad, exactly. Just painfully builder grade. But the second we walked through the house, we knew the issue ran deeper than finishes. While we are famously pro-enclosed rooms and anti–wide-open-floor-plan at TG, that tiny enclosed kitchen was starving the house of flow and light. And worse, it made you feel claustrophobic in the kitchen, which is supposed to be the hub of the home. Still, knocking down the wall between the kitchen and the combined living/dining area wasn’t the answer either. That would have left us with one giant room - and giant rooms do not say jewel box.

Then there was the mystery of the awkward partition wall between the staircase/hallway and the living space. It just… stopped. No trim. No header. No architectural reason for existing whatsoever. The kind of thing that makes you tilt your head and wonder if someone simply gave up halfway through.

Because space planning is our love language, we developed three layout options. Each one solved the same core issues: absorb that strange floating wall into something intentional, enlarge the kitchen, and, most importantly, combine the kitchen and dining spaces. Creating one hardworking family hub meant carving out room for real life: homework spread across the table, puzzles in progress for days, boys hanging around while mom cooks, all the little moments that actually happen in a house.

All three layouts were strong contenders, but we ultimately landed on Option One - the one with the sweet corner banquette. It tucks perfectly into the corner and instantly creates that cozy, gathered feeling we were after. The run of tall cabinetry opposite it - with a paneled refrigerator and concealed storage - almost reads like its own room. It softens the utilitarian side of a kitchen and makes that area feel far more layered and furniture-like. We even managed to sneak in a petite island for extra prep space and storage.

And just wait until you see the kitchen color. Oxblood red. A first for us... and we are absolutely smitten.

P.S. This layout gave us serious déjà vu because it totally reminds us of my old townhouse. My previous home in Hoboken underwent a major renovation that included bringing the kitchen up from the garden level to the parlor floor and combining it with the living space. The footprint was tight, so every inch had to earn its keep. We wrapped cabinetry around nearly every wall and tucked the sweetest little banquette into the corner - then added a matching banquette across from it because apparently I cannot resist a little symmetry (or a good spot to peek out the window and watch neighbors).

Maybe there’s something about townhouses that calls for this kind of layout. Cozy corners, layered spaces, rooms that multitask a little harder. Perhaps this is just the townhouse formula.

We genuinely believe space planning is the most underrated part of interior design. Paint colors can be changed. Furniture can be replaced. But getting the layout right changes how a family lives in a home every single day.

If you’re staring at a floor plan, awkward corner, or room that just isn’t working, send it our way. Those are our favorite puzzles.

If You Enjoyed This, You Might Also Like:

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The Bathroom That Used Ten Marble Slabs: The space-planning decisions that made every inch work harder.

At first it sounds simple. White is white, right? And then suddenly you are standing in the middle of your living room holding six nearly identical paint chips while whispering things like, “This one feels… musty?”

We get asked about white paint constantly, and while there is no one-size-fits-all answer, there are certain shades we come back to over and over depending on the mood of the home, the lighting, and the architecture.

These are the whites that have earned permanent spots in our rotation:

Simply White
We often find ourselves turning to Simply White - perhaps because the name itself makes everything feel… simpler. But really, it’s because this color somehow manages to be incredibly adaptable. It feels fresh and bright without being stark, and has enough warmth to keep spaces from feeling cold.

Case in point: these two projects are both Simply White, and they could not feel more different. One lives in a sun-drenched beach house with soaring ceilings and natural light pouring in from every direction; the other sits in a cozy Tudor with 8’ ceilings and a completely different mood. Same paint. Different personality.

Which is our gentle reminder that paint colors are wildly influenced by architecture, light, ceiling height, and surroundings. And why copying a color from Pinterest is never quite as straightforward as we wish it were.

Read more

What we’d buy:

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• This entire striped furniture set has been stalking me on instagram ads for months

• A vase we have used multiple times in styling homes

• An outdoor swivel chair sounds like such a luxury

• Can always use a tray, esp when it’s striped (and even more esp when it’s blue and white striped)

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• Modern garden stools are a weakness for me. Especially in a woven-meant-to-look-like-wicker-white

• I love a white metal outdoor set - simple and classic. Feels clean and light

• Thinking a dog in this bed is a literal king or queen

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• All-time favorite outdoor dining table. Will never tire of it. Also love in this shape

• Had this doormat in my old house (obv couldn’t move with it - gross!) Think it’s time to re-purchase.

• Beach-y art that’s a little unexpected (and therefore not as cheesy)

Quick Hits:

• A chic outdoor folding game table for mahjong nights

• Cozy Earth sheets are hands down the best. And this limited time blue and white stripe is screaming Coastal Summer

• Is there anything more posh than having hotel-style lounge chair covers in your backyard? I don’t think so

• These play-sofas are literally the cutest

• But these arm rests are what really do it for me

Check out more of our Memorial Day Sale selects - just a few things making us want to freshen up the house, sit outside longer, and pretend we’re spending the summer at a boutique hotel.

Trends exist because they’re appealing. They’re fresh, exciting, and usually a reaction to something that came before and definitely what you’re seeing everywhere. It’s like a subliminal message you are receiving over and over via your feed and you can’t help but wanting in. It’s kind of like high school.

But here’s the part no one really says: The more trend-forward your home is, the more it will exist in a very specific range of time. And not in a charming, “this feels collected over the years” way. More like: Oh wow… it’s 2023 again.

The Last Decade

Let’s just say it: 2015–2025 had a look. You know it. I know it. We all pinned it. Everyone participated.

• White oak floors (wide plank, matte, a little too perfect)

• White shaker kitchens

• Farmhouse everything

• Open shelving styled like a retail display

• Black window frames

• Light, bright, neutral… and slightly coastal whether you live near water or not

None of this is bad. In fact, a lot of it is still really beautiful. But when you layer all of it together you’ve essentially installed a timestamp.

So What About Right Now?

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How expensive could it be?

And yet somehow, it is one of the easiest rooms to accidentally spend $40 - $50,000 on.

So let’s break that down because this isn’t a theoretical number. This is a very real, very typical, fully furnished dining room at a low-mid level investment.

Shall we design one together and see how far we can get with our budget?

Let’s start with a standard-size dining room—say 14’ x 20’.

First things first: the table.

We want it to feel important and substantial. Slightly traditional, but clean. Nothing overly formal or reminiscent of Grandma’s house (in the wrong way - nothing against Grandma!).

And while there are certainly places to save throughout the room, the table usually isn’t the first. Any well-trained designer will tell you: if you touch it with your body - your hands, your back, your seat - it’s worth investing in. You will quite literally feel it if you don’t.

This particular table is currently on sale at 20% off, bringing it to $4,498.50.

We looked at a few other options that didn’t make the cut, but ultimately landed on this table because it feels like a classic. The pedestal bases nod to the history of dining rooms as places to gather with a bit of occasion, while the lighter finish keeps it from feeling too heavy or serious. It has presence, but not attitude.

Here are the other dining tables we considered but didn’t make the cut:

Next, the chairs. This is where costs can get sneaky very quickly. Why? Because you don’t need one - you need eight. Or ten. Or maybe even twelve.

We used to say to assume around $1,000 per chair, and suddenly you’re staring at an $8,000–$12,000 line item just for seating. I say used to say because many custom chairs have long since sailed past that mark. But today, we’re not shopping custom. We’re shopping retail, so let’s see what we can do.

Retail can be a smart place to save, but it comes with tradeoffs. The options are often safer, more neutral, and designed to appeal to the broadest possible audience. Somewhere along the way, we became a nation of beige upholstery and vaguely farmhouse silhouettes.

So for the sake of this experiment, we’re looking for something with personality. A little pattern. A little color. Something that gives the room interest right away. Because we’re buying off the shelf, we’ll be somewhat limited in opportunities elsewhere in the room (most of the remaining pieces are case goods). A dining chair with character can do a lot of heavy lifting and help ensure the room feels collected rather than like it arrived in one shipment from a big box store. Or worse, a set.

We considered this adorable chair - it has a great sense of scale in the pattern, a nice dose of color, and definitely feels more special than something you’d grab off a showroom floor. But we can already hear the concerns about the lighter fabric and the inevitability of stains at the dining table, so we’re going to pivot. Still, take note of this one. It’s a strong option. And at $852 each, it’s an excellent price for a fully upholstered chair that reads custom.

Let’s head to Anthropologie, which tends to offer pieces with a bit more personality. They can skew slightly eclectic, but when mixed with more classic elements, they strike a really nice balance.

This chair is fun, and vibrant, and will bring lots of personality to our space. The good news: this chair comes in at $498 each - remarkable for a fully upholstered option. And the reviews confirm they’re comfortable. Score.

For ten chairs, that brings us to $4,980. (They’re also available in an armchair version, if you wanted to do two head chairs - or even a pair flanking a server - but we’ll get there.)

Let’s pause and look at the budget so far. Between the dining table and chairs, we’re already at around $10,000 - and that’s before tax or shipping. See how quickly this adds up? And this is with relatively budget-friendly seating. It would be very easy to tip into five figures on chairs alone.

Now let’s tackle the chandelier.

We’re looking for something with personality - not the same fixture you’ve seen in every other dining room (your friends and neighbors included). It also needs to be appropriately scaled for the space and feel balanced over the table.

This palm-leaf, plaster-white chandelier is speaking to me. The addition of shades gives it a more classic sensibility, which helps ground what might otherwise feel slightly outside your comfort zone.

Plaster-white fixtures have been having a real moment lately, and for good reason. They can take on sculptural, even playful shapes, but because they’re matte rather than shiny, they don’t immediately demand attention. They add interest quietly - which, in a dining room, is exactly what you want.

Now, this chandelier comes in at around $4,000. Could we find something less expensive? Absolutely. Let’s take a look.

This option is a bit more playful and comes in at about half the price, around $1,800.

It’s essentially the same chandelier, but in brass (do you see what I mean about the white plaster finish?) And you can easily add your own chandelier shades.

But if these are still feeling like too much, here’s another great option that’s a little (a lot) more simple, at $1600 to boot.

Okay, I’m sold.

Now that we’ve tackled what’s overhead, let’s turn our attention underfoot. This rug is neutral, but brings in just enough pattern in a subtle, charming way.

For a room this size, we’ll need a 10 x 14 area rug. And while area rugs can quickly become a major line item (especially at this scale) we’re pleasantly surprised that this one comes in at $2,900.

You’re thinking ok - great - we’re done, right?

But what’s a dining room without a server? And this sideboard is serving. With its graceful curves and clean, modern lines, it brings a bit of contrast to the room. Mixing in something sleeker like this is what keeps the overall scheme feeling timeless rather than overly traditional.

We’ll go ahead and add this one to the cart at $4,400.

Now we’ll layer in the finishing touches that make a room feel like a home. Lamps, a mirror, and window treatments - none of which can be ignored.

We’ll start with a pair of these lamps and swap in two of these shades. Changing out lamp shades is one of our go-to upgrades - it’s a small move that makes a surprisingly big impact.

To add a bit of sparkle to the walls, we’ll use this antiqued mirror. It’s generously sized and brings in a touch of old-world character, but the clipped corners and decorative border give it a more updated feel.

(We’re also flipping it to hang horizontally, rather than as shown on the website.)

This one is currently on sale for $560, so it’s an easy yes.

And the final must-do to complete this dining room: window treatments.

Window treatments are often one of the biggest sticker-shock items in a project. And even though we’re looking at semi-custom retail here (instead of fully custom), I suspect this number may still surprise you.

I love this tailored stripe. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m a sucker for a good stripe. It brings in a tailored, slightly masculine note that helps balance some of the softness in the room so far.

We must, must, MUST select the 100” wide (double-width) panels. This is one of those details that makes or breaks a space. Skimpy drapery can completely change the feel of a room. It needs to have presence.

Let’s assume 9’ ceilings and go with a 108” finished length, with a tailored pleat header - always a classic. We could continue to upgrade with trims, but since we’re trying to keep this within a reasonable budget, we’ll skip them here.

For two pairs of panels, we’re looking at around $5,000. And of course, we still need hardware - and possibly installation, depending on how, ahem, handy things are at home.

We’re at about $30,000 now, and yet there is more we could do to really finish the space - painting…wallpaper…art…there’s probably room for some additional seating in a room of this size… but if we stick with the bare minimum, we are definitely hitting near that 40k mark once we factor in tax and shipping.

Let’s take a look at how this room is coming together as a whole:

Honestly? I’m kind of obsessed - and would love to see this room exist somewhere in the wild. We’ve covered the essentials, but if you wanted to take it a step further, wallpaper would be a beautiful addition. Here are a few options with the TG stamp of approval:

• Wallpaper 1

• Wallpaper 2

• Wallpaper 3

• Wallpaper 4

Are there ways to furnish a dining room for less? Absolutely. But we’re not interested in recommending things just to hit a lower number. Our job is to stand behind what we specify and that means choosing pieces that will hold up over time. Because the quickest way to waste money is to buy something you’ll need to replace in a few years… or send straight to a landfill.

So no - you don’t have to spend $40,000 on a dining room. But if you’ve ever looked at a quote and thought, how did we get here?… now you know. It’s not one wild splurge. It’s a series of very reasonable decisions that add up quickly. And when it’s done right, it doesn’t feel excessive. It just feels finished. And suddenly, it’s not “just a dining room” anymore.

You can find all of the links, as well as even more that we like but we didn’t include linked at our ShopMy store and our Perigold Designer Storefront.

At the time, we were knee deep in architectural drawings and estimates for a lakefront Mediterranean-style home that needed a tremendous amount of work but felt perfect to me. I could see exactly what it wanted to be. I had already fallen for it in that way people in design sometimes do, where a house starts living in your mind before it ever belongs to you.

And then the sellers decided they didn’t want to sell.

So there I was, wiping my tears over the loss of the house I thought was meant to be ours, while simultaneously scrambling to find something else in time for our daughter to start school in our new town. It was go time. Emotion had to give way to practicality, and I shifted into assessment mode - pros, cons, limited inventory, what could work, what absolutely could not.

Welcome to the home we now call The Hideaway.

We call it that because from the front of the property, the house was nearly impossible to see. There were so many trees that it felt hidden in plain sight. It had been painted a muddy taupe, and its half-timbered details were painted a dark brown, making it even more inconspicuous. But as you rounded the driveway, the house slowly came into focus, and there was something undeniably intriguing about that reveal.

I still remember seeing the foyer for the first time and thinking, Okay, okay, okay... I can work with this.

It had potential.

There was a curved staircase that felt graceful - not cheesy, as so many of the early 2000s builds we had seen did. There was a vestibule first, and then the two-story foyer beyond it, which gave the entry sequence a sense of unfolding. To one side, a set of double doors led to a library, which immediately caught my attention because I love to read, even if I’m the only one in my family who really does. To the left was the dining room, a decent size but not quite as dramatic or private as I would have liked. That told me something important right away: the foyer was going to have to do some of the heavy lifting in the drama department.

And then there was the issue of light.

Tudors are notoriously dark, and this one was no exception. The foyer’s north-facing windows were already limited, and the abundance of trees outside only deepened the moodiness. Most of the home’s natural light comes from the rear, southern-facing side of the house, but there was a wall dividing the foyer from the kitchen and all of that borrowed sunlight. I knew almost immediately that wall would have to come down.

I love a moody moment. Truly. But Lord help me if I cannot get some sun.

Mediterranean homes have always been my favorite. I’m drawn to warmth, to light, to the romance of spaces that feel kissed by the sun. Clearly, I live in the wrong place, but I digress.

Once we got the house, it was time to put those instincts into motion. But before making any real design moves, I had to nail the feeling. I love entertaining. I love having friends and family over. I love atmosphere and details and the emotional temperature of a space. I’m the kind of person who would rather have a decent meal in a restaurant with an incredible vibe than a fantastic meal in a mediocre-looking place. Design matters to me at that level.
So I became fixated on creating a sense of wonder - something whimsical, layered, and transportive that would begin the second you opened the front door to this house hidden behind the trees.

The first move was the floor.

We ripped up the old ceramic flooring in the vestibule and the dark hardwood in the foyer and replaced it all with a contrasting blue-gray and white checkerboard marble. That was the beginning of the conversation. It immediately established that this house was going to tell a more dramatic story than it had before.

The staircase itself was good, and if I’m being honest, if budget had allowed I might have ripped the whole thing out and started from scratch. But budget is real, and as designers we know that sometimes the smartest move is not replacement, but refinement.

What really bothered me was what happened at the top of the stairs. On one side, there was a half wall instead of a railing, and because it didn’t follow the curve of the staircase, it created an awkward pie-shaped landing - carpeted, no less - while making the upstairs hall feel much narrower than it needed to. We called our stair supplier and, in one of those miraculous moments that make a project feel meant to be, discovered that they had built the original stairs. They came out, templated the curve, and created a matching curved railing that blended seamlessly with what was already there.

These are the things designers absolutely geek out about.

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The foyer itself was always generous enough for a proper foyer table, and I loved that from the start. Listen, I grew up in a two-bedroom railroad apartment. Having a foyer table feels huge. I love that it gives me a place to play - to change out a skirt seasonally, to layer in oversized floral arrangements, to shift the mood depending on the holiday or gathering.

Then came the moment I had been waiting for: removing that partition wall that had been stealing all the light.

The second it came down, it was like I heard angels singing. The foyer came alive. Suddenly the space could breathe, and the southern light from the rear of the house could finally make its way forward. It changed everything.

But the biggest transformation came from the walls.

I struggled with the fact that this Tudor, for all of its exterior charm, lacked the kind of interior architectural detailing that gives a home real pedigree. So I designed a wall paneling treatment that would envelop the foyer and instantly elevate it. What had been plain sheetrock walls now felt more in keeping with a manor house - grounded, tailored, and far more appropriate to the spirit of the home.

And just when I thought I was nearly done, I realized I had forgotten to look up.

I had created drama. I had brought in architectural interest. But something still felt missing. The room was beautiful, yes, but it wasn’t yet welcoming in the way I wanted. It leaned a little too showy, a little too formal, and I needed it to soften.

For me, plaids and ginghams always bring familiarity. They carry a kind of coziness that feels timeless and deeply comforting. So I decided to cover the ceiling in a medium-scale chocolate gingham and pair it with an oversized cove crown molding. That was the final gesture that brought the room home for me.

Suddenly, the foyer wasn’t just saying, look at me.

It was saying, come on in.

And that was always the goal.

Because this house, from the very beginning, was meant to be a kind of escape. Friends and family often travel from afar to visit us, and I wanted the experience of arriving here to feel special - a little hidden, a little unfolding, a little unexpected. I wanted the house to reveal itself slowly, then reward you once you stepped inside.

The foyer had to set that tone.

It had to tell you that behind the trees, there was magic.

-Virginia

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She had heard of Toledo Geller before, but didn’t realize how close to home we were. And that fateful dog walk ended up bringing us together for what became a wonderful project.

We joke about this all the time, but when she opened the door at our first consultation, she gave us an immediate and intimate understanding of who she is – she was in a fabulous caftan, fresh lipstick perfectly applied - she was impossibly chic. She told us that Dior Gray was her favorite color. What is it that they say about first impressions?

That was four years ago. At that time we updated her foyer to feel more current, installed the most gorgeous lilac custom de Gournay mural in her dining room, gave her a Dior gray inspired living room, refreshed an outdated dark cherry office in the most surprising way, and transformed her at-the-time tween’s (now in college!) bedroom and en-suite bathroom.

While we were working on those spaces, we toured the rest of the house. And she showed us her primary bathroom.

Oh. My. God. It was huge. And under-utilized. The size of my entire West Village apartment (RIP). There was just so much wasted space. We immediately told her we wanted to redesign it.

At the time, we floated an idea for a floating tub, or a floating sink set-up, in the center of the room. She politely declined - it felt like too much disruption and too big of a project to tackle at that moment.

But last summer she called us back and said she was ready and wanted to tackle the project when her daughter headed off to college. This wasn’t just any bathroom project for us. Our client is a busy and highly respected OB-GYN - the kind of person who spends her days caring for everyone else. And that tugged at our hearts a little.

We were ready. “On call,” if you will. We really wanted to give her a true oasis. A place to prepare for a long day. And an even better place to unwind after one.

Her request list was refreshingly simple.

Marble slabs. And lots of them. She was absolutely set on a shower fully clad in marble slabs. We warned her that that would cost a pretty penny, and she told us to charge forth.

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But hold your horses – as you know already if you’ve been following Toledo Geller at all – space planning is where we begin all of our designing. So, with a shower clad in slab (which we have been waiting to do for a very long time) we obviously wanted her to be front and center and we suggested swapping the location of the shower stall with the toilet room, so that when you entered the bathroom your eye went immediately to this massive, new, grand shower.

She understood the drive of moving them, but sadly, it’s a battle we lost. It was probably a combination of ‘too much change’ at once, and also, it’s just less expensive to keep plumbing where plumbing is. We’ll get to the costs of this bathroom later but we’re sure you can already estimate that it is up there.

Now, if you’ve ever renovated a kitchen, you might have a sense of what marble slabs cost. So let me try to put the scale of this bathroom in perspective. Picture ten kitchen islands. Between the showers walls, the vanity top and the tub deck we reserved 11 slabs of marble (we came in under at 10, though!).

Yes. Ten.

Which is… a hella amount of marble and a hella amount of money.

Obviously for a bathroom centered around this marble slab everywhere we had to find the perfect selection.

And this was when Namib Gold Polished Marble entered The Villa.

When we finally found the marble, it felt like winning the lottery. Not just because it was beautiful, but because there were actually enough slabs available to do the entire space. Which, for a bathroom of this scale, is no small miracle.

And when you’re working at this scale, consistency matters. One slab that veers too gray, too busy, or too quiet can throw off the entire room. We reserved them immediately.

Want to know what ten islands worth of marble actually costs? Which cost more - the material itself or the fabrication and installation?

We share the real numbers, decisions, and behind-the-scenes (including occasional mistakes!) of our projects here. If you enjoy this kind of content, you can subscribe below to get future posts.

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Virginia wants to be wowed in a powder room. More importantly, she wants to wow other people in one. She talks about powder rooms the way people talk about a really good piece of gossip. You lean in, you stay longer than you meant to, and you absolutely bring it up later. For her, it’s a chance to make an impression. A little surprise. A little mischief. A little who is she?

When we’re on a house tour at our initial design consultation, and the new potential client says something like, “let’s do something fun in the powder room” Virginia realizes she and they client are kindred spirits. Without fail she will say that one of her favorite parts of going out in her glory days was using the bathroom at a nightclub. Because the powder room was part of the experience. Which, to me, raises many questions. I was then, and remain now, the boring one. I was not out in nightclub bathrooms collecting life-changing design inspiration. But Virginia apparently was.

And obviously she’s not wrong. You’ll hear lots of designers call powder rooms jewel boxes but we think of them more as a party trick.

A powder room is one of the only places in a house where the regular homeowner feels like they can really go for it. It doesn’t have to soothe anyone to sleep. It doesn’t need to hold a sectional, hide the dog toys, or make the whole family feel emotionally regulated. It just has to deliver a moment. A tiny, fabulous, slightly unhinged moment of “holy $h*t.”

That’s why powder rooms are so fun. They’re tiny little fantasy worlds. They’re where we give ourselves permission to be less sensible and more memorable.

And Virginia, naturally, would like that fantasy world to leave you a little dazzled on your way back to dinner.

X, Jessica

PS This whole post reminds me of the time at Virginia’s 40th birthday party that she got mad at me (and everyone else there) for toasting her and not roasting her. So, V, I hope this article fills a little of that void for you. Xx.

PPS The shopping list:

In a powder room, the mirror isn’t just functional - it’s the moment. It’s what catches your eye, what reflects the light (or lack of it), and what people inevitably end up standing in front of a little longer than necessary.

We pulled a few favorites that do exactly that - some a little classic, some a little quirky, all capable of holding their own in a very small, very important room.

Red marble mirror bringing some sophisticated drama

Oversize round striped - because we can’t get enough stripes

A shell mirror that has a glam-vibe, but in a finish that feels everyday

Obsessed with a pivot mirror in a powder room - on either side of a window over a vanity - so sexy!

White plaster - can’t go wrong

Shop the rest of our mirror selects

As a born-and-bred city dweller, I never quite understood the obsession. Why spend time in what felt like a windowless bunker? Low ceilings. Acoustical ceilings! Tacky flooring. My list could go on…

But today, that narrative has completely changed.

In many new suburban builds, lower levels now span 2,000–3,000 square feet, often with 9-, 10-, even 11-foot ceilings. These aren’t the dark, low-ceilinged basements most of us grew up with. They’re blank canvases - often the size of several city apartments (and as someone who will always be a city girl at heart, that’s still how my brain measures square footage) waiting to become fully programmed lifestyle spaces.

And that’s where the real design work begins.

What Today’s Basements Actually Become

Lower levels are no longer just recreation rooms with a TV and a sectional.

Today’s basements function as fully programmed lifestyle environments:

• Entertainment lounges and bars
• Screening rooms
• Music studios
• Wine cellars
• Private wellness retreats
• Multi-generational gathering spaces

In many homes, the basement becomes the social engine of the house: the place where teenagers gather, adults entertain, and guests spill during holidays and parties.

Design Tip #1: Treat the Basement Like Its Own Level

One of the biggest mistakes we see homeowners make is approaching the basement as an add-on.

The most successful projects are planned like a mini level of the home with intentional zones:

• Gathering area
• Activity space (games, music, fitness)
• A bar or kitchenette
• A bathroom
• A guest suite

When the layout is programmed thoughtfully, the space stops feeling like a basement and starts feeling like a destination.

Design Tip #2: Remove the Basement Door

One of the biggest shifts we make when designing basements is surprisingly simple: remove the door to the basement entirely.

Traditional basements are hidden behind a door at the end of a hallway, and then transition to a cheap staircase railing and wall-to-wall covered carpet treads, which subconsciously signals that the space is secondary.

Instead, when we can, we open the stair completely and design it to feel like a natural continuation of the home above.

That means carrying through architectural elements whenever possible:

• Matching stair railings
• Similar flooring materials
• Consistent trim details
• A stair design that feels intentional, not utilitarian

When done well, the basement starts to feel less like “downstairs” and more like another level of the house.

Design Tip #3: Plan Around the Architecture First

Lower levels come with very real architectural constraints.

In basements we’re almost always working around:

• Structural columns
• Mechanical rooms
• Bulkheads and ductwork
• Stair placement
• Egress requirements

Before finishes are even selected, we are often addressing plumbing, HVAC, and electrical infrastructure just as we would in a ground-up renovation.

One trick we frequently use: embracing columns rather than hiding them.

Columns can become part of built-ins, bar structures, banquettes, or architectural paneling that gives the space rhythm.

Design Tip #4: Lighting Matters More Than You Think

Because basements rarely have the benefit of natural light, the lighting plan becomes critical.

Instead of relying on a grid of recessed lights, we layer lighting in the same way a restaurant or lounge would - it’s all about that ambiance:

• decorative ceiling fixtures
• sconces
• picture lights
• table and floor lamps
• accent lighting at bars and shelving

The goal is to create pools of light and atmosphere, not a fully illuminated ceiling plane.

We wrote more about this philosophy in our recent piece on why we tend to avoid recessed lighting in favor of decorative flush mounts and layered lighting strategies. This was for the main level of a home, but the theory remains the same, and possibly even more important in basement design.

When basements are done well, people often forget they’re underground at all.

A Few Pieces We Often Reach for in Basements

When we’re designing lower levels, there are a few categories of pieces we find ourselves returning to again and again - lighting that adds atmosphere, comfortable stools for basement bars, and a great game table for whatever game you play.

If you’re planning a basement renovation of your own, here are a few we currently love:

Ambiant Lighting
• The cutest fluted portable lamp
• A sculptural wall sconce
• A semi flush ceiling light that has a wide span

(You can also explore more of our favorite flushies in our article on avoiding recessed lighting.)

Bar Stools for Basement Bars
• A sexy mid-century modern bar stool
• Why do modern bar stools feel so right in basements?
• Works with every style, and we can’t resist a stripe

Game Tables
• A classic burl game table
• Works at a corner banquette
• A modern Ming inspired game table - perfect for Mahjong

The Real Fun of Basement Design

What fascinates me most about basement projects is how closely they mirror boutique hospitality design. We are creating immersive environments. Atmosphere. Destination spaces within a home.

The same strategic space planning and experiential layering that applies to boutique hotels, social clubs, and wellness spaces applies here, just on a private scale.

Moody bars.
Music rooms.
Game lounges.
Wellness retreats.

In the right hands (and with the right budget), a basement can feel less like a…basement…and more like a private club hidden beneath the house.

And if I’m honest, those are exactly the kinds of places I always hope to be invited into.

X,

Virginia

We step through the front door, glance to the left or right, and there it is - a room that tells us exactly how the house is (and isn’t) being used. Sometimes it’s completely empty, still waiting for furniture years after move-in. Other times it’s furnished, but the pieces feel like placeholders: remnants from a first New York City apartment, hand-me-downs from parents or grandparents, or seating that reads far more formal than the way anyone in the house actually lives.

When we ask about it, clients are often candid.
We never really knew what to do with this room.
We were waiting until we could do it properly.
We just don’t go in there.

In some homes, these spaces have sat unused for years and years.

The issue isn’t neglect. More often, it’s hesitation paired with a layout that no longer reflects modern life. Many of these “front of the house” rooms were designed for a level of formality that simply doesn’t match how families live today. Without a clear role, the room quietly falls out of rotation.

This is where Toledo Geller begins to redirect the conversation.

Our approach to design is highly user-focused and deeply practical. We take a close look at how you live - and how you hope to live - so we can make your home work for you. From there, we establish a distinct purpose for every room. And just as importantly, a distinct feeling. If a secondary living space feels identical to the main family room, there’s very little reason to choose one over the other.

Instead, we look for ways to give the room its own identity. Perhaps the main family space is bright, casual, and highly active. The secondary room might become more enveloping - deeper in color, slightly moodier, quieter in tone. Not formal in the traditional sense, but intentional and clearly different.

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Then we ask the more practical question: What will actually happen here?

And we encourage clients to answer honestly.

If there is no television, will the room truly be used? If the answer is no, we add one. There are more thoughtful ways than ever to integrate or conceal a screen. Designing around real behavior almost always leads to better outcomes than designing around an idealized version of how we wish we lived.

This living room was filled with furnishings that didn’t reflect the homeowner’s style, but the biggest problem was that it was being used as a formal sitting room instead of a cozy den. We added a TV and voila - it’s probably the most used room in the house.

From there, we layer in reasons to linger: a fireplace, a game table, a small bar moment, generous surfaces for homework or laptops. The goal is not to make the room busier - it’s to make it useful.

The formal rooms at the front of the house don’t need to disappear, but they do need to evolve. When thoughtfully planned, these spaces can become some of the most valuable rooms in the home: a place for homework that isn’t the kitchen counter, a quieter spot for family game night, a cozier setting for an easy dinner when the formal dining room feels like too much - even a comfortable perch to keep an eye on neighborhood activity (if you’re into that sort of thing).

But none of this happens by accident.

It requires an honest assessment of how you actually live - not how homes were once expected to function. It requires giving each room both a purpose and a point of view. And it requires the willingness to design for real life, even when that means adding the television or softening the formality.

When a room knows what it’s meant to be, people instinctively know how to use it. And once that happens, the entire house begins to work differently.

Perhaps the most dramatic room-use transformation we’ve ever implemented was in my own former home. The formal dining room could only accommodate eight - ten at best - so I made the decision to convert the formal living room into a dining space that could function comfortably day or night.

Our family holidays are rarely fewer than twelve guests (and usually more), and the larger footprint gave us the flexibility to extend the table or even add additional tables without the room feeling strained.

Just as importantly, I kept the space bright and cheerful so it could work hard during everyday life: homework with the kids, sprawling puzzle sessions, craft projects… and yes, the occasional peek at the neighbors across the street (that earlier neighborhood watch reference was, in fact, me).

And what did I do with the home’s original dining space? I transformed it into a den with a decidedly vibrant point of view.

It became the perfect lounging space for our family - no television required. More often than not, we found ourselves settling in here with a glass of wine or a good book.

Because when a room is planned with intention, people naturally find their way in.

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I audibly gasped.

Like… out loud.

And without thinking I said, “Oh - there will be no recessed lights.”

This wasn’t me being dramatic (okay, maybe a little). It was instinctual. Because once you’ve really thought about lighting - once you’ve lived with good lighting and bad lighting - you can’t unsee those tiny circles punctuating an otherwise lovely ceiling plane.

Among the designers we admire most, and certainly within our own work, recessed lights are something we actively shy away from, especially in homes with standard or lower ceiling heights. They flatten a space and create that harsh, overhead “big light” feeling. And worst of all, they trick people into thinking lighting is done once they’re installed.

It isn’t.

Instead, we rely heavily on flush mounts - what we affectionately call “flushies” in our studio. They’re typically around five inches in diameter and no taller than 8 inches, and they do the quiet, unglamorous work that recessed lights are supposed to do… but better.

Flushies we love: Linked below. Some are affiliate links, all are fixtures we return to again and again or have on our short list to spec.

Flushies give you ambient light without punching holes all over your ceiling. They feel intentional. Architectural. Finished. And when used correctly, they add a layer of refinement and intention, like jewelry.

The key is that flush mounts are never working alone.

They will always be paired with additional ambiant lighting - pendants, chandeliers, sconces, table lamps so the room has warmth and a glow.

In kitchens we love to use flushies to handle circulation and flow. They look dashing around the perimeter of the island or in the galley, keeping the center of the home from feeling like a kitchen showroom.

This is where lighting stops being about “coverage” and starts being about atmosphere.

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And we’ll leave this here - we especially feel like recessed lights are out of place in older homes. We can promise you that when that center hall colonial or Tudor was built in the early 1900s there was no grid of recessed lights looming overhead.

Now for the fun part—links so you can do this at home.

1. The alabaster finish gives this flush mount a soft, glowing presence - it doesn’t shout, but it definitely doesn’t disappear.

2. This one reads like a piece you might discover in an old atelier - a subtle nod to the past with perfectly modern proportions.

3. This comes from the Kelly Wearstler for Visual Comfort line - a flush mount that feels almost like a little modern sculpture.

4. It’s deceptively simple: an all-white flush mount that recedes visually, but its spotlight function gives the room precisely placed glow where you need it most.

5. A great example of what we call a flushie - this Arteriors Allentown flush mount gives you the function of recessed lighting with far more personality

6. Because it’s all white, this flush mount quietly blends into the ceiling - but the form still adds a little something so the space doesn’t feel flat.

7. A great example of Thomas O’Brien’s ability to balance classic form with casual elegance — it feels familiar and grounded, not fussy.

   

8. This one is undeniably sleek and sexy - a very modern flush mount that feels sharp, intentional, and a little bit cool.

9. A refined AERIN x Visual Comfort flush mount. We love the subtle glamour this one gives with it’s polished nickel finish.

10. One of our favorite subtle, sculptural flush mount ceiling lights from Arteriors.

11. An all-time favorite - this Ralph Lauren x Visual Comfort flush mount has the restraint of a recessed light, but elevated just a notch.

12. This fluted glass is not only sophisticated, but the ribbed detail casts a magical glow.

13. Not quite a ‘flushie’ but we’ve used this light many times and love bringing the washed wood detail to the ceiling plane.

14. The marble does all the talking here. This calacatta violet stone flush mount feels more like a design moment than just a light.