What our designers do...

If you ask people what an interior designer's job entails, you'll probably hear: Space Planning. Decorating. Placing furniture. Selecting tile.  

That's only a small sampling of what we do.  The responsibility for a fabulous space that's functional, safe, and innovative, falls to interior designers. Love the coffee shop that you visit? A designer created that space.  Want technology, aesthetics and function in your spaces? We'll nail it.  Designers are lifestyle advocates and bring many elements together to create fabulous spaces for you, for your life, for your style.  From creating the design for your new home to selecting the right fabric for your windows, we take care of what you need.

We know what inspires you to create a style you love.  By bringing out the best in each space we can make it look larger, taller, use odd angles and nooks, and make it work for you. Interior designers, like the team at TOT-Home, evaluate the mechanics of every space - scale, dimension, lighting, and more - and then work with your desires and requirements to maximize the space, how it functions, what's in it, and create a design  that reflects your personality, grounds you, and fulfills your needs.   When it comes to personalizing your design, we're experts at mixing styles and periods to create atmospheres that are inventive, vibrant, comfortable and don't look decorated.  

  

Contact us for our Design In A Day program, an hourly consult, or a full project package!

What's new for kitchens?

For kitchen design, new technology and products are essential.  From flooring to appliances, and certainly faucets and lighting, here are some of the new products you should consider:

Multi-functional is in: The sleek, architectural design of a Poggenpohl kitchen system creates seamless transitions across all functions. Work stations and dining stations complement beautifully, making for a cohesive, integrated space. 

You will be so captivated by the lighting feature in this Miele's range hood that you may forget that the unit is, in fact, a state-of-the-art venting system. Select a single, glorious hue, or set a timer to alternate among colors at specific time intervals

Step aside, granite. Glass is finally getting its due as a strong, practical, and durable kitchen surface that lends itself beautifully to customization. Choose a pattern, specify opacity and thickness, add color—and even LED lights—for a look that's all your own

The "Entertainer" stainless steel sink from Lenova allows it to transition effortlessly from a basic, workaday sink to a high-performing food prep station and wet bar. When not in use, simply pop in the precision-cut cutting boards for extra counter space galore. 

Why use an interior designer?

AFTER

Interior designers add value in many ways than simply through aesthetics. When you make a decision to remodel or update your home, and bring in a designer, it WILL change your life in the best ways. Making an investment in your home should be done wisely.  From a few hours of time spent by a designer, comes a many-year enjoyment of the spaces you change. Rather than struggle through agonizing weeks with plans, surface materials, fabrics, dimensions and "what-if's", using a professional designer will bring timely satisfaction, creativity, and perfection to your project.

BEFORE

I've rescued clients from bad furniture purchases, the "nightmare" they lived through with a bad contractor, the poor selections of  floor coverings and paint colors that they made, and throwing their hands up at a poorly designed kitchen or bath. Don't waste money. Don't waste time. In interior designer knows codes, space-planning, and had the resources and knowledge to recommend everything to finish and furnish your home. With access to new products and creative ideas, your time with a designer will be well-spent.

When want to you love the results, meet your budget, and nail your style, the decision to hire a designer is always right. 

Tips for making a space seem larger.

We need to live with the spaces we have, whether they are an apartment, a dorm room, or a small home. To make them seem larger and help make them feel less crowded, try one or more of these ideas.

Lighting, glass and color play a part making this two room apartment feel larger.

1) Lighten up.  Yes, light does make spaces seem larger. If you use up-lights under large pieces of furniture or in dark corners, the illusion is that more space exists.  Rather than leaving corners empty, try adding a table and lamp.  Mirrors that reflect natural daylight are a great way to 'add' space as well. Even if you don't have windows, place a lamp in front of a mirror on the darkest, largest wall and see how it brightens and enlarges the space. Using glass table tops, insets with lighted shelves for cabinets,  and even remove doors to rooms to allow light in.

2) Arrange furniture wisely.  A few ideas on this topic work well in small spaces. First is scaling the pieces to work in the space. Don't purchase large, rolled arm sofas when you have a 10' x 10' room. Instead, opt for a loveseat and even armless chairs; you add seating without mass.  Two, floating furniture away from the walls DOES make it seem as though the room is larger. It allows you to walk around and through the furnishings giving a grander apparent space.  Third, angling furniture on short walls - placing pieces together can help like a table backed up to a loveseat - since your eye sees a longer wall dimension, hence, space.

3) Color counts.  If you can keep the largest pieces in the same tone as the walls, they will blend in and make a room feel wider.  Lighter colors do tend to make spaces look larger, although breaking that 'rule' works if other elements - lighting, scale, and accents - help the eye travel around a space. Monochromatic schemes in neutral colors work well, adding back an accent hue to draw attention to points around the room.


4) Raise things up.  Even if your ceilings are only 8' high, there are several tricks to give the illusion of height in a room. Place window coverings above the windows so they seem taller. Use moldings and other architectural elements to raise the eye up - a crown, medallions for hanging fixtures, tall shelves to the ceiling.  Hang light fixtures slightly higher, and do the same with artwork. 

5) Make things function well. Need a desk, a table, some storage? Find or make a piece that performs all three functions and save space.  In dorms and apartments, a work desk usually becomes a dining table, and placed on a wall - possibly perpendicular - allows you to add shelving for books and office 'stuff' and still make the desk feel like a table. When looking for ways to divide a space - say the bed area from the sofa area - use open shelving that can house a TV, lighting, decorative and functional items, and look good doing so. Console tables can make ideal desks, and even dining tables. Backed up to an open backed sofa, creates a great dining area with instant seating. Using benches for seating around tables adds storage for quick access.

Small space design. Five easy tips to use today.

We all want to maximize our spaces so we can be comfortable yet cozy.  Here are five ideas for small rooms.


1) Downscale the furniture.  Rather than purchasing a large sectional, opt for a smaller loveseat and armless chairs. You will have more opportunity to arrange the room well, and the smaller scale will keep the space open. If you can't buy new, try swapping smaller pieces from other rooms to use in a tight space. When you re-purpose furniture it gives you pleasure and often improved function. Dual-duty pieces like these storage ottomans can  be used as a table, seat, footrest and hold daily newspapers. The chest holds platters and is a great place to add extra table lamps and accessories.

2) Use color.  You may have been drilled with the idea that white makes a room larger.  True and false. You can use color as an accent - even on a wall - and keep a small room feeling larger. A great way to add bold color is inside shelving, as a throw on a sofa, in accessories that are grouped together, and on the floor as area rugs. When a room is monochromatic - beige, white, etc.. - the use of color adds drama, a focal point, and allows the eye to move to the color and away from elements that make it seem small. 


3) Add light.  An easy favorite solution.  Mirrors that reflect natural light are wonderful. You can use a mirror as a 'window'. If there isn't a window to reflect, add a table lamp or pendant in front of your mirror, to double the light. You can brighten a dark corner with an uplight behind a piece of furniture, and accent dark shelves with LED rope lights, pucks and even clip on  fixtures. Using LED will keep the energy use down yet add focal points of light. Changing the shades and globes on fixtures can help add light if they are dingy or dark.





4) Use storage wisely.  If you have an 8' x 8' living room, using many tables and chests will crowd the room and use floor space. Instead, use shelves to store items, place lamps on, even hang art from.  In spaces that can tolerate larger pieces, use armoires to hide work spaces like desks and televisions, benches to do double-duty as storage centers and seating, and even chests to hold games, nick-knacks and items you need but can reach for. This bench is a seat, a storage container for platters and vases and a room divider in this small condo.











5) Hide and clean it.  While out of sight is definitely out of mind, it can create a feeling of peace and relaxation.  For items that you DON"T need daily ...store them.  Even in a kitchen or laundry room that you may not use daily, cover the appliances with flipper doors for a sleek look.   Under-bed storage for extra items is easy and accessible.  Keep things you do need in containers, boxes, etc...that are easy to access and look great with your decor.  A great wicker box looks good on the dining table, and can store mail, a laptop, mail and much more.  Clean windows do let in lots of light as do sparkling glass globes on light fixtures! Dust free surfaces allow them to reflect the light.

Choosing the right historic wood flooring.

If you're ready to update the worn flooring in your older home or desire an authentic old floor in your remodel, take a look at these species for a wonderful, traditional floor.  When you purchase rustic floors milled from salvaged barns or old buildings, you obtain a floor with character and authenticity that isn't possible with new wood. Their existing stains, nail holes, marks and worm holes add to the charm and appeal of the wood.  Here are some ideal wood species and characteristics to look for.

Heart Pine

1) Heart Pine. Often reclaimed from old industrial buildings including closed cotton and wool mills in New England and Georgia. Some is recovered from river bottoms where the lumber sank while being floated from the forest to the mill.  Heart pine has a natural blond to amber color and has a dense grain pattern with wide variation. Many pieces will have nail holes and nail stains. This will likely be the least costly species of wood per square foot. 

Granary Oak

2) Granary Oak.  A price point higher than pine, is this beautiful red and white oak that typically comes from beams 'harvested' from factories, warehouses and barns. Found up and down the East Coast, the wood is very dense with tons of character.  A strong grain is visible and the original saw marks and nail holes and scars are a testament to its history. Its unique patina can be maintained with pre-sanding and oil coatings.

Chestnut

3) Chestnut. Higher priced than the first two species, the wood from chestnut trees represented more than 1/4 of the hardwood in Eastern forests until the 1906 blight that nearly wiped them out.  It was used extensively for home building and in commercial structures. Generally wormy, with a linear or arching grain, the wood ranges in color from deep blond to deep brown.

Chinese Elm

4) Chinese Elm. Costing about the same as chestnut, this species was used in China for homebuilding. It's available as flooring now that old buildings are being demolished and replaced with new construction.  The grain is elaborate with deep chocolate brown highlights and bird's eye patterns on a butterscotch toned wood. Available in smooth or distressed finishes.

5) Strongbow. Another species priced in line with Chestnut, this oak is a rich brown and salvaged from apple cider vats in England. The grain is very dense and often retains yellow or copper coloration from the cider.  You may have pieces with dark accents from the iron bands holding vats together and even small wedges hammered in between boards to stop leaks!

Bath design

Looking for some new ideas and products to update your bath? Whether you like ultra-modern or warm traditional spaces, some of these are right for you:

1) Bio-fuel fireplace:  A zero-clearance, eco-friendly, no need for special ventilation, and what a fantastic impact for a bathroom. Place it next to your soak or whirlpool tub, or as a great feature on an otherwise blank wall.

2) Infinity drain: Regardless of your style, use one of these for drainage and get a sleek look that has many benefits. 

3) Jaclo shower heads: With decorative trim to mimic a light fixture, and light AND water coming from the fixture, what a great way to wake up or relax at night. Gorgeous and eco-friendly!

4) Nobel Systems shower products:  Like fine lingerie, what's underneath DOES count.  For a remodel of your shower, this system is easy to use, waterproofs better than hot mopping, has ready-made niches, benches and a infinity drain with a traditional style It's eco-friendly and well-priced compared to the options. From personal experience I highly recommend this line.

5) Artistic Tile that has everything from clean, sleek looks to elegant, classic patterns. Makes a great visual statement in the bath and has the function you need.

What's in a name?

Is it worth paying for a name brand when there are so many options available today? Should you shop for designer fabric instead of visiting your local discount store?  Are mid-priced appliances as good as top-of-the-line?   Can a home improvement store brand faucet deliver the same function and aesthetic as a famous name faucet?

Yes and no to all of the above....and many more.  Let's use fabrics as our first example. You find a pretty upholstery fabric at local discount store, yet you've also hired a designer to help with re-covering your sofa. Which do you select; the former  (Eva) is $20 per yard, the latter (Mist) is $85 per yard?  Style, hand, dimensional stability and durability are KEY to selecting the right one.  Both may be chenille, but is there a rating for durability on the "Eva"? What is the fiber content? Can you tell the difference in the hand? Is the weave apparent and some idea of stability visible? "Mist" offers a tighter weave and has a high durability rating.  How much yardage will you need based on the width? Finally, is the texture, color and overall appearance right for you? There IS a difference between low cost and designer fabrics in all of the above elements.  The use guides the selection of fabrics. From years of experience, the value in selecting the best quality and best durability, including the right style leads me to the designer fabric 95% of the time; using with the right fabric does save time and money. Check out  fabulous fabrics with great value at Kravet.

Appliances have multiple elements to consider; function, style, energy consumption, size, warranty, and cost.  I have recommended mid-priced appliance suites with features that meet a client's needs and budget perfectly, rather than have them place all branded appliances in their kitchen. Function and style are often tied to cost; high-end appliances do offer wonderful features and do cost more. If you are using panels to cover some of your appliances, brand name may be less of a factor since function and not style will be your primary concern. If a manufacturer offers a short warranty, it may reflect their confidence in that appliance.  While I love high-end appliances for the specific features and style they provide, I do recommend other brands based on how they work in individual kitchens, baths and laundry rooms. Don't forget that you can mix suites and brands.  If the design of the appliance and how it looks in your space drives your decision, then absolutely get that La Cornue range!

Faucets and sinks are offered by brand name manufacturers and privately labeled ones. Function and longevity are very important since these items are used multiple times daily.  What is the finish and how durable is it?  How easy is it to maintain the finish? Does the spout have the reach you need? Does the style offer function for you (single or double handle style, levers, pull-out sprayers)? Where and how is the product made?  Body construction and internal construction (cast or tubular brass base material, and compression, ball, cartridge or ceramic disk valves, lead free interior, etc..) should all be examined.  A good valve will ensure that water temperature will be consistent during use, and scald guard will be critical in baths and showers. Does the faucet meet 2.5 gallon/minute mandated flow rates? Style and design are very important elements. Consider your counters and sinks, since the faucet should be paired with both to work well. For example, a 4" deck mounted faucet is not appropriate for a 36" under-mounted kitchen sink, but could be ideal for a powder room sink. From ultra-modern stainless to traditional oil-rubbed finishes, there is a tremendous variety in faucetry for every room and you can purchase a high-style faucet and not pay top dollar.