Don't turn your house into a time capsule.

What do I mean by this?

I was recently touring a house in my neighborhood that was built in 2023 and I'm walking through and everything in there is brand new...
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The couple had bought all new stuff right when they moved in.

Some of it was really great, but I couldn't help but noticing as I was walking around that space..

this feels a little sterile.

There's no story here, it's a time capsule of things that were popular in 2023.

How to hang art like a pro:

First is most homes would be better served by larger art.
3x3, 4x4, or even larger. A great option for inexpensive big art is a large map or wall hanging.

Center of the artwork to be about 60 inches about the floor

More than one piece, like a gallery wall?

Space them just a couple inches apart.

Lay things out on the floor first to figure out arrangement.

Jeff Shelton is an architect from Santa Barbara known for his whimsical homes.

He's lived there his whole life and has built 61 different buildings👇



He does things in the Spanish/Moorish style required by the city, but with his own twist

His buildings are playful and strongly emphasize the human element in design.

If you don't know about the Golden Ratio, you are missing out.

It's basically a 60/40 rule.

Here's 6 ways to use it to design better homes and projects:

It helps you choose how much furniture goes in a room.
60% of the floor area should be furnished and 40% should be open.
More will feel cramped and less will feel underfurnished.

If you're designing an entire space, you need to create a theme.

Here's a quick cheat sheet of how to create & carry out a theme So you want to pick four or five things that look really good together.

Find things you're interested in, find wood you like, materials that you like, things from nature

Lay it all out on a table and pick out four or five things that look really good together.

The 10 best design ideas of 2023

Will easily put you in the top 1.7% of homes and projects (from a vibe perspective)

(Would be a good thing to bookmark & share 😉)

Long low bench shelves are the best

https://twitter.com/hanslorei/status/1693371011964510524

You want something with feeling & warmth, but you have something cold & stale

An evocative space really boils down to 3 things:

Color + Texture + Light

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Colors need to be darker & warmer

Think browns, reds, tans, greens & blacks

There's a lot you can do with paint

Here's how lines work in design

& what you can do about it.
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Vertical lines

I love a good vertical line

They convey strength, formality & height

Are your Airbnb's a little....mehh?

Is your home a normie haven of Target throw pillows, gray microfiber furniture & shame?

Fear not!

Here's 15 simple fixes you can jump on, right now, to turn away from a basic past & embrace a whole new you:

1. Change all your light fixtures - will do wonders & doesn't have to be expensive! Etsy is full of amazing things.

Lights are illuminated sculptural art, they matter, and you deserve more than boob lights from Home Depot!

A lot of people have asked me where to find great light fixtures.

It's hard! Most stuff is pretty of boring and lackluster.

Here's 11 of my favorite places you can find great lights for your projects:



1. Etsy

This is my #1. Thousands of hand made small business owned lighting shops. Biggest hurdle is looking through all the options. Two of my favorite stores are: LightCookie2 and BaradaxCeramics

What's the best looking planned community in the US?

I'd nominate- Alys Beach. Nothing else looks like this.

Why? Because there are hard rules: Everything is the same height, and same color.

Want to make your house look 75% better?

Make rules and Follow them!

Here are 8 rules you can follow to create an eye popping theme: 1. Follow a color scheme.

Pick 1 primary (exterior or interior) and 1-2 accents

Commit. Be brave.

Home saunas are becoming a big business.

But who is bringing the heat visually?

These are 10 best looking saunas you can buy today

Halijas Hele Glass Premium Sauna

Intended to amplify surrounding environment. Fits up to 7 in a nice conversation pit config

How to make a cramped room feel Huge

9 small moves for big minds: Color

If you want your space to feel bigger, you need to use lighter colors.

The color of the walls is most noticeable.

I love color, but in this case pastels and muted tones are best.

Light colored flooring (or lighter rug) will also really expand the perception of space.

Ever look at something and wonder why you like it?

All of design can be boiled down to Ratios The best architects & designers blend a mixture of all kinds of elements in a space to hit a sweet spot

Striking a balance. The right ratio

But what & how?

Why Go Inside When You Can Have an Outdoor Room?

A thread Your yard is part of your house.

It is not separate, it IS YOUR HOUSE.

It is where you LIVE. You should make it a ROOM, that just happens to be outside.

Are your Airbnb's a little....mehh, anon?

Is your home a normie haven of Target throw pillows, gray microfiber furniture & shame?

Fear not!

Here's 15 simple fixes you can jump on, right now, to turn away from a basic past & embrace a whole new you: 1. Change all your light fixtures - will do wonders & doesn't have to be expensive! Ask me for my two cents if you are struggling on picks.

Lights are illuminated sculptural art, they matter, and you deserve more than boob lights from Home Depot!

Repetition:

One of the pillars of design

This one is pretty simple - if something looks good, do it a bunch more times. Items/design choices have much greater impact in numbers.

Here are some ways you can use Repetition in your STRs + other projects Color

Look at this photo - Blue couch commands the room,

and then is Repeated again in pillows, ottoman, painting, and color of adjacent room.

Find ways to use the same color multiple times in a space and create a dialogue that keeps you eye moving around the room.

6 Quick Ways to add Vibe to any interior.

A thread on tasteful changes for intelligent operators.
🤌🤌🧵 Eliminate all boob lights.

Swap at least 2 ceiling light fixtures for something genuinely unique. Light fixtures are art - buy something that pushes your threshold beyond "safe"

Etsy is one of the best places for light fixtures.