WHY HIRE A PROFESSIONAL INTERIOR DESIGNER?

Posted on August 4, 2017 by blog

It’s confusing, I know – interior designers, interior decorators, entertainers on HGTV, contemporary interior design, traditional interior design.  So, what is the truth about interior design and how do you know you are hiring a true professional?  Interior designers are qualified through education, experience and examination.  Be sure you are hiring someone who has a bachelor’s degree in interior design and has years of experience in every facet of a project.

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A professional interior designer provides a wide range of services including, analyzing your needs to determine project objectives, preparing drawings and specifications relative to the design of your interior space and managing your project.

With the internet today, there are a lot of places to learn about interior design.  This can be a starting point; however, it’s often challenging to put what you learn about interior design into practice without some guidance from a professional.  A professional can at a minimum provide interior design tips in a consultation or provide full services of managing the entire process for you.

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A good interior designer will guide you through this process, allowing you to learn about interior design and support you in making the decisions that are right for you.  Whether your style is contemporary interior design or traditional, a qualified designer will design based on your preferences, not theirs. If you prefer contemporary interior design, they will only present contemporary design ideas.

Many rewards come with retaining the services of a professional interior designer for your home or business.  According to ASID, “an interior designer has aesthetic, practical and technical expertise in all the elements that make up an interior environment.  When you hire an interior designer, you get the benefit of an experienced professional who can solve problems, help avoid costly mistakes and create an attractive, affordable space designed specifically to meet your lifestyle needs.”  Interior designers are trained to integrate your needs and goals with their design knowledge to create a functional and safe environment.  Whether you are looking for general interior design tips, specific contemporary design ideas, access to the right resources, or recommendations for appropriate contractors, working with a professional also saves you time.

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Hiring a professional interior designer is a wise investment.  Not only do their services add value to your quality of life but they also add value to your property.  The professional fees an interior designer charges are usually small in comparison to the benefits and return on investment.

The Design Team

PKB DESIGN LLC

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WHAT’S YOUR STYLE – TRADITIONAL OR CONTEMPORARY?

Posted on June 22, 2017 by blog

When identifying a client’s style requirements, we narrow down very quickly if their style is Traditional, Transitional, or Contemporary.

So how do you identify which style you are?

Traditional styles incorporate added ornamentation, moldings, or intricate detailing.  Traditional cabinetry typically has raised panels or added trim.  While chairs and sofas will have rolled arms, nail heads, or carved wood legs.  Traditional fabrics often have prints with multiple colors, such as plaids or florals.

The picture below shows a Traditional Kitchen we designed where the cabinets have raised panel doors and added molding.  What do you think – is this your style?

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Contemporary Styles are defined by clean sleek lines and no added ornamentation.  Contemporary cabinetry often has a slab style door.  Chairs and sofas with square arms and straight legs are indicative of a contemporary style; while fabrics are often solid or a pattern with only 2 colors.

In this Contemporary Kitchen the PKB DESIGN team selected slab style cabinet doors with a high gloss finish.  How do you feel about this Kitchen – is this your style?

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Many people fall somewhere in between, which we call transitional.  Transitional design blends both contemporary and traditional elements.  For example, cabinetry might have some trim, but overall clean lines.  A slight rolled arm may be combined with straight legs on a chair or sofa.  Fabrics could have a contemporary geometric pattern with more than 2 colors.

For this Kitchen project, the client’s style was neither traditional or contemporary so our design team selected transitional styled cabinets with a recessed panel door and balanced the wood finish with stainless appliances to blend traditional and contemporary elements.  How about this one – is this your style?

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Using these straightforward guidelines you too can easily determine your style.  Please let us know what your style is by posting a comment.  Need help finding your style?  Feel free to post your design questions on our social media, our professional interior designers are an active part of our social media and love to answer design questions.

Our Best For Your Best Design!

 

The Design Team

PKB DESIGN LLC

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LIVING ROOM TOUR

Posted on May 23, 2017 by blog

Take a peek into a living room that our PKB DESIGN team recently created…. 

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The client wanted a space that was comfortable yet elegant for entertaining – enjoying a cocktail and great conversation with friends before a delicious dinner.  We discussed a classic, clean-lined space in neutral white and grey hues with an accent of striking contrast.

After uncovering the client’s unique needs and transforming their vision into a design concept, our Interior Designers dove into creating the best furniture layout for the client’s lifestyle and the architecture of the room.  Specifying a loveseat rather than a sofa created a more intimate conversation area, while ottomans provide additional seating without blocking the fireplace.

The fireplace was updated with the always classic material of white marble.  Carpet was replaced with dark wood floors to add richness and contrast, while walls were painted in a neutral light silver to provide a calming elegance to the space.  In order to give an illusion of height to the 8 foot ceilings, Verticale style drapes were added.  The vertical banding on the leading edge of each drape elongates the windows and creates a feeling of higher ceilings.

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The neutral color and light value of walls, drapes, and upholstery contrast beautifully with the dark floors, dark wood accents, and deep grey contemporary pillows to create a sophisticated entertaining space that the client and their guests will enjoy for years to come.

Enjoy the tour!

The Design Team

PKB DESIGN LLC

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PKB DESIGN LLC AWARDED BEST OF HOUZZ 2017

Posted on May 23, 2017 by blog

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PKB DESIGN has been awarded “Best Of Customer Service” on Houzz, the leading platform for home remodeling and design.  The “Best of Houzz” award reveals the top-rated building, remodeling and design professionals.  PKB DESIGN was chosen by the more than 40 million monthly unique users that comprise the Houzz community for this national award of excellence.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the Houzz community once again.  My team and I are proud to continue having our work published and shared around the world, however we are especially proud to be honored for our client service.  Our clients’ needs are our top priority and it is so rewarding to receive national recognition for that commitment.” said Penny K. Bartlow, President of PKB DESIGN LLC

“We’re so pleased to award Best of Houzz 2017 to this incredible group of talented and customer-focused professionals, including PKB DESIGN LLC,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of Industry Marketing for Houzz. “They were singled out for recognition by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts for helping to turn their home improvement dreams into reality.”  You can follow PKB DESIGN LLC on Houzz at www.houzz.com/pro/pkbdesignllc

 

About Houzz

Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish – online or from a mobile device. From decorating a room to building a custom home, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community powered by technology, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin, Sydney, Moscow and Tokyo. Houzz and the Houzz logo are registered trademarks of Houzz Inc. worldwide. For more information, visit houzz.com.

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Choosing The Right Bedroom Curtains

Posted on January 18, 2017 by blog

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Your bedroom is the place where you will spend nearly half of the rest of your life; so, you will need to design every piece of the room carefully. Your bedroom curtains will help you set the right mood and create a sense of harmony in your space. In addition, curtains are responsible for controlling the amount of light entering the room to help you relax and sleep deeply.

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In your bedroom, choose colors and patterns that bring you a sense of peace and help ease you into a restful state for the night.  At PKB DESIGN LLC, we usually recommend neutrals, blues, or greens in the bedroom for their calming effect and tone on tone patterns or textures for visual interest.

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You may want to add a shade to your window for light control and use the drapes for decorative purposes.  However, if you are using drapes to control the light in your bedroom, we recommend running them floor to ceiling to reduce light gaps.  Whether your drapes are operable or stationary, they should always be lined with high quality liner to maintain their structure and to let the fabric’s true color show in the space.

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Fabric is a soft, luxurious material that is essential to creating the perfect bedroom and curtains are one of the best ways to incorporate it.  Installing quality full length drapes in your bedroom creates the feeling of a 5 star hotel room.  You will see and feel a huge difference in your space and have the serene, comforting oasis you’ve always wanted.  Your bedroom is the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning, it sets your mood for the day.  Make sure you are creating the mood you want in your home and life!

The Design Team

PKB DESIGN LLC

 

 

 

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