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Getting to know your Designer This time around I have asked Zachary some more personal opinion questions when it comes to HIS design. There is tons and tons of information out there, and every designer has their own opinions on every aspect when it comes to Interior Design. Therefore, I wanted to ask him a series of questions pertaining to his personal way of design and some quick info into who HE is as a designer. Interviewed by his Brand Manager/Assistant and Big Sister, Chelsea. Question 1: What project are you most proud of? Answer: Most recently, my Eucalyptus Court Project in Concord, North Carolina that I finished up last year. It was a full main level renovation, and I did the design as well. It turned out great! Question 2: What are 3 must-haves when you design? Answer: First off, refresh the paint color, always start there. If I can, next I love to suggest a wall covering in a smaller room area such as the powder room. And then lastly, drapery. Always, always drapery! Question 3: How do you keep up with the ever-changing industry? Answer: I attend High Point Furniture Market every spring and fall. This is where I discover the new design styles, furnishings, lightings etc. And then also this past year I attended Coverings, which is a complete tile and stone show. It’s great to see the new products launch each year. Question 4: What is something that you will not do with design and what is something that you always do: Answer: RED. I’m very adamant about not using red in my projects. Corals and pinks, or colors with a red undertone are acceptable but never flat-out red. Something that I always do is Performance Fabrics on upholstery. Question 5: What is your most important element of interior design? Answer: Scale. Knowing the scale of furniture and lighting going into each space. Every designer should know this. Question 6: What gets you excited about design? Answer: When I get to do a project where there is construction and furnishings involved. Both elements lean into my education and experience, and it’s fun to do the whole process. Question 7: What are your hobbies? Answer: I love to game. Many people might not guess that, but I love to game on my Xbox. Next, hanging out with my Rottweiler Conrad. Also, socializing with my friends and going out on the weekends! Question 8: Where is your favorite place that you have traveled to? Where is somewhere that you would like to travel to? Answer: Definitely, Paris. I loved the French Architecture; I was there for a design conference, and it was an amazing experience. Somewhere I would love to go is, Italy. I have a whole plan I’ve been trying to plan for years, and I want to do that sometime in the near future. Thank you for coming along for this ride with me. I love my job and what I get to do. Every project and every client are different, and that’s what makes this industry so much fun. I’m thankful to my clients and those in the design industry for inspiring me and helping me along the way to make this my dream job!

Tips to make your guest feel at home away from home

Overwhelming the everyday person with "new trends." Are you having a hard time keeping up with all of the new “trends” for design each year? It can be overwhelming to see a new trend every time you open social media and influencers saying, “This is the new…xyz.” This can apply to home design, decor, colors, fashion, make up, shoes, etc.! That is out and this is in! Big bold colors are OUT and neutral is IN. BUT WAIT, now neutral is out, that’s boring and drab, and now a pop of bold color is back in. Don’t be boring and neutral, be fun and colorful! It. Is. Exhausting. This can also be confusing because your style is different from another. So, who is right? What style is correct? Who is wrong!? The answer is no one, not completely anyways. As a designer, I have my opinions on style, color, and design. I have gone to college and worked in this field for a long time. Style is forever evolving, however, that doesn’t mean your way is the wrong way. This just means our ways are different and typically if we are that different, we likely are not going to be a good team to work together. That’s okay. My style of design is transitional so that way when those colors come in and out of style, your space can still be “in.” Everyone is saying “millennial gray” is out. And that’s their opinion. I still think a lovely neutral gray is very in. That doesn’t mean you have to have gray walls, gray rugs, gray sofas, and gray drapes LOL. That gray sofa would pair lovely with blues, yellow, or green pops of color! Your gray walls can have a sage green rug and black sofa with silver accents. There are many ways to spruce up your space if you are wanting to stay on trend without redesigning your entire home. As a male designer, my style is also more masculine, but I do love to bring a feminine touch to spaces. My most recent project had blue, gray, white, and neutral as the surrounding colors. I did an amazing crystal chandelier in the entryway that is bold and feminine to tie the space together perfectly. This is a look that is neutral but fresh and updated that will last for years to come. And if they want to stay on trend in the next season as design is forever evolving, then they are free to add new pillows, a piece or artwork, or a fun decorative vase to revamp their space. We also do not need to get stuck in what is on trend or what’s in for this season. A traditional and classic look will always be in! Now, I can’t say the same for some early 2000’s looks or colors, but that is just MY opinion. Some of you are perfectly happy with your antiques and red walls, haha, and that is just fine. As I always say, you do you boo boo. I just will not be suggesting those design styles as your designer. If you’re asking for advice or hiring me for a project though, please don’t feel offended when I want to make your space more modern and fresher! That is my job after all ;)

Mixing and Matching When it comes to mixing textures and styles there is a correct way to do so. Many times, if there is a piece of furniture that a client has in their home, whether it is a vintage piece or a statement piece, we can make it work with modern design. I love to mix textures. For example, velvet and linen to glass and metals. I had someone ask about a velvet magenta sofa on social media and how to work that into a design. I would make it the focal point of the room. Everything else around it I would make neutral. And to finish it off, a contemporary coffee table to pull together all the different elements of the space. This is just one example of a tip I gave a client about mixing and matching materials and styles. I also recently did a Tip Tuesday about mixing materials in one space, a primary bathroom. This bathroom has textured glass, metal, tile, quartz, and wood. Check out the video on my social media channels. You’ll want to stay with a ‘like’ color scheme. The space will look put together and not broken up. A glass textured light fixture next to a brushed silver metal mirror will look like it goes together, but it doesn’t exactly “match” and we love coordinating pieces. Also, mixing different tiles from floor to wall to shower. You can have 2-3 different tiles in one space if they don’t clash. Different shades of the same color palette will be your best bet! My style of design is Modern Transitional, which I have gone over before, but that doesn’t mean I won’t mix in pieces from different styles and aesthetics. I can mix modern farmhouse, vintage, mid-century modern, etc. One way I do so is taking a piece of furniture that is, for example, MCM and pairing it with a modern rug that is neutral with a pop of color. To break up the neutrals and play on that pop of color, I would put a standout color on the wall or in a wallcovering. If I’m doing blues, then I would use a teal green or aqua blue wall color. These colors flow nicely together. I would also try to get a similar color in the other furniture in the space so that it doesn’t look out of place. To finish off a space like this, I would add a bold, glam mirror and it would all look fabulous together! I love to keep the vintage feel with a twist of modern updates. Typically, I like to stay in the modern transitional design scheme by mixing design elements so that they are not “on trend” and will last for years to come. Many times, it is fun to add in a statement piece that I can work and design around to make a space feel fresh. If you have an element like this in your home, then we are more than happy to help you finish off your space the best way possible.

The In's and Out's of Install Day As a designer, I have talked about many different aspects of the design process from the first phone call with a client to the installation day. I have not, however, talked about what that install day looks like! I just recently did a pretty large install for the home mentioned previously. It was built from the ground up and after the initial building, they brought me in for design! It is very exciting to see a project start from a blank canvas and come to fruition. The project is not all the way finished, but here is what our install day looks like! First off, when ordering items, some are shipped to a warehouse/delivery company and some items are shipped to me as I can transport smaller items like decor, art, and mirrors. Whatever items I need to bring to the clients on install day, I load up and drive over! Our day usually starts in the morning. I like to be there early to assess the project. Typically, I prefer to do my installs alone, I have the client leave their home for the day. So, at the end they get to see the finished product! During this particular install, the client and other workers were there because it was their move in week. It was busier than I’m used to on an install day, but we made it happen. My sister/brand manager, Chelsea, and I arrived in the morning and unloaded all of the items I brought. She took some “before” video footage of the areas I was setting up and I made a plan of which items I would begin with. Be on the lookout for those fun videos being posted soon. The first area I focused on were the drapes. I had two areas of custom drapes to hang, one in the main family room and one in the breakfast area. This is quite the process and usually takes up a big chunk of my time, but so worth it in the end. Chelsea helps me unbox all the hardware that comes with it and count how many pieces we need for each drapery panel. I measure and measure again! I cut down the rods on site and hang them. She also helps me unbox the drapes, lay them out, and holds them while I install! It is most certainly teamwork. When I don’t have her to help, I do this all myself, and that takes even longer. It is part of the individualized care you get when hiring a designer. After hanging the drapes, I have to “train” them. This means that I will leave the panels tied up and pleated for a few days. This way, the drapes hang and fall the way they are supposed to after being tied up for a couple days. All of these steps are very important for a project, and I take pride in my skills to make it perfect for the client. After the drapes were finished, we moved on to other items that were delivered. By this time my delivery guys had arrived and started to unload the larger items. For this project, we had a dining table and chairs, counter stools, end tables, lamps, rugs, sideboards, art, and mirrors. I obviously know where everything is going, but I have to direct my guys where each piece is going. Unboxing and assembling the items also takes up a good amount of time. Chelsea worked on the loft area assembling tables and lamps, and I did everything downstairs. I hang all the art and mirrors, lay out rugs, style the room and hopefully (not this time, but soon!) finish the project. Typically, when the client comes home at the end of the installation day, they will see their finished spaces, but as I mentioned before, we were not able to do that with this project. I love showing them around and seeing all our hard work from the beginning to the end! It is a long day and a long process, but install days are my favorite! There is nothing more rewarding than a satisfied client. I also love seeing my vision come to life in the spaces I design. I’m happy to help and hope you are happy as well. If you have any questions about this process, or in general, please DM, email, or call me so we can talk about your next project.

Style. Texture. Decor.

Starting your home from Scratch-Must Do's