Julie Fergus, ASID | NH Interior Designer

Kitchen from Overworked to Functional

This kitchen makeover was years overdue. The cabinets were maxed out, there was not adequate counter space and the lighting was insufficient. My design challenge was to maximize the floor space and add more linear counter space. Storage had to be improved and made easier to access.

Rich Maid Kabinetry, one of three cabinet lines offered by American Home Gallery, was the choice for this project. Every cabinet is made to my exact specifications to ensure that every square inch is maximized.

White subway tile, black granite counters and white cabinets maintain a classic style that compliments the entire antique home.

The island top is maple butcher block with permanent finish, by Grothouse Lumber, built in a custom shape per my drawing.

Julie Fergus, ASID, is a nationally published interior designer. Her studio and showroom is located in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Julie's clients are primarily in the Lakes Region and Mount Washington Valley, however, she will travel throughout the state and North East. www.JulieFergus.com | www.DesignByMail.com

Click on the photos to enlarge them for more detail.

Finished kitchen is a classic style, perfect for this older home.

The before kitchen was cramped, overworked and not extremely functional.

Maximizing the space above the refrigerator is a must. Freestanding refrigerators appear larger than when built-in.

The before kitchen did not maximize the wall space.

This is the island. A cubby for the microwave keeps counters clear. A pull-out double trash bin keeps the floor clear. The wall in the background is major pantry storage and a broom closet.

The table was a clutter magnet which did not maximize the space.

The traffic flow through the kitchen to the foyer and dining room was made easy.


The prior layout was crowed and did not provide ample traffic flow space.

These tall cabinet maximize the square footage.

Blind corner cabinet.

Blind corner cabinet shelves.

Blind corner cabinet roll-outs. This maximizes the storage area.

The floorplan illustrates the efficient layout.

Drawers used for baking ingredients.

Deep drawer for pots and pans.

Double trash is a must!

Drawer for spices.

Drawer for baking ingredients.

Design to Stay?

People typically procrastinate fixing the little things (sometimes big things) around their home. But when a homeowner plans to sell their home they rethink the property so that it appeals to potential buyers, and they will spruce it up to sell it.

To illustrate how simple changes can have a great impact on interior spaces, I am using photos from a staging project where I enhanced a home.

The task at hand was to enhance the interior in two weeks. I took lots of photos of the rooms, measured windows, selected window shades, colors and coordinated subcontractors to get the work done. I shopped for lighting, wall art and accessories. I mentally planned the new furniture layouts. Everything was in motion, and two weeks later the interior spaces were greatly improved.

In the scheme of things, the cost was minimal, but the results outstanding. I used the homeowners furniture, rearranged things and eliminated more than I added.

The kitchen before was cut off from other spaces.

The remodeled kitchen moved the sink to the window, removed upper cabinets, and replaced countertops.

The sitting room's dark paneling was drab.

Paneling painted, flooring replaced and giving a new function of this room improved the flow.

The bedroom was sparse and lifeless.

I'm usually not a fan of beds on an angle, but this was a way to gain more floor space and to have a headboard that did not block the windows.

The former sitting room was cut-off from the kitchen.

Paint, paint, paint!

The sunroom was underutilized and did not have a summer feel to it.

Painting and summer furnishings created a space that can be enjoyed in three seasons.

This was staged to make a great first impression:

This could not have been more dark and depressing upon entering this home.

I had the solid metal door replaced with a glass door, painted the stair treads and railing and brought in colorful accents. HUGE difference, little effort.

Just rearranging furniture can improve the space.

The family room was unbalanced and oriented only toward the TV.

Moving the sofa and side chair to create a central seating area makes the space work better.

This was right in front of the entry door. Not a good first visual into the home.

I created a sense of an entry area. This allows guests to enter the home and not be right in the family room space.

Why not spruce up your home now so you can enjoy it? I wonder if some people are selling because they don’t like their home and think a new one will be better. Reevaluating the home you have and improving it may be the most cost-effective way to a better home.

If you want to spruce up your home to sell, or for you to stay, consider working with me to beautify, organize and improve your home. Click here for my small project fees.

To see other great examples of staging and home make overs contact me.

Finding YOUR Design Style

Well, to start with, let's simplify the task! Instead of trying to duplicate someone else's elegant interior, create a list of the things that are important to making your life easier, functional, attractive and a reflection of YOU!

Do away with the fantasy of holiday dinners served at a ten-foot farm table if you don't have room for a ten-foot table. Let go of the thought of white-on-white decor if your house is teeming with kids and pets. The first rule of home decorating is to know YOURSELF! Make your home accommodate your real everyday life.

HOW TO DO IT:

Take a realistic view of how you and your family use your house - every day, not just on holidays or when company is coming - everyday!
Don't buy anything unless it meets your functional needs first.
Organize! Throw out what you don't need. Keep what defines you.
Have a Plan! Create a theme for the whole house.
Prioritize! Start with the room that's most important to you and make it your own.
Determine a budget no matter how big or how small. This will define your choices.
Take on one room or one problem at a time then move on to the next and the next.
If you're not sure of your choices, ask your family and friends for opinions, then do what you think is the best!
And remember, many interior designers offer consultations to help steer you in the right direction, so don't hesitate to ask for help.

Getting started is the hard part. Getting into it is the fun part.

And seeing it finished is pure joy itself!

Julie Fergus, ASID, is a nationally published interior designer. Her studio and showroom is located in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Julie's clients are primarily in the Lakes Region and Mount Washington Valley, however, she will travel throughout the state and North East. www.JulieFergus.com | www.DesignByMail.com

Five Common Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid

There are several interior design mistakes that one can make. I am going to focus on some that I think are the most common. If you take these steps one by one you will have a successful interior.

1. Over furnishing a room. This is by far the most common mistake that I see. People buy furniture too large for the room or fill it up with too many items. This makes the space crowded and small. Purchase furniture that will allow a room to breathe and not over crowd it. Having furniture that is multi-functional will reduce the number of pieces in a room.

2. Hanging artwork too high. Hang art around 66"-72" to the top of the piece from the floor. This is most visually appealing in a room with an eight-foot ceiling. There are exceptions when the art is very large or it is hanging above a large furniture piece. Don't hang art in a diagonal line. Group smaller pieces together to create one focal point. Take a look in decorating magazines and study how art is hung for good visual examples.

3. Clutter and disorganization. If you organize your day-to-day clutter and eliminate stuff you seldom or never use, you will have much more living space. Purge unwanted items. Make room to display your collections and provide storage for things you want to keep.

4. Quantity versus Quality. Buy only what you love and avoid cheap knickknacks and art. Buy the best art, furniture and accessories you can afford. The quality of good items will last and may hold resale value if you choose to eliminate them later. Cheap stuff is always cheap and will become throw away items.

5. Bad lighting. Have several light sources in a space not just one overhead ceiling fixture. Incorporate floor and table lamps for reading. Chandeliers offer overall ambiance and illumination. Track and recessed lighting provide accents for art and tasks.

You can not go wrong with symmetry.

The chandelier over a dining table needs to be correct shape and scale.

Creating a cozy sleeping space and maximizing a sloped ceiling.

Kitchens need to be carefully planned as this one was.

The sectional components chosen fit perfectly in this space.

Julie Fergus, ASID, is a nationally published interior designer. Her studio and showroom is located in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Julie's clients are primarily in the Lakes Region and Mount Washington Valley, however, she will travel throughout the state and North East. www.JulieFergus.com | www.DesignByMail.com

What makes an interior design successful?

There are lots of reasons, but the real reason is that there was some sort of plan or vision to carry a theme through. Things go wrong when people get off track of the vision or the plan. I’ve seen it happen to my own projects when clients go off on their own and get caught up in a “deal”. Just because something is a “deal” does not mean it should be purchased. That “deal” could compromise the whole design or space.

On a recent project my client and I worked out a furniture layout that provided flexibility to seating and kept the space open to the views. She calls me and says: “I can get the matching love seat for a great price.” There were many things wrong with a matching loveseat for her space. I had to respond by going back to her original needs and vision. She snapped out of it, and avoided a huge mistake. I’m grateful that she called me instead of just buying it. She knew it was wrong on some level, that is why she called.

Another example of potential mistakes is purchasing items to solve a temporary problem. I am working with my showroom manager / assistant on the home she just moved-in to. She was avoiding have me see her “disaster,” and she was getting frantic to solve storage. She was just about to spend $1000 on a HUGE hutch so she would have a place to put stuff. It is a good thing she showed me photos of it so I could save her the money and the hassle. She got the same lecture as other clients that start veering off track. Why spend $1000 to solve a temporary problem? So within the next few days I was over there and created a great layout that transformed the open living space. She is still overjoyed and amazed at how incredible the newly designed space is. She now has a plan and has invested that $1000 in furnishings that will make her new living space beautiful and functional,

The lesson is, before you buy anything for your home, think it through. Because if it doesn’t work you’ll waste money or be stuck with something that is wrong.

A deal is not really a deal if it won’t work in your space.
Buying pieces for temporary solutions should be avoided.
Don’t buy items for no reason, have a place for them. This will save you from accumulating lots of things that will be in your way later.
Avoid trendy decorating items and furnishings

Julie Fergus, ASID, is a nationally published interior designer. Her studio and showroom is located in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Julie's clients are primarily in the Lakes Region and Mount Washington Valley, however, she will travel throughout the state and North East. www.JulieFergus.com | www.DesignByMail.com

Colorful Home for an Artist

My artist client loves color. When planning the design for her new home we were starting with a blank canvas. My concept was to enhance the stone fireplace by painting the walls in a gray color accented by white trim. This allows the eye to focus on the view rather than the distracting stained trim. This crisp combination softens the space and provides a neutral backdrop for the color furnishings.

I always start with a floor plan. This illustrates how the spaces will work and what the maximum sizes furnishing can be. This will help when shopping so no mistakes are made by purchasing the wrong pieces.

Julie Fergus, ASID, is a nationally published interior designer. Her studio and showroom is located in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Julie's clients are primarily in the Lakes Region and Mount Washington Valley, however, she will travel throughout the state and North East. www.JulieFergus.com | www.DesignByMail.com

Click on the photos to enlarge them.