Allison Hilgert Designs

Kids Spaces

Before you roll your eyes as you see 'Kardashian' in this title of this article--look at the pictures. I've seen her daughter's room in other publications, and it is an adorable, really well done space. At every budget there are elements that can be incorporated--look at how her (and/or her designer) used bold pattern, cheery color (using a mixture of shades), and lots of texture (the baskets behind her are great!). Whether you keep up with this family or not, Kourtney certainly has classy taste that makes a charming room that will serve her daughter now and into her future. Did you notice how this room is cohesive and cozy and does NOT have a theme? My kids never had typical little boy and girl rooms--I used pieces from my childhood mixed with fun texture, full sized furniture, and inviting colors and I only had to 'do' them once. They are age appropriate at every age! "Kid" rooms can long outlast the 'kid' age while still reflecting the happiness and pure joy that comes with toddler-dom. And I agree with her philosophy 100%--every kids room should have a little 'magic'.

Kourtney Kardashian: Every Child’s Room ‘Should Have Some Magic’ | People.com "I think every child's room should have some magic in it. Those magical elements just came to life once the process began," the reality star says in Mini Magazine....

Do you have a topic you want some tips on?!? Now's the time to share!

Coffee Table Talk

Coffee tables are at the center of a lot of our living and family rooms; they hold our drinks, boards games, our feet. For a lot of us, it's also a place to accessorize and bring some personality. Seems easy enough? There are, however, some tricks to making your coffee table look more like a statement and less like storage. The pictures below are more cautionary tales than examples of good design. Here are some things to remember and as you browse through the photos, see if you can identify what went wrong.

1. Determine why you need a coffee table in the first place. Is it for drinks? Does it also need to function as a foot rest? Do I need some kind of hidden storage so my guests don't have to look at all of my remotes? Now look through the photos--I dare you to try and get your feet--even just one foot--on any of those tables. Frosty beverages? No way. These tables are cluttered. Yes, all of the stuff on them is from Pottery Barn and I'm sure it's lovely, but it also just stuff--and too much of it. If you spent the money to buy a nice table, you should at least be able to see it.

2. About that stuff...if you want 'stuff' on your coffee table, why not make it objects that are personal, or have meaning for your family. Do you have a seashell collection? A beautiful piece of driftwood? A special vessel that could hold a few cut flowers from the garden? Stuff feels less like 'stuff' when it has intrinsic value. When you buy an object from TJMaxx, just think about how many other coffee tables have that same dog head sculpture on them. And if you NEED to have all of that on your table--maybe you need a bigger table.

3. Scale. Big furniture needs a big table and big tables need decent sized lamps. A tiny lamp on a huge table looks wrong, just as the enormous vase of sticks, looks a little off on the tiny glass coffee table in the picture below. You can use material (glass, for example) to soften a large piece and keep it from becoming too heavy while maintaining the correct scale. There is one exception, however. If you are working with a small room, don't put child sized furnishings in your space. But show restraint in your accessories to keep the room from closing in on you. Use your walls more, to keep your floor space open. A whole bunch of tiny things rarely work--use a combination of large, medium, and small scaled objects. All large things looks to big, as all little things looks like stuff your kids got out and didn't put away. The designer touch is in the combination.

4. Function. Do your kids like to sit around and draw? Put colored pencils in something beautiful and unexpected. Do you toss your magazines on it? Toss them into something interesting; even if their not hidden, why not use wood, metal, wire--something to bring in a new texture or material or hint of color. And if your table is going to hold frosty beverages--find some unique coasters--look for something that makes you happy and something you'll enjoy looking at.

The bottom line is this--less is more, odd numbers are always better, living things make wonderful accessories, something dear to you will be more interesting to your guests, and love everything you put in your home. If you don't love it, don't buy it and remember that building a home takes patience and you can't buy it all in one place.

This is why interior design is one of the best jobs you can have...

'THANK YOU!!
I am so impressed Allison...as is my husband! He was home today for lunch and loved it!...You have outdone yourself and we are sooooo excited to make this come together!
Will be in touch soon.....'

One really important component of what I offer is the Design Summary. Summary is a little misleading in that the last one I did was multiple pages; you can see it to the far left in the presentation below. It is really me talking you through your entire room--not just what is in it and where it goes, but WHY I chose what I did.

And the bonus is that once our meeting is over and your left with all of your materials, maybe you want to share it all with your spouse and how will you remember everything we talked about? You don't have to--you can read it together!