One of our most commonly asked questions is: How can I make more space in my home? Answer: Hire a great interior designer who is terrific at making the most of your space (we happen to know a great one)! You might not be ready for a remodel just yet, so you need to look at how you organize your home. We are not asking you to fold your clothes differently or hug all your possessions and see if they bring you joy! However, Claire in marketing is a huge fan of Marie Kondo and really does feel "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" when sorting and ridding her home of unwanted clutter. She actually enjoys making sure her clothes neatly stand to attention before putting them away! However, if you feel this is all too much effort, the simple trick is to have a house filled with great organizational and storage options.

See Part 1 of our Reclaim Your Space Blog Series featuring kitchens, here, as well as Part 2 covering bathrooms, here.

Living Spaces

Storage benches are a great way to hide clutter in the living room. However, we all love to see our favorite things and to make our home feel unique and special. With the two following projects both clients wanted to showcase their wonderful collections one in a traditional way and the other with a modern approach.  

Traditional

Our clients in San Ramon wanted a traditional sense of style and needed easy access to their book collection. They wanted to keep the look homey while displaying their most treasured antique pieces. The shelves by Crystal Cabinets were made to withstand the weight of the books and to avoid the risk of damage.

"Crystal Cabinets is our go-to for most projects, they have so many styles to choose from and perhaps, more importantly, their quality is outstanding. I need a manufacturer I can trust to not let me, or clients, down. I only ever hear positive comments back from my clients when using Crystal Cabinets." says Jackie Lopey, CEO and certified interior designer at Venue in Pleasant Hill, CA.  

Built-in white selves and bookcase incorporating the fireplace

Modern

Our client in Lafayette wanted a clean way of showcasing their world collection of artwork. They wanted a contemporary showcase without distracting from the art. These floating shelves are perfect. They keep the room uncluttered, compliment the modern furniture and don't distract from the pieces on display.

Modern floating shelves to complement the modern decor and keep the collectibles as the focus

How will you organize your storage?

One of our most commonly asked questions is: How can I make more space in my home? Answer: Hire a great interior designer who is terrific at making the most of your space (we happen to know a great one)! You might not be ready for a remodel just yet, so you need to look at how you organize your home. We are not asking you to fold your clothes differently or hug all your possessions and see if they bring you joy! However, Claire in marketing is a huge fan of Marie Kondo and really does feel "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" when sorting and ridding her home of unwanted clutter. She enjoys making sure her clothes neatly stand to attention before putting them away! However, if you feel this is all too much effort, the simple trick is to have a house filled with great organizational and storage options. 

See Part 1 of our Reclaim Your Space Blog Series featuring kitchens, here.

BATHROOM

Of all the places in the home, bathroom storage has to be taken seriously. Some items need to be accessible: shampoo in the shower, for example, or towels after a soak in the tub. Bathroom storage also has to be organized to hide personal items such as medication. We love the bathroom storage we incorporated into the projects below. 

 
Pull out shelves and a roll-up appliance garage keeps counter space clear and hides personal items in a creative way.

 
Need more space? Consider a wall-hung toilet. The tank is in the wall and gives you added space where space might be tight. And, don't forget the space over the toilet - it keeps surfaces clutter-free!

Shower niches offer easy access to shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc.

Open shelves provide a great space to store towels and glass-fronted cabinets help show off pretty bottled toiletries, just where you need it!

Plenty of cabinets and open shelving for towels keeps surfaces clear

 How will you organize your storage?

One of our most commonly asked questions is: How can I make more space in my home. Answer? Hire a great interior designer who is terrific at making the most of your space (we happen to know a great one)! You might not be ready for a remodel just yet, so you need to look at how you organize your home. We are not asking you to fold your clothes in a different way or hug all your possessions and see if they bring you joy! However, Claire in marketing, is a huge fan of Marie Kondo and really does feel "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" when sorting and ridding her home of unwanted clutter. She actually enjoys making sure her clothes neatly stand to attention before putting them away! However, if you feel this is all too much effort, the simple trick it to have a house filled with great organizational and storage options.

KITCHEN
We know you can never have enough surfaces or storage in your kitchen. Here are some of our favorite organizational and storage options for your kitchen.

Spice Rack & Pan Drawers

Now you see me...now, you don't.  The perfect way to hide kitchen appliances!

Clever kitchen appliances give you more space and keep your surfaces clutter free.

A kitchen pantry with doors can hide a multitude of sins and is the perfect way to hide your kitchen appliances and ugly packages, whilst having all your supplies in one place.

Glass fronted display kitchen cabinets showcase a favorite collection

Narrow slide out drawers keep appliances off counter tops but still easily accessible

No matter how much enthusiasm we have for a project and how instantly we see your desired reading nook or how best to showcase your prized artwork collection, sometimes it's not easy for you to see the same vision, especially when walls need to be knocked down, windows and doors moved and rooms opened up. That's why at Venue we always provide perspective drawings and when completing whole house projects, 3D rendering drawings, using the latest software. We offer you a view inside of our heads! 

Rachael Daboin, Interior Designer at Venue, says "Our drawings allow our clients to visually see the space we can create, how their heirloom dresser will look in their newly designed dining room or if they really do want the lime green feature wall, they were so insistent on.  By showing our clients a glimpse of their future home it offers a way for them to truly see the great space we are creating." 

The textures, the lighting, the depth of field, the furniture, the outlets, the glazing - everything you’d hope to see in the crisp clean transformation of your home is presented in perfect clarity.

Want more kitchen design ideas? Our blog series, What You Need to Know About Kitchen Design, addresses the questions we get asked time after time. We are now down to the top three questions.

Question 3: How Do I Get More Space In My Kitchen Without Adding On?

There are four ways to get more space in your kitchen without adding onto your house. Here they are in order, easiest and least costly first:

1. Boost the storage within your current layout

2. Create a more efficient layout within your current kitchen

3. Take space from an adjacent room

4. “Flip” your kitchen to a larger room in your house.

All four are successful strategies depending on what you mean by more space. Is more space room for an island with an eat-in breakfast bar? Or, is it ample storage so that food and small appliances aren’t overflowing from your cabinets onto your countertops?

Think an addition is your only option? Think again! Ask your designer to show you two or three ways to layout a new kitchen within your existing home. Creating multiple floor plans for every project is standard operating procedure at Venue. We want our clients to “see” options before deciding on a layout. Your designer should create floor plans, elevations, and 3D models that bring your new space alive.

BEFORE

AFTER

Want help making your dream kitchen a reality? Call 925-285-0815 or email jackie@venueathome.com now to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation. Yours FREE when you mention this blog post.

Next week we’ll answer Kitchen Design Question 2: How Long Will It Take To Remodel My Kitchen?