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News and Trends in the World of Interior Design and Home Remodeling
Remodeling Your Kitchen? These are Key Guidelines for Kitchen Island Design
Kitchen remodeling can be a bit of a nerve-wracking puzzle, especially when considering all the possibilities you can add—even just to a kitchen island. There’s so many ideas, how do you begin to choose? We’re a team of interior designers in Chicago with plenty of experience under our belts. You may have read our article on how to choose a kitchen island design based on seating, and if you keep reading here, you’ll learn some important guidelines when considering walkway spaces, overall flow,...
Kitchen Island Seating: How to Choose the Perfect Design for Your Remodel
Ah, kitchen island design. If you’re remodeling your home, it’s the perfect time to make a big design change in your kitchen layout. Out of a whole WORLD of ways to incorporate islands into kitchen designs, which seating option should you go with? Will you like it? Feeling a little trepidation, maybe? Don’t worry—you’re in luck, because we curated our favorite kitchen island design and countertop seating ideas. Read on to find out our top 3 picks! Plus, get some inspiration from kitchen...
This Beautiful Chicago Home Renovation Will Make Your Jaw Drop
Sometimes, a partial home renovation isn’t enough. And in this case, these Chicago homeowners invested in an entire home remodeling that completely transformed a standard two flat building into a beautiful house—a well designed, dream home that will last well into the future. With a fresh, open layout (we even moved the staircase!), custom kitchen cabinets, and so many perfect details to enjoy, this home is now worth far beyond the cost of renovation and the original house value. Now, let the...
Should You Choose Open Shelving in a Kitchen Design?
Kitchen renovation and design can be intimidating—and exciting! Open shelving is a big trend, which you already know if you've been searching for dream kitchen ideas. Should you go for it? As an experienced home remodeling company in Chicago, we have quite a few luxury kitchen designs under our belt that take full advantage of floating shelves. Keep reading our top 5 reasons to choose open kitchen shelves! Plus, real-world inspiration from our own design portfolio. #1 Get a Bright & Airy...
6 Kitchen Updates to Maximize your Home Value
Selling your house? Or perhaps your new kitchen leave a lot to be desired? Maybe you’re thinking of remodeling the kitchen to maximize resale value, but have no idea where to start. Read on for six simple, but effective, kitchen updates that won’t cost a bundle and will make buyers go “wow!”. Paint Your Cabinets This kitchen update probably has the most dramatic bang for the buck. Cabinet wood varieties and stain colors go out of style but a good coat of paint erases all that. Combined with...
Bold, Blue Bathroom with Hand-Painted Fireclay Tiles
Sometimes all you need is a bold tile pattern to make your space truly unique. For this Chicago bathroom remodel, our homeowners were not afraid to go nautical. Designer Kapan Shipman went all in, using Mayan Blue Fireclay tiles in Ogee Teardrop and Half Offset patterns. We love getting the chance to work with Fireclay; their tiles are absolutely gorgeous and each one is hand crafted and painted in California. It may take a little longer to produce, but the results speak for themselves.
Pros & Cons of the Top 5 Kitchen Layouts
What kitchen layout will you love? When preparing for a kitchen remodel, there's lots more to consider besides "do you like to cook" A good kitchen remodel not only plans for homeowner usage but considers existing plumbing and piping layouts, foot track, and effective storage solutions. By carefully planning a new layout, or making existing changes to your current layout, you can drastically cut down on costs, while still getting the kitchen of your dreams. Today, we are running through the...
Before & After: Fun, Contemporary Home Makeover
Chicago is a wonderful city with incredible, historic architecture, but oftentimes these old buildings have dated interiors that desperately need a facelift. So when Paolo Presta, host of the delightfully fun web-series, A Spoonful of Paolo, and his husband and Executive Producer, Patrick Thomassie, relocated from LA to Chicago they wanted to something contemporary and fun, without losing that old Chicago charm. Our designer, Hannah Tindall, was up to the task! To match Paolo and Patrick's...
Styling (Not Stuffing) Your Built-In
At Habitar Design we create and build some extraordinary custom built-ins and shelving for our clients. And after we're done, they always ask, now what? So we brought in our designer, Mackenzie Cain, to give us 3 simple tips for keeping your built-in shelving chic, stylish, and useful. 1. Books Books are probably the biggest culprit when it comes to overstuffing your built-in. Moderation and style is key. Place your larger books on the shelves first, spacing them out across the built-in and...
Add Some Polish with Trim & Panel Moulding
Wainscoting, panel molding, chair rails...homeowners tend to use these words interchangeably, but the overall result is the same, bringing elegance and sophistication to your home. Wainscoting and other wall panels were originally designed and used as wall protection to bring warmth to cold stone walls. Today, panelling comes in all shapes, sizes and styles. You may be familiar with more traditional home wainscoting, but as you'll see in the photos below, trim and panel moulding can easily...
Stain Removal: An After-Party Guide
The holidays are upon us, and that usually means a house full of guests and house full of mess! If you woke up this morning with red wine stains on your brand new, white Karastan carpet, you're in luck. We've compiled the ultimate guide to getting rid of common party stains below. But cheer up, if none of these work you could always redecorate... Red Wine Oh red wine stains, you are the bane of all interiors! The number one thing to remember with this type of stain is to catch it early, keep...
Take the plunge into 2018 with Ultra Violet
Are you bold enough to go purple? Or better yet, Ultra Violet! It's officially been named the color of 2018 by PANTONE, the world's "authority on color." So what does this mean for interior design? If you're feeling bold grab a paint can and go wild. Ultra violet is an adventurous color with luxe connotations. An ultra violet couch or wall will make a statement in any room. Pair it with gold velvets and funky teals for a glam look. Or make it modern with bright whites and clear acrylic...
Go Minimal for the Holidays!
If lugging a bunch of garland, blinking lights and ribbons into your house is giving you panic attacks this year, go minimalist! Simple, stylish holiday decor doesn't have to be boring, either. Check out our inspiration and tips to cut the clutter and keep your home stress-free this season. Simple wreaths & garlands. Using a single strand of garland, or even faux garland, cuts down on messy needles and makes a sleek statement in your entranceway, stairwell or walls. Pick one color. All the...
Pros & Cons of Top Cabinet Finishes
Cabinet finishes are one of the most visible design decisions in any kitchen remodel. There are so many different lacquers, paints, and glosses it can quickly overwhelm homeowners looking to update their space. Don't fret! Our Construction Project Manager, Nick Reidel, gives us some handy tips on the 4 most common types of cabinet finishes: Painted with Pre-Catalyzed Lacquer If you want a lacquer thats strong and durable, but still looks great, then pre-catalyzed lacquer is a great option....
All About Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinets are one of the most visible design decisions in any kitchen remodel. Picking finishes, hardware styles, not to mention storage space, they can quickly overwhelm homeowners looking to update their space. Don't fret! Our Construction Project Manager, Nick Reidel, gives us some handy advice as we lays down the basics of kitchen cabinetry. Picking a size Think about your current kitchen space and how much more or less storage you need. Cabinets can be installed from floor to ceiling to...
Visionary West Loop Loft Remodel
If you've ever seen a Chicago West Loop loft then you're familiar with the standard look; original hardwood flooring, industrial ceiling beams, exposed brick walls and oftentimes dated bathroom fixtures and plumbing. The homeowners had a distinct vision for a clean and open space, while still keeping everything warm and inviting. Designer MacKenzie Cain was able to transform their spacious loft into a comfortable living environment that reflected the homeowners love of travel and contemporary...
Podcast: Interior Design Tips for Your Living Room
We're pleased to announce that one of our designers, MacKenzie Cain was recently featured as a guest on Angie's List "Chat with the Experts Podcast" with Kiel Hauck. Click below to find out what trends are happening in 2017 and how you can better utilize them to redesign your living space! Listen Here >
Habitar Among the Best in the Home Design Industry
Check out some of the recent list we've made. 2016 was an excellent year of rewarding projects, both big and small. A warm thank you to our wonderful clients that make all of this possible. We hope to always provide you with outstanding service and 100% satisfaction. Here's looking forward to what 2017 brings! Top 200 Influencers in the Home Design Industry 2017
The Best Interior Designers in Chicago
120 of the best interior designers were reviewed, and Habitar Design was one of 20 to be featured on this list of top 20 Best Designers in Chicago! Check out the list below. Top 20 Best Interior Designers in Chicago
Hallway Decorating Ideas
Hallways are the by-ways of your house; the spaces that impact you while on the move. This means sometimes you will focus on them when passing through, while at other times you will be focused on where you're headed and their impact will be unconscious or secondary. As in any room in your house, hallways need attention to produce an impact. Your hallways are an experience in themselves. They should never be bland or overlooked. Taking a little extra time to maximize the potential of your...
How to Protect your Furniture from Sun Damage
Summer is here! With the sun and heat at full strength, you will need to remember to protect your home and furniture. Sun damage can threaten the quality of your furniture and is ultimately irreversible. Although often overlooked, we must remember that the quality of these home furnishing investments can be prolonged with preventive measures and regular care. Here are a few tips on how to keep your wooden and upholstered furniture looking like new. Read More >
Planning Shower Niches- Eight Essentials to Keep in Mind
Walk-in showers never seem to have enough storage. All your bottles end up on the floor or a bench where they're in the way or can be easily knocked over. Niches are the perfect answer. They’re cleaner than many wire storage devices and don’t take up any room in your shower. If you are in the process of remodeling your bathroom, here are a few things to keep in mind while you are designing your shower niche: When putting a shower niche in an existing wall, 12”w x 24”h is a good size. It allows...
6 Places to Consider When Installing Electrical Outlets
Homes are often constructed with just the minimum required amount of electrical outlets for each area. Frequently those outlets aren’t strategically placed to cater to each homeowner’s specific needs. Given the opportunity, strategically located outlets can greatly enhance a home’s functionality and aesthetics. If you’re looking to increase your home’s electrical capacity, these six places to consider when installing outlets might spark your interest. 1. Entry outlets A strategically placed...
7 Common Materials for Area Rugs
Check out our associate designer, MacKenzie Cain's featured article on Angie's List! This article will help you select the perfect area rug for your condo or home. Read More >>
7 Tips for Mixing Patterns in Home Design
When redecorating a space, one common question that we get from clients is how to mix and match patterns. 1. Use odd numbers Use a minimum of three patterns, and stick to an odd number. Odd numbers just seem to make things work, whether you’re creating a color palette or potting plants. 2. Mix pattern types Try to keep your patterns from clashing. The main pattern will likely be your inspiration and the largest in scale, while the least important will be the smallest in scale. 3. Choose...
How to Pick the Right White Paint for Any Space
White paint colors are going to be all the rage in 2016 — with four different paint companies choosing shades of white as their color of the year. From weathered wainscoting to crisp canvas shades, porcelain tile to picket fences, white is everywhere in every form. But with white being the most common paint color for interior design, how do you choose the right one? There are literally thousands of shades to choose from, so this task can quickly become overwhelming. Below are a few tips to...
How to Choose a Coffee Table
Check out our assistant designer, MacKenzie Cain’s featured article on Angie’s List! This article will help you select the perfect coffee table for your condo or home. Read More >>
Best of Houzz 2016
Habitar Design Chicago is proud to announce that we have once again been voted by the Houzz community as a winner of the Best of Houzz award! Read More >>
RE: Chiropractic and Wellness in Andersonville
RE: Chiropractic & Wellness in Andersonville, designed by our very own senior designer Kapan Shipman, was chosen by Crain's Chicago Buisness as one of the coolest offices in Chicago in 2015! Read More >>
New Video – Habitar Design
Habitar Design Chicago is proud to show you our newest video showcasing some of our clients in their newly renovated homes. They have some wonderful things to say about us! Read More >>