Bringing the Outdoors in: Refreshing Your Home Using Biophilic Design

by GeneralInterior RenovationLifestyle Tips

With spring right around the corner, many Montgomery County homeowners long to get back outside, feel the sun’s warmth and reconnect with nature. Staying closed up inside all winter can make anyone feel weary and claustrophobic — after all, it’s in our DNA to feel calm and connected when we’re in the great outdoors.
But what if you didn’t need to wait until warmer months to experience the natural environment? What if you brought nature into your home to enjoy year-round? This idea is called biophilic design, a growing movement we’re excited to participate in. In this blog, we’ll explore this captivating design philosophy and its benefits, and unveil practical ways to incorporate it into your home.

What Is Biophilic Design?

Biophilic design aims to reconnect humans with nature indoors and is inspired by the innate human draw towards the natural world. Stemming from the Greek word “biophilia,” meaning love of nature, biophilic design aims to reconnect humans with nature in our modern buildings and cities. This could be as simple as bringing in more houseplants or as involved as adjusting the architecture of your home to incorporate more organic shapes.

Benefits of Biophilic Design

Biophilic design can be aesthetically pleasing and a good match for certain style preferences, but incorporating nature in your home goes beyond good looks. It can foster:

Better Health: Studies have shown that experiencing nature has several therapeutic effects, including reducing stress levels, lowering blood pressure, elevating mood, and balancing circadian rhythms.

Better Productivity: Biophilic design is not only embraced by homeowners but also by businesses and schools seeking to boost efficiency and innovation. Exposure to nature has been shown to improve attention span, creativity, cognitive performance, and employee satisfaction.

Better Sustainability: It’s no surprise that designing with nature in mind is also generally good for the environment. Materials in line with biophilic design tend to be more sustainable since they are often minimally processed and renewable, and opting for natural light reduces the use of electricity.

The Three Pillars of Biophilic Design

To create spaces that foster well-being, improve productivity, and promote a sense of tranquility, biophilic design relies on three fundamental pillars.

1: Nature in the Space

The first pillar of biophilic design involves incorporating tangible, real-life elements of nature into your home. You could use natural materials such as wood, stone, or glass, bring in a plethora of houseplants, or consider building out large or numerous windows to maximize natural light. Other ideas include:
  • Water features, like a trickling fountain
  • Minimally processed or raw materials that emphasize natural features like woodgrains
  • Indoor herb gardens or green walls Incorporating natural decorative items like shells, stones, or driftwood

2. Natural Analogues

The second pillar of biophilic design focuses on manufactured items that emulate patterns, textures, and colors found in nature. By mimicking natural elements such as sunlight, foliage, and organic shapes, homeowners can evoke a sense of calm and balance. Here are a few examples:

  • Neutral paint colors
  • Wallpaper, tile, or countertops with a nature theme or pattern
  • Natural fabrics and materials like cotton, hemp, linen, or wool
  • Circular or organically shaped furniture like tables, mirrors, rugs, and other decor

3. Nature of the Space

While the first two pillars focus on the materials, colors, and textures in your home, the last is more about how you set your home up — the layout, architecture, and orientation. The goal here is to design your home in a way that evokes a similar emotion that you might have while taking refuge in or exploring nature. Think of the excitement you had as a child escaping to a secret spot in the woods or climbing into a treehouse, or the peace you feel seeing and hearing ocean waves crashing to shore.
A nature-based retreat in your home could be a cozy reading nook by the fireplace, a well-designed bathroom with a spa-like, walk-in shower, or a fabulous sunroom streaming with natural light and filled with cozy furniture.

Ready to Bring the Outdoors In?

Incorporating biophilic design principles into your home remodeling project can be a wonderful way to freshen up your space, boost your mood, and stay environmentally conscious. By embracing nature and blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces, you can create a sanctuary that nourishes the mind, body, and soul. Contact us to learn more about how we can bring biophilic design principles to life in your home.
level 1 bold kitchen

How Bold Can You Go?

by GeneralLifestyle TipsRemodeling Tips
Has your starter home become your forever home? Maybe you love your home’s location too much to move. Or, if you’re like many Montgomery County homeowners, limited inventory and rising interest rates may have stalled your plans to move somewhere bigger and better. As more families decide to stay where they are, a new trend has emerged to keep spaces fresh, interesting, and personalized — going bold.  Bold personalization happens when we make a home design decision that goes against the grain and steps away from staying safe or neutral. Some may be ready to dive into the deep end with a unique look in every room, others would rather just dip a toe in with one small space, and many homeowners fall somewhere in between. In this blog, we’ll explore options at each level so you can decide how bold you’d like to be.  

Level 1: Barely Bold

level 1 bold kitchen
There are many reasons why homeowners don’t like to take big risks in design choices — perhaps a louder dynamic doesn’t fit their personality, they don’t have the budget for drastic changes, or maybe they’d like to resell in the near future. If you find yourself in this category but still want to incorporate a few tastefully bold choices, here are some ideas for you:

Unique Lighting

Statement lighting pieces are a relatively easy way to impact the look and style of your home. Pictured above are fun, textured lights from a recent remodel in Doylestown. Aptly named “urchin” pendants, they bring a splash of fun and personality to the kitchen. Best of all, homeowners can easily swap them out if they want something different.

Statement Tile

Whether in the kitchen or the bathroom, many homeowners incorporate statement tiles in their design. It could be as subtle as a contrasting pattern in a shower niche or a vibrant, geometric work of art behind your stovetop. Whatever you choose, your wall tile could be the perfect opportunity to be (a little) bold.   

Welcoming Wallpaper

That’s right, wallpaper is back. If you miss playful patterns on your wall, wallpaper in a smaller space such as a powder room or home office could be the just-right touch of personality you’re looking for.  

Level 2: Fairly Bold

level 2 bold living room
This next level is for homeowners who are ready to make more of an investment in their design decisions. In this category are ideas that may involve small structural changes, could cost more, and are more difficult to change. If you’re feeling confident in your design style and are staying in your home for a while, these are for you:

Ceiling Treatments

Looking for some next-level bold options? Look up! Exposed beams, coffered or tray ceilings, or even a dark, bold paint color, as in this Plymouth Meeting remodel, draw eyes upward and create a sense of grandeur. 

Creative Countertops

Countertops with dramatic veining or unique patterns are strikingly beautiful and an investment you’ll keep for a good amount of time. We’re seeing a lot of sparkling gold veining, as well as fluted or waterfall styles that make islands truly eye-catching. 

Colored Cabinets

Tired of playing it safe with wood-stained cabinets? Go bold and paint them a rich, vibrant color. Your kitchen or bathroom will benefit from the visual interest and a unique touch of personality.

Level 3: Maximum Bold

Ready to be extreme? The last level in bold personalization gets into more extensive structural changes, design choices that could be controversial for future homeowners, and changes that usually require a large investment. These aren’t for everyone, but for some, they’re exactly what’s needed to make a home truly their own.  
bold kitchen

Nontraditional Fixtures & Features

Standard, safe fixtures and features will always be popular. After all, they’re popular for a reason: most people like them! Those willing to take a bolder approach, however, could opt for an oversized or curbless walk-in shower instead of a bathtub, indulge in their own personal sauna, or carve out space for a specially designed cigar room in their basement (all real-life elements from Custom Craft remodels!). 

Structural Statement Pieces

When your home’s focal point is part of a structural element and requires a construction crew, you know you’ve reached top-level bold. Structurally bold remodeling choices include raising your ceiling height, installing floor-to-ceiling windows, or even bringing in a larger-than-life or dramatic decorative range hood to capture your guests’ attention.  

All-of-the-Above

Part of what determines how bold design choices are is how many are in a single space. Take the above example of our steampunk kitchen project — any of these design choices by themselves may not have registered as extremely bold. But combining the stunning backsplash, dramatic granite countertop, cool copper piping and trim, tongue-and-groove wood ceiling, and unique lighting makes for a one-of-a-kind, ultimate bold look.  At the end of the day, your home should reflect your personality — especially when you know you’ll be there for a long time. If you need help deciding how bold to go, our team is here to help. Our knowledgeable designers spend lots of time asking questions and listening to clients, taking cues from the rest of your home, and factoring in your budget to come up with solutions that meet your needs. Contact us today to get started with a consultation! 
Trends

The Kitchen ‘In’ List for 2024

by GeneralLifestyle TipsRemodeling Tips

Happy 2024! As we begin the new year, homeowners in Montgomery County and beyond are wondering about the latest trends in home design. The good news? Many of the trends we’re seeing have stayed steady in recent years. This means that, unlike the fleeting, gnarly trends of the ’80s, when you upgrade your home with these elements in mind, you’re creating a timeless space you’ll be satisfied with for years to come. Here are the top kitchen trends we’re seeing and how they’re likely to evolve in 2024.

Beverage Center
  1. Better Beverage Centers 

Beverage centers continue to grow in popularity year after year. Our clients love the idea of a one-stop area where guests and family members alike can help themselves to a drink (or two!) without interfering in the high-traffic zones of the kitchen. In 2024, look out for stations that go beyond the typical wine and cocktail supplies and include high-end coffee items like Nespresso machines, specialty syrups, and grinders.

Warm Stained Wood

2. Warm, Stained Wood

Custom Craft Senior Designer Julie Novak Stafford often recommends incorporating stained wood to make kitchens feel warm and inviting — especially when the majority of the cabinets have a painted finish. Homeowners can incorporate stained wood within their center islands, in floating shelves, or even as a statement butcher block countertop.

Charging Drawer

3. Top-Notch Tech

In the era of smart homes, we’re placing a premium on tech integration. Designer Grace Arndt believes in the mindful placement of smart devices and seamless incorporation into the kitchen’s design — and it all starts with uncovering how clients live their lives and use their spaces. From smart refrigerators to intelligent lighting systems, high-tech innovations aren’t just convenient; they’re an integral, personal part of the modern kitchen experience.

Calm and Convenience

4. Calm & Convenience

During the pandemic, homeowners began to place great value on serenity and simplicity in their homes. Although most people are now back to their busy lives outside the home, the appreciation for a soothing, convenient environment is here to stay. Added storage, improved layouts, and innovative lighting are just some ways to make a home centered on tranquility and wellness.

Organic

5. Organic Design

Designer Brittany Murray sees bringing the outdoors in as another prevailing theme in 2024. Homeowners are opting for large windows that flood the kitchen with natural light, as well as organic finishes like stone and wood that create a harmonious connection to nature. Natural colors further enhance the kitchen’s organic appeal.

Textural Movement

6. Textural Movement

Brittany also notes that with warm, neutral colors trending, many homeowners are looking for ways to incorporate more visual interest and dimension into their homes. Textured design elements such as a geometric backsplash, veined countertop, or open shelving are all effective ways to use texture in the kitchen. 

 

Pendant Lighting

7. Pendant Lights

It’s safe to say that statement lighting in the kitchen will continue to trend in 2024 and beyond — particularly in the form of larger-than-life pendant lights. Oversized pendant lights add a touch of drama and elegance, turning the kitchen into a space where functionality meets artistry.

Decorative Hood

8. Decorative Range Hoods

Everyone needs a range hood to keep their kitchen air fresh and clean, so why not have fun with its design? In 2024, look for range hoods made from various materials, shapes, and sizes. Whether cleverly concealed to blend in with the cabinets or designed to be a fabulous focal point, range hoods will remain an essential part of kitchen design.

Multitasking Island

9. Multitasking Islands

 In the past, many kitchen islands were crafted like a bar, with seating on one side and the chef on the other. Going forward, we’re likely to see islands becoming more like (or even replacing!) the dining room table with seating all around. Islands have also evolved from simply a place to prep food to becoming the ultimate storage opportunity for a clutter-free kitchen. Best of all, homeowners don’t have to compromise on looks, as many islands sport furniture-style legs, waterfall countertops, and other stunning design elements.

Gold Finishes

10. Glamorous Gold Finishes     

Gold and bronze accents continue to make a bold statement in kitchen design. From hardware to sinks and pendant lights, gold finishes add a touch of glamour and sophistication, elevating the space’s overall aesthetic.

Looking to update your kitchen with some of these timeless trends? We can help. Contact us to learn more about bringing your kitchen into 2024 and beyond.