decorating – Interior Design ReImagine Interiors

How to make your rental feel like home

October 25, 2023 by magda Filed Under: blog, decorating

As a designer, moving into rental was a bit of an adjustment, to say the least. I was limited in what upgrades I could bring into this new space, but with a little creativity, even the plainest space can be transformed into something that you love. I did have a blank slate to work with and that made things a bit easier. Here are some of the decor updates I did to make this new home feel like home, and you can try them too regardless if it is a rental home or your forever home.

Update the lighting

I swapped out the builder grade/dated light fixtures for some that are more my style and had some personality.

Most homes for rent available here don’t really have great lighting but this is an opportunity to personalize your new place by adding floor and table lamps.

Art and decor

In most of the cases painting the walls is not allowed, and hanging wallpaper was completely out of discussion. I used art to make my new home feel less blah. Can you tell I love color? And the white background works actually great now!

I used area rugs, to add color and texture, and helped defining the rooms in an open floor plan.

Bring in some life with greenery

I definitely don’t have a green thumb but love some greenery around. It feels like it brings a room to life and adds another layer. I prefer real plants and chose tropical trees because of the low maintenance required.

Furniture positioning

Living in a small space with an open floor plan isn’t really helping with storage for items needed day to day. Placing an armchair in the corner created a conversation area for the living room and it also helped to hide the printer, all the cables from TV, router etc.

Create a cozy corner

Last but not least, one of the projects that brought me a lot of joy was helping my kids feel like home. Creating a cozy corner in my daughter’s room to hang out and creatively playing with light in my son’s room made for two happy little kids.

Should I Hire An Interior Designer?

August 3, 2018 by magda Filed Under: decorating, design

Renovating or decorating your home can be very exciting but it can also be overwhelming and time consuming. Having an interior designer in your team could save you lots of headaches and money in the long term.
Sure, interior designers create beautiful rooms but how do you know if you should hire one?

1. You want a low time commitment
Working with an interior designer can save you countless hours going through a multitude of options, trying to pull everything together, making sure the end result will be coehesive throughout the house and will function as you need it to. Sourcing & tracking orders to make sure project is completed on time and on budget can be real time sucker too especially when you’d rather spend that time at the beach with your family or playing tennis.

2. You need functionality
A room that doesn’t function as you need it will end up being a waste of space. As an interior designer, my goal is to understand exactly how you will be living in your space and design that space to fulfill those needs.

Do you have small children and need extra storage, or you want to know your beautiful new sofa will survive toddler years and pets?
Our knowledge of materials and vendors will ensure we design your ideal space. Not only your home will be beautifully decorated but it will fit your day to day needs.

3. You want a unique look
As interior designers, we pride ourselves not only for creativity and problem solving skills. We also have the connections and knowledge to to source or build those unique pieces that are right for you, your family and lifestyle so that your home will be we’ll be uniquely yours.

4. You want a cost effective project
Hiring an interior designer is an investment but the value we bring by avoiding costly mistakes, sourcing the right items for your project and solving issues before they become time and money sucking mistakes usually offsets the cost and more.

5. You need peace of mind.
Decorating or renovating is not only about the financial investment but also about the time until you can resume life as normal. Working with a professional you will know that at the end of the process your space will be stunning and will function as you need it to

Are you wondering if you need an interior designer helping with your project? Reach out to ask any questions you may have or check out our services page.

Online Interior Design – Get Great Design Wherever You Are

April 29, 2018 by magda Filed Under: decorating, design

Online interior design is quite the thing for a few years now but is it a service for you?

Online interior design services are geared towards those who are not local to the Philadelphia area and it works beautifully wherever you are because you are measuring, send us pictures of your space and items you wish to keep.

Due to popular demand, this year Reimagine Interiors started offering online design but for us is more than just that. We are offering a comprehensive design plan so if you live in the greater Philadelphia area and are looking to keep the cost lower online interior design can be great, if you don’t mind doing some of the work on your own.

If you never worked with an interior designer, our online service might be a good place to start.

Online interior design is ideal for you if you are someone who can take a concept and run with it and if your project is decor/ design only and it doesn’t involve a renovation, construction or addition. If you need help with space planning, concept boards and 3D visualization to get a feel of the room before purchasing furniture the online interior design service is going to give you all the tools needed to execute great design.

What does online interior design cost?

Our flat fee service is $1,500 per room and it includes: a floor plan, a 3D view of the space, a concept board & shopping list with the items we select based on your input and budget so you can go ahead an purchase, install and update at your own pace. You’ll also get inspiration images and suggestions for placement. This is a one time fee and it does not include any furnishings. If you have an open space/multi function space or more rooms contact us.

So how does online interior design compare to full service design?
At Reimagine Interiors, our full service interior design is a streamlined step-by-step process that ensures our design is delivered with no excuses. The full service design enables me to execute projects and renovations from the first meeting to the final touches. I get to know you, we make a few decisions in the beginning together, but then I will take over and make your dream home a reality. It is a hands on process and we focus on making sure all the details are right.
As your interior designer it is my job to identify and represent your personality in the space. Our full service interior design clients know their home will be a reflection of their style and lifestyle, be it sophisticated and luxurious or comfortable and inviting.

7 Interior Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

September 25, 2017 by magda Filed Under: decorating, design

As a design consultant, I often meet clients that took on decorating for themselves and got stuck. Most of the times, not only the issues are common, but also the reasons they ended up not knowing in which direction to go anymore are because of these really common interior design mistakes:

1. Not having a plan. There is a reason this design mistake is the first on my list: without a plan one is bound to make all the following mistakes I listed here and more.

What I always recommend is finding a color palette and shopping within that palette. But if you want to ensure a cohesive look that is not the only thing you need to keep in mind. You first must know yourself and what you like. Most of us like different design styles and it is important to make sure all the styles we like can blend nicely when we consider decorating our home.

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2. Choosing paint color first. Color is one of the first design decisions we make when decorating. But choosing wall color first might end up as being a mistake because all your other choices will have to relate to the paint color. Yes, it is not the end of the world and paint is cheap. But there are also a million paint colors out there and paint can be custom mixed, whereas there aren’t nearly as many rug, fabric, pieces of art to choose from.

Tip: choose your fabrics, rug or art first and draw inspiration from there.(while taking in consideration your fixed elements, of course!)

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3. Buying furniture without measuring. This goes without saying: when ordering furniture please, please make sure it fits well in the space. That beautiful sectional you loved in the showroom and can sit the whole family might be too large for your family room. It is also a good idea to make sure it will fit through any doors and pathways in order to make it to the room you are planning to use it in.

Tip: You can use blue tape to mark the area available for the piece you consider and make sure there is enough space available.

4. Buying furniture that is not human scale. You know what I mean: buying furniture that is too large because the room is large, buying small furniture because the room is small, or the last one I heard – buying tall furniture because the ceilings are tall. Furniture is relative to people and it should always be human sized. If the room is bigger or smaller it just means one might need more or less furniture.

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5. Buying something you don’t love. We’ve all been there…Sometimes it’s a budget issue, sometimes is just desperation to have a place to sit or the need for something to finish that room. The next thing you know, you go out and buy the first thing that seems to fit the bill….But we always regret buying something that was just good enough and not the piece we really wanted…Yes, it makes sense sometimes but if you can don’t give in desperation the next decision might be a better one.

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6. Buying things before you know how you will use the space. When I meet new clients I always ask “what are you using this space for? and how do you want it to feel”. More often than not, I leave people wondering because most of us have the formal living room (or dining room) and we imagine that room should be stiff and formal room when all we want is to hide in there and read a book or watch TV away from loud teenagers. Think how YOU would like to use the space and furnish it accordingly.

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Interior designer Jenny Komenda’s living room
Photo: Courtesy of Jenny Komenda

7. Design by committee. Don’t let your girlfriend, neighbor, mother or decorator completely define your home because opinions can vary greatly. By all means if you hired a designer, take their advice but don’t make this a friends and extended family event. Too often clients seem to be intimidated by design but they actually have a strong sense of style. You know what you need and you know what you like. You need to speak up because you are the one who has to live there.

#designertips: How to update your beige home with grey

May 10, 2017 by magda Filed Under: decorating, design, tips

Grey is in and is still going strong for over 10 years now.

But trends in our area usually pick up later and even new construction is not always updated. Beige walls, warm earthy colors, travertine floors and splashes and very creamy whites on the woodwork and that many would wish they could change to embrace the grey but they don’t know how to do it without having to invest in all new furniture, decor, etc. So what do you do if it is all beige and want to go grey?

1. The easiest way is to start adding grey in small doses. Grey accents are not going to make it all grey but, they are going to update your decor.

Photo by Mauricio Nava Design, LLC – Look for traditional living room design inspiration

Photo by Mauricio Nava Design, LLC – Search transitional living room pictures

2. Find a fabric, rug or art that combines both grey and beige and pull out your color scheme from there by repeating the colors throughout your room.

Photo by Thompson Custom Homes – Look for traditional living room design inspiration

3. Metallic accents, glass, mirror are all in and they are going to help updating your color palette.

Photo by Elite Austin Designs – Discover transitional living room design ideas

4. Are you ready to paint but you are not sure a cool grey will work well with beige? You are right – it wont! Grey will most often read blue near peachy, fleshy tones. Your option is to go with a warmer grey. If you don’t want to go as dark as the purple grey Dovetail from Sherwin Williams is you can try a softer grey like Revere Pewter from Benjamin Moore ( even though I have to say I saw this one read blue in some situations) Or even better go with Sherwin Williams’ Accessible Beige – it is not a true gray but will definitely make the beige look updated.