Hello everyone! As some of you know, this month I’ll be starting a home decor series in my apartment, and I figured before starting any projects I would talk to tan expert. Meet Michelle! She is a good friend of mine who lives in Minnesota with her husband, Ross, and works as an interior designer for Bria Hammel Interiors. The room you see above is one of the beautiful spaces her team put together!
I had a small chat with her on the phone and picked her brain on current trends she is seeing in the home decor space. First, a bit about Michelle, then we dive in!
Tell me more about your job. What kind of work do you do?
MR: I’m an Interior Designer at an all residential firm, and I’m kind of in charge of inside moods like furniture, pillows, fabrics, curtains, accessories, everything inside. But our firm also does new construction.
How did you grow a passion for interior design?
MR: I’ve always loved art and hosting and having people feel welcome. I feel like Interior Design just kind of sets the stage for that, making people feel comfortable. I think if the space is beautiful then people open up, and feel loved by that.
After chatting with Michelle a bit, here’s a few tips when it comes to current home decor trends and designing a space on a tight budget.
Neutrals with a color pop
Photo Credit: Ella Claire Inspired
MR: “I love neutrals, a lot. Pretty much all of my spaces start with neutral and the bit of color I throw in is what makes it really special and kind of pop. Mixing cool whites and warm whites is really classic and inviting and soothing, but also really fresh. Those are my go-to’s.”
Mixing Textures
Photo Credit: Knock Off Decor
MR: “I think mixing metals and woods into almost everything is a pretty big trend right now. People want things to look a little custom made, and using multiple finishes in a space like brass, iron, wood, and glass all together is really special. Not making it look like you went and bought out the section of a store, but these kind of collected pieces that are all special to you.”
Trees
Photo Credit: The Design Nomad
Photo Credit: Lauren Conrad
MR: “Yeah tress are actually really big, everybody wants trees in their house. Make sure that you have like, something green or something alive (or alive looking). It’s worth investing in, the first thing that comes to mind is Eucalyptus in a vase. Make it tall, big, and impactful. It is more expensive, but you can get them in bigger stock too.”
Curtains & Rugs
Photo Credit: Gravity Home
MR: “I would also say put curtains up. It softens it and makes it look finished, and you can get really good linen curtains at Ikea for like, $20. Curtains are always a good bet. And also, a rug. Everyone has a cute rug in their house these days, and they are really affordable. You look like you’re in a college dorm room if you don’t have a curtain or a rug. So I feel like that really ups your home game when you have curtains and rugs.”
Pick one thing you love, not millions.
Photo Credit: Fashion Landscape
MR: “I would say get excited about one thing, not a lot of things. Fall in love with one piece of art,or one pillow, or one rug, and then base the whole space off that one thing. Don’t have 15 things you really love that are all competing.”
It’s okay to buy inexpensive, but beautiful, pieces
Photo Credit: White Feather Dream
MR:“I would also say don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of money on everything. Pick quality pieces that are actually functional, the things that you will use, but be creative with the beautiful things. Because you can make anything look really good if you just place it right. So don’t waste your money on little things that don’t make a big impact.”
Organize books by color
Photo Credit: One Kind Design
MR:“One of the best ways to make a room look really awesome and not spending anything is to organize your bookshelf by color. So group all of your blue books together, all of your red books. If books are really ugly turn them backwards. Setting the palette with too much stuff is the worst way to make a cute room look really messy all the time.”
Interested in following the adventures of Michelle and her team at Bria Hammel Interiors? Be sure to follow their blog or like them on Facebook for frequent updates!
Header Image photo credit: Michelle Reichel
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