How to Design Around Kids and Pets

Don’t get us wrong, we’re big fans of the beautiful custom furniture, delicate details, and splurge-worthy pieces that often accompany luxury home design. While it may look beautiful in a photograph, is it really practical? That antique vase is just waiting for a toddler to tumble into it, and that custom wallpaper is no match for Fido after a mud puddle. 

But fear not, there is a way to strike a balance between functional and beautiful, and working with a designer is a sure-fire way to anticipate all of life’s little messes and ensure your investment remains. 
Here are three ways we ensured our clients’ homes are perpetually kid- and pet-proof.

Cleanable Wallpaper

Dogs need baths. Cats track litter. It’s a fact of life and a reality for any pet parent, but it doesn’t have to be an ongoing battle between a clean furbaby and a clean home. We recently renovated a laundry room to pull double duty as a pet wash station – complete with easy-to-clean tile and wallpaper for rogue shakes and splashes. 

The function doesn’t stop there, though, we also incorporated steps for pups to get in and out of their wash station with ease, a detachable showerhead to rinse all the furry nooks and crannies, and plenty of storage to house cleaning products and treats for the goodest boys. 

Thoughtful Storage Space

Daydreams about a house full of kids can sometimes be overshadowed by that little voice whining, “But the design!” Your interior dreams DO NOT have to be put on hold while you grow your family. In fact, working with a designer to make thoughtful choices can help your home evolve right alongside it. 

In a family living room, we added built-ins with shelving high enough to deter little hands, with lower cabinets perfect for storing toys, diapers, and everyday essentials for easy access. The best part? The facade of the cabinet doors is beautiful and seamless, perfectly hiding whatever chaos may be going on behind them. 

Seamless Essentials

Kids and pets require a lot of stuff. Often bulky stuff. And while strollers and pack-and-plays may just have to clutter up living spaces on occasion, there is a way to integrate these essentials into your home design. Case in point: a chic playpen. 

Keep your little tike entertained and safe in their own dedicated play area – in this redesign, we selected a neutral playpen that blended in with the home’s decor, and added a perfectly-sized rug to make it even more comfortable and attractive. As baby grows, it’s an easy temporary space to take down, store, and pop back up for the next one. When you’re all done? Give us a call and we’ll spruce up the space.

 We love planning around kids and pets and would be honored to be part of your home design in any phase of life. Let’s connect.

Simple Ways to Refresh Your Bathroom

We get it all the time – people think working with a designer is synonymous with busting down walls and rebuilding every square inch. And while, yes, we are certainly here for those big projects, we are also skilled at making simple updates that have a huge impact. If your goal is to spruce up your space before the holidays, it’s time to get on our books as soon as possible.
A perfect example: in a Nashville home, our client wanted a full-house facelift while maintaining the home’s character and unique qualities, while sprucing up some of the dated elements. We approached each room a bit differently, some requiring a bit more manual labor and others just a bit of polish. 

In the guest bathroom, see how we spruced the space without a demo day. 

Vanity Refresh

The biggest focal point of most bathrooms is the vanity, and this one was a classic builder-grade look that was original to the home and made no apologies for that. Instead of breaking it down and replacing it with a brand-new, modern built-in that would’ve upped the budget and the labor significantly, we selected a pretty green paint and a professional painter to bring it back to life. 

One splurge-worthy upgrade was the countertop – formerly a brown granite that showed its age, we spruced it up with stunning new warm white quartz with gold veining. We completed the vanity refresh with new gold drawer pulls that matched the rest of the space, and added a modern faucet. 

A Touch of Wallpaper

Bringing in bold, focal elements is a great way to modernize a space and add personality. In this bathroom, we added a stunning floral wallpaper in relaxing tones to the entire room (even covering the electrical sockets). This helped give the look of a brand-new space for much less effort than new construction. 

We toned down the bold pattern with neutral floating shelves and a cream-colored shower curtain that brought some brightness back into the room. 

It’s All In the Details

One benefit of working with a designer is that no detail goes unnoticed, which is all the more important when sprucing an existing space instead of gutting and rebuilding. To help this guest bathroom look and feel intentionally designed, we ensured all details and hardware – from toilet paper holders to knobs, towel racks, curtain rods, and lighting – worked seamlessly together without looking cookie-cutter. 

We swapped the former dual mirror with one large mirror trimmed with wood detailing, then completed the look with dazzling sconces on either side. 

If you’re thinking about refreshing your home, fear not. It doesn’t have to be a major expense and even bigger headache – intentional change is very possible with the right team in place. Let’s chat. 

Home Renovations That Preserve Character

Have you ever been doom-scrolling and run across a controversial home renovation video? One where a slap of paint goes on top of the ornate crown molding or an original mantle is pried off the wall. While homeowners are certainly welcome to make any changes to their home (no judgement here, ever), we’re experts at preserving a home’s character while also bringing it into modern style. 

We recently tackled a dated home project that needed changes in both flair and function. But, it was important to our clients to maintain some of the home’s original elements, and to that, we said, “challenge accepted.” 

Here’s how we did it. 

Primary Bathroom

Functional design is crucial to any home renovation, and as our clients knew this would be their forever home, it was important to think way ahead with our plans. Things like roll-in showers and stylish grab bars will ensure the family will be able to both use and enjoy their home for life, but we still needed to ensure style was at the forefront. 

Here, we accented the roll-in shower with stunning gold hardware and brass fixtures. We added a beautiful curved arch for intrigue and depth, then tiled it all with a stunning teal pattern. The floor continued throughout the bathroom—shower included—in a striking geometric pattern. 

With all of that “new,” we can’t forget the “old.” The home’s original wood trim remained intact, grounded by complementary colors and modern drapery to help it blend seamlessly. Lastly, we retrofitted a custom vanity in this no-demo redo: an Amish-made statement piece with charming feet, stylish knobs, and optimized function (yes, even the drawer in front of the sink worked!). 

Hall Bathroom

The attention to detail continued down the hall in a full guest bathroom renovation that transformed the space from cramped and builder-grade to expansive and fresh. The dated shower-bath combo received a needed upgrade with floor-to-ceiling white subway tile, a built-in white tub, beautiful chrome fixtures, and a dainty wallpaper depicting birds on tree limbs to keep the relaxation moving throughout the room. 

The original wood molding remains here, offering a natural contrast from the rest of the white-hued room. Despite the impressive shower overhaul, this room also didn’t require a gut job. We added a similar Amish-made vanity, custom-made to fit the space and the functions perfectly. 

For the Grandkids

The upstairs bathroom serves an entirely different function than the rest: with a slew of grandkids, it was important to offer them their own dedicated space that was fun, splash-friendly, and still attractive. The before photos reveal a single sink vanity and an enclosed, outdated shower that was strictly functional. Needless to say, that all had to go.

We swapped the single sink for a double vanity, creating a true jack-and-jill option for multiple grandlittles. We accented the sinks with beautiful oval mirrors, modern sconces, and textured wallpaper that will all stand the test of time. And, we went ahead and brought up the backsplash a few inches to protect the wall from any accidental splashes. 

We opened up the shower with sliding glass, and added a touch of whimsy with a chevron-meets-herringbone tile pattern in navy and white. We toned down the original wood window with a complementary shade, seamlessly weaving in new elements with the original. 

If your home’s natural character has you on the fence about a renovation, fear not! We’re here to help.

Designing For The Future: Aging in Place

It’s an exciting feat to settle in your forever home – a place you know will serve as a staple in your life through many phases. If you’re facing a design project, it’s important to consider design integrations that will help the home serve you in all phases. A built-in entertainment system may serve you today, but considerations for mobility and accessibility are great to have well in advance before they become a need. 

We recently renovated a collection of bathrooms in our clients’ home, and we incorporated subtle elements to make life all the more accessible for our clients as they grew alongside their home. 

Here’s what we did. 

Roll-In Shower

The traditional design for showers – especially showers that combine with a tub – are less than accessible for anyone with a mobility limitation. In this home, we designed the shower with an oversized opening so a shower chair or walker could easily fit inside. It’s a “roll-in” design, meaning there is no ledge or lip to pose a potential hazard when entering and exiting. 

Support Systems

While planning a stunning tile transformation to give our client’s home a modern makeover, we went ahead and added a stylish grab bar inside the shower to serve as extra support whenever needed. Gone are the days when these additions were bulky and unsightly – now, handles and grab bars can beautifully integrate with other hardware to create an appealing and oh-so functional look.

Why Consider? 

The ADA Standards for Accessible Design outline requirements for new buildings and major renovations to ensure accessibility for all individuals, regardless of ability. But beyond code compliance, incorporating universal design features like curb-free showers, reinforced walls for future grab bars, and wider doorways can make a home more livable and welcoming for everyone – from young children to aging adults (or one of life’s little accidents that require mobility support). 

Planning ahead not only makes good design sense, it makes your home more inclusive for the long haul. And, in a case like this one, we were able to carefully plan and select details that seamlessly integrated in the design well in advance of when these things were needed. 

Want to chat through ways we can integrate accessible design in your project? Connect with us here. 

Inside “The Design Event You Can’t Afford to Miss”

Continuing education is one of our favorite parts of the job—what’s new, noteworthy, and back in style? Attending shows, seminars, and events is the best way to stay informed on all of the above, and High Point market in North Carolina is one of the best opportunities to learn… and have some fun along the way. 

The PWID team gathered with fellow designers for a multi-day design adventure. And with Paige being the planner she is, that included plenty of epic dining reservations, area activities, and speaker panels that all combined to leave us with lasting takeaways in design and beyond. Here’s what we learned. 

Seminars & Showrooms

High Point Market gathered together industry greats, from prominent interior designers to media mavens, builders, and vendors from all areas. When browsing the showrooms, we were able to connect with our friends at Materials Works, Thibaut, Pooky Lighting, Worlds Away, Julian Chichester, and King Hickory. 

On Monday, we attended a seminar called Financial Mastery in Design & Construction: Budgeting, Pricing, and Profitability. The session was led by podcast hosts Luann Nigara and Brad Leavitt, plus designers and builders, all talking about how they work together to prioritize budgets and finances in a design project. We resonated hard with this one — staying on target is hugely important for us and our clients, and it’s impactful to see many aspects of the industry sharing the stage for a common goal.

Beyond the Show

One extra fun aspect of High Point Market is the nightly live music. Taking center stage at this year’s show were Gabby Barrett and Sister Sledge. High Point, North Carolina, is home to tons of lovely restaurants we knew we couldn’t miss—we thoroughly enjoyed dinners in Downtown High Point and Katherine Brasserie.

High Point Market was a hop, skip, and a flight away from Nashville. Upon arrival in Raleigh, we checked into the Courtyard by Marriott in Winston-Salem and headed to night one of our four-night adventure, filled with beautiful places and exciting ideas. 

Want to chat more about what’s trending in design and how we can incorporate it into your home? Start here!