As co-owner of Kirkwood-based Studio Lark, I spend a lot of time (along with my partner, Aaron) thinking about other people’s homes. We absolutely love seeing our clients enjoy their spaces when a project is completed. With the warmer months upon us, we are delighted to share a few tips for making your home fresh and relaxing — both indoors and outdoors — during the summer season.
The easiest way to freshen up a space is to take away, not add. When working with clients, we take everything out of a space and only put back key pieces that the client loves. Edit the planters on your patio, clear out your cluttered shelves and give priority to your favorite possessions. Less really is more, and you can transform spaces by simply getting rid of what no longer speaks to your style.
We often hear clients express concern that white interiors are ‘too stark’ but painting a space white is one of the easiest ways to maximize natural light within an area. Very dark tones like charcoal and black are excellent choices for adding visual impact and drama to pieces within a space. The key is to approach your home as a neutral backdrop for artwork and accessories and steer away from medium-toned neutrals, which appear safe and indecisive. Go for high-impact light walls contrasted with confident dark accents and add color with textiles and accessories.
Love wine? Carve out a wine cellar that serves double duty as a feature wall. Love to sit by the fire or listen to the sound of water? Introduce a feature element like a fire pit or fountain. The key is to focus. We recommend that people identify where to concentrate the budget in a targeted, high-impact way, rather than spread the budget too thinly throughout a space.