Posts Tagged ‘furniture’

Elevated Outdoor Furniture & Patio Inspiration

As the temperatures rise and the Oklahoma sun begins to shine, it’s time to turn our attention to our outdoor living areas. Here at Kirkendall Design, we love creating outdoor spaces that are an extension of our client’s homes. Around this same time last year, we wrote a blog post about how spending time outdoors can work wonders for reducing stress, boosting creativity, and lifting spirits. This is precisely why we love to provide design services for outdoor spaces in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and beyond!

In one of our recent interior design projects, we had the pleasure of curating multiple outdoor living spaces for a client’s second home in Silverthorne, Colorado. Our client was after outdoor furniture that was more unique, comfortable and would last the test of time and weather. That’s where our exclusive partnerships in the furniture industry came into play.

Telling Your Story Through Interior Design

If you’ve been a part of the Kirkendall Design community for any length of time, you will know that we firmly uphold the belief that great interior design should tell your unique story.

Our mission is to highlight those special moments within your home, designing it in a way that simplifies your life while creating spaces that are not only luxurious but also highly functional for you.

Luxury Interior Design with Purpose

We are passionate about knowing where you’ve been, what you’ve experienced, and what holds meaning to you. Whether it’s a piece of art you’ve collected or an antique with its own story, we aim to incorporate these cherished elements into the design. This way, your memories become an integral part of your home, and it’s more than just a magazine-worthy picture.

The Best of Both Worlds

Our Furniture & Styling service seamlessly combines your most precious and meaningful pieces with high end, luxury furnishings that complete the overall design of your home. Whether you’re looking to update a single room or transform your entire home, our team is committed to delivering exceptional results tailored to your style and preferences. We will take care of everything, from sourcing and procuring all the necessary furniture and decor to handling the installation. You can sit back and relax while we work our magic, resulting in a beautifully styled and livable space that you’ll love.

Our Furniture & Styling Service Includes:

Paint or wall covering selections
Carpet, tile, or other flooring options
Lighting selections
Hardware selections
Countertop selections
Space plans
Sourcing furniture + decor
Expert project management
Procurement of luxury furnishings + decor
Installation of furnishings + decor

We invite you to take the next step with us and explore how our Furniture & Styling interior design services in Tulsa, OK can help transform your space into a reflection of your unique story. Contact us today to schedule your free discovery call and take the next step toward a more luxurious and inviting living space.

Submit a design request to get started.

Double Duty: Reimagining the Home Office

Being an interior designer means you have to have excellent detective skills. Why? As designers, our job is to understand human behavior and figure out how people want to live; Then we create designs for that lifestyle. And, let me tell you, previous living patterns are constantly being rerouted to center around new environments within the home. Case in point: the home office.

For a long time, the communications center was the big trend. You walk in the door, drop your things down, and there’s a built-in desk with the computer and family calendar right in the kitchen. We aren’t seeing that as much now. People want a dedicated office space where you can actually WORK–imagine that! So, let’s take a look at what this space needs to function at its best…

A Multi-Purpose Space

The past decade or more has been defined by open concept living. But, now people are finding they need little spaces within the home to…well, get away from everyone! Whether it’s a place to pay bills, take a phone call, or work on homework, people need quiet workspaces. Sorry, Dad, the home office is now the family office. People simply don’t want to give up that much square footage in their house for a separate room for each of these tasks so you really need a space where all of these activities can happen. Essentially, a landing spot for working. One of my favorite ways to offer the most flexibility within the room is to opt for a table as a workstation rather than a traditional desk. Even better if you can either float the table in the room or have it coming out from one wall so you can get chairs on more than one side. This opens up multiple workstations so, for example, you can be working on your laptop while your child is doing homework across from you. This typically allows for a larger work surface–perfect for school crafts or assembling holiday cards!

Well Equipped

In order for a home office to function well in today’s day and age you need to make sure you have the right equipment. At the top of that equipment list is…you guessed it, the Internet! Connectivity is key. If your router isn’t located in this room and you are not able to get a strong signal, then you simply add a booster. I love Google Boosters and am often surprised how many people don’t know about them–you don’t need an AV guy, just add a booster and you’re set! When the weather is nice the last thing I want to do is be stuck inside my home office. I’ll often take my laptop to the patio, so I added a booster out there–and voila! Working from home is almost like being on vacation….well, almost.
Another must-have item is the wireless printer. If you don’t have one of these already, the next printer you buy should be wireless. It can be easily hidden away in a cabinet or closet and accessed only when you need it. This saves you from unsightly cords and yet another thing on your desk to dust and keep clean.

Work, But Make It Pretty

Office spaces tend to be smaller spaces so, like a powder room, we see it as a chance to do something a little bit more impactful and daring. Perhaps you want to use a color in this room or wallpaper. You don’t have to commit to painting or wallpapering the entire room, believe it or not accent walls are making a comeback—hello, ‘90s!

If you are painting woodwork, be careful to select a color you are NOT using in the kitchen otherwise you will feel like you’re still in the kitchen! Either paint cabinetry and trim the wall color or a new accent color to give this room its own signature.

Mix It Up

It’s perfectly OK to wear a shirt from Target and carry a Gucci bag. We are all about that at Kirkendall Design! So, why not do the same in your home? Mixing and matching styles and eras helps create fresh interiors that celebrate the past, present and future of design. Maybe you love your grandmother’s vintage dining table–use that as your desk! Top it with a lamp from Target and spend money on your rug and fabric to upholster a pair of chairs for either side of the work table. Try to reimagine spaces so they can incorporate things that have meaning to you and that will make the space uniquely yours.

Always look for unexpected material combinations that are intentionally collected. In other words, don’t just go buy the office suite of furniture from Mathis Brothers! When we design for longevity and create spaces that are ambiguous in era they stand the test of time so they may be passed down for generations to come.

Find Your Inspiration

People are pushing back against hustle culture, and rightfully so. As a result, rest and wellness is at the center of each design decision I make. Creating common spaces and peaceful vignettes within the home of our clients helps us tell the story of where people have been and where they are going.

All this gives us a sense of purpose and serves as a huge source of encouragement–especially important in a room where we may be doing something rather uninspiring to begin with (ahem, paying bills). I always try to incorporate a reminder of the past, present and future–this could be an object, a photograph, or even a piece of furniture. It causes us to remember where we are from and who got us here, not to mention who you are working for and where you are going. What could be more motivating than that?

Old Furniture, New House: How to Make it Work

I can’t tell you how many of my clients have moved in the last year—I’ve lost count! And with a new house, of course they want and often need new furniture.

Sadly, with all the shipping and supplier issues we are seeing, wait times are now up to six months or more! Additionally, manufacturers have whittled their lines down to fewer options in order to meet production demand. The right furniture for your space may not be in that limited line.

To put it simply, “new” is just not as reliable as it once was. When people are moving or looking for a change, they need to be able to refresh their old furniture to make it look new again. And I’m going to show you how…

Rework, reupholster and reuse

When it comes to upholstered goods, I always say, ‘a frame is a frame is a frame.’ If you have a sturdy, hardwood frame sofa, it can be rebuilt to look like any sofa. Sure, it’s going to be that size, but it can have rolled arms or straight, a tufted back or cushions, modern lines or curves–you name it!

We used to say it was more economical to buy new. Anymore, you’re probably going to spend the same amount either way, but when you rework and reupholster you don’t have to wait nine months.

While I admit this trend in my business was born out of necessity and demand, there are some benefits I absolutely love. First, we are able to use our talented artisans for this work and keep those dollars local.

Second, it’s nice to be a little more sustainable in this field. In the past it was always, “out with the old and in with the new,” whether it was driven by trends or something like a move. Now, we are using more of what we have and repurposing those items, instead of just adding to a landfill.

Case in point

Casegoods are no exception to this trend. Our design team is always looking at how we can take something old and make it fresh and new again. We may consider changing a finish, updating hardware or taking out glass in doors and adding mesh panels. Just updating the look of a piece and using it in a new way is something we are doing now more than ever with our clientele.

If you don’t already have that perfectly well made piece–it does not mean you can’t have it. If something has good bones you can usually find it in a resale shop or somewhere online like Facebook Marketplace.

We recently moved a client into a new home and barely purchased anything. This particular couple, now in their 70s, remembered some swivel barrel chairs that they had when they were newlyweds. Of course it’s a style that is now popular again and we all love, but they really liked that particular chair. So, she got online and found someone who had two, shipped them here and we reupholstered the pair. They’re exactly like what she had years ago, but in a new fabric that she loves–talk about coming full circle!

But, can it perform?

While we are on the topic of reupholstering, I want to mention performance fabrics. As designers, we have been inundated with information about these fabrics for years, so I’m always surprised when clients don’t know about these options. I had a client in absolute shock that she could spill red wine on her sofa and not stain it!

Most important to note is how far performance fabrics have come in the last five to seven years. They don’t feel like steel wool anymore–they’re actually comfortable! They also have more patterns, more color selections, and even more available types of fabrics–virtually anything from leather to velvet.

Whether it’s protection from spills, crayons, sun or weather, there is a fabric that is able to withstand that threat. So, when you’re considering repurposing and reupholstering that old sofa or chair, don’t forget to look at performance fabrics.

Tell your story

We are always nudging clients to recognize that every home has its story. It should say something about you, what stage of life you’re in, where you came from. We gather all this information when we first meet with clients so we understand who they are, what their story is and how we can make their interiors reflect that.

Adding a piece of furniture that has history in your family, whether it’s your history or even beyond you, brings a certain solace to a room…it speaks more about who you are. Think of it as something that grounds the room and gives it some meaning.

If you love your old dining set, but think it looks too formal or dated, consider using a more modern chair with the old table. There are plenty of easy additions such as art, lighting or even a new rug that can seamlessly blend old pieces with new yet still hang on to those items that tell your story.

We think each design should be as personal as your own signature. Incorporating old pieces in new designs is such an easy way to bring character to your home. So, don’t be afraid to hang on to pieces that mean something to you! After all, it’s part of your story.

Modern Ranch Reveal

We’ve been teasing photos of this home for more than a year and now it’s finally time to share this project in its entirety! It’s always fun to reveal a whole house because you get to see the end result as it’s always been imagined and intended by our team.

This particular project originated when our longtime clients came to us with the idea to build a weekend home. Already owners of vacation homes in Florida and Wyoming, they purchased approximately 90 acres just north of downtown with the intent to build a ranch home to entertain family closer to their primary Tulsa residence.

After a couple of months weekending at the new house, they love it so much they have decided to make it their permanent Tulsa residence and sell their home in the city. As a designer I don’t know if there is any greater compliment. Let’s take a look!

Main Living

How a client will use a space dictates our design of it. The number one purpose of this home: hosting family. So, we designed it to do just that! From the fireplace to the kitchen, we designed the home with gathering in mind.

The house is about 4,000 square-feet and every room is large, so the furniture needed to match that scale. It also needed to accommodate plenty of people, which is why you will find so many seating opportunities throughout the open-concept kitchen, living and dining areas.

Our client is a “black-and-white” girl, but in this home she wanted to bring in color to evoke happiness and create a cheerful environment. We found a one-of-a-kind rug at market, which set our design in motion. From there, we chose the sofas and introduced subtle colors and patterns throughout the home that would play off each other. Of course, we kept the background neutral to keep that familiar black-and-white element and to let the colors shine.

The living room’s soaring ceiling features reclaimed wood beams from Timber and Beam, and is adorned with a massive 66-inch-wide Ralph Lauren chandelier. We flanked the black granite slab fireplace with two large sofas and club chairs. You’ll have to look closely to find the TV in this room– we specifically chose the black granite as a way to disguise it above the fireplace.

Coffee Bar

A coffee bar between the living area and kitchen offers an intimate space to gather with four swivel chairs that allow views into both rooms as well as the outdoors. This home may be for large groups of people, but we wanted to create intimate moments too. Any time you can gather chairs together into two to four directly across from each other you tend to have more direct conversation. It’s a great little spot to have a cup of coffee and read the paper or your iPad while enjoying the amazing scenery outside.

Kitchen

In the kitchen, she wanted views out of both sides of the home. The kitchen sink faces the front of the property while the dining area overlooks the back of the home and the pond. The large dining table offers seating for the entire family with a built-in bench seat for grandkids on one side and chairs for adults on the other.

To break up the large space, we chose San Benedicto leathered granite for the perimeter countertops and a durable Bianco Statuario Quartz for the island, which features even more seating opportunities. As the workhorse of the kitchen, and the home, the island is lit with Hudson Valley pendants and painted Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black. The rest of the cabinetry is painted Simply White while a barn door painted Benjamin Moore’s Courtland Blue hides the generous pantry.

The homeowner had beautiful heirloom dishes, so we lit the cabinet shelves and carefully lined up the collection so that each piece would be visible between the cabinetry mullions. We never want our clients to walk into a home that feels like it’s out of a magazine. We always want them to walk into a home that feels like it’s their personal signature. Creating moments like this is what our design is all about.

Choosing high-performing yet attractive materials was imperative. The light wood flooring is actually engineered wood, which makes it really durable for all the in-and-out traffic as well as the family’s large dogs. The dining bench seat is a “pleather” so it’s easy to wipe up spills.

Primary Suite

As with all my designs, the primary suite is meant to be a restful retreat for the homeowners. The oversized room features a stunning four-poster bed at one end, while the opposite end offers a seating area where the couple can relax and watch TV away from the main living area.

The home may be in the country, but we had to include all the modern amenities for comfort such as the remote controlled shades and black out curtains. Imagine waking up, pressing a button and seeing llamas and horses outside—such a dream!

The owners’ bath is spa-like with a large soaking tub, walk in shower and double vanities. We kept the colors muted in here and let the tile design take center stage.

The floor is the star of the show with a stone hexagon pattern and Carrara subway border. A linen closet with antique mirrored fronts adds a touch of glamour and hides necessities.

Guest Suites

The owners have three granddaughters and one grandson, so we planned the guest rooms accordingly. The larger bedroom became the girls’ “bunk room” and the smaller was dedicated to the boy.

We had so much fun designing the girls’ quarters. Four custom made beds line the walls between individual window seats at each dormer window. It’s a precious room that reminds me of the story Madeline where they’re all lined up in their beds.

We chose a rosy pink as the predominant color. From the Pinecone Hill bedding to the custom pink sconce shades, everything is soft and subtle, but still very colorful and cheery like the client wanted. The carpet is neutral with a window pane pattern that really helps it stand out. The patterns all play so well off each other.

A barn door painted in Benjamin Moore’s Eraser Pink opens to reveal a secret hideout with a sectional and TV. For now, the girls use it to play and watch movies, but it is large enough to accommodate air mattresses for even more guests.

In the girls’ bathroom, we did the opposite of the primary bath. While the floor is black and white, we added color all over the walls with Caitlin Wilson’s ultra-cheerful Penelope wallpaper.

The same soft pink of the bedroom is repeated in the tile for the “princess bath” shower/tub combo. Instead of one glass partition we used two shower doors atop the tub so you can open both when bathing and not feel totally enclosed.

The grandson’s bedroom has a distinctly masculine tone. It’s arguably the most neutral room in the house with black, white, grey and taupe comprising the color palette. A wooden chandelier hints at a rustic element, while the oval metal nightstands add an industrial feel. The showstopper of the room, however, is the bed, which features fabric stretched over a wood and pipe frame.

The en suite bath echoes the neutral theme with grey being the predominant color. While it may be monochromatic, we still managed to add visual interest with a mosaic penny tile on the shower floor as well as a vertical accent stripe on the shower wall.

Outdoor Living

Cedar posts, pine ceilings, batten board siding, black frame windows and metal roofing give the exterior of the home a farmhouse feel, but with a level of classic sophistication.

The wrap-around porch is meant for about five different opportunities for outdoor gathering. There’s a fire pit seating area overlooking the pond, a cozy daybed swing for afternoon naps, a huge outdoor fireplace for chilly nights under the stars, a dining and grilling area, and the lounge area just off the primary suite. We even hung some swings from the cedar beams on the porch for the grandkids.

One detail I love is the brickwork on the porch floor, which is laid in a herringbone pattern. We paid close attention to details and worked with the brick layers to make sure that whatever direction you’re walking is the direction the herringbone pattern is laid. Many people don’t know that is the way you’re supposed to install it—almost like a little road map.

This is one home and property that will be explored and loved for many years to come. We are so grateful we were able to help bring it to life—and share it with you!