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Pro Spotlight: How to Beat Design Paralysis
Navigate your next interior project with confidence using these tips from a Long Island designer
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Who: Kerith Flynn of Margali & Flynn Designs
Where: Williston Park, New York
In her own words: “Creating smaller steps along a coherent, logical path puts everyone at ease.”
Embarking on a design adventure is exciting, but with so many elements it can be tricky to know where to begin. “I suggest breaking down the process into manageable parts so it doesn’t seem as daunting,” says Kerith Flynn, who owns Margali & Flynn Designs in Williston Park. “This allows you to work through the process with a path you can more readily envision, and it makes everything more enjoyable too.”
Where: Williston Park, New York
In her own words: “Creating smaller steps along a coherent, logical path puts everyone at ease.”
Embarking on a design adventure is exciting, but with so many elements it can be tricky to know where to begin. “I suggest breaking down the process into manageable parts so it doesn’t seem as daunting,” says Kerith Flynn, who owns Margali & Flynn Designs in Williston Park. “This allows you to work through the process with a path you can more readily envision, and it makes everything more enjoyable too.”
Designing a business. Flynn graduated from the Academy of Art in San Francisco with an interior design degree in the 1990s and started her business shortly after. She began with residential and commercial interior design work, but has expanded to full-scale renovations. “We’ve started acquiring land and building our own spec houses,” she says. “Taking jobs from start to finish is immensely fulfilling.”
Industry perks. “It’s exciting to create the right solutions and explore design selections that make the most of each individual space,” Flynn says. She enjoys helping clients find their direction and turning their visions into a reality. Her own inspiration comes from many sources: “I try to find the beauty in everyday items such as fall colors, leaves floating on a pond and textures in nature.”
Read Flynn’s tips below to shake off indecision and start creating a home you love.
Read Flynn’s tips below to shake off indecision and start creating a home you love.
1. Go Over Your Inspiration
Collect images that draw you in — these can be rooms you love or a single striking aspect — and discuss them with your design team. The team can then help you choose elements that fit your space and your budget. “By working this way, you can achieve as many of your needs as possible along the path to your dream home,” Flynn says.
A Manhasset client spotted the marble backsplash seen here while out shopping with Flynn. “She instantly fell in love with it, and we designed the rest of her kitchen around the piece,” Flynn says. They finished off the backsplash with a pearlescent shell-stone surround and incorporated blue — the client’s favorite color — into the island, butler’s pantry and upholstered bar chairs.
Collect images that draw you in — these can be rooms you love or a single striking aspect — and discuss them with your design team. The team can then help you choose elements that fit your space and your budget. “By working this way, you can achieve as many of your needs as possible along the path to your dream home,” Flynn says.
A Manhasset client spotted the marble backsplash seen here while out shopping with Flynn. “She instantly fell in love with it, and we designed the rest of her kitchen around the piece,” Flynn says. They finished off the backsplash with a pearlescent shell-stone surround and incorporated blue — the client’s favorite color — into the island, butler’s pantry and upholstered bar chairs.
2. Rethink Each Room’s Purpose
It’s important to make your home a true reflection of your lifestyle; if you’re not the formal-dining-room type, use that space for something else. “People often get stuck decorating their homes according to traditional layouts,” Flynn says. “There’s no reason a center-hall Colonial has to have a dining room on one side and a living room on the other.”
She followed this line of thought in a Manhasset home owned by a young couple who love entertaining. The clients decided they didn’t need a formal living room on top of the big family room and open-concept kitchen the team had created. “We decided to design a pool room and bar area in the living room space instead,” Flynn says of the space seen here.
See more game rooms
It’s important to make your home a true reflection of your lifestyle; if you’re not the formal-dining-room type, use that space for something else. “People often get stuck decorating their homes according to traditional layouts,” Flynn says. “There’s no reason a center-hall Colonial has to have a dining room on one side and a living room on the other.”
She followed this line of thought in a Manhasset home owned by a young couple who love entertaining. The clients decided they didn’t need a formal living room on top of the big family room and open-concept kitchen the team had created. “We decided to design a pool room and bar area in the living room space instead,” Flynn says of the space seen here.
See more game rooms
3. Select the Right Lighting
The right illumination can transform a room. “You can really make a statement by adding great lighting, and it’s an area where you can be a bit daring,” Flynn says. There’s no need, for instance, to choose a traditional chandelier for a traditional room; the same goes for contemporary spaces.
Flynn selected two wrought iron pendant lights instead of a standard single chandelier in this Muttontown dining room. The lights’ mercury glass adds some glitz and reflects nicely off the mirrored sconces flanking the sideboard. The team completed the room with textured wallpaper, shimmery velvet chairs and neutral elements.
More: For more information on Kerith Flynn and examples of her work, visit Margali & Flynn Designs’ Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
The right illumination can transform a room. “You can really make a statement by adding great lighting, and it’s an area where you can be a bit daring,” Flynn says. There’s no need, for instance, to choose a traditional chandelier for a traditional room; the same goes for contemporary spaces.
Flynn selected two wrought iron pendant lights instead of a standard single chandelier in this Muttontown dining room. The lights’ mercury glass adds some glitz and reflects nicely off the mirrored sconces flanking the sideboard. The team completed the room with textured wallpaper, shimmery velvet chairs and neutral elements.
More: For more information on Kerith Flynn and examples of her work, visit Margali & Flynn Designs’ Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
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