simple house design Archives

Some form of in-home bath has been common since the mid-19th century. The main or master bathroom as we know it today has been standard in all new homes since the 1980s, so it’s only natural to assume a bathtub should be in the master bathroom. But what if you don’t shower? Does it make sense to invest in a bathtub if you’re never going to use it? What if you don’t really have room for a tub?

Bathing is not a crowd pleaser, as is the dining room. Getting rid of them can win space in your own home for things that truly meet your needs and personal way of life. In my last 15 years designing bathrooms, I think only about 15% to 20% of my clients have had showers. So, the question becomes, “Should I own it for resale”?

The answer is no, you don’t need to

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This Midcentury Oakland Home Is Inspired by Hollywood Regency and Travel Memories

01/11/2025 Kartika

House Design

When they’re not busy traveling to faraway locales, Shasta and Jen Scobie can almost always be found at the nearest (or furthest) thrift store, foraging for discarded pottery studios and other curious novelties. “I didn’t start traveling until my late 20s, but once I did, I made it a priority and collected many treasures over the years,” says Shasta, a strategic program manager for a tech company. And yet, the couple’s collection had little room to shine. “We had just three pieces of furniture: a bed, a couch and a table. Everything else was relegated to the sidelines and the house was more or less empty,” adds Jen, an engineering manager for a tech company. That is until the pandemic, when months of being indoors exposed the home’s shortcomings—and left them longing for a redesign. Luckily, they knew just the person for the job: dear friend and interior designer Nick

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What is the most draining color? This one color could be draining |

15/10/2025 Kartika

House Design

As anyone who has gone through the process of searching for room colors will try, choosing the right color for a room can be a minefield with endless choices and subtle nuances to understand and overcome.

But along with what is the most stressful color?, we are also often asked ‘what is the most draining color? According to color psychologists, the most draining and fatiguing color is ‘bright yellow’.

However, decorating with yellow isn’t all bad, especially when used as an accent color at home. It has many positive connotations, too. Here, color psychologists, decorators, and experts reveal why bright yellow is the most draining color – and how to decorate with softer yellow in a more pleasing and less stimulating way by using the color wheel to create strong color combinations, using yellow as an accent shade, and what variations to use to create a scheme that won’t overwhelm.

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Inside Bobby Berk’s Airy California HQ | Architectural Digest

10/10/2025 Kartika

House Design

While many employers are grappling with the post-pandemic Return To Work conundrum, Bobby Berk, the interior design expert on Netflix’s Queer Eyes, has created an innovative solution. The designer’s work from home concept satisfies his growing team’s need for creativity, collaboration, and comfort. Berk purchased a 1970s Spanish-style home in the Hollywood Knolls neighborhood (conveniently located half a mile from his own home), renovated it, and turned it into his eponymous design firm’s new HQ.

“I wanted to find a space where I could really showcase our designs and products in a residential interior setting,” Berk tells AD of his new digs, which opened five months ago. “The front of this house is completely set up as if it’s an actual home. It has a dining room, the kitchen, andliving room. There’s a little library office that we use if somebody needs to take a Zoom and they don’t

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5 Interior Design Mistakes That Make Your Home Look Smaller

22/09/2025 Kartika

House Design

No matter the square footage of our home, we all have the same goal – to make it feel as spacious as possible. This is especially true in more compact spaces, as well as those with quirky layouts or limited natural light. Light, airy spaces are all the more inviting to relax in and help us feel less closed in, so it’s something worth aiming for.

However, some common interior design mistakes are keeping your home from reaching its full, spacious potential. The result is cramped spaces that can often feel overwhelming.

The interior design mistakes that make your home look smaller:

A claustrophobic color palette
The wrong flooring
Not making the most of vertical space
Not using a visual anchor point
Over-using chunky furniture

If you want to know how to make your home look (and feel) bigger, then keep reading. We’ve rounded up the best expert advice on

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and how to fix them |

14/09/2025 Kartika

House Design

Our entryways are one of the most functional spots in our home, working purely to welcome us into the home and help us get out the door a little easier. As a result, it is vital that the storage works and doesn’t make our lives any harder.

That being said, there are plenty of entryway storage mistakes many of us are making without even realizing it, and professional organizers say some simple fixes could make our homes a little more practical.

We have spoken to some of our favorite home organizers to learn their tops for entryway storageand which common mistakes we need to fix.

Entryway storage errors

Although entryway layout mistakes certainly play a large part in a non-functional entryway space, how we organize the storage is just as important.

This is what you need to avoid.

1. Lack of multi-purpose furniture

Modern entryway bench ideas with a light wood storage bench topped with green upholstered cushions and papasan chair

Entryways, no

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Coastal and traditional styles combine in this Montecito home |

16/08/2025 Kartika

House Design

Even before its recent redesign, this four-bedroom farmhouse-style home had a lot to offer. It’s in the acceptable setting of Hedgerow, a highly sought after, peaceful neighborhood in Montecito between the ocean and the upper village, and it was built on a secluded plot with a stunning garden, and views of the Montecito mountains beyond.

It’s a truly idyllic place to vacation. But there were some interior design challenges to overcome before it became the perfect retreat, as designer Hayley English (opens in new tab) found out.

The homeowners, who have a young family, enlisted the interior designer’s help to create a better backdrop for vacations and casual gatherings with friends, and to improve the sense of flow throughout the space. They were looking for an unpretentious, youthful take on traditional farmhouse style with coastal decor elements, says designer Hayley English, who picks out her highlights and describes how she

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Cafe good & goody / design by 83

20/07/2025 Kartika

House Design

Cafe good & goody / design by 83

Cafe good & goody / design by 83 - Interior Photography, Dining room, Table, Chair +15

Areas:
255 m²
year:

2023

Text description provided by the architects. Café good & goody, a renewal project, is located in Gimhae, Republic of Korea. With the slogan of ‘Only good things for your ordinary life.’, it was planned with the hope that it would be a comfortable and cozy space that you would want to visit every day.

The exterior was finished in a dark wine color, a striking color, to overcome the handicap of being located in a place a little far from downtown and major roads.

When entering through the main entrance on the first floor following the dark wine-colored exterior, the overall

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And what to do to make small Powder chamber

04/02/2024 Kartika

House Design

Believe it or not, powder room design mistakes can go a long way. After all, after the entrance, living room, and kitchen, it was the only area guests would use, and one where the family would be in and out day and night.

Add to that its diminutive size, and you can see how the best powder room ideas can quickly destroy an entire space.

“Nine times out of 10 it’s a shoebox somewhere.” Exalted cupboard,’ said Ca’ Pietra (opens in new tab)Head of Creative, Grazzie Wilson. Below, Grazzie and the H&G team list the most common mistakes to avoid when redesigning your powder room.

Powder chamber design error

There’s no denying that a small powder room is more prone to design mistakes, but sometimes having a larger space can also be a problem. Here’s what to avoid, and what to do, according to experts.

1. Treat it as a

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10 small bedroom color ideas from interior design experts

20/07/2023 Kartika

House Design

Finding the right small bedroom color ideas can be somewhat of a challenge, as these more petite spaces can require more planning than expected.

Depending on the size and the natural light available within the existing bedroom ideas, colors can make the space look larger or smaller, airier or cozier. So making the right choice can make all the difference in the final feeling of the room.

‘Although pale colors will help to make small rooms look larger, dark colors in small bedrooms can look stunning and create an atmosphere that’s perfect for enhancing intimacy, feeling cozy and restful sleep,’ advises Marianne Shillingford, creative director, Dulux. ‘Decide how you want to feel in your bedroom and work from there.’

There are two options, if you want a loftier feel then choose shades that help to create the illusion of space, or you might be hankering after a cosier space that

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Tag: simple house design

Does Owning a Bathtub Increase the Resale Value of My Home? Dry Design

This Midcentury Oakland Home Is Inspired by Hollywood Regency and Travel Memories

What is the most draining color? This one color could be draining |

Inside Bobby Berk’s Airy California HQ | Architectural Digest

5 Interior Design Mistakes That Make Your Home Look Smaller

and how to fix them |

Entryway storage errors

1. Lack of multi-purpose furniture

Coastal and traditional styles combine in this Montecito home |

Cafe good & goody / design by 83

And what to do to make small Powder chamber

Powder chamber design error

1. Treat it as a

10 small bedroom color ideas from interior design experts