Dabbieri Blog

5 Ways to Incorporate White/Neutral Design Themes

White and neutral design themes have long been a trending staple in interior design, with their simple colorways reflected in the fashion world through monochromatic style. Neutral hues are often a safe bet for larger household items like flooring, paint colors, and appliances because they're such timeless hues. These colors never go out of fashion. It's easy to mix and match whites, beiges, taupe, and grays through comforters, pillows, sculptures, and art, but how do you tie these tones into the fundamental architecture of your home? 

With Tile Accent Walls

Catch Ivory Matte Ceramic by Emser Tile

White tile is a staple of any bathroom, and while a lot of people choose it as a floor or a shower accent tile, it also can add an eclectic retro look as a wall tile! Find large format wall tiles to make small spaces appear more extensive, or go for small penny tiles in the spacious bathrooms to designate specific areas like the washing station or the bathtub. Neutral tile accent walls work well in kitchens, as well as backsplashes and mosaic inlays. Tile is naturally waterproof, so it functions well in moisture-prone areas of the house. It also bolsters your interior design by adding layers of texture to make a space feel warm and dimensional.

Cozy Light Furniture

Barre City Silverado carpet by Dabbieri

Layer a range of monochrome neutrals by adding comfortable furniture such as white velvet loveseats, a beige sectional, or off-white ottomans. When it comes to your larger items, like couches, laundry machines, and the refrigerator, chances are you want to make this purchase last as long as possible. Choose colors for these big-ticket purchases wisely, and try to stick to a white-neutral palette, as these tones can withstand the changing of trends and still look modern. 

White Window Treatments

Pleated shades by Graber

Window treatments are often an afterthought; however, these can do wonders when you're decorating with whites and neutrals, especially in the summertime. Light neutral tones tend to brighten up your room and allow more light to refract off their surfaces, so blinds and shades are always helpful to block out some of that afternoon sun. And, you can easily find window draperies and blinds that match your existing décor and keep to the theme of white-neutral. We carry a line of exclusive Hunter Douglass products that include honeycomb blinds, double cellular shades, and Luminette privacy sheers that softly diffuse warm natural light while also giving you complete control over your privacy.

Light Flooring

Linden Oak luxury vinyl by Coretec

Light floors are another great way to gravitate towards neutral colors. White oak hardwood, soft white carpets, light neutral stone tile can all work to complement your neutral décor. White oak is perhaps the hottest flooring trend on the market, as it has a clean grain, versatile color palette, and fits well with contemporary décor. Plus, white oak isn't just available in hardwood; you can get luxury vinyl and laminate options that mimic white oak's natural look and feel with the added benefit of waterproof surfaces. The best part about installing neutral-toned floors is that they will look great with any trend, and you can easily dress them up with a fun area rug or two. 

Neutral Wall Colors

Niland Chestnut luxury vinyl by Coretec 

And last but not least, one of the simplest ways to incorporate whites and neutrals into your home design is through paint. Choose ceiling and wall colors that complement the floors in your room. You can play with a bit of contrast here, choosing to go for a light neutral white for your walls, while your floors might be a medium oak finish. In the kitchen, you might try plastering drywall around the oven hood so that you can match the paint above the cooktop on the walls. This also opens up your overhead kitchen space, so it feels light and airy. Don't worry about your walls feeling too dull because as you layer more neutrals with furniture and art, your room will start to take on new textures. You can even add pops of color to your bookshelves, coffee tables, and walls with flower arrangements and décor.

Tips for Remodeling Your Guest House

Now that summer's in full swing, many of us are taking advantage of the warm weather to visit our family and friends. Reunions can be fun, but sometimes your house can feel cramped with all those guests under one roof. This is where a guest house or even a guest suite comes in handy. Entertaining family can be less stressful when everyone has their own space. 

Plus, guest houses can be used as additional income when you aren't hosting family. You can easily rent out these spaces to vacationers in the area, all while increasing your property value. When designing a place for guests, functionality is key, so we've assembled five simple tips to keep in mind when remodeling your guest house.

Keep It Simple

Daroca Attar matte/satin porcelain by Emser Tile

One of the most important things to consider when remodeling your guest house is what the space will function as. Ask yourself the big questions like how many rooms do you need? Who will be hosted here? Evaluate your square footage and recognize the essential functions of a guest house. These typically include a separate bathroom, bedroom, and living space for the guests. 

Maybe, you don't have the property to build an entirely separate guest house. You can still design a separate unit like a single guest room loft or a basement guest suite. The most important thing is establishing a clear line between your space and the guests' to increase privacy. This tends to help guests feel more comfortable when they have an area of their own —and it keeps them out of your hair when you just need some time to yourself.

Design a Guest Bathroom with Amenities

Technique Carbon Matte/Satin Porcelain by Emser Tile

It's always a bright idea to have a bathroom that's designated just for guests. Guest bathrooms are great in theory, but in practice, they usually require a lot of amenities. These include the basics like towels, a shower, and some soap. Sometimes an open concept layout with the bedroom and the bathroom connected can save space and make your suite user-friendly for all ages. Consider putting together a basket of toiletries with various sundries like shampoo, conditioner, cotton balls, and toothpaste because we all know someone will forget a toothbrush.

Choose Practical Floors

Coretec 5 luxury vinyl flooring

Conceivably one of the most critical elements in your guest house is the floors. It's always safest to install a durable floor throughout the guest suite so that you don't have to worry about spills or guests tracking in dirt from outside. Installing the same floor throughout the entire guest home also keeps the space cohesive and helps carry a similar design theme across the home. Luxury vinyl planks and tiles are great for guest houses as they tend to be less expensive than their natural hardwood or stone counterparts. Luxury vinyl is pretty easy to install and can withstand all types of messes, so you can rest easy knowing that your floors are protected.

Create a Space for Relax and Reprieve 

Graber solar sliding panel 

Every great guest suite should have ample room for guests to escape to for a relaxing moment. Having a private bubble to relax in is crucial for any getaway, no matter how short. Plus, this can double as an extra living space and a place to find some serenity when you want to duck away from your own family house. 

Consider Adding a Kitchen Space

Havana White Matte/Satin Ceramic Emser Tile

Cooking for a whole group of guests is exciting for a couple of nights, but it gets to be overwhelming when you are responsible for three meals a day. Install a kitchen or kitchenette in your guesthouse so that your extended family and friends can take over some of their own food prep. Additional kitchen space is also useful around the holidays when you're cooking large feasts or hosting dinner parties, as you can use the extra refrigerator and oven space to your advantage.

Show us how you've remodeled your guest houses and suites, and incorporate some of these valuable tips!

5 Great Room Ideas to Elevate Your Home

The key to every beautiful home is a lovely sitting room for family and friends to gather and unwind with a couple of drinks and deep conversation. But how do you create a great room that’s both stunning and functions well for your lifestyle? Between work-from-home days, family dinners, and hosting cocktail hour, chances are your front room gets a lot of use. We’ve assembled several tips to help you delineate your great room from the rest of the house so that it can serve its purpose: recreation and relaxation.

1. Open Floor Plan

Cellular Shades by Graber

First off, you might be wondering what is the great room in a house? A great room is typically a large, open space in your home designed for entertainment and gathering. The concept of an open floor plan can commonly be found in the great room, combining an area for eating with space for sitting and conversation. While great rooms are often confused with living rooms and family rooms, the great room is where the elements of both of these spaces are combined.

Since your great room is meant to be used every day, functionality is critical. Several open floor plan ideas include arranging your furniture away from the walls and creating a cohesive style from floor to ceiling. Commonly, great rooms have higher ceilings, allowing for better acoustics and a feeling of spaciousness. 

2. Diffuse Plenty of Natural Light

Hanger Ash Porcelain by Emser Tile

Include large windows, open doors, and well-designed spatial planes into your great room’s architecture. Allow natural light to be drawn in through large bay windows or skylights to diffuse your living room in an organic glow. Arched entryways and paned door windows offer excellent space for natural light to flow through. In addition, use soft color palettes like blue-grays, lavenders, and sage-greens as these lighter hues draw on light and can brighten up your space, so it feels less dark and cavernous. 

3. Install Same Floor Throughout

Kalta Bianco Polished Marble Emser Tile

It’s essential to consider the flooring in your great room, as this can either be a focal point or a blank canvas for your design style. Install one floor throughout your entire great room to create a unified theme. Using one floor type throughout works visually to pull separate spaces (like the dining area, the living area, and the breakfast nook) together. Wide-plank hardwood floors, large-format tiles, and natural stone all make exquisitely appealing solutions in the great room. Dark walnut or ebony hardwood is a popular choice for great rooms as they add a nice contrast and give off a polished look with their richly dark grain texture.

4. Consider a Gorgeous Mantel

Pacific Rim Silver Engineered Stone Concrete by Emser Tile

Have you ever wondered why so many great rooms have fireplaces or mantels? This is because not only are mantelpieces a beautiful focus of the design, but they also function to delineate space to the conversation area. Drawing couches, loveseats, and chairs around the fireplace builds a cozy conversation circle and lends a warm touch to your room.

5. Bring in Texture

Landfair in Espresso by Louis A. Dabbieri Line

While you can pick out tasteful furniture, lighting, and color schemes to create a gorgeous great room with soaring ceilings, your space can still feel cold if you don’t add dimension with texture. Area rugs, greenery, throw pillows, blankets, and sculptures are just several ways to include texture. When searching for an area rug in the great room, keep in mind that 8 × 10-foot and 10 x 12-foot sizes are frequently ideal for large spaces. Of course, you can always layer several area rugs to create a custom look that’s more casual and increases the soft composition of your great room.