{Interiors} 3 FOF Interior Designers Tell All

To find out the best way to spruce up your FOF digs, we went straight to the source… 3 interior designers who are FOFs themselves. Here they share their favorite design books, tips, tricks and even the websites they shop. Do you have a favorite design tip or resource? Share it with us by commenting below.

Brenham, Texas

Her Resources:
–Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn set the standard in terms of resources available to the general public.
–1stDibs.com –Shop owners across the country show some of their pieces there.  The best part: Even though they may list prices, you can usually contact the retailer and negotiate.
–The Roundtop Antique Fair – Twice a year in spring and fall people come from all over the country to get great deals on antiques and housewares.

Takeaway Tips:
-Don’t follow trends.  Define your own personal style. The biggest mistake that women make is listening to too many other people.
-Stay away from anything cute unless it’s for a nursery.
-Think of the architecture of the space, and don’t try to create a theme. I detest themes. If you have a taste for country French, but you don’t personalize it, the look becomes too much.
-Group collections together; don’t spread them out all over your house.
-Keep your space clean and simple.  It makes it so much easier to enjoy life….

2. Kristin Drohan
The Kristin Drohan Collection

Concord, Massachusetts

Her Resources:
For furniture, linens, textile, fabrics and accessories: www.zgallerie.com, www.surya.com, www.ballarddesign.com and www.homedecorators.com
Exclusively for furniture: www.hardenedfurniture.com and www.hickorychair.com “I like how eco-friendly the Hickory Chair is.”

Takeaway Tips:
-Paint the quirky accents that come with the home to match your color scheme and decor. In a room I designed, there were these medallions on the ceiling that I didn’t like so I painted those and the chandelier black.
-To marry the color palettes of two rooms together, use one color in both rooms at least three times.
-Add trim or a fabric band to the bottom of JCPenny Antique Satin Drapes to get a more expensive look for less.

Her Resources:
-For global objects: “I always try to shop in fair-trade stores. One I like is Alsadu in Minneapolis or online at www.Alsadu.com.”
-For small, trendy home accessories: Homegoods, Marshalls, Pottery Barn and thrift stores. “You can get good deals at these stores and if something goes out of style it’s not such a big deal to swap it out for something new.”

Takeaway Tips:
-Less is more but sometimes it is hard to minimize. Collections are wonderful but if you put out every piece, the beauty of the individual items gets lost. Instead display two or three items at a time and rotate the collection by swapping in new pieces every few months.
-Choose pieces and colors that make you happy. Looking at different colors in a paint store can be overwhelming. I recommend sampling four to five colors (many paint stores now let you do this) and painting squares on your wall. After a week living with the colors it will become clear which one you like best.
-Find unexpected purposes in common objects. I’ve used baskets as wall art and pottery as water fountains!