It's officially Spring! Here at NWI we're super excited for the warmer weather and longer sunnier days. One thing we're not excited about is the terrible allergy season here in the Bay Area... anyone else? Allergies aside, this week we're sharing some ways to embrace the new season. These tips are meant to be smaller changes around the house that don't involve any huge projects like remodelling. There are endless ways to update your space without spending a fortune or doing a

Finding the right contractor is one of the most important parts of any successful remodel or new home build. Your general contractor is going to be responsible for turning your dream designs into reality, and finding the best fit for the project is not always easy. Here are some essential questions for to ask before signing a contract. 1. Are they licensed and insured? Contractor requirements can vary by state. In California, anyone who performs work on a project more than $5

Source: Decorilla There's a new blend of styles that we've seen, called Japandi. It's a fusion of Japanese and Scandinavian design styles (Japanese + Scandi). Think Japanese minimalism and decluttered spaces, combined with Scandinavian functionality and cozy rustic textures. Colors are often subtle and muted, and there is an emphasis on natural, handcrafted elements and wood tones. Here are some tips we've picked up from inspiration photos on how to add elements of Japandi st

It's hard to believe this year has finally come to an end. We survived another year of the Covid-19 pandemic! On this last post of the year, we're reviewing some of our favorite design trends that we saw throughout the last 12 months. With everyone spending a lot of time indoors, having a home that you love has never been more important. Creating an Indoor Oasis Carving out a bit of relaxation time in your busy schedule is not always easy, but this master bathroom from our H

Photo by Room for Tuesday It's officially December! The Christmas countdown has begun... have you started decorating for the season yet? We rounded up some home decor picks to help you decorate for this winter, without everything being super "Christmas" themed, so you can still use the items throughout January and the rest of winter. Candles What better way to cozy up your home than with wintery scented candles? Balsam and cedarwood Wooden Tree Candles |Mercury Pedestal Candl

We have so much to be grateful for, this year especially. We are grateful for our family, friends, clients, pets, and of course our health. 2021 has been another crazy year with the pandemic still affecting people around the world. We are thankful that we can celebrate Thanksgiving in person and spend some quality time with our loved ones. Here are some yummy recipes that we'd like to share with everyone. It can sometimes feel monotonous with the same exact dishes every year,

Not everyone is building a brand new home or remodeling, so how do you work with what ya got? Even harder, how do you work with a small space? We're here to help! Here are some ways to make the best use out of your space, no matter what size. Living Room by Miya Interiors Multi-Use Furniture If you have limited square footage, try using pieces that can be used for multiple functions. Check out this bar cart that also doubles as a side table. Source: HGTV Bring the Eye Up Maxi

Fall is approaching us here in the Bay Area. We're starting to see leaves changing, hints of cooler weather (hopefully more soon!), and the stores are being taken over by Halloween and fall decor. With all the changes happening outside the home, it's time to refresh the interiors too. Here are some inspiring homes with fun designs for the fall. Front Porch by Studio McGee This cozy living room, with mid-century modern details, features a moody roaring fireplace with pops of o

Long time no talk, welcome back to the blog! As we all know the year of 2020 has been really crappy for lack of better words. So we're here to hopefully bring you some joy and major inspo! This week we wanted to share one of the more popular trends this year, moody color tones. There are probably a lot of people who hear moody design and may think dark and depressing. For some people it may be, but if done right it can really transform a space to make it intimate, bold, and u

Welcome back everyone! This week we're going to be talking about one of our favorite and somewhat newer design trends, mixing metals! Going over the why do we do it and how.... The thought of mixing gold and silver may sound like a disaster to some, so why do designers mix metals do you ask? We do it because it's pretty duhhh, just kidding.......kind of ;) In all seriousness mixing metals is really really pretty. If done correctly, it adds subtle interest to the space and giv

We have another project reveal, woot woot!! Our clients were ready for a refresh and loved the Modern Farmhouse style. We wanted to incorporate some really unique, and custom elements to make their space one of a kind! Of course we had to incorporate some shiplap ;) These clients have been in their home for 20+ years and were ready for change. The one thing they really didn't love was how each space on the first floor was super compartmentalized, so what did we do? We opened

With the warmer weather among us, we're dreaming of beach houses and all the coastal style vibes. Being located in East Bay Northern California, coastal design isn't necessarily the highest desired style. But we are all for it and we wanted to share some of our fellow designer babes that that are giving us major inspo! #1 Lindye Galloway The queen of modern meets coastal! Lindye is always sharing major inspiration with her designs and she is such a joy to see on stories with

Hey friends and followers! We're back with a post that may make some people feel personally victimized (just kidding).....but we are going to go over common design mistakes. But do not worry, we're here to help! #1 Furniture Arrangement Something we've noticed in the homes we've been in, is that the furniture placement isn't quite right. In living areas people tend to either squeeze all the pieces too close together, or everything is pushed out against the wall(s). Furniture

How gorgeous has this Cali weather been?! Definitely SO needed and appreciated during this crazy time. To stay consistent with our #stayingathome posts we wanted to introduce some exterior landscaping ideas that would be perfect during this time! #1 Plant a Garden Gardens are such an amazing way to get really fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs for cooking. Putting together some plant beds is really quite simple and anyone can do it! It would make for such a fun family activi

We've noticed a lot of people doing some major cleaning, organizing, and taking care of some lingering home projects. We wanted to get in on the DIY fun and share some cute ideas that you could add throughout your home! #1 Fun accent entry wall/coat rack You can get super creative here! There are a ton of really cute wallpapers that you could order as well, and the paint options are endless. It's a really great way to define the entry especially if you don't necessarily even

Has anyone else been majorly craving food that isn't necessarily "good" for you during the 'Stay at Home' mandate? Obviously this isn't going to be your average interior design blog post, but we thought it would be fun to share some yummy treats everyone can make and indulge in! These recipes are by no means healthy, but there are definitely ingredients you can substitute with healthier alternatives. Almond Thumbprint Cookies Just a warning, once you have one of these cookies

With all the craziness going on, a lot of people are having to take work home. Working from home is no easy task, especially if you have kiddos to keep entertained now as well. We're fortunate to work from home often and over the years have learned certain things that make getting through the day a little easier on you and your brain! Being inside for long periods of time, sitting at a computer is mentally exhausting so it's important to remember to take care of yourself. Tip

It may already be March (um how crazy is that?), but we wanted to look at some trends that we're already seeing for this year! Arches We saw arches making a bit of a come back towards the end of 2019 but we're seeing them a lot more! They bring in such a timeless element to a home without being too bold. We're definitely seeing them more so in modern mediterranean style homes, but other designers are incorporating them into some modern, contemporary, and farmhouse style homes

Welcome back ladies and gents! The blog has definitely been lacking content lately but we're back and ready to share lots of juicy posts for you guys. We're coming at you today with common myths about interior design or interior designers. This career is definitely misunderstood by a lot of different people so we're here to debunk those myths and set the record straight ;) Canyon Lakes job site a few months ago #1 "So do you guys stage houses and pick furniture?" Oh this is p

Paint is one of those tricky things that can really change the look of a space or it can easily look "a little off", which is why we wanted to share some safe choices. There are an abundance of paint options out there with different undertones and different values, so getting it right can be quite complicated. Take a look at some of our top picks & feel free to use as inspiration in your upcoming projects! Whites are the hardest, in our opinion since there are literally hund