Determining how much to spend on your home renovation projects can be overwhelming and confusing.   So what is a wise investment?

Watch my latest video where I share a quick tip on this very subject.

Stay Inspired!

Please leave your questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “15 Money Saving Strategies When Planning Your Home Renovation”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca. © 2011 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.

We are back again with another Renovation Reality.

If your home renovation project involves tearing down walls, building new ones, or relocating and supplementing any plumbing and electrical systems…then you will definitely need to hire a general contractor.

Deciding on that perfect person is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make during the entire renovation process. While most contractors do fabulous work and come highly recommended, I’ve found there are still a lot of unscrupulous characters out there.  The last thing you want is to be totally let down by the very person you entrusted to deliver your ultimate dream home.

So do your best to find the right contractor for you, so all the time and money you spend planning, budgeting and designing your home will be placed in the right hands.

So when you are interviewing contractors here is one quick little tip that will go a long way!

Stay Inspired!

Please leave your questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “15 Money Saving Strategies When Planning Your Home Renovation”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca. © 2011 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.

In all my years of designing homes for singles, couples and families…I’ve learned that the dynamic between the sexes can be a challenge at times – however when it comes to the male counterpart – there are typically three categories they fall under…

The Enforcer – The Endorser and  The Contributor.

So guys…..be honest…..which one are you?

Stay Inspired!

Please leave your questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “15 Money Saving Strategies When Planning Your Home Renovation”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca. © 2011 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.

Last week I was in New York City for BlogFest 2011 – what a whirlwind! This spectacular 3-day inaugural event hosted by Kravet Inc. and Lee Jofa, gathered the crème de la crème in the Lifestyle and Interior Design Blogging Communities.  Many of us, already connected through social media were now able to make a personal connection to the “avatars” and @handles we’ve come to know and love and engage in real face time!

Forging these new alliances and lifelong friendships with such dynamic and inspirational people throughout the U.S and Canada was truly a highlight.

There are so many specific events to share, but for starters – here is a brief overview of the first day.

Diary of BlogFest 2011.

Day 1:
The kickoff Luncheon, hosted by House Beautiful, gave us all the perfect opportunity to mix, mingle, meet and greet each other and fuel ourselves for an exciting afternoon and evening that lay ahead.

Katie Rosenfeld of Katie Rosenfeld Interior Spaces Tamara Mathews Stephenson of Nest by Tamara, myself, Carrie Leskowitz of Carrie Leskowitz Interiors and Leslie Fine of Leslie Fine Interiors

With Leslie Carothers of The Kaleidoscope Partnership, Coryanne Ettiene of Housewife Bliss and Tamara Mathews Stephenson of Nest by Tamara

An afternoon of Q&A and conversation with the Editor-in-Chief of Town & Country Mark Rozzo, House Beautiful Newell Turner and Veranda Dara Caponigro.  Beth Greene, marketing VP for Kravet moderated the insightful discussion on the relationship between blogs and the print magazines.

Come early evening we were whisked off to the ELLE DÉCOR Modern Life Concept House in West Chelsea, where we toured two luxury apartments designed by ten young “Designers To Watch”. Each space delivered a refreshing approach and modern design sensibility. The appointments were stunning with an overwhelming theme of warmth, style and comfort.

Feast your eyes on just a few of my favorite images.

Living Room designed by San Francisco designer Elizabeth Martin featuring furniture from Calligaris

Separating the living space from the kitchen with a floor to ceiling mirror defined the spaces and provided additional natural light and visually enlarged the space.

Kitchen and Dining Area designed by Grant K. Gibson and Bosch Appliances

An exquisite guest bedroom designed by Sara Story reflects an Asian design sensibility. Born in Japan the designer infuses her love of the culture into this space with spectacular furnishings from The New Traditionalists.

The intricate wall designs hand painted in gold over Venetian plaster is truly spectacular.  This is a must see – as the images don’t really do it justice.

Continue with your own private tour of the Concept House with ELLE DECOR Editor-in-Chief Michael Boodro .

Day 1 ended with a fabulous cocktail party co-hosted by DesignTV ‘s Jonathan Legate and Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo and Joss & Main.

Jonathan Legate and Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo

Stay Inspired!

I encourage you leave questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “15 Money Saving Strategies When Planning Your Home Renovation”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca. © 2011 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.

I’m gearing up for an incredible event in NYC next week.  I’ll be attending Blog Fest 2011 – a whirlwind tour of the New York City interior design scene, sponsored by Kravet and Lee Jofa, for Design Bloggers from across the U.S and Canada.

From Monday through Wednesday we’ll be participating in:

• Educational events hosted by the top interior design magazines
• Cocktail parties hosted by A-list designers
• Tours of the New York Design Center
• Visit to the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF)
• Discussions with Editors from Veranda, Elle Décor, New York Spaces and House Beautiful
• Breakfast with the Editor-In-Chief of Architectural Digest

See what I mean?

I’m also thrilled to re-connect with many of my Brizo friends that I met during fashion week back in February – and finally meet some new FB and Twitter friends face to face and name to name without an @ attached to them.

So stay tuned for a lot of fun, excitement and inspirational moments coming out of Blog Fest 2011.  I can’t wait to share this New York design tour with you.

So, until then, enjoy your weekend and ….

Stay Inspired!

I encourage you leave questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “15 Money Saving Strategies When Planning Your Home Renovation”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca. © 2011 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.

I’ve been in the throws of re-designing a 2800 square foot home to accommodate all the needs of a growing family of four.  The main criteria for this new and improved home, is to ensure it is highly functional, extremely comfortable and impeccably styled.  In other words – create a family friendly and welcoming home environment for everyone who passes through the door.

The scope of the project and my client’s wish list goes something like this:

The First Floor:

• Enlarge the kitchen by bumping outward thereby changing the roofline and adding new windows.
• Create a more open floor plan by opening up the kitchen to the dining room to improve the flow and allow for ease in entertaining.
• Add floor to ceiling windows in the front and back to allow in much more light.
• Adding on to create a new front entrance.
• Transform an office for one into a family friendly workspace for four.
• Expand the existing living room and family room by integrating the interior with the new exterior living space.
• Incorporate a service/bar area under the stairwell.
• Re-design a family friendly family room for children and adults by borrowing some extra space from the adjacent bathroom.
• Reduce the existing full bath into a sleek new powder room.

The Second Floor:

• Change out stairwell and railing design.
• Renovate and re-plan the boys’ bath by providing a stall shower and second sink.
• Create a master bedroom/bath spa environment by re-planning the entire master suite.
• Add a full balcony off the master bedroom overlooking the back yard and outdoor living space.
• Add ample storage throughout the entire home.

Practicality and style can reign supreme in a family friendly home – all the while keeping connected to family and friends while cooking, working online or paying some bills. This is the underlying theme in this home renovation project.

I encourage you leave questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “15 Money Saving Strategies When Planning Your Home Renovation”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca. © 2010 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.

Brown Residence, Week 13
There’s no doubt when you’re in the midst of building, renovating or remodeling a new home, you will be deluged with decisions, immersed in the planning and design – and undoubtedly be overwhelmed with excitement.

Occasionally in the midst of all this mayhem, it can be easy to overlook some of the smaller details.  However, compromising the overall safety of your family and your property is not one of those details you ever want to neglect.

What better time to consult with a home security specialist who will work with you, your design professional and contractor – to assess your family’s lifestyle – and complete a comprehensive security analysis of your property – that can easily and efficiently be integrated into your home plans.

Determining the right combination of security products and monitoring plans for your home can be way too confusing, anxiety producing and potentially very expensive.  That’s why consulting with a highly trained and impartial security expert – to help guide you and steer you in the right direction for your particular security needs – is the perfect place to begin.

Here are just some questions to think about:

• How often are you or your husband out of town?
• Is your home located in a high-risk, high traffic or fire zone?
• Are you prepared for earthquakes and other natural disasters?
• How many doors and windows are in your home and property?
• How many levels is your home?
• Where are the children’s bedroom locations?
• Layout and flow of your floor plan.

Someone I know and trust is Don Beck of Sentinel Protection Services.  His company will provide you with a clear, concise and personalized protection analysis of your home security needs and eliminate the confusion of dealing with multiple alarm and surveillance companies.  Allow www.sentinelprotection.com to prepare a unique home security analysis plan just for you.

I encourage you leave questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “How to Avoid the 15 Most Common Decorating Mistakes”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca.
© 2010 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc

I’m really thrilled to share something with all of you.  A project of mine was recently featured in the January/ February 2010  “Before and After” Issue of Spaces Magazine – an upscale home décor magazine published by the Daily News, here in Los Angeles.

Whether on television or in print, everyone loves to witness the magic of a good interior makeover – more specifically – those amazing before and after images. So take a peek inside the (online) issue of Spaces Magazine http://spacessocal.com/décor-and-designci-14241032 and grab some wonderful tips and inspiration from eight different designs that you can implement into your next project.

I will also have some other exciting news to share with you in the upcoming weeks – so stay tuned!

Stay Inspired!

I encourage you leave questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “How to Avoid the 15 Most Common Decorating Mistakes”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca.
© 2010 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc

Brown Residence, Week 8
When it comes to planning your home addition or renovation project, the Programming and Schematic Design Phase are where the “heavy lifting” begins.  By that I mean – what was once considered your “wish list” now becomes the foundation that develops the overall concept of your new and improved dream home.  This is where your remodel or addition project is built – one decision at a time – where client requirements and criteria are determined and budgetary assessments are made.

A thorough Programming Phase helps maintain a more cost effective design process as your home renovation project progresses.  Your family’s goals, wishes, needs, expectations and aesthetics are implemented into this phase as it lays the framework and sets the stage for what’s to come.

Once your concept is established and the programming is approved, the Schematic Design phase integrates all the design criteria gathered and translates it into a well-defined design.

The schematics tend to be the most creative and exciting phases of the home planning process.  It’s where spatial relationships are considered, the floor plan’s flow is established and the exterior facades begin to take shape.

Typically the Schematic Design Phase includes:

• Preliminary floor plans, elevations, sections.
• Dimensions, area, volume.
• Site plan considerations and new addition locations.
• Room layouts.
• Preliminary material selections.
• Preliminary exterior landscaping concepts.
• Preliminary plumbing and electrical.
• Structural Engineering – such as foundation and roofing systems
• Preliminary cost estimates
• Co-ordination with any other specialists.

This is an important time in the planning process.  It’s really much easier to revise and make changes to your plan now while everything is still on paper, rather than later when your foundation is poured and your walls are framed.

I encourage you leave questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “How to Avoid the 15 Most Common Decorating Mistakes”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca.
© 2010 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc

This morning I received a fantastic New Year surprise.

I was informed by David Bassett-Parkins, Ava Living Founder and CEO that one of my projects is featured in this week’s edition of Ava’s Choice (on the homepage) at http://www.AvaLiving.com.

“The World’s First Stop For Interior Design”.

Ava Living is a great site to gather interior design inspiration, and designer resources – at  the same time providing you with professional help, support and advice to create your perfect space.

So check it out today and grab some great design tips and ideas for your next home renovation, remodel or addition project.

My very best wishes to you for a happy, healthy and very prosperous 2010!

Stay Inspired!

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca.
© 2010 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc