What key elements can people bring into a space to make it better for working in?
Just get rid of all the clutter. Pare down on anything that you haven't worn, anything you haven't used, anything you don't need. I always say organization is the key to success -- and it really is. It makes you efficient (and things feel) less hectic.
Have a comfortable chair. It doesn't have to be a work chair -- just something really comfortable and stylish.
More with less: How to adapt small homes for lockdown
Everyone is doing these virtual meetings and you see so many backgrounds of people's homes. It's so funny because some people have a downlight on their head, some people are lit so beautifully, some people will have a dead plant behind them, some people have these dirty dishes. We don't want to see that. How you dress, how you expose yourself in a virtual meeting, represents who you are.
I recommend having your desk by a window because you can look outside, look at trees or the sky ... it's so inspirational, and helps you clear your head. Also, it's the perfect lighting for doing a virtual meeting.
In small, cramped spaces, I think color is a huge game-changer. You don't have to commit to every wall, you could have a color block scenario. All your walls could be a crisp bone color, and behind you can be a citron yellow. And then you can place a piece of art on that, and you have this great background for your virtual meeting. You don't have to commit to one full color, but it just adds so much drama and interest and it says a lot about you as well.
If people want to be inspired, what sort of colors should they gravitate towards?
A lot of clients will say, 'I love color but I'm not sure what color I want to move forward with.' I always tell people to go in their closet and look at what they like to wear. If you have a lot of green and a lot of neutral colors in your wardrobe, maybe you want to paint your wall a mint green, which has a really great sense of cleanliness and is uplifting. Or if you have a beautiful conch shell pink color on a bunch of blouses, maybe you would like to be surrounded in a room that has that color scheme. So, what you wear is a great inspirational starting point.
Right now, we want to be optimistic, and I think a citron yellow is a really great color because it makes you happy -- it makes you feel good, because color helps to evoke emotions.
For people who are a little nervous or skeptical about using color, I always recommend people start with a monochromatic color palette. So, if you have a powder blue wall, you might want to use a turquoise fabric, maybe a navy pillow. You stay in that color story.
Inspiration for interiors and sites to visit
It's important to find inspiration in many different things. Go look at the latest fashion shows. Go online and look at beautiful art galleries. Do virtual tours of museums and look at their archived collections. (Look to) nature.
Marie Kondo: Achieving calm through the art of organization
1stdibs is an incredible platform. You can find anything from lighting, to furniture, to art and accessories. Vintage, antique, contemporary. There's also Artsy, which is a great platform for art ... you can shop at different galleries around the world. I love Sight Unseen. It supports emerging furniture and lighting designers. Also going to Pinterest, you can often shop direct to different brands or companies. And Instagram, it's an amazing place to discover artists, different companies that make rugs and textiles. I use all of these daily.
A lot of people are doing business through the internet. If you want to buy a vintage chair, for example, a lot of times, I'll call the dealer and say, 'Can you have someone sit in the chair and take video or photos of all the different elevations of that chair?' That really gives you a perspective on whether it looks comfortable and the back height. It's the same thing with other furniture -- a dining table, a dining chair. Don't look at just the chair, look at it with a table that's around the size and shape (as the one) you're looking at, because that will give you a really good understanding about the scale of the chair.
How do you break up parts of the home so that everyone has their own spaces for work, for play and for life -- so things don't just bleed into one another? What design hacks do you have to help people divide up spaces better, especially those who might not have separate rooms?
For someone that has an open-floor plan, or a smaller-scale place, create a space-within-a-space by using objects, a folding screen, a sculpture, drapery or plants. If you want to create a nook in a room, get maybe six plants. They can be at different heights. I also recommend noise-canceling headsets because if you're trying to focus, and you're in a small space, then that helps to take you into another zone.
Re-doing spaces can feel quite intimidating and can lead to a lot of unfinished little projects. If people want to update their space, what is the first thing they should look at, to make an impact?
To get the most bang for your buck (start with) paint. And if you can't do anything to your walls, then give them a piece of art. Look at the bigger things in the room that will give you the most impact. Is it recovering a sofa? Is it bringing in some lamps? Those are some of the bigger moves.
Describe the room in your own home that you find most relaxing.
It's next to a set of windows and doors, (and looks out to a) garden with all this green landscaping, and there's a fireplace in there. There's nothing more relaxing than a fire and the light it creates, the sound and just the visual energy. The room is paneled and painted in a really rich and beautiful taupe. It's just warm; I feel like I'm in a womb. The furniture is very comfortable, and there's a really great plush rug. It's got great acoustics and natural light.