Redesign Your Space: Tips to Bring the Right Energy to Your Home

Table of contents

• Working With What You’ve Got
• The Kitchen
• The Dining Room
• The Living Room
• The Bedroom
• The Bathroom

Searching for tips to bring the right energy to your home? Have you ever noticed how McDonald’s and your favorite sushi restaurant feel different when you walk into them? How the colors and lighting in your local fast-food chain make you want to get in and out as quickly as possible, while a spa’s design makes you want to stay for hours?

It’s no secret that these atmospheres don’t happen by accident: Designers are meticulous about using certain colors and layouts to promote feelings they want their customers to experience.

A well-designed space is critical to the success of any remodeling project, and the same goes for your home renovation. As you plan your redesign, consider the way you want to feel at home and the energy you want to share with your guests. Work with the space you have, and keep each room’s purpose in mind as you go.

Working With What You’ve Got

The first step in working on a kitchen remodel, a bath renovation, or an update to any room in your home is considering whom the design is meant for. Are you an introvert who wants to curl up with a good book to de-stress or an extrovert who wants to tell your close friends about your day over drinks? Do you want to create welcoming, soothing spaces or spaces that are full of energy and life?

There is no one-size-fits-all design, so keep in mind the energy you want to achieve as you make your choices. Here are some ideas for the most important rooms in your home:

The Kitchen

The kitchen is often the heart of the home, but its function differs depending on individual need. Maybe you do a lot of cooking, or perhaps you just focus on some light entertaining now and then. You might have a separate dining room, or your kitchen island might be your go-to spot to eat. Smart kitchen layouts can impact both functionality and mood; a triangulated workspace with a refrigerator, stove, and sink work best for people who utilize their kitchens often.

An open layout can bring an airy feel to a tight space and lift your mood. Lighter cabinets open up small spaces as well. Lighter paint contrasted with cabinetry and counters provides intriguing complexity.

Darker cabinets are best used in larger spaces, to avoid the feeling of being closed in and anxious.

Incorporating textures that can be seen from other parts of the apartment helps avoid a monotonous look, especially when you can view your cabinetry, island, and pendant lighting from the living room.

The Dining Room

If you love darker colors, the dining room is the perfect space for them. Bold reds work well here, unless you’re on a diet — the color has been said to promotes appetite, after all.

Just be sure you’re incorporating light fixtures that will allow you to set the mood of the room depending on the time of day.

Breakfast with the kids requires lighting that’s very different from the ambience you’d want for a meal with close friends or a romantic dinner for two. Choose light fixtures that allow you to create the desired mood for the occasion.

The Living Room

Natural tones and materials such as wood or exposed brick bring out warmth and comfort to create a welcoming feeling.

Accent walls and accent lighting are a great way to bring texture and complexity to your living room space.

The Bedroom

Blues, yellows, and greens are colors best known to promote sleep and relaxation.

While burgundies and reds can make a room pop, they are best left out of a bedroom, as you want to be able to sleep.

The Bathroom

Intricate tile floor designs such as a herringbone pattern can do wonders in breaking up a monotonous small space such as a bathroom.

Complex designs give more texture and depth while contributing to a sense of invigoration.

To make a small bathroom feel larger, airier, and more energetic, use lighter colors, natural lighting, or Edison bulbs in light fixtures in lieu of natural lighting. If you have space, installing glass panels or full shower doors instead of curtains will create an invigorating mood.

No matter the kind of space you start with, you can always make changes to bring the energy you want into your home. From a coat of paint to a new light fixture or a complete remodel, some adjustments will make any room exactly the way you like it.

Looking to see how Gallery Kitchen and Bath can help manifest your dream home? Contact us today for a consultation. Our full-service design-build approach handles every aspect of your NYC renovation from interior design and architectural services to material selection + procurement and construction.