Looks We Love: Art of Life Salon Mural
Happy Monday everyone! A fresh start to a new week and we are one week closer to holiday season (woohoo!).
Back at JRI the office, we have been collaborating on some really fun projects this month. This week we wanted to share an amazing mural collaboration we did for Art of Life salon in Urbandale. We partnered with Kat Rivera owner of Kats Painting, a super talented local artist to curate custom paint treatments for their spa rooms. The murals serve as show-stopping art pieces but they also help tie in the addition to the main salon area.
The Spa was a new addition that JRI helped design from top to bottom (we will be sharing more of this project later).
Below are a few inspiration pictures we pulled together for the mural designs.
Inspiration picture via Pinterest.
Inspiration via Pinterest.
Murals are one-of-a-kind art pieces that offer a unique opportunity to add drama and create a statement. Keeping that in mind, we used the mural designs strategically to highlight different architectural features of the salon and create a soothing, luxurious feeling within each room. The paint treatment in the Art of Life salon helped elevate the already beautiful main area.
Art of Life Main.
Spa Suites
The murals turned out amazing! Be sure to visit Art of Life Salon in Urbandale to see this real-life work of art in person. You can also follow Kat Rivera and Art of Life on their socials!
5 Easy Design Tips and Tricks For Any Home
Design shouldn't feel daunting, today we are breaking down 5 of our favorite design tips and tricks that we incorporate throughout our projects. These are easy to implement and can make all the difference in your home!
Keep reading for some of our go-to design tips.
Every Room Needs A Focal Point.
Focal points draw the eye in, they create interest in a room, and they also give your eyes a place to rest. A focal point in a room can be anything from an accent wall, to a large art piece, to a statement rug. Perhaps the focal point of your room may already be an original element of your home. For example, you may have a brick fireplace in the heart of a room that can be updated and implemented as the focal point!
2. Space Zoning.
While designing a room it is important to establish room function. One easy trick to designing small spaces is to remember to create “zones”. These are furniture grouping areas that feel separate but still cohesive to the rest of the room. One of our favorite ways of creating zones is by layering rugs for reading nooks/seating areas, console tables for drop-zones, and benches to divide living room-dining etc. Creating zones in a space helps establish seperate functions but creates unity.
3. Establish Your Traffic Areas.
This is what we call the “flow” of a room. When designing a space, we like to imagine high traffic zones, and find the best ways-in and out of rooms. Making sure you establish clear traffic zones first, helps determine the best placement for your furniture, which creates an overall sense of “flow’ in a room!
4. Finding the harmony.
In any design, it is important to use a cohesive colors and textures. This is especially true when trying to find the perfect balance of neutrals and warmer, richer tones. There are many ways to blend these two concepts, but one really good example of this would be to contrast a blue rug (cool tone) with a leather accent chair. A kitchen island can be crisp white but contrasting that with warmer cabinets or shelving can bring that perfect harmony into a space. Balancing these two can be tricky, but don’t be afraid to try different hues of cool and warm.
5. Photo Finish
Whether we’re designing an entire home or doing a one-room update, we’re always thinking about how we can carry cohesive elements throughout a home. One of the many ways we do this is by telling a color story via artwork, pillows + accessories, or metal finishes. One helpful tip is to think of each room as a part of a whole.
When designing kitchens, we will often carry hardware or appliance+ plumbing finishes to the rest of the house. Although two rooms look completely different, that repeating element ties them together!
There you have it! 5 easy tips for designing any home. We hope that these will be a guide for your next home project and stay tuned for more helpful tips and tricks from us!
The Modern Mediterranean Kitchen Edit
Happy November everyone! This week we wanted to share a few progress pictures of a home project we started back in August. We partnered with Kruse Development for this beautiful modern Mediterranean home located in Norwalk.
We had this idea of a Mediterranean inspired kitchen but with modern functionality, so that's where we took it. When designing a kitchen, I think it's really important to list out your top priorities and then work from there. For us, having a unique backsplash tile and a large kitchen island were top priority.
Inspiration
Via Pinterest
Via Pinterest
We really wanted a big modern wood hood in the kitchen, so we did a custom square hood. We love the instant touch of elegance and sophistication that it brings to the kitchen.
Kitchen progress
When it came to the cabinetry design, we wanted a shaker detail, and then we added bamboo wrapped 4” arch pulls to the doors and drawers. We selected a white oak and white cabinets mix to bring the Mediterranean warmth from the wood into the kitchen.
We will be posting more of this house on the blog as it becomes more finalized. And of course, we will also be sharing the final staged pictures! So stay tuned for that!