4 Stylish Interior Design Tips to Improve Your Home
Expert home makeover tips from interior design guru Tiare Pinto of Archipelago Hawai‘i.
Photos: Courtesy of Archipelago Hawai‘i
“Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.” –Jane Austen. As with many things our favorite romance novelist said and wrote, #somuchtruth.
For us 21st-century folks, “real comfort” is lounging in our pajama pants on the couch. Binge-watching Netflix after a long day at work. Inviting our girlfriends for a home-cooked dinner. Showing off our altogether smart and stylish house, its interior design impeccably inspired and functional.
OK, maybe you haven’t gotten to that last one yet (adult goals, amirite), but it’s fall/pumpkin season soon, which means holidays, which mean parties, which mean guests. And, thankfully, there’s still plenty of time to get things in shape. Take a look at these expert home makeover tips from Tiare Pinto, co-founder and president of Archipelago Hawai‘i, a luxury home design company in Kailua. Pinto’s a regular interior design guru, with more than 25 years of experience creating fashionable and upscale kitchen, bath and living spaces. So heads up:
1. Get inspired
It’s important to have an inspiration piece: a starting point for your design palette and style. Find a piece you love—a comfortable sofa, an interesting vase—and build around it. (Hint: Pinto loves to shop décor at Red Bamboo, Bali Aga, Fine Art Associates and Interior Accents.)
2. Choose a color
Whether it’s just an accent wall or the entire room, painting is an affordable way to add warmth and drama to an otherwise bland room with white walls. Also, try blue! If your room is small, paint the ceiling a light shade of blue, to match the sky outside and make the room feel much larger.
3. Mix and Match
When using several fabrics in any one space, make sure you vary the scale of the prints or textures to create visual interest. Just remember to tie it all together with your inspo piece.
4. Think multi!
You’re probably already a pro at this, because we girls tend to go nuts over all things multi. Like, multiway straps, multiway tees, multiway bikinis. Apply the same concept to new furnishings, like storage ottomans with cute prints, vintage (or vintage-looking) coffee tables with lift tops or fancy TV armoires with drawers.
READ MORE STORIES BY MARIA KANAI
