As most of the country heads towards the month and a half mark of sheltering in place, it’s natural to look around the space you’re in and feel frustrated—not only by its confines, but also by design decisions made in years (or even decades) past. Most of us have never spent more time inside our homes and staring at the same splotchy painting or questionable pillow.
We’re also not used to inviting our colleagues in to see these details.
“From all these [video] calls, I’ve seen things that have wowed me about people’s houses and I’ve seen some really terrifying window treatments,” says potter and designer Jonathan Adler. “They’ve been an emotional and aesthetic roller coaster, as if we’re not dealing with enough already.”
So, how can you transform your space into one you love—a place that ensures you never need a Zoom backdrop again?
Obviously, now’s hardly the time for major renovations or whole-room makeovers. Still, small changes can go a long way. Plus, almost everyone has a little extra time to take on creative projects. WSJ. spoke to seven experts to round up some of the best ideas and advice.
An all-over refresh is what I’m seeking. Where do I begin?
Designer Robert McKinley and his wife, singer-songwriter Kate Nauta, have been remaking their home in Montauk, New York, little by little. After a first round of decluttering, they decided to upgrade their lighting situation. “Especially now with LED lighting being the norm, I feel like a lot of people don’t know what they’re buying and they end up with really cold and unflattering light,” says McKinley, whose Studio Robert McKinley projects include the Sant Ambroeus restaurants, the Surf Lodge and upstate New York’s Hotel Kinsley. “When you’re spending so much time [inside], you really want that light to be warm and flattering and comforting. We put in a bunch of incandescent bulbs.”
If you go for incandescent lighting and don’t have a dimmer, McKinley cautions to be cognizant of the wattage. Inline or plug-in dimmers for floor or table lamps can help make the space.
Next up was rearranging: shelves that had gotten cluttered (“We created some cool vignettes of objects and sculptures and books”), as well as some of the couple’s art. Then they went through and touched up the paint on walls that had gotten scuffed. The final touch: bedding. The couple picked out a new set of everything from bedding and mattress company Wright.
What DIY projects can I try my hand at while holed up at home?
Athena Calderone, the author, interior designer and chef behind the lifestyle site EyeSwoon, is looking for natural additions to her home. “If you have access to nature, take a pair of clippers and clip a beautiful blooming branch that you see on the side of the road or in your backyard, just to bring a little bit of that life into your house,” she says. “The other day I was walking my puppy on the beach and I picked up a fallen pine branch that was dead. It had this beautiful sculptural quality. I brought it into my home and put it in a vase.”
She also says now is an opportunity to reconstitute our old notes and memorabilia, whether it’s a drawing your child made or a special thank you note, and make creative mood boards. Calderone wrapped Homasote boards in burlap (she says you can use cork), then painted the material gray. “You basically just take the fabric and stretch it over that material and use a staple gun, it’s all things that we might already have in our little toolbox or things that you can buy that are inexpensive on Amazon,” she says. “Then things that hold meaning to you, you can display them on your wall. It’s a nice excuse to pin up pictures of family members and friends we can’t be with, or places we’re unable to travel to right now. It can be both crafty and emotive and personal.”
Vicky Charles (right) pictured with her co-founder Julia Corden.
Photo: Charles & CoWhat are some tips to create a balanced, restorative space?
“Whenever we design a room, it’s not just about how it looks, it’s about—obviously—how it feels,” says Vicky Charles, the co-founder of design firm Charles & Co. As the former head of design for Soho House, with its cozy-glam clubhouses around the world, Charles knows all about creating spaces that are as comfortable as they are stylish.
A good starting point is scent, which Charles says is often looked past. She’s been using Annee de Mamiel’s Altitude Oil to change up how her home smells, which she says helps her focus. “You can’t redesign your whole space, but this has a huge impact,” she says. She also emphasizes the importance of having different work and relaxation “zones,” which is possible even within the confines of a small space. For an unconventional temporary home office, Charles has dressed up a folding table with a beautiful cloth in the only room in her house that locks: the bathroom. “That is the only space where I can get peace,” she says.
“Bring as much of the outside in [as you can],” she adds, “whether that’s a plant or view or whatever it is. I dried the last fresh flowers that I got in the office. They’re kind of beautiful in their dried state.”
Any advice for those who have yet to master the art of the Zoom background?
Adler is isolating on Shelter Island on Long Island. “I’m very much hoping it lives up to its name,” he jokes. He does Zoom calls on his iPad and recommends turning on your camera and setting up the frame a few minutes ahead of the call.
He says that though he thought the house was perfect before quarantine, he and his husband, the writer Simon Doonan, now have it truly camera-ready, through over a month of rearranging every corner and perfecting every vignette. “I’ve really found my inner prairie woman, learning the art of homemaking,” he says. “The most basic thing is just moving lamps around a bit, to balance the lighting.” When he gets his iPad set-up ready, Adler makes sure to always have a flattering light source facing him.
But the most important Zoom tip of all, he says, isn’t decor-related. “Try to fight resting bitch face,” he says. “It’s so easy to just look like I’m mouth breathing. You need to always look interested and amused. Those are my two words.”
Is there anything I can do to make a small shared space feel less cramped?
Changes can be psychological as well as physical or material. Carla Sersale, the designer behind the famous Le Sirenuse Positano hotel’s resortwear and boutique, has decamped from the hotel to a small apartment nearby the property instead. “If you’re sharing your space with someone, leave living space to the other person,” she says. “If you see your husband is sitting there listening to music, maybe you move to the other room if you need to work or answer a phone call.”
The couple has found that going the extra mile can make a tight space more luxe and enjoyable, something as simple as clearing off the pile of books on the coffee table in order to use it for dinner and bringing out their nicest tableware. “[If you have] a nice cushion that you always keep in the closet, this is the time to bring it out. We use the best glasses that we have,” she says. “I cleaned all the silver cutlery so we can use it. We have a lovely breakfast on the balcony every morning. It takes a little more effort but it’s nice to use the tea pot and [matching] cups.”
Fabiana Faria and Helena Barquet in their store Coming Soon.
Photo: Jason RomanWhat are examples of small additions that can make a big difference?
Helena Barquet and Fabiana Faria are the owners of Coming Soon, a furniture design and gift shop in downtown New York City that’s known for its playful wares. Faria says they’ve noticed a lot of people buying collapsible crates by the Danish design label Hay to help with aesthetically pleasing reorganization. They add that hanging mirrors can make your space feel bigger and have a brightening effect.
Changes can be even smaller than that, for example, your everyday mug. “Unique ceramic mugs can make you happy while you’re drinking your coffee, while you’re working, I think it makes a big improvement,” says Faria. Water carafes are another easy trick; they both elevate your tabletop and ensure you’re not going back and forth to the kitchen for constant refills. Barquet also recommends plants to add life to a space, including herbs.
She adds that bookends are a nice way to accessorize, as are flowers: “I was just thinking that even if you can get your hands on grocery store flowers, it’s so nice. It reminds you that it is spring and you can still enjoy it.”
Share Your Thoughts
What home-improvement projects, if any, have you taken on during quarantine?
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