Photography provided by Grace Hill Design
As people walk into our Artisan Home Tour residences, project reveals or Wayzata retail shop the sentiments they share are often the same: “This is my happy place!” We’re beyond delighted to hear this and wanted to pinpoint what people enjoy most about our projects and store. The descriptors are consistent: fresh, joyful, uplifting and welcoming. Those feelings are intentional and are the core values behind Grace Hill Design’s work. We believe your home should be a place you love. It’s a one-of-a-kind expression of your family; it’s not cookie-cutter, it’s personal. To that end, we’re sharing our top 3 tried-and-true strategies for designing joyful spaces in your home.
Create a Warm Welcome
Crafting a welcoming home requires a lot of intention. One of the best ways to draw someone into your space is to share some of yourself the minute guests walk through the front door. Our team helps tell your story and personalize your home with artwork, books, collections, photos or items from your travels. These pieces may even serve as a talking point, such as a brass-monkey end table or a painting of your favorite vacation spot.
An open furniture plan with seating designed for conversation and a spacious flow is important, too. These thoughtful layout considerations invite people into the room. Light also helps draw guests in, whether it’s a great view through tall windows or the warm glow of a chandelier. These elements really create that warm welcome.
Channel Energy with Color
Different colors channel different energies. We prefer invigorating hues that are clear, lively and saturated that bring a lightness to a project. We tend to use these crisp, clean pigments in our designs and product selections at Grace Hill because of the happy, light and airy feelings they evoke.
You can also use color to evoke more calming, enveloping and moody feelings. To achieve this, we pick hues that have a desaturation, which means another pigment such as white or black has been mixed with it. As you might guess, our team gravitates toward tones that are desaturated with white more than shades blended with black. A pale blue can be the perfect pick for a calming bedroom as it looks like a reflection of the sky. Hues with less saturation can still feel fresh and light, as compared to gray-blue tones, which create a moodier feel.
Design for Time Spent Together
Supporting togetherness is critical to how your family lives in your home. Whether it’s for a birthday party or a family game night, we like to curate an ambiance of celebration using elements like lighting, music and scents. There’s always a good reason to make use of candles, favorite recipes and a great sound system. We all know people love to linger around the kitchen island, so counter stools need to be comfortable and make it easy to grab a seat.
Entertaining is fun and having the right basics makes it easier to pull off. Our Grace Hill team has an obsession with charcuterie boards, cool glasses, floral vases, serving ware and all things linen — particularly patterned coasters, napkins and tablecloths. When you have bright, colorful dinnerware and a great beverage cooler, your table will always bring people together.
