Kitchen Update: Removable Wallpaper Install

If you’ve been hanging out with me for even just a little bit, then you know I’ve never let the fact that I rent that in the way of making our home actually feel like our home. Yeah, we have a lease, but that’s not an excuse to give up entirely on good design; so from the time we moved in — Spring 2017 — I have tackled a bunch of big & small renter-friendly upgrades…

For me, however, the biggest challenge was always the front of the apartment where the common areas are — living room, dining room, and kitchen — because of how “warm” the whole area is…the beige on beige on brown! In terms of renter-friendly upgrades, the only thing I’d tackled in this space was adding a peel-and-stick backsplash to the kitchen. I’d conceded that I couldn’t do much in the kitchen, but figured if I could at least cover some of the painted walls & add some visual interest with a backsplash, then that would be enough — it wasn’t.

That’s when it hit me…WALLPAPER!

Putting wallpaper in areas like kitchens & bathrooms is always a risk/gamble, especially removable wallpaper for the obvious challenges of heat & humidity; but with the right wallpaper brand, you can totally get something that’s a winner.

To tackle this big new crazy idea of mine, I knew Milton & King would be the perfect partner!

DesignAlbie KnowsDecember 22, 2019milton & king, kitchen, my home, wallpaper, reversible design

Smart Home Made Easy With Globe Electrics

Fun fact about me: I’m a tech nerd.

Always have been. I love tinkering with all kinds of gadgets and while I am very aware of the pitfalls of technology, I just can’t help myself. As luck would have it, I married someone equally obsessed with tech & things, and even our toddler is pretty well-versed in using most of our devices without any assistance from us. Being that we rent, we knew that we couldn’t get as tech-savvy in our home as we’d like, BUT that doesn’t mean we couldn’t do a lil somethin somethin.

Design, Shopping, LifestyleAlbie KnowsOctober 17, 2019smart home, globe electrics, breville, shopping

Fall 2019 One Room Challenge Week 2: The Makings of a New Home

If you read my week 1 introduction to this project, then you know that we’re renovating a basement and converting a one-car garage to create, in essence, a single, split level apartment.

Last week, I showed you some before photos and the floor plan, but what is the design plan? So glad you asked…

Each area has its own plan but it is one streamlined aesthetic. I’ve mentioned that for this project, I was keeping everything super simple because while having it look good is obviously important, the priority is making it livable, functional, and comfortable. So while a reno may seem like the perfect opportunity for me to go balls-to-the-wall creative with the design, here I really kept it super simple, focusing on keeping it feeling cozy and effortless.

DesignAlbie KnowsOctober 10, 2019one room challenge, renovation, nyc living

Fall 2019 One Room Challenge Week 1: A Cross Country Renovation

This is my fourth time participating in the bi-annual design event. Designers, design bloggers, design enthusiasts, DIYers, and everyone in between all participate, completing a design project within 6 weeks. In addition to the guest participants — like myself — 20 designers are featured, documenting their projects from start to [hopefully] finish.

This season I’ll be taking on a project that’s very personal, and very near to my heart...

A home renovation! Specifically, gonna be converting a garage into livable space and renovating a flooded basement.

DesignAlbie KnowsOctober 3, 2019one room challenge, renovation, nyc living

Behind The Design: Organizing My Pantry

When we moved into this condo in Spring 2017, one of the very first things we were thrilled to have was an actual pantry! Prior to this, we’d had really good storage in our kitchens — our studio apartment in NYC had WAY more cabinets than we ever used and our first apartment in WA had a tall pantry cabinet — but this was the first time we had an actual step-in pantry and we were geeked! My husband cooks, I clean, and it’s a glorious arrangement for us. With that, it meant he now had a place to hoard store all his culinary things, while for me it was a place to organize… a win-win all around.

Design, ShoppingAlbie KnowsSeptember 29, 2019pantry, organization, kitchen, amazon, behind the design, shopping

Homeowner Upgrades, Renter Friendly Design: Basement Finish

I can’t believe how many of you were surprised at how much of a home renovation could be recreated for renters! The last installment, in case you missed it, my first renter-friendly version of a home renovation featured a bathroom design by my friend Morgan Molitor of construction2style and her amazing team.

So now we’re back with another fabulous reno from Morgan & Jamie, this time featuring a basement project in Delano, MN, where they were able to transform an unfinished basement into a cozy space for the entire family to enjoy — from entertaining to working out.

DesignAlbie KnowsJuly 14, 2019renovation, construction2style, bathroom, design therapy, sponsored post, shopping, reversible designComment

Here’s What You Need To Know About My New Book

In case you missed it…I wrote a book! And not like I’m thinking about writing a book. I literally wrote and published a book to be sold… to you!

But before I jump into all the reasons you should pre-order my new book — which you totally should by the way — I wanted to share with you some fun facts about the entire project that you may not know. Some of it is behind the scenes stuff. Some of it is an invitation into my head. And some of it is just pure random fun factness. But all of it is important to understanding how we go to here — me, an author.

Business, DesignAlbie KnowsJune 9, 2019design therapy, booksComment

Homeowner Upgrades, Renter Friendly Design: Bathroom Design

While you rent, you may not be able to make structural changes like knocking down walls and moving plumbing; but cosmetically there’s a lot you can do to achieve the look of homeowner upgrades that are still renter-friendly. One of my new fav internet friends, Morgan Molitor of construction2style, and her husband Jaime own and operate a home renovation and interior design business in Minneapolis. They let me pluck one of their designs to show you how you can achieve a similar look, even as a renter.

DesignAlbie KnowsJune 4, 2019renovation, construction2style, bathroom, design therapy, sponsored post, shopping, reversible designComment

Shop The Design: Brooklyn, NY Studio Makeover

Where some people tend to get overwhelming and tap out, is where I just get started. I love the research that goes into finding the right pieces to fit the parameters of any projects — size, cost, timeframe, etc. Because I enjoy digging around the interwebs for product so much, I forget how many of you actually hate the whole things — like loathe it. Needless to say, so many of you messaged me asking about where to find so many of the items from my latest One Room Challenge reveal. Over on my Instagram, I also had you guys guess what you thought the room totaled, and while majority voted correctly, a large amount of you were also about $1000 to $1500 short. That’s when I knew I had to dedicate a separate post to just the shopping list.

Hygge Inspired Design Takeover

It’s no secret that when it comes to the way I think about design, finding ways to incorporate Hygge inspired elements is always top of mind. Whether it’s for a client, a collaboration, or in my own home, I believe every space can benefit from having a bit more Hygge. Hygge design elements include cozy textures, warm lighting, soothing scents, natural materials, and a connection to the outdoors. Whether it’s a faux fur rug, chunky knit throw, or fiddle leaf true, my design ethos relies heavily in bringing Hygge into every home.

DesignAlbie KnowsMay 14, 2019hygge, high point market, design bloggers tour, design therapyComment

One Room Challenge Week 6: Brooklyn Studio Apartment Before & After

A few months back, I started an e-design shopping consultation for a studio apartment makeover in Brooklyn, New York. I was charged with helping her transform her small, cluttered apartment into a functional and stylish space that matched her Brooklyn swag. As the months turned to weeks, it hit me that the One Room Challenge was around the corner and she was gracious enough to let me submit her apartment as part of the bi-annual event.

Designing With Millennials In Mind

Fact: I didn’t know I was a millennial. After experiencing the design trends geared towards millennials at High Point Market this season, it totes makes sense that this is my generation — these are definitely my people…at least when it comes to interior design and styling. And as my days at Market continued, I noticed that more and more showrooms were embracing these millennial design trends.

Design, LifestyleAlbie KnowsMay 3, 2019high point market, design therapy, design bloggers tourComment

One Room Challenge Week 5: When E-Design Meets Full-Service Interior Design & Organization

Holy Moly Canoli…One week to go!!! And OMG!!! What a couple of days it was! It was a perfect reminder that some progress is better than no progress — the magic is in the editing, not in the perfection. The beauty of e-design is that it doesn’t have to stop here — I can consult with her on the next phase of what she’s ready to tackle, whenever she’s ready, with a quick video conference. But with the bulk of the transformation completed by yours truly, the space already feels less overwhelming and daunting. She can now start to feel confident in her home and be at peace knowing that her stuff isn’t working against — it’s working for her. It’s Design Therapy!

Airbnb Essentials To Create A Great Guest Experience

While I’ve never considered myself a hotel snob, I’ve always been pretty particular about certain hotel requirements; and for that reason, I’ve never stayed at an Airbnb. When this whole Airbnb business model became a thing, I was very skeptical about staying in someone else’s home. The way a host prepares an Airbnb is no different than the way a host would prepare a guest bedroom…or at least it shouldn’t be. So what makes a great Airbnb?

Design, ShoppingAlbie KnowsApril 30, 2019airbnb, high point market, guest bedroom, design therapyComment

One Room Challenge Week 4: Design. Store. Install.

In real time I’m heading to NYC to install the transformation but it took quite a few steps to get here, especially working remotely on the design up to this point. All the white glove service that I shared with you last week completely changed things, making this a seamless process. And now she can come home to a studio apartment that’s super cute, organized, and functional because it’s no longer inundated with stuff. how freeing is that?!

One Room Challenge Week 3: White Glove Delivery & Storage

It feels like this round of the One Room Challenge is flying by because it doesn’t feel like 3 weeks but it also feels weirdly slow because it’s not my home. Like with any design project, I’m on the client’s timeline more than I am on my own, but for this we did have a schedule we needed to stick to. This week’s agenda — get delivery ready! At the start of the One Room Challenge, we scheduled our white glove delivery with Apt2B and with that date in mind, she knew that things would need to be purged & disposed of before then to make the delivery process even easier. With delivery scheduled, this meant she knew exactly how much time she had to get rid of things! Time for the purge! I partnered with Simplify Storage in NYC to give her the peace of mind of keeping the things that needed keeping without having to see them al the time. No more shoving things under the bed or into corners. Especially with winter finally gone, she could pack away all those coats & boats, and not think about or see em for months!

One Room Challenge Week 2: Studio Makeover Design Plan

We’re a week into this 6 week studio apartment transformation and man oh man, am I excited for what’s to come! As is the case with most apartments, the small footprint results in a lack of storage, and so that will be the biggest challenge that I am designing around here. She is a super stylish, super chic NYC gal on the go, and her apartment is just on the go. Lol. I can’t do anything about the existing footprint but by using soft tones, acrylic finishes, and stylish storage, I can definitely optimize the space for sleep, work, and play.

Design, Lifestyle, VideoAlbie KnowsApril 11, 2019one room challenge, hygge, bedroom, high point market, reversible design

One Room Challenge Week 1: Big Style In A Small Brooklyn Studio Apartment

I can’t believe that I will be participating in the One Room Challenge for the 3rd season in a row! But there is one MAJOR key difference this third go round that I’ll be participating in the One Room Challenge — I’m not doing my own home! I’ll be tackling a studio apartment in my hometown of Brooklyn, New York. Naturally I’m excited, as this’ll be my first time doing someone else’s home for the One Room Challenge. This’ll be just like any of my other online interior design (aka e-design) projects, where I’ll be working virtually with one of my favorite people in the world to transform her studio into a functional & stylish space that matches her fly. But this is with a twist because I will actually be flying out to New York to install the project.