Written by: K+B Insider Paloma Contreras, Paloma Contreras Design and La Dolce VIta, Katy, TX
Throughout 2016, our NKBA K+B Insiders have traveled across the globe to attend events and top industry trade shows to stay ahead of the curve in the K+B industry. Our K+B Insiders also seek design inspiration from their friends and families—even colleagues. This past month, NKBA K+B Insider Paloma Contreras sat down with her fellow interior designer, textile designer, blogger, author and friend, Lauren Liess, based just out of Washington, D.C., to discuss emerging industry trends and her approach to kitchen and bathroom design:
Paloma Contreras: What do you enjoy most about designing kitchens and bathrooms?
Lauren Liess: I love kitchens and baths that feel tailored and personal. I try to approach each project from the ground up, learning how each client lives differently and figuring out how I can make a kitchen or bath best work for them. I enjoy creating a “language” for each project that blends my client’s style with the architectural style of the home.
Paloma: What are your go-to materials in the kitchens and bathrooms you design?
Lauren: I love a honed stone countertop for a classic, natural look.
Paloma: What advice would you offer to a client who might want to inject their kitchen or bathroom with some personality and keep it from looking too “cookie cutter”?
Lauren: Think about exactly what it is you need personally in the space instead of what is typically done. Just because most kitchens have upper cabinets or microwaves doesn’t mean yours has to. Shake off preconceived notions and display things that have functional beauty and hold meaning for you, like art, pots and pans, plates etc.
Lauren: I’m not a fan of the microwave over the range in lieu of a range hood. The range naturally serves as the focal point and putting a microwave over it takes away from it.
Paloma: What is the number-one no-no to avoid when designing a kitchen or bathroom?
Paloma: What are you most excited to try in your next kitchen or bath renovation?
Lauren: I recently did a bathroom entirely in Moroccan plaster (the walls, shelves, vanities & countertops) and loved how the material created a seamless flow throughout the space. I’d love to try the same concept in a kitchen.
For more kitchen and bath inspiration visit Lauren’s blog Pure Style Home or follow her on Instagram, @LaurenLiess.
Throughout 2016, the NKBA K+B Insiders will report on the latest industry trends from across the globe, must-attend events and top industry trade shows. Stay up-to-date on the latest trends with #KBInsider on Twitter and Facebook, and through the K+B Insiders’ guest blog posts on the NKBA blog.
