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Imagine stepping into your backyard and feeling like you've entered a retreat designed just for you. That's the essence of the Laura Gills Interior Design approach to outdoor living. Just take a look at the images below for a glimpse into this world of seamless integration between nature and luxury. Laura's designs exude a refined elegance while maintaining a sense of comfort that's essential for outdoor spaces. Whether it's a sprawling garden or a cozy patio nook, each project reflects her meticulous attention to detail and her ability to create spaces that feel like natural extensions of the home. By carefully selecting furnishings, lighting, and landscaping elements, outdoor environments beckon you to step outside and embrace the beauty of nature. It's not just about creating a space; it's about crafting an experience that invites you to linger and savor the moment. Outdoor living spaces can be a retreat that exudes luxury or a warm, casual space that makes guests feel welcome. Laura strikes the perfect balance between opulence and homeliness, ensuring that her outdoor spaces are both beautiful and livable. Working in collaboration with the landscape architect, landscaper, and often with a pool company, environmental friendly solutions are created. Water usage, light pollution, acoustical details, and sustainability  are key considerations. In essence, Laura Gills' designs for outdoor living spaces are a reflection of her passion, creativity, and commitment to excellence. Through her artful blend of nature, luxury, and sustainability, she elevates outdoor living to new heights, creating spaces that are not only visually stunning but also profoundly enriching. Whether you're seeking a serene sanctuary or a stylish entertaining area, Laura Gills'   designs offer a harmonious balance of beauty and functionality that's sure to impress.

Marketing speak can be funny sometimes. Often when a business is hawking its products or services, you get words and phrases like “leading” and “top-quality,” or “customer-centered,” and “full-service.” That doesn’t mean that the company is being disingenuous, necessarily, but these kinds of words and phrases can be vague. Let’s focus on that last one though — what does “full-service” really mean, particularly in the case of interior design?  A full service interior designer evaluates the interior architectural space as well as the functional and aesthetic criteria. The designer creates a complete design vision, and then executes. Full service interior design services takes a project from the very start to the finishing details in one continuous process.  It Starts With a Conversation Full-service interior design involves a detailed and thoughtful process that considers every aspect of your living space, from the initial concept to the final touches. That means no guessing. Instead, it takes several meetings to understand your full vision for your home, including your personal lifestyle, what is needed functionally, and your design preferences.  During your initial consultation, you and your designer will discuss everything from aesthetics to how you use each room. This first phase is crucial because it sets the foundation for the entire project. Laura Gills, for example, takes the time to listen carefully to her clients, ensuring that she fully understands their desires and requirements before moving forward.  Brainstorm Time This is where the creative magic happens. This is when big ideas are exchanged, concept/mood boards are created. A few key products and color palettes are explored. Floor plans are studied and space planning revisions are executed. The Budgets are re-visited. Trades and vendors are continual discussion points. Design Deep Dive Your designer will develop a comprehensive plan that includes everything from floor layouts to color schemes, furniture selection, lighting, and even custom millwork if needed. But it doesn’t stop there. Full-service interior design also encompasses the selection of materials, finishes, and accessories, ensuring that every element works harmoniously together. Laura Gills excels in creating cohesive designs that reflect her clients’ personalities while enhancing the overall home. For a truly full-service experience, the designer works with the client hand-in-hand every step of the way. Combining both the expertise of the designer with the vision of the client brings everything together with fewer misstarts, frustrations and surprises. It also brings budget into the picture from the onset, so that decisions can be made with every aspect of the project in mind without financial creep.  Pulling the Pieces Together A major aspect of full-service interior design is project oversight. The designer’s documentation is the road map of the project. Transforming a space is a complex process that involves coordinating with contractors, ordering materials, scheduling deliveries, and managing timelines. It’s easy to become overwhelmed, but with a full-service interior designer, clients don’t have to worry about the details. The designer handles all the logistics, ensuring that everything runs smoothly and stays on schedule. This level of oversight is what differentiates full-service design from more limited design services — it’s not just about creating a plan; it’s about executing that plan flawlessly. Speaking of attention to detail, a full-service designer can make sure every aspect of the space is carefully considered and perfectly placed, from custom-built furniture to unique art pieces and accessories. Laura Gills is known for her meticulous attention to detail, making sure that even the smallest elements contribute to the overall design narrative. This might include selecting the perfect hardware for your cabinets, choosing fabrics that compliment your furniture, or finding just the right piece of art to hang in your living room. The Final Touches Full-service interior design doesn’t stop with the permanent pieces; it includes the finishing touches that make a house feel like a home. A true professional will go the extra mile to do things like styling bookshelves to arranging flowers, or even organizing your space in a way that enhances both aesthetics and functionality. It’s these final touches that bring a design to life, transforming a beautifully designed space into a warm and inviting home. If you’re looking for a start-to-finish, expert, holistic approach that covers every aspect of transforming your space, make sure you’re engaging with a true full-service interior designer. From the initial consultation to the final installation, designers like Laura Gills are with you every step of the way, ensuring that your home reflects your personal style and meets your practical needs. Whether you’re undertaking a major renovation or simply want to refresh a single room, a full-service interior designer provides the expertise, creativity, and project management skills necessary to bring your vision to life.

Are you looking to upgrade your home decor? There are several factors you’ll need to consider when planning your interior spaces to make sure they’re not only beautiful but also fit your personality and meet the functional needs of the area. Here are some things to consider.  Size and Style Your home's architectural style and size are two critical factors in your design. For example, your interior design decisions will likely differ if you live in a cozy cottage versus a sprawling contemporary mansion. Modern homes with open spaces and large windows may call for sleek, minimalist furniture, while a traditional home may be better with classic, ornate pieces. Your home’s square footage also plays a significant role. Larger spaces can accommodate more substantial furniture and bold design elements, whereas bulky pieces can become a hazard in smaller homes and make a room look cluttered. For areas that are tight on space, multifunctional furniture (such as an ottoman that doubles as a storage unit) can help to maximize the available space without compromising style.  Consider the materials you use to decorate your home, as well. If your aesthetic is more old-world charm, solid wood, woven rugs, and classic art may suit the style. Whereas, if you’ve got a contemporary home, consider natural light, contrasting colors, and contrasting textures will be important. Regional Surroundings Don’t be shy about embracing your home's location and the surrounding environment. Whether you live in a mountainous region, by a serene lake, or in a hot or cold climate, inspiration can be found among the natural elements where you live. Mountain homes often feature earthy tones and rustic materials like wood and stone. Lakeside homes might incorporate cool blues and greens to reflect the water's tranquility, while homes in warmer climates benefit from light, airy fabrics and bright, vibrant colors. Similarly, you’ll want to ensure your home’s furnishings and accessories are functional based on where you live. In colder climates, accent with warm, inviting throw blankets and pillows on soft sofas. In regions where you’re more likely to have a lot of rain, consider adding a nice touch with a waterproof rug and a tasteful umbrella stand in the walkway. Everything meant to be functional can have an element of artistry, and vice versa. Consider ways to seamlessly incorporate thematic and functional pieces into your home decor.  Lifestyle Plays a Role Consider how long you plan to stay in the space and whether you get tired of decor quickly. If you love changing things up frequently, opt for pieces that can easily be rearranged or updated with new accessories or textiles. However, if you tend to stick with your choices for the long haul, invest in timeless, high-quality pieces that will endure both in style and durability. Budgeting is clearly going to play a role in your design decisions. The costs associated with achieving a well-designed space can sometimes be surprising. If you don’t have an interior designer to guide you, create a detailed spreadsheet listing everything required to complete your rooms: upholstered furniture, case goods, art, area rugs, window treatments, and every accessory you'll need to give the space character — pillows, coasters, picture frames, sculptural objects, plants, and more. These small items can add up quickly, so planning your budget meticulously is essential. Laura Gills’ Tips for Successful Interior Design Prioritize Spending : Know when to splurge and when to save. Investing in a few standout pieces, such as a unique chair or a high-quality credenza, can significantly elevate your home's style and create a magazine-worthy space. For example, a white sofa is just a white sofa, but if you place a dramatic piece of art above it, the room is transformed.  Incorporate Historic and Travel-Inspired Elements : Adding historic touches or objects from your travels (or inspired by travel) gives your space personality and prevents it from looking like a generic furniture store vignette. These unique items add depth and interest to your decor and can be a conversation starter. Curate Thoughtfully : Curating home decor requires an innate sense of design, knowledge of resources, and experience. Some individuals have a natural talent for decorating and will never need professional help. However, if the process feels overwhelming and you want to ensure a polished result, hiring an experienced interior designer can be a worthwhile investment. After all, decorating should be a joyful, stress-free experience. Creating a beautiful, functional home is an art that involves careful consideration of various factors. By paying attention to architectural style, regional surroundings, your personality, and budget, you can create a space that is aesthetically pleasing and uniquely yours. Whether you go it alone or enlist the help of a professional, remember that the goal is to craft a home that enhances your quality of life — and your enjoyment of it.

Starting a home design or renovation project is an exciting endeavor, but it can also be daunting. From envisioning your dream space to bringing it to life, there's a lot to consider and many decisions to make along the way. Hiring a professional interior designer who utilizes virtual reality (VR) technology  can make all the difference. Let's explore why partnering with a VR-savvy designer like Laura Gills is a game-changer for homeowners In Greater Cleveland and other areas of Ohio. First and foremost, working with a designer who incorporates VR into their process offers unparalleled clarity and insight. Instead of relying solely on sketches or 2D renderings, homeowners can step into a virtual representation of their future space and experience it firsthand. This level of immersion provides a much clearer understanding of how different design elements will come together, allowing for more informed decision-making and ensuring that the final result aligns perfectly with the homeowner's vision. But the benefits of hiring a VR-savvy interior designer extend beyond visual clarity. By experiencing a design in virtual reality, homeowners can also provide more specific feedback and make informed decisions about layout, materials, and finishes. This level of collaboration fosters a deeper understanding between the homeowner and the designer, resulting in a more personalized and satisfying end result. Additionally, working with a designer who utilizes virtual reality can streamline the design process and help avoid costly mistakes. By identifying potential issues or concerns early on in the virtual design phase, adjustments can be made before any physical work begins, saving both time and money in the long run. This proactive approach ensures a smoother construction process and minimizes the likelihood of surprises or changes during the build phase. Furthermore, the use of VR technology can help homeowners explore different design options and experiment with various layouts and configurations. Whether it's to comprehend how the space plan flows or trying out different furniture arrangements , VR allows homeowners to see the impact of their choices in real-time and make adjustments accordingly. This iterative process empowers homeowners to make more confident and informed design decisions, creating a space that emphasizes their unique style and preferences. Finally, hiring a VR-savvy interior designer can enhance the overall design experience. By offering homeowners the opportunity to step into their future space and experience it before it's built, virtual reality adds an element of excitement and anticipation to the project. It transforms the design process from a series of abstract concepts and ideas into a tangible, immersive experience that homeowners can truly get excited about. From providing unparalleled clarity and insight to streamlining the design process and enhancing the overall experience, VR-savvy designers offer a level of expertise and service that's hard to beat. So, if you're considering a home design or renovation project, explore the possibilities of virtual reality and see how it can help bring your vision to life. Contact Laura Gills today at 440.255.4935.

Welcome to the heart of your home: the kitchen! Seasoned chefs and beginner bakers alike work better in a kitchen where functionality meets style. In this blog, we'll explore some delightful kitchen interior design ideas to transform your cooking haven into a place that has the ingredients necessary to whip up home-cooked meals and showcase your unique personality. Embrace Timeless Elegance If you are planning on staying in your home for  quite some time and you love blue; go for it. However, if you don’t have long term plans or you get tired of things; aim for timeless elegance in kitchen design to make your style last through flash-in-the-pan trends. Consider classic color palettes like whites, creams, and neutrals. Mixing in some wood cabinets adds interest and an organic touch. When considering wood cabinets; pay attention to the architecture and your floors. So often a kitchen project is not just a kitchen project but spills over to the adjoining spaces. All your open common areas should be cohesive. Although Quartz remains to be a strong option for countertops;  natural stone is back in a big way. Quartzites, Dolomites, and yes, Marble are hot. New long life sealers have made the more porous stones viable again. People are falling in love with jewelry from the earth; often using that special slab for the island while going calmer for the perimeter stone. While timeless elegance is often associated with neutral tones, try adding bold color accents to boost your kitchen’s energy and elegance. Want to go bold but not in a permanent way?  How about using a vibrant wallcovering for your backsplash area? If it is vinyl, it will wipe up easily. Balance out the room with colored accents, window treatments, or colorful counter stools. This allows you to experiment with color without committing to a full-blown makeover, and it's an easy way to refresh the look of your kitchen.   A timeless kitchen exudes sophistication and stands the test of changing design trends. Doing this lets you use semi-permanent and replaceable accessories to accentuate more short-term styles, seasons, and trends. Play with Texture and Patterns Play with textures and patterns to inject personality into your kitchen. While using the same stone as the countertops for the backsplash  is still a classic approach, don’t negate incorporating textured backsplashes or patterned tiles to add visual interest.  This touch is especially great for special backsplashes like coffee bars and butler pantries. Reeding and fretwork on particular cabinet doors can heighten the level of design for the room.  Don’t scrimp on the cabinet pulls and knobs.  They are the jewelry in the room. Illuminate with Thoughtful Lighting Good lighting puts the spotlight on your kitchen design. Flexible lighting is key for a kitchen.  There are times when you need a great deal of light, and then there are times when you just want some under cabinet task lighting to make coffee. And then there is lighting for drama’s sake: inside cabinets, way faring lighting, picture lights.. Pendant lights have been  bigger and bolder. Short on natural light? Check out Solatubes. They can be a game changer. Incorporate Smart Storage Solutions Efficient storage is a key aspect of any well-designed kitchen. Get creative with clever, space-saving storage solutions to keep your kitchen organized. Pull-out pantry shelves, deep drawers for pots and pans, and built-in spice racks have become standards.Newer trends include:  built in paper towel drawers, secret drawers in the kick space area, hidden pantries, and secret storage behind the backsplash.  With so many small appliances and specialized cooking, smart hidden storage enhances functionality and contributes to a clean and streamlined aesthetic. Bring Nature Indoors with Greenery Incorporating natural elements into the kitchen creates a fresh and inviting ambiance. Add potted herbs to the windowsill, hanging planters, or a small indoor garden to not only bring a touch of nature into your space, but also contribute to a healthier and more vibrant atmosphere. Your kitchen is more than just a place to cook; it's a reflection of your taste, style, and lifestyle. Drawing inspiration from Laura Gills Interior Design, you can elevate your kitchen with timeless elegance, playful textures, thoughtful lighting, smart storage solutions, bold color accents, and a touch of nature. By combining these elements, you'll create a kitchen fit for culinary excellence while becoming a stylish and welcoming focal point in your home.

Creating a space that seamlessly blends aesthetics with functionality is an art form. Professional interior designers understand the nuances of design, incorporating elements like light, color, texture and sound, to craft environments that look stunning and enhance your quality of life. Here are some expert tips for creating a harmonious home. Master the Play of Light Lighting is a powerful way to influence the mood and perception of a room. Natural light is a timeless favorite; however, it isn’t always available. In some situations, sunlight may even be undesirable. Enter the world of artificial lighting. A well designed interior is very dependent on good lighting. We can’t function without good lighting. Color and texture depends on lighting. It creates atmosphere, and affects our well- being. Lighting is a huge topic, but here are some points and tips to consider when lighting a home: Most homes, old and new, are terribly under lit. Working for years in new construction, if a builder has given you an allowance on lighting, triple it. The best lighting ambiance is a combination of both light from below (i.e. lamps, under cabinet lighting) with recess and decorative fixtures from above. The advent of the LED “wafer” downlight has revolutionized both the remodel and the new construction industries. Without needing bulky housings, adding recessed lights has never been easier. Also consider smaller 4” vs. traditional 6”. Speaking of downlights, pay attention to the temperature of the lighting. The warmth of the light quality is measured in Kelvins. 2700K is equivalent to the traditional incandescent light bulb. Sunlight is around 5000K. My personal favorite for most rooms in a home is 3000K. The good news is many of these lights are color adjustable for personal preference. Add some drama. Focal points and artwork come to life under accent lighting. Embrace flexible lighting to create different ambiances: Add specialty lighting according to your lifestyle: o   Soft lighting in the bathroom for middle of the night visits. o   Soft lighting in the kitchen; just enough to make coffee when you’re half awake. o   Low lighting in staircases. Crafting a Color Palette Lighting and color go hand-in-hand. You can’t have color without light. Colors directly correlate to our moods and can dictate the overall ambiance of a space. Often when starting a new project with homeowners, I ask them how they want that room to feel. Do they want their bathroom to feel like a light and airy spa? A sexy dining room? A cozy library?... Whatever the response, color will play a very important part of the solution. No wonder people agonize over selections in the paint aisles. There are so many considerations, but here a few tips: Pay attention to the established architecture and permanent materials: Address the available daylight. Wood floors, fireplace stone, color of your millwork. These will be foundational in establishing your neutrals. Consider your inventory: Are there specific pieces of furniture or artwork you’re planning on using? Artwork can be a great point of departure when developing a room. Do you have an item that is the genesis of the palette? Can I tell you how many color schemes started with a pillow? Beware of the middle section of paint fan deck pages: They tend to be too intense on a large scale. And watch out for the greys; they can go blue on you before you know it. Professional designers often recommend starting with a neutral base color, then adding contrasts through artwork, furniture, accessories, or accent walls. Embracing Texture and Materials If everything is flat, it can be so… blah. Consider adding textures for visual interest or to make a room more inviting. Mixing materials like wood, metal, glass, and fabric can add complexity to the design, preventing it from feeling monotonous. Consider the tactile experience of different surfaces – smooth and glossy surfaces can reflect light, while textured materials like rugs and cushions provide warmth and coziness.  Some specifics to consider: Typically the more monochromatic the color palette, the more it needs textural contrasts. People often don’t realize their walls don’t need to be flat: Wallcoverings are not just wallpapers and can create wonderful textural effects like linen, organic materials, wood… Don’t forget to enhance textures with lighting. Harmonizing with Sound Sound plays an often overlooked role in interior design. A well-designed space should account for acoustics to ensure a peaceful and comfortable environment. Soft furnishings like carpets, drapes, and upholstered furniture help absorb sound, reducing echoes and creating a more serene atmosphere. Additionally, incorporating sound-absorbing panels or decorative wall treatments can be both functional and stylish, enhancing the overall sensory experience of a room. Here are some points to keep in mind with the current home trends: Hard flooring vs. wall-to-wall carpeting reigns. This has increased the need for area rugs. The difference in sound quality before compared to after rugs are positioned is huge. Keep in mind, this will probably double your flooring budget. Window treatments really help with acoustics even if they are only stationary side panels. During new construction and larger remodel projects; acoustical insulation in certain parts of the home should be considered. Solid core interior doors are worth the money especially for bedrooms. And just like lighting, would you like to have controlled music throughout your home? Professional interior design is a holistic approach that considers every element of a space to create a stunning and functional environment. Work with Laura Gills Interior Design to bring your vision to life.

In its Fall 2023 Issue, Great Lakes Scuttlebutt profiled Laura Gills’ two design companies: Laura Gills Interior Design, and Freshwater Gills, the company’s boat interior division. Laura wrote about the many ways “lake life” can shine through a thoughtful design — no matter the owners’ style. She highlights two recent projects: a lake home remodel and a yacht interior, neither of which were in traditional style. “The first thing to keep in mind is to pay attention to the ‘bones’ of the space,” Gills said. “What is the architecture of the home? What kind of boat is it? Whatever space you’re working on, the interior needs to be in harmony with the exterior.” The full article outlines Laura’s process for each space, as well as key points to remember and tips and tricks for designing serene lake-side living spaces that allow the owners’ personality to shine through.