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Pro Spotlight: Practical Tips When Planning Your Next Redesign
We asked an interior design expert for her best, time-tested advice when it comes to undertaking a major home renovation
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Who: Kathleen McMullen of Tower Design Studio
Where: San Francisco and Santa Monica, California
In her own words: “With all my experience comes not just practicality but prudence. I’ve been around the block enough times to know where the curves are.”
Major home remodels may start off as all fun and games — until that first wall comes down. Plans for the original home are often long lost, support walls pop up in surprising places and you may find the foundation 2 feet higher than expected. “You never know what you’re going to get,” says Kathleen McMullen, the owner and lead designer of Tower Design Studio. “Remodels are daunting, so you need someone calm and straightforward to guide you.”
Where: San Francisco and Santa Monica, California
In her own words: “With all my experience comes not just practicality but prudence. I’ve been around the block enough times to know where the curves are.”
Major home remodels may start off as all fun and games — until that first wall comes down. Plans for the original home are often long lost, support walls pop up in surprising places and you may find the foundation 2 feet higher than expected. “You never know what you’re going to get,” says Kathleen McMullen, the owner and lead designer of Tower Design Studio. “Remodels are daunting, so you need someone calm and straightforward to guide you.”
Inspired by art. After earning a BFA and BA in art and design from the University of California, Berkeley, McMullen began her career as an art buyer. She then parlayed her love of art into an interior design practice, Tower Design Studio, which she opened in 1996. Helping her clients select and design around key art pieces that speak to them is a core part of McMullen’s design approach. “We help our clients to define and to achieve their highest aspirations — from increased productivity and flow to well-being and a greater sense of peace and beauty,” she says.
Ready for a challenge. McMullen knows that with all major remodeling projects, chaos is a constant. “One of the most crucial skills is the ability to work through whatever arises,” she says. “Flexibility is essential in my work, especially in this market.” McMullen leaves all ego aside when bringing a client’s vision to life. Instead, she promotes compromise when issues arise, particularly when aligning with a tight budget.
Drawing up plans for your next major redesign? McMullen shares her guidance below.
Drawing up plans for your next major redesign? McMullen shares her guidance below.
1. Have the (Budget) Talk
Your budget is where fantasy meets practicality, though McMullen suggests starting with fantasy first. “Your scope of work starts, in the most ideal sense, with what you want to accomplish,” she says. “You’re setting out a list of what you want to have happen, what methods you’re going to use and the practical steps toward that vision, then putting a number to it.” Budget conversations should happen up front so there are no surprises, and ideally the figure should include room for a few of those unknowns in the construction process.
For this Spanish-style home remodel in San Francisco, the vision was all about suiting the history of the home while adding a touch of the modern. “Whatever you’re remodeling, your building has a voice,” McMullen says. “You can modernize a space and make it sing without letting go of the rest of the house.” Here, contemporary light fixtures and art complement the home’s older architectural features.
See more of this project
Your budget is where fantasy meets practicality, though McMullen suggests starting with fantasy first. “Your scope of work starts, in the most ideal sense, with what you want to accomplish,” she says. “You’re setting out a list of what you want to have happen, what methods you’re going to use and the practical steps toward that vision, then putting a number to it.” Budget conversations should happen up front so there are no surprises, and ideally the figure should include room for a few of those unknowns in the construction process.
For this Spanish-style home remodel in San Francisco, the vision was all about suiting the history of the home while adding a touch of the modern. “Whatever you’re remodeling, your building has a voice,” McMullen says. “You can modernize a space and make it sing without letting go of the rest of the house.” Here, contemporary light fixtures and art complement the home’s older architectural features.
See more of this project
2. Prioritize With Compromise
The remodeling process is often fraught with tough decisions and you may feel you have to lose one thing to gain another. Yet McMullen counsels that flexibility doesn’t mean sacrificing design integrity — in fact, the opposite is true. “It’s always a combination of elements that make a room sing,” she says. “If you’re holding on to one thing too tightly, you’re not making room for others to emerge.”
At this Hillsborough home, several disparate ideas work together. Dark wood flooring, beige walls and a stone fireplace lend a more traditional feel to the open room. Yet it’s the addition of striking modern art with hits of blue and orange, as well as the uniquely rounded side table, that creates a lively, contemporary aesthetic.
See more of this project
The remodeling process is often fraught with tough decisions and you may feel you have to lose one thing to gain another. Yet McMullen counsels that flexibility doesn’t mean sacrificing design integrity — in fact, the opposite is true. “It’s always a combination of elements that make a room sing,” she says. “If you’re holding on to one thing too tightly, you’re not making room for others to emerge.”
At this Hillsborough home, several disparate ideas work together. Dark wood flooring, beige walls and a stone fireplace lend a more traditional feel to the open room. Yet it’s the addition of striking modern art with hits of blue and orange, as well as the uniquely rounded side table, that creates a lively, contemporary aesthetic.
See more of this project
3. Draw From Within
If you’re feeling unsure amid a myriad of design decisions, McMullen suggests drawing from something personal. “It’s what people hold dear that tells me who they are,” she says. “It could be the first piece of art they ever collected, or glassware, or an heirloom — it’s different for everyone.” Finding that ideal piece helps establish your sensibility, which can then inform the rest of your style.
At this Venice home, McMullen was inspired by her client’s love of midcentury modern design and deeply felt Buddhism practice. “We were able to purchase some beautiful pieces by George Nakashima that have an Asian sensibility even though they are midcentury modern American in visuals,” McMullen says. Once understood, mixing the two styles together came easily.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Kathleen McMullen and examples of her work, visit Tower Design Studio’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
If you’re feeling unsure amid a myriad of design decisions, McMullen suggests drawing from something personal. “It’s what people hold dear that tells me who they are,” she says. “It could be the first piece of art they ever collected, or glassware, or an heirloom — it’s different for everyone.” Finding that ideal piece helps establish your sensibility, which can then inform the rest of your style.
At this Venice home, McMullen was inspired by her client’s love of midcentury modern design and deeply felt Buddhism practice. “We were able to purchase some beautiful pieces by George Nakashima that have an Asian sensibility even though they are midcentury modern American in visuals,” McMullen says. Once understood, mixing the two styles together came easily.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Kathleen McMullen and examples of her work, visit Tower Design Studio’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Tower Design Studio is a full-service interior design firm. In addition to standard interior design services, we... Read More
Review by Dr. David:
After consulting with several interior designers for our North Scottsdale home, we were referred to Kathleen, owner of Tower Design. Kathleen was professional, detail oriented, great vision and most...More
I just remodeled THREE bathrooms and parts of my kitchen. By staying home as much as possible, I was able to encourage contractors to stay on task and all was done in 3 months...2 days before Christmas. I am eclectic with a French cottage, coastal glam approach. I love pinks, teals and crisp whites. COLOR IS LIFE.
I LOVE these colors!