The next installment of an occasional series where we share tips and tricks of the trade to help you navigate sometimes puzzling home design questions.
Today’s Question: How high should I hang lighting above my island?
Similar to installing lighting above a table, the lighting above your island should be hung with a 30-36″ clearance between the bottom of the fixture and the island. This amount of space ensures that the quality of light will be bright enough to work by, but also not too focused on the island alone. Additionally, leaving 30-36″ puts the fixture high enough to leave open sight lines throughout the kitchen.
Often, fixtures above an island come in pairs. When that is the case, be sure the widest part of the fixtures are at least 30″ apart. Longer islands can accommodate larger fixtures, but the width between the two should still be at least 30″ apart.
When we squeezed our eyes shut, linked arms, and dived headfirst into this partnership six years ago, we were just two working moms, with a passion, some ambition, and a yin-yang of skills that we hoped could equal success. We had dreams. Wouldn’t it be great to build new homes that had the character and warmth of historic ones? To design a home that felt different than the neighbors? We hoped people would enjoy our work enough to follow along on the blog and social media. We daydreamed of designing and selling the furnishings we love. And of someday starting a foundation to reach beyond our usual clientele, because everyone deserves a well-designed respite. Some of these dreams became reality at a speed that both delighted and stunned us. The day we hit 1000 Instagram followers was our first pinch me moment, and they just kept on coming.
Of course, as with any new, growing business, the past six years have not been without challenges. But each challenge has motivated us to be better, sharpen our pencils, and work towards creating a framework for success in the future. A global pandemic, with major implications for the timing and availability of our tools of the trade, as well as the strain on the simple logistics of meeting with clients and physically touring homes, was certainly not in our business plan. But as with so many others, we found creative ways to change, grow and adapt, and we are better for it.
As we look ahead to year seven, Park & Oak is reaching for the unmet goals on our wish list. And we have some pretty exciting news to share on that front. In 2022, we’ll be launching an e-commerce platform, full of the furnishings and accessories that are signatures of our designs. We are so excited to be able to offer a one-stop-shop to help you create a space with texture and warmth, that feels collected and layered. We’ll announce the launch here and on social, so keep your eyes out.
We are no longer a two-woman show. As we embark on our seventh year, it feels critical to point out that the beautiful spaces we put into the world are now made possible by an extraordinary team of people–from designers to business managers; studio assistants to purchasers; client managers to website builders. In Park & Oak’s very first blog post, we said our magic is in the give and take between the two of us. Well, now, we are incredibly fortunate to have assembled a top-notch team, and together they are making some serious magic.
We’ll be highlighting our team more in year seven. Watch this space for visits from the talented men and women who sit side-by-side with us every day. You’ll love them. We certainly do.
Finally, but most importantly, we are exceptionally grateful to you, our clients, for allowing us to do what we love by trusting us with the most intimate spaces of your lives. It’s an honor and a privilege to work with you to make your homes a true reflection of you, and a peaceful retreat from what can be a chaotic world. It’s so important, now more than ever.
Take a look back at some of your homes from year six.
Checkered tile has appeared in interiors throughout history, from Egyptian temples to French chateaus. We love using this classic style in a foyer, bath, or mudroom. Tile is, of course, a practical choice in these spaces where high traffic and muddy feet (or paws!) may be a concern. But, as always at Park & Oak, practicality needn’t be the enemy of beauty. With so much gorgeous stone to choose from now, rooms with checkered tile can be both functional and beautiful.
Our clients recently purchased this beautiful Georgian circa 1912, and because the home was so well-built and designed (in fact, by the same architect who designed the village’s city hall), no major renovations were necessary. Instead, we delighted in breathing new life into the gathering spaces of the home.
Three of those spaces–the breakfast nook, cocktail room and dining room–surround an exterior courtyard, bringing beautiful light into the home and providing ample opportunities for guests to wander in and out through multiple spaces during get togethers.
In the cocktail room–quickly becoming a Park & Oak signature–the abundant light allowed us to choose a mid-tone color for the walls, ceiling and trim, making the room cozy for conversation and libations without being gloomy. As a guest walks through the home, this little jewel box beckons from the back. The room is full of art and objects curated by the owner, an avid antique and vintage collector, and these personal touches help the room feel intentional for this family.
Our clients frequently entertain large groups, so the dining room includes an expandable table to seat extra guests. The Morris & Co. wallpaper gives a touch of elegance to the room, while the layering of natural and upholstered material for the chairs keeps the room from feeling too formal for this unfussy family.
The breakfast nook is a hub of activity. To maximize comfort in this much-used space, we added an upholstered piece for lingering. (Performance fabrics work miracles for families!) The softness of the sofa pairs with the stone table and woven chairs for a space that has just the right balance of polish and practicality. Because this nook is offset by a cased opening, the dark ceiling helps delineate the space from the kitchen while also drawing special attention to it.
And finally, the family room includes a hanging gallery wall, intentionally designed so our client can rotate their art collection without the nuisance of holes in the wall.
Our homes come alive in the details. A beautifully furnished room can be lovely to look at, but until someone lives in it and adds a special touch here and there, it will lack character, warmth. One of our favorite ways to add that life to a room (literally!) is with plants.
We are so lucky that our main studio is around the corner from plant purveyor wonder-women Ashley and Lindsay at the top-notch plant shop, Good Roots. Their shop is gorgeous, filled from floor to ceiling with the very best houseplants, in a cozy, welcoming space. If you are local, you really should pay them a visit. Dare you to walk out without at least two plants. We can’t.
If you are not an experienced plant owner, buying a plant can be overwhelming. A huge part of the benefit of buying a plant from an expert at a small shop like Good Roots versus a big box store is the advice that comes with it. Here are a few nuggets we collected from Ashley and Lindsay:
First and foremost, do not put a square peg in a round hole.
If you have a specific spot in your house that needs a plant, get the right plant for the spot. For example, fiddle leaf figs are all the rage right now, but they are extremely fussy, needing very specific light and watering conditions. They don’t like to moved. Or ignored. Or looked at the wrong way. This is not a plant for the faint of heart. Or for sprucing up your newly remodeled basement.
Shop for your light.
Building on the first tip, know where the plant you are shopping for will live in your home. More than any other care need, different plants can require radically different light. One of our team members has a giant sansiveria fernwood (a type of snake plant) that lives in one of the darkest rooms of the house, yet it flourishes. The same would not be true of a calathea, which needs an abundance of bright (but not direct!) sunlight to thrive.
Leave that plastic pot alone.
Your plant comes in a plastic pot. Don’t remove it! Feel free to buy a gorgeous cover pot, but pop it right in there in its original pot. The built in drainage is very important for the long-term health of your plant.
And finally, understand how to water.
Here’s where those all-important drainage holes come into play. Overwatering is watering your plants too frequently, NOT, as many may believe, giving too much water in one session. Each time you water your plant, you should see water flowing out those drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. This may seem like a lot of water. It’s not! Your plant does not want a spritz. It’s thirsty. Once you see water coming from the drainage holes, stop. Re-visit again in a week, or 10 days, or a month, depending upon the watering needs of your specific plant.
The ladies at Good Roots have plenty of other great advice and the plants in their store are all labeled with their care needs to help you along. Ready to shop? Here are some suggestions of plants that may work for you based on your plant-owner comfort level.
I can barely keep myself alive.
It’s ok. You’re in good company. We’ve all been there. Lucky for you, there are lots of plants that, as Ashley and Lindsay will cheerfully tell you, “want to be ignored.” Any of the plants in this gallery make good starter plants, are forgiving of missed waterings, and will tolerate most light conditions.
Most of us fall into this category. Ready to take on something a little more challenging? These plants will need more frequent watering than those in the previous category, but are generally still forgiving of human imperfection.
Monstera deliciosaDracena
It’s a jungle in here.
Go crazy. The sky’s the limit. Be prepared for the sometimes fickle needs of these beauties. May we suggest a spreadsheet for tracking your watering schedule? Your plant kingdom will thank you.
There are dozens of other varieties that fall into each of these categories. Find a local plant shop and let them help you choose the best plant for your space AND your plant-loving capabilities.
Check out the gallery below for houseplants playing the star (or sometimes just offering color commentary) at Park & Oak.
Welcome to the first in an occasional series where we share tips and tricks of the trade to help you navigate sometimes puzzling home design questions.
Today’s Question: How high should I hang my chandelier above my dining table?
This one can be tricky! Too close to the table and the light fixture will be in the way of serving or sight lines for your guests, and may make the light too focused. Too far away, and it may not provide enough illumination. Also, a poorly located chandelier can throw off the scale of an otherwise well-designed space.
One of our designers came to the rescue with the helpful illustration below. As you can see in her rendering, generally, a light fixture should leave 30-36″ clearance from the table’s surface to the bottom of the fixture. It’s also important to note that the width of the fixture should be at least 6″ narrower than the width of the table. You’ll see in the Inspiration gallery following the illustration that by adhering to these guidelines, you’ll create a dining area where everything is in proper scale and fits together nicely to form a cohesive space.
One of our longstanding clients recently moved their growing family from a Chicago brownstone we helped outfit to a larger home in the suburbs. We consulted in the beginning stages of their new suburban build, which allowed us to direct choices for the bones of the home that reflect their unique needs and make their new home one-of-a-kind. We love seeing things come together from the ground up!
Here are a few of our favorite highlights:
The original kitchen plans had windows only on the sink side, and while the light from these marble cased west-facing windows is gorgeous in the evening, alone it would have left the kitchen looking a bit dim in the early part of the day. Adding south-facing windows not only brought beautiful day-long natural light into the room, it made a great offset for the arched cabinets.
And speaking of those cabinets, being involved in the early stages of the build allowed us to mirror that same arch in the kitchen and dining room entryways…
Working with a repeat client has so many advantages. This particular client is an avid art collector with an incredible eye. We knew it would be important to highlight their enviable collection, and this guided many choices from the very beginning phases of the build. For example, the millwork in this soaring entry was measured to make space for specific pieces from the clients’ collection. Also, in the lofted second story of the entry – which was originally intended for built-in bookshelves – we created a gallery-style display instead to capitalize on another opportunity to showcase the collection. The family room includes some of the clients’ own vintage pieces, along with more beautiful artwork.
In their previous home, the client loved the moody office we’d created for them there, so we used it as inspiration for an even more dramatic version in the new home.
In the mudroom, the dark slate tile floor brings drama and practicality. High ceilings allowed us to add extra interest with hanging pendants. The clients’ own beautiful vintage chest was a perfect fit in the rear hall and another natural spot for gorgeous artwork. And check out the charming mudroom bath!
It can be tempting in a large renovation project to go down to the studs and start completely fresh. The sky’s the limit! Endless options! And sometimes, that is the right and logical choice. But often, there are elements of a home well-worth holding onto. Details that make a home unique and give it the patina of a beloved space.
In the first-floor renovation of this 1908 Hinsdale home, that element was the arched windows in the kitchen and library. Original to the home, these windows added so much special character, and were worth designing a renovation around. Changes we made to the home’s floorplan mean that both of these stunning windows are now visible to those seated in the home’s dining room. The windows echo each other and help tie together the spaces, as well as the history of the house, in a singular way. Even the barrel-shaped hood chosen for the range is a nod to these arched windows, and, according to the homeowners, one of the more commented-on details of the renovation by guests to the home.
The original kitchen in the 1908 Hinsdale home was smaller, with no center island. This family with three small children really wanted to add some additional space for everyday living. By relocating the powder room (originally where the range stands now), we gained enough space to add an island with seating for all three kiddos, plus one extra! Opening up this section of the first floor also means more comfortable mingling in the gathering spaces of the home. Our clients entertain their large families for many holidays, and having room for guests to roam was critical.
We love adding open front cabinets to a kitchen to let the eye see something different in a wall of cabinetry. In the Hinsdale kitchen, we added wire mesh to the open cabinets, which lends another layer of interest and variation.
The wall tile stretching from the range all the way around to the window adds sheen and reflects beautiful light throughout the room. It also further highlights the magnificent arched window.
We are always searching for ways to add function to form. Our clients are talented home cooks, so while this demure shelf above the range serves a design purpose by breaking up lines, it also provides a resting place for everyday cooking essentials like salt, pepper and olive oil. Plus, we always like a little art in the kitchen. The showstopper La Cornue stove anchors this section of the room.
And finally, having “borrowed” the old powder room space to add space to the kitchen, we tucked this new powder room into a little-used hallway and utility space.
From our Clients: The Park and Oak team was outstanding to work with on our recent home renovation! They were attuned to our design preferences and also did a tremendous job in helping us think creatively. With their suggestions we were able to retain the charm and character of our 1908 home, while also making it modern and functional for family living. We are so pleased with the result and would highly recommend them for design concepts, materials selection, and furnishings.
A few months ago, we revealed the kitchen and dining room of a carefully restored and renovated Tudor revival in Western Springs. Interior design life is full of supply chain and logistical challenges right now, so the living room of this project has been waiting patiently for its big debut. The time has come!
You can see in the before & after shots below that we carried a subtle arch into the fireplace to mirror the Tudor arches in the rest of the home. This is a seemingly small detail with big impact for tying the home together as one cohesive project. We also took the fireplace to the ceiling to make it a true focal point in the room. The furnishings chosen for the living room are timeless and classic (plus unfussy for a family with small children!) and the paint color serves as a grounding point for the wallpaper in the adjoining dining room.
Seeing a renovation like this come together in the final stages is one of the best parts of our job!
Don’t say it. We know…it’s not *really* a color. And while technically it is true that white is the absence of color, the white paint colors we use in and on our homes all are pigmented with other shades, even in just the slightest amounts: blue, green, red, black and everything in between. These white shades can work magic when used in the right ways.
Our work often draws attention for dark and moody spaces, and we do love a jewel box. But white has just as important a role for us. White is what we often turn to as the backdrop in kitchens, where we like our dark and moody to reign on cabinetry. We love white in a hallway with wall moulding. Often, white is the right foil for bathrooms, where beautiful tile and hardware is the star. You need white to sit alongside dark paint colors or black windows to draw attention to the drama. And if your furnishings vary in colors and textures, you’ll want at least a little white to balance things out. So, while white gets a bad rap for having the potential to be cold or sterile, when it’s used thoughtfully, it is the perfect way to highlight other design elements.
