Author: Jen Thompson

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Designer Q & A

Below I answer a few of the questions I get asked most often! Feel free to ask me any question you may have about design and I’ll try my best to answer. I could even make this a monthly blog series! Happy designing friends!

Are you seeing prices drop a bit due to COVID-19?  No.  Actually, in my industry we have remained busy, especially on the residential side. I think with people being stuck at home they are itching to do home projects because that one space that wasn’t “that bad” 3 months ago, now really bothers them. 

How are you/your industry able to still work during this time?  As mentioned my industry is actually quite busy.  What we are struggling with is getting samples and product/furniture in a reasonable time.  Luckily I have the ability in most cases to check stock, so if it’s a quick turn around situation we will make sure we ONLY select in stock items.  Also, like everyone else technology has played a huge role. Zoom, Facetime, and even just texting…are all very powerful tools!

How do I know if I’m going to like the finished design?  I will do everything in my power to paint a picture for you of what the finished space will look like.  This will include: floor plans, elevations, samples of everything, cabinet company renderings and if you still aren’t sure we can put things on Sketchup (a 3D rendering program) as well.   

How long will it take the contractor to complete my job?  My contractors will not start a job until ALL material is here.  This is because things could end up being backordered and that throws everything off.  Using a guest bathroom as an example, if everything is here than it should not take longer than 7-10 business days (pending the extent of the design and if walls are being added/removed).  If there is glass involved (i.e. a door) than that will take about 10 additional business days after the tile has been set.  We can’t measure for and order glass until tile has been installed. 

Can I get a discount on product?  If I have an account with the company I will do my best to make sure my clients pay below retail on product that they purchase thru me.  This does not include most big box stores like Home Depot, Lowes, Floor & Decor (these companies don’t provide discounts). That’s a benefit in hiring me.  You’ll save money!  I have accounts with numerous companies and vendors to provide my clients with options that range in price and style. 

Do you have a good referral for…..? I have many trusted vendors, sub-contractors and contractors that I use and have used for quite some time.  Tell me what you are looking at doing and I’ll probably have a name of someone you can use!

How do you clean that glass shower with the frame? **See pictures of classic white bathroom** 😊 it’s a secret…. (The frame is on the outside only!  You can clean the shower side the same as you would any glass door in a shower) 

Will this design stand the test of time or will it be dated in 10 years?  There’s really no way of knowing this.  Design trends shift just as fashion, cars, etc…  I try to design for my clients in hopes that even WHEN trends do shift that it will still be in keeping with the client’s taste.  Also, I try to keep the major finish selections pretty neutral and than if we want to play with an accent tile, color, wallcovering, etc in a smaller area than in the future it would be fairly easy and inexpensive to just change that portion.   

Why are the prices on my favorite HGTV show so different than the prices I am quoted?Prices for product and labor is based largely on the region in which you live.  Prices in Waco, Texas are lower than Tucson, Arizona whereas prices in San Diego, California are much higher than Tucson.  Also, the HGTV shows get huge sponsorships and freebies from companies because they are using the product on a TV show.  Most of the shows will show you a finished room with furniture and accessories, but the homeowners have to later purchase all this as an add on.  More often than not once the show ends most of the furniture and accessories are taken out of the house. 

Why didn’t you name your business 360* Designs? Because if it’s a 360 you are back to where you started!

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2019 ASID AZ South Design Excellence Awards

Every year the local ASID (American Society of Interior Design) chapter holds the design excellence awards. Designers are given the opportunity to enter projects from the past year to be judged by other ASID members from around the country. This year I entered 3 projects in 3 different categories. I am very excited to say I was able to take home awards for all 3! Winners are featured in the October 2019 Issue of Tucson Lifestyle magazine. Below are the entries that won and a little information about each.

1st Place – Small Bathroom

This creative client came to the designer asking for an “industrial farmhouse” bathroom in this new construction home. It had to be unique, a bit mysterious and really, really cool….as he excitedly explained. As soon as he described his vision the designer knew immediately that the metallic diamond-plate tiles that she had been longing to use on a project were the perfect fit. Once the main wall tile was selected this small bathroom took on a life of its own. The walls shine and have a texture that make you want to touch them. The designer played with flat versus textured tile on the shower wall to add variation and depth. A single glass panel is added between the shower and toilet to allow the tile to flow seamlessly from wall to wall without obstruction. The vanity wall is all about texture, texture and more texture! The vessel sink sits on a cantilevered piece of granite that meets at a custom designed beam.

3rd Place – Design on a Dime Space

When this client first came to the designer, she had a very limited budget to work with and she didn’t know where best to use her money. With some discussion we decided to transform the dull, nothing happening powder room into a jewelry box of a space. We knew the space needed to be classic and a little feminine to fit her personality. The goal was to tile the 3 main walls you see upon entering in order to add texture, depth and intrigue, but we needed to find something that was reasonably priced, still classic in look and fairly easy to install in order to keep the labor costs down. A beautiful 12×35 porcelain had everything we were looking for as it mimics the look of tin, but it’s softer with tones of ivory and gold. The warm copper, earthy tones of the hammered sink and cabinet provide contrast along with additional texture. Pops of soft golds and bronze bounce around the space in the fixtures and accessories creating an overall serene and calming space.

1st Place – Residential Product Design

This client asked for a complete kitchen remodel. The top goals were for the kitchen to function better, be in shades of white/cream with contrasts of brown and to include a much needed pantry. The space plan that was ultimately chosen included a pantry with custom doors. The center grill design for the doors was inspired by the client’s ceramic tile that can be found outside the house. This arabesque like shape would then repeat itself not only in the custom doors, but also in the pendant lights over the island and the kitchens backsplash. To obscure the items behind the doors we selected a rain textured glass. The stained knotty alder doors work perfectly with the warm earth toned streams in the island. These custom pantry doors became a highlight piece in this newly remodeled kitchen.

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Kea’s Featured in Tucson Lifestyle Weddings Issue!

Casey and I were lucky enough to have our wedding featured as part of Tucson Lifestyles Weddings issue.  We are so lucky to add this to our memories of that special day.  Thank you especially to Glover Ranch for the amazing venue, MC Photography for the unique and beautiful photos and of course our family and friends for being there to help us celebrate!!  You can find the June 2019 issue on newsstands now!

https://www.tucsonlifestyle.com/jennifer-thompson-casey-kea/

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My Top 10 Greige Paint Colors + Paint Tips


Did you know that one of the cheapest things you can do to instantly update your home or office is give it a fresh coat of paint?! Did you also know that paint is one of those things that most people struggle at selecting on their own and they often have to redo it multiple times? They also wonder if they should paint the ceiling, what sheen should they get, should they paint baseboards/mouldings, should they pick accent colors and if so where should those accent colors go? So basically something that “should” be cheap turns into a nightmare if you don’t hire a professional to help in the beginning. I offer paint consultations that are quick, easy and most importantly well priced! I can help you pick paint for a room or a whole house. I can even help you select exterior colors if that’s what you need. In the meantime here are my top 10 current favorite greige colors. BUT word of advise.. colors can change on you quickly. So what might look good at the paint store will change on you in your own home. The best thing you can do is 1. Hire a Professional 2. Look at the sample in the room it will be in and with it in front of a white piece of paper. That way the existing colors in the room aren’t playing tricks on you. 3. Get a small sample size pint or smaller of the color, then paint a small area to see if you like it! Best of luck!!

Dunn Edwards – DE6191 Exclusive Ivory
Dunn Edwards – DE6213 Fine Grain
Dunn Edwards – Crisp Muslin
Sherwin Williams – SW7029 Agreeable Gray
Sherwin Williams – SW7030 Anew Gray
Dunn Edwards – DE6227 Muslin
Dunn Edwards – DET614 So Chic!
Dunn Edwards – DEC785 Whisper Gray
Sherwin Williams – SW7016 Mindful Gray
Dunn Edwards – DE6226 Foggy Day
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Las Vegas Market 2019

It’s that wonderful time of year again where I attend the Las Vegas furniture market and come back full of fun, new and creative products to incorporate in my designs. I’m usually there 3 days and walking over 30 miles during that time to find the newest and coolest stuff. This year I dragged my husband around again to help me take pictures and notes…. (it’s a lot to take in by yourself!) This year was yet again all about texture, organic materials and I’m seeing more pops of color then last year. Popular colors this year were emerald green, navy blue and taupey greys. Below are several pictures of some of my favorite finds that I would LOVE to incorporate in my projects this year.

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A very busy fall!

I’m baaaaaaack!!!!  Well I never was gone, just very very busy trying to plan and “design” for my wedding.  We are now very happily hitched so I’m now back to designing beautiful spaces rather then weddings.  We got married toward the end of October in a very rustic/casual and FUN wedding.  We had a firepit to roast smores, hayrides, corn hole, horse shoes, dancing, a salsa bar, dessert bar and of course beautiful Arizona fall weather!  We are still waiting on more pictures but here are a few.


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Extreme transformation on a budget!

In order to flip this house there were major areas that the designer and sub-contractor focused their limited budget and attention on. One of those areas was the master bathroom. What was once a boring and outdated space was transformed into a unique and tranquil master bathroom. This bathroom feels expensive because of the creativity that went into the overall layout of the space. The designer was able to reconfigure the bathroom so much so that there was room for a walk in shower that doubled in size, a beautiful freestanding tub and an accent wall that was centered in the room serving many purposes including creating a focal point upon entering. Finding budget friendly finishes became the easy part once the blueprint of the space was hammered out. Rich wood tones found in the porcelain plank flooring and the floating vanity (which was purchased at a steal through an online vendor), provide a striking contrast to the sparkling glass accents and the crisp whites of the vanity top and tub. Soft highlights of turquoise, cool tans and silver bounce around the room to provide a feeling of calm and freshness. The transformation, while extreme was all done on a budget and became the main selling point of this home’s flip.  Below are the before and after pictures side by side.  To see all the after pictures be sure to check out the portfolio section!

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A Fixer Upper World (Part 1)

Recently I have had at least 4 clients ask for a “Joanna Gaines, Fixer Upper” style design in their space.   I’m just as big of a Gaines fan as the next person but with all these requests  I felt the need to watch as many Fixer Upper episodes as possible for added inspiration.  I now consider myself a Joanna Gaines design expert and due to my intense research, I thought it might be fun to do a Top 10 Fixture Upper Design Ideas blog, this will be a two-parter so check back for part 2!

Season 5, Episode 18: The Americana House  – Chip and Joanna were tasked with designing a music/recording studio space in a portion of this house.  Since this is a music studio it needed to have strong acoustic properties.  In order to do this in an effective yet creative way, they cut cedar block in various depths to create a focal wall that also soaks up sound.  Love this custom dimensional look!

Season 5, Episode 10: The Copp House  – In this episode the Gaines helped a family turn their home into a wheelchair accessible space for their two young boys.  The entire episode was heartwarming, and they were able to create unique spaces that the boys would be able to take advantage of.  My favorite part of the overall design was the bathroom.  Joanna found some antique turquoise lockers which were installed inside a wall to preserve space and add much needed storage while give the entire bathroom a classic locker-esque design.

Season 5, Episode 7: The Baker House – In this home there was a very large space that needed to have two functions with a portion being a laundry room and the other being a home office.  In order to keep the areas separate, but still share window light as well as have the feel of a large open area, Joanna had the idea to build a pony wall and then add opening shelving above all the way to the ceiling.  This added much needed definition to the space without completely framing out a new room.

Season 5, Episode 6: The Safe Gamble House – Two favorites came out of this episode where Chip and Joanna purchased a home that they had planned on flipping to sell, but her sisters family ended up purchasing it instead.

In the kitchen Joanna used the same concept as she did in the Baker House.  She wanted to open up the kitchen to the living room to bring in some light and airiness but she needed to keep it semi separate and still include some storage elements.  They completed this goal by incorporating a metal and glass unit that becomes a huge focal point in the design.


The other area I thought was fun and unique was the master bathroom where Joanna used dry stacked (aka no grout was used between the tiles) handmade tiles for a funky yet vintage look.  You don’t see this done very often as grout is usually necessary in most applications.  This design works well because she didn’t overdo it and the area in which she used it probably will not get daily use (i.e. like shower walls would). 

Hope you enjoyed reading about some of my favorite Joanna Gaines, Fixure Upper Designs.  I’ll continue with Part 2 next time!  Information on all Fixure Upper designs (and lots more!) can be found on their website: https://magnolia.com/

 

 

 

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Design is for the couple with a baby, the girl in her first apartment and even you too!

The biggest myth surrounding the interior design profession and the one that I’m working hard to debunk, is that the average person cannot afford an interior designer. Here are a few reasons why this isn’t true and how a designer can actually SAVE money, time, headaches and maybe even a marriage!

Work with what you have!: Designers are like everyone else, many of us cannot afford the newest trends (even though we dream of them nightly), so we WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE!  A few simple changes to a layout like placing the sofa here rather than there, using that chair that’s been tucked in the corner of the guest room, hanging a picture a little lower, adding a couple accent lamps, some greenery, an area rug and VOILA!  A complete transformation.  I’m going to have to see if I have a before photo of my fiancés “bachelor pad” before I came around…. Talk about an overnight transformation!

A Room at a Time: More than ever it is quite common for people to complete their home or commercial space in stages.  Spreading out projects over time helps keep finances in check while still making improvements.  If there is not room in the budget to purchase furniture, accessories, rugs or art the designer can provide you a spreadsheet from most important to least along with pictures of appropriate styles, colors and textures, so when the time is right…you can purchase at your leisure!

Designers SAVE Money, Time, Arguments…(fill in the blank!): Yup, I’m ready for my designer hero cape to come in annnny day now!

As a designer I hear all the time, I bought this but I’m not sure what to do with it so it’s just been leaning on my wall…for a year!  Or I have painted this wall about 3x already and I’m still not happy!  Hiring a designer will help you define your space and your goals.  A good designer will help you coordinate your purchases and give you ideas of what you need.  This eliminates unnecessary spending!  When it comes to remodeling….having a designer on board from the start of the project is the smartest thing you can do!

Some Tips: Be transparent with your designer about your goals, budget and timeline.  Most of the designers that I know will take that to heart and be able to tell you that you can’t remodel an entire kitchen with new appliances, cabinetry and slab for $10,000.  They might be able to see the space though and suggest tips to upgrade it within that budget.  Such as: changing out the cabinet hardware, adding a backsplash, adding updated pendent lights and painting the cabinets.  Sometimes just simple changes WITHIN BUDGET will work wonders.

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Histories Mysteries

As a 5th generation Tucsonan I have a lot of stories as well as memorabilia from my families unique history. When I was younger I didn’t quite understand how rare that title was, today I appreciate and even find myself bragging about it (I really am turning into my mom!)

My true love for antique stores really didn’t start until my late teenage years. When I was a kid my mom would drag us through the stores where we couldn’t touch anything and all I could think was, “why do we need MORE old crap?!” As I got older and my interest for design, as well as my families history grew, I really began to appreciate the “old crap” and would often make up stories in my head (and still do!) about the history behind such amazing pieces. “Who owned it?, what trials and tribulations did they suffer?, did they find true love?, was this a piece they treasured?, was it passed to them by a loved one or were they the original owner?…” The beauty and future potential of the pieces excite me just as much as the mystery behind its history.

So jumping ahead to this past weekend, I’m trying to plan for my upcoming wedding in October. I very much want my love for antiques and my family history in the southwest to shine through, therefore I’m on a hunt for vintage jars in various colors, sizes and shapes as well as antique keys. However, being a designer and with my “oh hey…squirrel!” mentality you can guess how this venture to find these two items went…. I found everything BUT wedding decor! I found cabinets galore that I envisioned turning into bathroom vanities, a vintage Knoll chair (that I’m still eyeing for my office), vintage signs that I picture in a man-cave, bar, restaurant or game room, wagon wheels in various sizes that I’d like to layer along a front entry wall, lockers that could literally be used anywhere for functionality while looking oh so cool, car seat springs that could be used as a trellis or to hang pendant lights…my little design imagination ran wild. Needless to say, if you are looking to incorporate a one of a kind or several one of a kind antique pieces into your decor, I just might be your gal! Below are some of my amazing finds from last weekend. I can’t wait to go look for jars and keys again………”oh hey….squirrel!”

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What Happens in Vegas….

…..is inspiring! Every year I attend the Las Vegas World Market. It’s a trade only event where I learn about and get to see the newest in furniture, lighting, accessories, rugs, etc… Every year I come back full on inspiration, imagination and creativity flowing. I just want to use “All the Things!” This year popular trends were TEXTURE everywhere, clusters of lighting situated at different heights, vinyl rugs for use outdoors, earth tones, use of natural/refurbished materials, vintage inspired pieces with a modern twist, colored glass, and art that goes beyond the traditional canvas. Art is now in heavily textured wallpaper, mirrors of varying sizes, shapes and depths, screw-in “wall play” by Gold Leaf Design, blinged out faux mounted cow heads and using the vintage Edison bulbs in different out of the box ways. Below are just a few of my favorite finds from the Winter 2018 market. More can be seen on our Facebook page. Can’t wait till next time! #lasvegasworldmarket

 

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WELCOME TO 180*

Hello and welcome to my very first blog post on my very first website for my very first business.  The ideas and excitement mixed with the uncertainty and the many butterflies might turn up a very jumbled blog, but let’s give it a go!  My name is Jennifer Thompson, I’m a 5th generation Tucsonan, who has a passion for interior design, sports, dogs and Tucson!  I have been in the interior design industry since before graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Arizona University in 2007.  However, I’ve been designing spaces even longer.  As I child I can remember “designing” my bedroom in the middle of the night.  It would be 1 am and I would be moving my furniture all around.  Strong kid, I know!  I think my bed had been on every single wall in different directions by the time I left for college.  I also enjoyed spending time with my mom going to various antique shops and finding the unicorn items.  My favorite find was always the old glass jars and vases in different colors.  They are still my favorite find today and I have a collection sitting atop our kitchen cabinets.  It’s usually the first thing people ask about when coming into our house because they are quite striking and eye catching.  My journey to finally biting the bullet and starting my own business was really sparked by a semi-dare from a mentor and fellow designer who said, “I’m not sure you are ready, in the right place to be able to start your own business.”  If you know anything about me you know that I was initially very hurt by this statement, but being the Type A personality that I have always been I eventually got over it and instead of sulking and admitting defeat I did the opposite.  So here we are today with me writing my very first blog.  2018 is starting out great for me.  There are A LOT of changes I’m trying to work through, but I’m enjoying every second of it!  I’m excited for you to be part of my journey.