the FRANCIS FILES

Notes on New Regency style from the studio of Kevin Francis O'Gara

The Francis Files

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Coworking Space Interior Design: Six Spaces Worth Studying Design Projects Coworking Space Interior Design: Six Spaces Worth StudyingThe best coworking spaces are furnished like hotels and lit like homes, and they have plenty to teach anyone planning an office...How to Choose an Outdoor Rug for a Patio, Porch or Garden Room The Francis Files How to Choose an Outdoor Rug for a Patio, Porch or Garden RoomA flat-woven outdoor rug under the seating is what turns a covered porch into a room. I think of a porch or...Seasonal Rug Swaps: A Summer Rug and a Winter Rug for the Same Room The Francis Files Seasonal Rug Swaps: A Summer Rug and a Winter Rug for the Same RoomTwo rugs, one room: a cool flatweave for summer and a dense wool pile for winter. I change rugs the way some...How to Hang a Rug on the Wall Without Hurting It The Francis Files How to Hang a Rug on the Wall Without Hurting ItHung from a hidden batten across its full width, a hand-knotted rug reads like a painting with texture. Some of the most...Cremone Bolts: Hardware for French Doors and Casement Windows Design Projects Cremone Bolts: Hardware for French Doors and Casement WindowsSome houses look right before you can say why. The paint is good, the furniture is well chosen, the rugs are the...Quiet Is the New Luxury: Designing Rooms That Sound as Good as They Look Design Projects Quiet Is the New Luxury: Designing Rooms That Sound as Good as They LookA generous rug, full drapery and lamplight. Most of a room's quiet comes from the same choices that give it warmth. We...What to Keep, Restore and Replace When Renovating an Older Home The Francis Files What to Keep, Restore and Replace When Renovating an Older HomeOriginal doors, refinished floors and one very modern sofa. The old and the new each make the other look better. The best...Designing a Home for Brisbane's Climate: Orientation, Breeze and the Outdoor Room The Francis Files Designing a Home for Brisbane's Climate: Orientation, Breeze and the Outdoor RoomOrientation, eaves, cross-breezes and the deck as a real room: how to design a house that works with Brisbane's subtropical climate.How to Plan Natural Light Before You Renovate The Francis Files How to Plan Natural Light Before You RenovateLight from above reaches the middle of a deep room in a way a wall window rarely can. I'm a sunshine person....Smart Home Design That Prioritizes Longevity for Beautiful Rentals The Francis Files Smart Home Design That Prioritizes Longevity for Beautiful RentalsHard-wearing surfaces chosen with a designer's eye, so the room still looks considered after several tenancies. I have a soft spot for...What Décor to Keep When Selling a House in Little Rock The Francis Files What Décor to Keep When Selling a House in Little RockSelling an older Little Rock house as-is? A designer on which rugs, lighting and art to keep, what stays as a fixture, and how to store textiles.Interior Upkeep: The Small Habits That Keep a Styled Home Beautiful The Francis Files Interior Upkeep: The Small Habits That Keep a Styled Home BeautifulInterior upkeep is styling in slow motion. The small habits, from paint touch-ups to rug rotation, that keep a designed home looking finished.What an Interior Designer Adds to an Older Home Design Projects What an Interior Designer Adds to an Older HomeWhat an interior designer adds to an older home beyond looks: better layouts, smarter budgets, safer rooms, and protecting millwork you can't replace.Do Home Improvements Increase Appraisal Value? The Francis Files Do Home Improvements Increase Appraisal Value?The renovations that hold their value are usually the ones that make a house feel finished, not the ones that cost the...How to Design an Open-Plan Kitchen and Living Room as One Room The Francis Files How to Design an Open-Plan Kitchen and Living Room as One RoomOne sightline, one room: from the sofa, the sink and the seating are read together. Stand at the sink in most renovated...White-Glove Delivery for a Design Project: How Install Day Should Go Design Projects White-Glove Delivery for a Design Project: How Install Day Should GoThe best part of any project is not the day the rug arrives. It is the day everything arrives, in the right...How Interior Designers Should Vet a Receiving Warehouse Design Projects How Interior Designers Should Vet a Receiving WarehouseBefore a single piece goes into a client's house, someone has to open the box. That person matters more than most designers...How to Choose Door Hardware: Function, Fit, and Finish The Francis Files · Furniture How to Choose Door Hardware: Function, Fit, and FinishAn unlacquered brass lever on a navy paneled door: function chosen first, finish second. Door hardware is the part of a house...Sculptural Staircases for Small Homes: Make the Stair the Statement The Francis Files Sculptural Staircases for Small Homes: Make the Stair the StatementA spiral stair in a compact living room, treated as the room's sculpture rather than its circulation. Most people think of the...How to Check a Wool Rug for Carpet Beetles The Francis Files How to Check a Wool Rug for Carpet BeetlesThe back of a hand-knotted rug tells you more than the front ever will. Every rug that comes back from our weavers...Architectural Fence Design: How to Make a Fence Belong to the House The Francis Files Architectural Fence Design: How to Make a Fence Belong to the HouseA fence drawn with the same pencil as the house: pickets painted to match the trim, posts spaced to the rhythm of...Cold Climate Pool Design: Plan the View From Indoors The Francis Files Cold Climate Pool Design: Plan the View From IndoorsFrom November to May, this is the pool: a calm green shape in the window, framed by stone, snow and a few...How to Place Antique Furniture in a Modern Room The Francis Files How to Place Antique Furniture in a Modern RoomPlace antique furniture in a modern room the designer's way: start with one statement piece, match proportion, leave space, and bridge eras with color.The Painter's Tape Test: How to Check a Rug Size Before You Buy The Francis Files The Painter's Tape Test: How to Check a Rug Size Before You BuyMark a rug's outline with painter's tape before you order. A rug maker's room-by-room test for living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms and halls.