the FRANCIS FILES

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

The Francis Files

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How to Coordinate Fabrics in a Room: Give Every Textile a Job The Francis Files How to Coordinate Fabrics in a Room: Give Every Textile a JobHow to coordinate fabrics in a room: give each textile a job, build a palette by undertone, mix texture and pattern with restraint, choose for real use.How to Make a Neutral Living Room Look Luxurious The Francis Files · Living room How to Make a Neutral Living Room Look LuxuriousA neutral living room fails in one predictable way. The walls are beige, the sofa is beige, the rug is beige, the...Best Flooring for Dogs: Choose by Grip, Mess and Room The Francis Files Best Flooring for Dogs: Choose by Grip, Mess and RoomThe right floor for a dog changes from the back door to the sofa, so choose room by room. Some floors wipe...Small Narrow Hallway Ideas That Work in Everyday Life The Francis Files Small Narrow Hallway Ideas That Work in Everyday LifeA narrow hall earns its keep when the route is clear, the storage fits what you own, and one good surface does...Bathroom Remodel Checklist: What to Settle Before Demo The Francis Files Bathroom Remodel Checklist: What to Settle Before DemoThe decisions you can't see in the finished room are the ones that decide whether it lasts. A bathroom is usually one...Loft Dining Room Acoustics: How One Wall Quieted the Echo The Francis Files Loft Dining Room Acoustics: How One Wall Quieted the EchoOne wall of walnut slats and a wool rug took this loft dining room from echo chamber to dinner party. The first...Outdoor Christmas Decorating Ideas, From the Front Door to the Garden The Francis Files Outdoor Christmas Decorating Ideas, From the Front Door to the GardenOutdoor Christmas decorating ideas from a designer: a generous wreath, real greenery, one repeated palette, layered warm white lights and seating people use.Buying Tile Online: How a Designer Shops Room by Room The Francis Files Buying Tile Online: How a Designer Shops Room by RoomTile samples from three sources, lined up in the room they're meant for. This is where every tile decision should be made....What Size Rug for a Sectional? A Designer's Sizing Guide The Francis Files What Size Rug for a Sectional? A Designer's Sizing GuideAn L-shaped sectional with its front legs on a 9 × 12 rug, so both arms read as one seating group. A...Are Historic Wood Windows Worth Restoring? A Designer's Take The Francis Files Are Historic Wood Windows Worth Restoring? A Designer's TakeOriginal wood sash, repaired and repainted, keeps the proportions the house was built with. When my grandmother drove me around Buckhead to...Galley Kitchen Layout: How to Tell If a Narrow Kitchen Works The Francis Files Galley Kitchen Layout: How to Tell If a Narrow Kitchen WorksA galley lives or dies by its aisle. Get the width right, and two facing runs feel like a well-made instrument. I...How to Design a Screen-Free Playroom Your Family Will Actually Use The Francis Files How to Design a Screen-Free Playroom Your Family Will Actually UseOne rug, a few toys out, and a real chair for the grown-up. Most screen-free playrooms fail for a boring reason. The...The Patio Measurements Nobody Takes Until the Umbrella Arrives The Francis Files The Patio Measurements Nobody Takes Until the Umbrella ArrivesCanopy size, sun angle, head clearance, base weight and wind: the five measurements that decide whether a patio umbrella actually shades your table.Pro-Style Kitchen Design That Still Looks Like Home The Francis Files Pro-Style Kitchen Design That Still Looks Like HomeA pro-style range set into painted cabinetry, with the refrigerator hidden behind matching panels. My mother is a master hostess, and the...Dining Room Rug Size: A Rug Maker's Guide The Francis Files · Dining room Dining Room Rug Size: A Rug Maker's GuideThe dining rug rule nobody actually follows: measure the table, add 48 inches, then round up. Sizes by table, why low pile wins, and when standard sizes stop working.Granny Flat Floor Plans: Why the Plan Comes Before the Facade The Francis Files Granny Flat Floor Plans: Why the Plan Comes Before the FacadeA one-bedroom flat with the long wall given over to windows. The plan decided that long before the facade did. Every older...A Floor Plan That Fits How You Live, Not the Listing The Francis Files A Floor Plan That Fits How You Live, Not the ListingThe rooms that do the real work of a house: a kitchen island that feeds the family, and a keeping room right...Bathroom Roller Shades: Materials That Handle Moisture The Francis Files Bathroom Roller Shades: Materials That Handle MoistureA matte roller shade in a soft green keeps a tub-side window private without swallowing the daylight. Bathrooms are where I see...Choosing Shed Doors That Suit the House, Not the Catalog The Francis Files Choosing Shed Doors That Suit the House, Not the CatalogA shed door is the one detail on an outbuilding that everyone actually looks at, so it is the detail worth getting...Designing Around Air Vents, Returns and Thermostats The Francis Files Designing Around Air Vents, Returns and ThermostatsThe vent is still there. It just stopped being the first thing you see. Every room has a few things in it...5 Reasons Garage Carpet Is Ideal for Turning Your Garage into a More Usable Space The Francis Files 5 Reasons Garage Carpet Is Ideal for Turning Your Garage into a More Usable SpaceA garage that has stopped being a garage: carpet down, a proper chair, and a lamp instead of a bare bulb. The...6 Entryway Design Ideas for a Beautiful First Impression The Francis Files · Entryway 6 Entryway Design Ideas for a Beautiful First ImpressionA front hall that does its job in the first five seconds: a runner underfoot, a mirror at eye level and one...Matching Blinds and Curtains to Your Decorating Style Design Projects Matching Blinds and Curtains to Your Decorating StyleA designer's guide to choosing window treatments by room style: modern, traditional, coastal, eclectic and formal, and the rules that hold in every room.How to Make a Room Feel New Without Renovating Design Projects · Lighting How to Make a Room Feel New Without RenovatingA designer's order of operations for refreshing a room you already own: rearrange, fix the lighting, edit, then let one piece change the balance.