the FRANCIS FILES

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

The Francis Files

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What Technology Actually Changed About Designing a Room Design Projects What Technology Actually Changed About Designing a RoomVisualization, AI and shared project platforms have changed how design decisions get made and when. What they have not changed is the judgment that decides which option is right.The Measurements Nobody Takes Until Moving Day The Francis Files · Furniture The Measurements Nobody Takes Until Moving DayThe furniture you already own has to physically get into the new house. Here are the measurements that decide whether it does, and when to take them.Beyond Decor: The Details That Give a Home Personality The Francis Files · Lighting Beyond Decor: The Details That Give a Home PersonalityThe things that give a house personality are rarely the decorative ones. Objects in use, scent, light and small rituals do more for a room than anything bought to be looked at.Embroidery at Home: Monograms, Cushions and Table Linen The Francis Files Embroidery at Home: Monograms, Cushions and Table LinenMonogrammed linen and embroidered cushions are having a moment. What the technique actually does to a room, where it belongs, and what it takes to do it at home.From Home Office to Commute: A Cohesive Leather Work Kit The Francis Files From Home Office to Commute: A Cohesive Leather Work KitHow to build a leather work kit that reads as one considered set, from the laptop bag down to the passport cover, and why proportion and patina do most of the work.Renovating for Wellbeing: What to Fix First The Francis Files · Lighting Renovating for Wellbeing: What to Fix FirstA renovation is the best chance most people get to change the air, light and quiet they live in. Here is the order of operations that gets you there, and the one that does not.The Best Outdoor Lighting Ideas in Omaha The Francis Files · Lighting The Best Outdoor Lighting Ideas in OmahaSix outdoor lighting approaches that work on Omaha properties, from tree uplighting and architectural facade light to permanent roofline systems, patio layers, path lighting and smart controls.Why the Rough-In Measurement Decides Your Smart Toilet, Not the Feature List The Francis Files Why the Rough-In Measurement Decides Your Smart Toilet, Not the Feature ListRough-in is one number, taken in thirty seconds, and it rules out more smart toilets than budget does. Where it comes from and what to check before ordering.The Specification Choices That Make a Room Mold-Prone The Francis Files · Paint The Specification Choices That Make a Room Mold-ProneMold is usually discussed as an accident. In a designed room it is more often a decision: a paint, a wall covering, a joinery detail, a floor build-up.Keeping Drapery Consistent Across a Whole-House Project The Francis Files Keeping Drapery Consistent Across a Whole-House ProjectWhole-house drapery almost never fails on install day. It fails in phase two, when the new panels come back a shade off. A specification checklist.What Running an Interior Design Business in New York Actually Involves Design Projects What Running an Interior Design Business in New York Actually InvolvesThe building, the board, and the filing rules decide more about a New York design project than the mood board does. A look at how the business actually runs.Designing an Outdoor Room Around the View You Already Have The Francis Files · Color Designing an Outdoor Room Around the View You Already HaveMost outdoor spaces are decorated. The good ones are composed around something: a view, a tree, a line of sight the furniture was arranged to protect.Reclaimed Oak Flooring: Why Old Wood Wins Design Projects Reclaimed Oak Flooring: Why Old Wood WinsReclaimed oak flooring brings density, patina and character that new timber cannot fake. What to know about sourcing, milling and living with an antique oak floor.Easy-to-Clean Decor That Still Looks Designed The Francis Files · Rugs Easy-to-Clean Decor That Still Looks DesignedChoosing fabrics, rugs and surfaces for how they clean, not just how they photograph. A designer's guide to easy-to-clean home decor that still looks considered.Dorm Desk Setup: A Designer's Guide The Francis Files Dorm Desk Setup: A Designer's GuideHow to set up a dorm desk that works: zoning a shared room, vertical storage, lighting, and the cable problem. Small-space design principles applied to a study corner.Designing a Home That Protects Itself: Security Without Sacrificing Style The Francis Files Designing a Home That Protects Itself: Security Without Sacrificing StyleFor years, home security and good design were at odds. Alarm panels were beige plastic boxes screwed to the prettiest wall in...How to Hide an AC Unit Without Ruining the Elevation The Francis Files How to Hide an AC Unit Without Ruining the ElevationWall-mounted AC units get blamed for ugly facades. The placement is the problem. Here is how to hide an AC unit so the elevation reads as designed.Air Vent Placement for Rooms That Still Look Designed The Francis Files Air Vent Placement for Rooms That Still Look DesignedVents are the one fixture in a room nobody designs. Where they go, and what covers them, decides whether a finished room reads as considered or as builder-grade.Detached Steel Garage Design That Suits the House The Francis Files Detached Steel Garage Design That Suits the HouseA steel garage will outlast a wood one and go up in a fraction of the time. Whether it looks like a warehouse or a carriage house is entirely a design decision.Choosing a Home Office Chair That Looks Like Furniture The Francis Files · Furniture Choosing a Home Office Chair That Looks Like FurnitureThe home office chair is the one piece most rooms get wrong twice: it hurts by mid-afternoon and it looks like a rental. How to choose one that solves both.Hands measuring a custom lumbar pillow cover The Francis Files Size Inserts 1–2 Inches: Custom Pillow Sizes by Kevin O'GaraKevin O'Gara pairs size charts with ordering steps and designer rules, including sizing inserts 1–2 inches larger to ensure a plush, hotel-quality fit.Close detail of pleated lampshade folds The Francis Files Match Pleats to Fabric, Frame and Rug with Pleated Lampshade StylesSee how knife, box, cartridge and pin pleats change light, fabric choice, and lamp proportion, with designer notes on pairing shades to rugs.How Designers Plan Outdoor Lighting Before the Hardscape Goes In The Francis Files How Designers Plan Outdoor Lighting Before the Hardscape Goes InDesigners plan outdoor lighting at the point of ordering the hardscape or landscape, because that is the only time conduit, transformers, and...Shared Dorm Room Layout: How Two Roommates Get a Room That Works for Both The Francis Files · Rugs Shared Dorm Room Layout: How Two Roommates Get a Room That Works for BothHow to lay out a shared dorm room so both roommates get sleep, a desk and a side of their own: bed height, the sleep line, a rug as the divider, one colour story.