the FRANCIS FILES

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

The Francis Files

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Rooftop Terrace Design: The Details That Decide Whether It Gets Used The Francis Files · Lighting Rooftop Terrace Design: The Details That Decide Whether It Gets UsedThe rooftop terrace details that decide whether anyone sits there: shade that follows the sun, windbreaks, seating clusters, bins on the walking line, layered light.Hands fitting oversized pillow insert into cover The Francis Files Designer Rules for Pillow Inserts: Size Up 2 InchesGet designer rules for choosing pillow inserts, the right fill for each room, when to size up 2 inches, and care tips to keep pillows crisp.How to Turn a Garage Into a Flex Space Without Converting It Design Projects · Lighting How to Turn a Garage Into a Flex Space Without Converting ItTurn an underused garage into a flex space with a rug, real seating, layered lighting and a few old pieces. No permits, no full conversion required.Designer measuring a lamp shade rim The Francis Files Measure First, Avoid Returns: Kevin O'Gara on Lamp Shade SizesMeasure top, bottom, and slant. Use the two thirds rule and 1.5 to 2 times base width. Designer Kevin O'Gara's tips to get a perfect fit.Dark Exterior Colors on a Steel Home: What Changes When the Siding Is Steel The Francis Files · Color Dark Exterior Colors on a Steel Home: What Changes When the Siding Is SteelDark exterior colors behave differently on a steel-framed house. The color is a coating spec chosen months early, and it has to answer for heat, glare and rippling.The Best Shades for the Poldina Pro and Nevis Cordless Lamps Guides · Lighting The Best Shades for the Poldina Pro and Nevis Cordless LampsA designer ranks every real way to dress a Poldina Pro or Visual Comfort Nevis cordless lamp, from Zafferano's own shades to hand-marbled and block-printed slip-on covers, with styling notes for each.Gingham wallpapered luxury powder room The Francis Files Turn a Powder Room Into a Wallpaper Jewel Box: 3 Gingham LooksA practical, design-forward guide to wallpapering a powder room: materials, installation, care, and three Austen Gingham colorways to sample before you buy.How to Furnish a Balcony That's Barely Big Enough for Two Chairs Design Projects · Furniture How to Furnish a Balcony That's Barely Big Enough for Two ChairsA designer's approach to furnishing a small balcony or condo terrace: what to buy, what to skip, and how to make a narrow outdoor space genuinely usable.Designing a Cafe Counter: What the Display Case Does to the Room Design Projects · Lighting Designing a Cafe Counter: What the Display Case Does to the RoomA designer's view of the cafe display case: how glass, lighting, sightlines, and placement decide whether the counter reads as considered or as equipment.Why Your Open-Plan Room Is So Loud Design Projects · Rugs Why Your Open-Plan Room Is So LoudEverything in this room that makes it quiet is also what makes it look finished. That is not a coincidence. People describe...Flooring and Rugs Over Underfloor Heating The Francis Files · Rugs Flooring and Rugs Over Underfloor HeatingUnderfloor heating changes what you can put on the floor. That is a decision made months before the floor is chosen, and...Protecting Antique and Solid Wood Furniture from Termites The Francis Files · Furniture Protecting Antique and Solid Wood Furniture from TermitesA hundred and fifty years of walnut. The failure mode nobody checks for is not scratches or sun, it is something living...Six Signs You Need a New Mattress The Francis Files · Bedroom Six Signs You Need a New MattressA bed can look immaculate and still be the reason you feel terrible. The dressing is the easy part. I spend a...Putting a Product in a Room Without Booking a Photoshoot The Francis Files Putting a Product in a Room Without Booking a PhotoshootA rug photographed flat tells you its colour. A rug photographed in a room tells you whether you want it. Nobody has...Rattan Garden Furniture: Natural vs Synthetic The Francis Files · Furniture Rattan Garden Furniture: Natural vs SyntheticWoven texture is the fastest way to stop a terrace feeling like a hard surface with chairs on it. Rattan has survived...Shoe Shelf Depth and Spacing: A Designer's Guide The Francis Files · Bedroom Shoe Shelf Depth and Spacing: A Designer's GuideThe shelves are the design decision here, not the closet. Depth, tilt and clearance are what make a run like this hold...Antique Brass and Copper: Cleaning Without Losing the Patina The Francis Files · Bathroom Antique Brass and Copper: Cleaning Without Losing the PatinaAn original brass faucet, left alone. The colour in that metal took eighty years to arrive and about ninety seconds to destroy....Hands measuring a custom rug floor outline The Francis Files Custom Rug Sizes: Designer Order Checklist and 3 Living Room OptionsDesigner-led sizing rules to anchor every room, plus a simple order checklist, precise measuring steps, and realistic lead-time and cost factors for...Patterned ceiling wallpaper above complementary rug The Francis Files Pair Ceiling Wallpaper With Rugs: Designer Ideas for Complete SchemesKevin O'Gara's designer-tested ceiling wallpaper ideas and rug pairing advice. Learn which rooms and materials work, how to prep, and how to test swatches.Close-up of wallpaper samples on table The Francis Files Designer Tested Wallpaper Sample Process for HomeownersOrder 3–6 wallpaper samples and live test them 48–72 hours on the wall. Follow designer pairing and memo checks to avoid costly wallpaper mistakes.Entryway rug edge caught by opening door The Francis Files Stop Door Drag: 3 Entryway Rug Size Rules From Kevin O'GaraUse three designer-tested checks—door swing, visible border, and pile height—to pick the correct entryway rug size. Includes measuring steps and a quick...Installer smoothing wallpaper in elegant room The Francis Files What to Budget for Wallpaper Installation Cost in 2026Discover the average wallpaper installation costs for 2026, including expert tips to budget wisely based on material and job requirements.Custom Kitchen Cabinets Are a Proportion Decision Design Projects · Kitchen Custom Kitchen Cabinets Are a Proportion DecisionCustom kitchen cabinets solve proportion, not just storage. How ceiling height, door style, and scale decide whether a kitchen feels right.Deck Railing Is a Design Decision, Not a Safety Afterthought The Francis Files Deck Railing Is a Design Decision, Not a Safety AfterthoughtDeck railing design decides the horizontal line of the whole rear elevation. A designer on wood, metal, glass, composite and how to pick without fighting the house.