With more and more Millennials reaching the home-buying stage, and a housing market that’s as competitive as ever, people are looking for that “diamond in the rough” type of home that can be fixed up. By “rough” I mean homes that were built or remodeled in the ’80s and ’90s and are seriously ready for …
Tag Archives: Perfect Paint Palette
How Does Paint Color Matching Work?
Our go-to shop for paint has always been Dick’s Color Center in Portland. They have an amazing staff of expert color mixers and have worked with us on countless designer color creations. I recently had a conversation with our main contact, Kevin M Garvey, to get his expert point-of-view on how color matching really works in …
China’s Top Design Magazine
Top Design 2009: Top Attitude In 2009, shortly after completing her Jackson Hole project near Beijing, Allison was interviewed by China’s Top Design Magazine. They were interested in her process around choosing color and decor.
The Summer of Bathroom Remodels
It’s the Summer of Bath Remodels over here at Allison Smith Design. Last time we took you through a classic Bungalow bathroom addition in St. Paul. Next up, we’re showcasing a pair of bathrooms in a sweet ranch home in the lovely town of Silverton, Oregon. It’s a his and hers situation; she prefers the …
Updating in St. Paul
Ready for the Rodeo Over in St. Paul, Oregon, my lovely niece is updating her 1920’s classic bungalow/cottage. Originally owned by her grandmother, this home has beautiful old bones. As a mother of four living in the town famous for Rodeos, she and her husband love to entertain. An unfortunate drawback to living in an older …
Lake Oswego New Build: Phase 3
The hard work pays off… In theory, new construction should be slightly easier than remodeling existing structures. There should be no surprises; no, “I wonder what’s inside this wall?” moments. If everything is implemented exactly according to plan, then new construction will run like a well-oiled machine. But, because we’re human, there will always be …
Lake Oswego New Build: Phase 2
Starting to come together… Last week we took you through the preliminary design process, the part where moving a wall requires an eraser, rather than a sledgehammer. This week it all starts to become real. Our amazing team of contractors have been working so hard to get this house together and their efforts can finally …
Lake Oswego New Build: Phase 1
Designing a luxury home from the ground up sounds like an overwhelming task to most people, but for Allison and her design team, it’s the type of project that fuels our fire. Starting with the preliminary sketches, Allison will go through the house with a fine-toothed comb. Any areas that seem like they need revision …
On the Cusp of Spring
Valentines Day One of my favorites not only for the messages of love and the innocent sweetness of it, but also because it marks the changing of the season with a burst of vibrant reds and lush, lively blues, greens and pinks. This is one of the few holidays that translates well into a color …
Your Color Seasons Palette
Color Seasons… Many people start their decorating with a piece of furniture, a theme, or a personal collection. While all of these things are important, I always start the design process by choosing a color palette. Our palettes consist of four complementary colors that will be used throughout the house, creating consistency. This is the …