A crisp style and on-trend looks are hallmarks of model homes.
And according to Julie Schwartzenberger of Edge and Lines—the firm behind the model home project at Nocatee’s Crosswater Community—it’s an aesthetic that’s easy to replicate.
1 GET INSPIRED
Schwartzenberger recommends starting a design project by seeking inspiration from sources such as magazines, Pinterest and Instagram, then compiling them in a digital mood board. “It’s a good starting point,” she says. “And it allows for a more cohesive mood throughout the space.” If you’re stumped on where to begin, take inspiration from fashion or even travel destinations. “Where you like to go and what you like to surround yourself with—all of those things will help make a space feel more personal to you.”
2 TAKE A MORE IS LESS APPROACH
When looking to design a space, it’s easy to buy too much and then get overwhelmed by the clutter. In this case “edit, edit, edit,” says Schwartzenberger. A lot of pieces in a room (too much art, too many bulky pieces of furniture) can throw it off. She suggests removing everything you can from a room and starting fresh.
3 LOOK TO THE LIGHT
Natural light makes a tremendous impact. Adding a skylight to create a new window creates “a huge difference in the way a room sits and feels,” she says. Dated light fixtures also weigh down a space, so swapping them for new ones immediately makes a room look more modern.
4 FOCUS ON THE DETAILS
One easy way to transform a space is with the addition of molding. In the model home project, Schwartzenberger added vertical wood beams on the walls in the dining room. “It was a fairly inexpensive way to make a dramatic impact and make visitors look and experience that room differently,” she says.
5 ADD A TOUCH OF THE ORGANIC
Bringing in an element of the outdoors will add life to an interior. “I’m really inspired by nature,” she says. Taking colors and patterns found in nature, such as honeycomb tiles and wooden accents, are a great means of revamping a space organically.
words by Cassidy Hopson // photos by Jessie Preza
