All posts by Beth and Carolina

Our Top Accessories to Personalize Your Outdoor Space

After a long (long!) winter, it’s time to head back into our outdoor spaces thanks to the warmer spring weather. That also means we can begin to entertain again, too, since we’ll be in the open fresh air! As you set up your outdoor rooms, remember to add accessories that will reflect your personality, just as you would with your indoor rooms. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite items to personalize an outdoor space that will inspire you to think outside the box for your space!

1. Wood Citronella Candle with Lid | 2. Woven Arches Outdoor Pillow | 3. Dora Maar Planter | 4. Ullio Black Ikat Outdoor Rug | 5. Standing Lounger | 6. Faux Bois Melamine Dinnerware | 7. Abstract Concrete Wall Art | 8. Concrete Bubble Stool | 9. Gamma Glass and Brass Hurricanes | 10. Avanna Tray Set

Remember to showcase who you are and what you love – indoors and out! If you need help designing your outdoor oasis, you can contact us here!

Project in Process: Dallas Micro-Renovation

People often think of interior design as either a full new home build or just placing new furnishings. But it’s actually that and everything in between! One of our favorite services is a micro-renovation. Those are smart home refreshes and furnishings packages that offer a nip-and-tuck approach to updating a home. In a micro-renovation, we work with fantastic contractors and trades to make small improvements that pay off big time. We wanted to pull back the curtain on a micro-renovation that we have in process right now in Dallas so you can see how it works. Let’s take a look!

Our clients are a young and dynamic working couple that travel a lot for work. Their primary home is in Missouri and Dallas has become an important city for their jobs, so they needed another home in Texas. They bought a 4,300-square-foot French Provincial home in Highland Park, and while they loved the architecture they wanted it to have a more modern update. They felt that Pulp’s micro-renovation process was the perfect fit for them, so we got to work!

The room that required the most work – and the space that the Pulp team is most excited about – is the media room above. We designed paneled walls to add visual interest and to help with acoustics. We also made sure that there are plenty of speakers installed so the surround sound will be amazing. And how gorgeous is the vaulted ceiling? It’s going to be a fabulous place to binge movies. This is one way to make a big difference with just a small bit of renovation.

Another key to a good micro-renovation is to create a gorgeous space, but to also make it work for our clients. So we’re adding a lot of custom cabinetry and storage in the home, including dividers in kitchen drawers as you can see above, and specialty storage in the master closet, below.

Another great way that we customize a new look in a micro-renovation is with paint and wallpaper – that can completely transform a space!

The Phillip Jeffries design above looks fantastic now that it’s installed. You can see a full view of the pattern below, along with a gorgeous glass sconce.

Speaking of sconces, we fell in love with the ones we selected for the bathroom below. The crackled glass and brass details are so gorgeous against that wallpaper. New lighting can make a huge difference when updating a home’s interiors and the Pulp team is known for finding unique and special pieces that pop.

The lighting throughout the house has been updated, including some spectacular pendants and chandeliers. We don’t want to give too much away, but we have definitely brought the wow-factor with these fabulous designs.

In one room, we added a new fireplace and then we painted the interior of all the fireplaces in the home a deep black. This is a cool trick that adds another layer to the room – we love the visual interest it creates!

Our clients have two dogs that are important members of the family, so we also plan to design a space for their dog beds and storage for their toys. And wait until you see the furnishings and accessories we’ve selected for this home! We’ve worked closely with our clients to source special pieces of original art and unique accents for each room that will showcase their personalities.

We hope you enjoyed this peek behind the scenes of our micro-renovation project. Stay tuned for a tour of the final reveal – it’s going to be stunning! And if you’re interested in our exclusive micro-renovation service, give us a call!

Founders’ Five: 10 Items That We Are Loving This Month

Here are some of our current favorite finds that we want or that are making our lives better and more stylish, right now…

BETH’S PICKS

I loved taking the Care/of detailed quiz to learn what vitamins my body needs right now. It’s personalized to me and makes it so easy to have all my vitamins in one packet!

We recently received this organizer tray in the Pulp Office and when I saw it in person I had to take it home for myself! It’s the perfect accessory in my bathroom!

I love coffee table books but there are so many beautiful pages that don’t get looked at! This book cradle is the perfect way to flip open to a beautiful page and leave it on display!

I see the light at the end of the tunnel! I have high hopes for traveling this summer. This iconic leather tote bag is the ultimate travel companion.

I can’t just get over how stunning this pendant is! Now I just need to make a spot in my home for it.

CAROLINA’S PICKS

This Oribe Hair Oil has been a lifesaver for my dry hair! I use it every day and it smells amazing!

Currently obsessing over the curving fluid lines of this side table. The pattern and brass accents are the cherries on top!

Like Beth, I too have high hopes for traveling this summer! I love this toiletry bag for when we can travel again.

I love collecting art and I just think that this is the perfect mini abstract piece to add just about anywhere! Use it in a small corner or as a layering piece on your bookshelf or dresser!

I stumbled upon this company the other day and fell in love with everything! This lidded-vessel is getting added to my cart next.

5 Tips for Working Remotely

If 2020 taught us nothing else, it showed us how many of our jobs can translate to remote work. And, according to studies from companies like Deloitte, working from home isn’t going to change any time soon. Even after the pandemic, companies are expected to keep some form of remote work in place because it’s more efficient, cost effective, and productive. So that means having a dedicated home office is even more important than ever. Here are 5 home office design tips that will make you enjoy working from home more than ever before!

Pulp Design Studios

1. Inspire with Design

Having a dedicated workspace is key, and you want it to also be designed to inspire you and keep you motivated through the work week. The best way to do that is with the right colors, art, mementos, and accessories that will create a room that showcases your personality and makes you happy. You’ll be more likely to enjoy “going to work” when your workplace is gorgeous and suits your style. And it’s really important to have a fabulous backdrop for all of those Zoom calls, too. Nothing supports your style and professionalism more than a well-designed room that your coworkers and clients will appreciate.

Pulp Design Studios

2. Remember Ergonomics

A gorgeous space makes work so much more fun, but the fun stops if your desk chair is uncomfortable or if your desk doesn’t give you enough space to work. And of course you need plenty of task lighting and even ring lights for online meetings. Carefully consider the number of hours you’re going to be working in that one spot and be sure that everything is set up to support you and keep things comfortable.

Pulp Design Studios

3. Move It

While it’s important to keep your productivity humming, that doesn’t mean you should be glued to your desk chair for 8 straight hours – that isn’t good for anyone’s health. We like to add secondary chairs and guest chairs in a home office. They give you a great place for people to sit when they’re able to visit your office, but they also give you another perch to work from. You may want to move to another chair to read over paperwork or to check your emails. Or you may be the kind of person who thinks well on their feet and needs space to pace. And don’t forget other creative prompts that will keep your brain moving, too! In the office we designed above, we included our client’s guitar to give him a great way to inspire his thought processes while he strums.

Pulp Design Studios

4. A Need for Speed

This may not be a design detail, but the one thing that will drive you craziest is not having enough bandwidth, especially when you have kids trying to take remote classes and another spouse or partner working from home, too. Any investment you can make in high-speed or fiber optic internet will pay off in the long run. And while we’re talking tech, you can also consider outlets with USB ports, air purifiers, remote monitors for laptops, Sonos speakers, and high-speed chargers. Those will all add to your work-from-home satisfaction rating!

Pulp Design Studios

5. Plenty of Storage

Last, but definitely not least, is the idea to include plenty of storage in your home office. Clutter has been shown to be a top distraction for people who work from home, so you want to be sure you can hide away all of those papers, books, and files when they aren’t needed. The Pulp team likes to include built-in shelves and drawers, as well as credenzas and chests that can also store printers, scanners, office supplies and more.

Need help designing an inspiring home office? Give our team a call!

Pulp Style Duet: The Salt Cellar

It’s no surprise that Pulp co-founders Beth and Carolina tend to gravitate toward the same fabulous products. But – and this is what gives Pulp its unique design viewpoint – they each have a distinct individual style and may use that same product in a very different ways. So we thought it would be fun to show you a shared purchase and how Beth and Carolina style it in their own way. Be sure to let us know which one is your favorite, and scroll all the way down to shop the looks!

The Monster Pinch Salt Cellar is a funky wide-mouthed design and Beth knew she wanted to use it exactly as it was meant to be. She loves to cook, so having a nearby salt cellar for those pinches of seasoning was exactly what she needed.

1. Monster Pinch – Salt Cellar | 2. Half Baked Harvest Cookbook | 3. Cook Beautiful Cookbook | 4. Gemini Tea Towel | 5. Fem Rosa Pot


For Carolina’s kitchen, garlic is a main ingredient. And the big mouth on that salt cellar is perfect for storing bulbs. She can grab the right number of cloves and store the rest in a cool and dark place that’s just right for keeping garlic fresh.

1. Footed Cake Stand with Dome | 2. Monster Pinch – Salt Cellar | 3. Verge Bowl |
4. Oak Armored Cutting Board | 5. Cambridge 2-Tier Server with Plates

So which way would you use the Salt Cellar? Let us know, shoot us a DM!

Project in Focus: Creative Design Takes Flight

The most successful projects are when clients really let us design for them and have unrestrained creative fun. That’s what it should be! In our modern Lake Washington project, our clients were drawn to Pulp Design Studios because they (like us!) are not afraid of color, pattern, or taking a risk. While we’ve walked you through this project before, there’s one design element that came in after the full installation, but it was definitely worth waiting for.

This gorgeous house created by DeForest Architects has a great flow with rooms opening onto each other. Beyond the living room, as you can see above, is a fabulous art studio that can be transformed into a guest space by using a clever Murphy bed design. But sometimes, especially with guests, the room needs a bit more privacy. So there is a hidden room divider behind that wall you see above.

You can see another view above, including just a few pieces of our clients’ incredible collection of art. But the Pulp team knew that we didn’t want to just see a blank white expanse when the door was pulled across and the rooms were divided. So we found our inspiration in our clients’ art. We knew we couldn’t hang anything on the door because it would never close – but we’re known for our creative solutions and those special wow-factors in a home’s design.

We worked with Phillip Jeffries, an incredible wallcovering company, to help us take “Flight” with a stunning custom art concept. You can see the strike off above – it’s a sample that allows us to carefully check the color and pattern to be sure it’s exactly what we envisioned for the project.

After installation, even with the room divider pulled partway across the space, you can see how this wallcovering becomes a stunning mural and a peek-a-boo art concept.

With the room divider fully extended, it becomes an incredible work of art on its own and the perfect backdrop for the room’s design.

The Pulp team loves to curate artful moments and to create those unique custom details that set a project apart. If you want your home’s design to really take flight, give us a call!

Founders’ Five: 10 Items That We Are Loving This Month

From home to self care, here are some of our favorite finds that are inspiring us to live our best life in 2021.

BETH’S PICKS

My husband recently launched a fine art photography site with his work from his travels around the world working in the fashion industry. This one, in particular, is my current favorite!

I’ve been eyeing this Moon Lamp for a while now. There’s just something about these bold shapes that I can’t get enough of.

Even though this shelf/holder is intended for your phone, I love styling my guest bath with a candle and matches. I little unexpected moment in the loo!

I haven’t been able to get a facial in quite some time so I decided it was time to invest in something in lieu of facials! This wonder tool has helped so much!

I found this bubble vase designed by one of our designer friends who recently launched a new collection. We just purchased some for our clients… and, of course, one for me.

CAROLINA’S PICKS

Slowly stocking up on timeless pieces like this purse for when it’s acceptable to dress up and go out again!

I just bought these counter stools for my home and they are the perfect addition.

I’ve been eyeing this rug from Loloi’s new collection and I just love how dimensional it is! Plus it’d be so plush under your feet!

This Inkblot Test book is the best! It is so entertaining and I love diving deep into how myself and my loved ones interpret the world – it’s so interesting!

Okay, how chic is this wall sconce? I’m in search of the perfect place to put it in my home, but in the meantime, we are using it in our French Transitional project!

6 Ways to Curate the Right Art for Your Home

The Pulp team loves curating and selecting original art for our clients and their homes. Art adds a unique touch and personality to rooms, and the right pieces can tell you a lot about the people who live in the home, too. We love when our clients have incredible art collections… and, of course, we love to help our clients build them, too. But finding the right art can be intimidating if you aren’t sure where to look or what really works. So here are 6 sure-fire ways to select art for your home!

1. Fall in Love

Art should always speak to you! It doesn’t matter if it is an expensive painting or a thrift store find, if it speaks to you then it is the right art for you. You are the one who has to live with it in your home, and it should be a reflection of your taste and personality. Let your art tell the story of who you are and what you love!

2. Tell a Color Story

The Pulp team is often inspired by the colors in a painting or photograph and use that as a jumping-off point for a room’s palette. You can also turn that around and look for things you love that will complement the colors already in a room. We love that art can either draw the eye as the star of a space, or it can be a supporting player with colors that work well in the overall design.

3. Mix It Up

When the Pulp team curates art for clients, we don’t just look for paintings. We create a mix of art from drawings to sculpture to photography. We’re lucky that co-founder Beth Dotolo has a talented photographer as a husband (that’s his work in the vignette above). And we’ve also been known to find incredible photographs among our client’s personal collections that can be blown up and framed for a stunning look. So mix it up!

4. Make an Investment

Art can make such a bold statement, and it’s even better when it’s an investment. The Pulp team definitely has favorite artists that we love to support – like Amy Opsal whose work is above. When you find an artist who creates stunning pieces that you love, buy their original art and showcase your passion for their work. Again, original art not only gives guests clues into your personality, it is also something that you won’t find in every home. It’s unique and personal – that’s what art is all about!

5. Layer the Look

You don’t have to let art sit in a silo on its own. We like a more layered look, especially on surfaces or bookshelves. This works especially well when you’re using different mediums of art, like a sculpture in front of a photograph, or a painting in front of a print. Experiment with scale, too, by using a smaller item with a larger-scale piece. It adds so much more dimension and interest!

6. Size Does Matter

Speaking of scale, it’s very important to consider the size of the wall when selecting the right piece of art. A very large painting would overwhelm a small table, while a large wall expanse like the one above needs more than just a tiny photograph. On your largest walls, you can use a gallery approach or a stunning piece like the one we hung for our client above. Just be sure you’re thinking about balance and symmetry when selecting art for specific spaces in your home.

Have an art-filled home that needs the Pulp touch, or do you need a better-designed home for your collection? Give us a call!

Design for Those Awkward Spaces

Even in a new build project, you can sometimes have “leftover” space – that area under the stairs, the other side of a closet, a weird passthrough. And in older homes, there are all sorts of niches and awkward spaces that you just don’t know how to reconfigure. That’s where the Pulp design team comes to the rescue – we love creating inventive design solutions to provide both function and fabulous looks!

The Unused Attic

So many homes have bonus space or attic space that just isn’t being used. With lots of angles in a roof, people often throw their hands up rather than try to tackle that space. In the new build project above, the home’s upstairs
 attic area was originally 
planned to be unused 
space. But the Pulp team
 developed the idea for a 
media room with a built-
in bar. Now it’s one of the 
family’s favorite spaces! We took advantage of all the odd angles, instead of being limited by them.

That Weird Niche

Sometimes there are strange niches in a house that made sense at one point, but are just weird problems now. We love the old telephone spots, the areas that once held art or even an ironing board, and other fun architectural head-scratchers. And some, just don’t make any sense. In this Texas home, we filled a useless niche in a hallway to the dining and living room with a functional custom bar. It has a built-in Thermador pull-out refrigerator, freezer drawers, and a Sub-Zero wine fridge. Our clients are thrilled with how this space functions now, and it definitely looks purpose-built.

A Room with No Purpose

Even our co-founder Beth Dotolo had an awkward space in her home’s basement. This small room didn’t have a purpose, and it was too small for a guest room or family area. So she turned it into her home office and personal sanctuary! It’s still a work in progress, but we love the moody vibe she has going in this seating nook. We also are obsessed by the art by her photographer husband Kevin Dotolo!

The Space Under The Stairs

Usually, the space under the stairs becomes a small closet or storage area with a weird little door. The Pulp team likes to maximize space and make it as functional as possible, so we designed a chic pass through in the home above. Now a hidden door leads to a wine cellar. It looks amazing and works perfectly for our clients!

Have an awkward space in your home that needs our creative design solutions? Give us a call – we love a good challenge!

How We Work a Remodel

Pulp specializes in a wide range of home projects from micro-renovations to new builds to down-to-the studs remodels. Two weeks ago, we talked about our micro-renovation process. And we’re pulling the curtain back even further to walk you through our major remodel projects. Those are the types of jobs that include an addition, larger renovations, and/or moving walls and stairs. And they’re called down-to-the studs projects for a reason!

When these Dallas clients thought about selling their 1955 midcentury modern home, they realized they loved it too much to part with it. They wanted to give it another chance with a renovation, so we completely gutted the structure. As you can see above, our teams removed everything down to the interior structure – or the studs. When you do this type of renovation, it allows you to rework floorplans, to rewire or replumb, and to add security or sound systems.

In a major renovation project like this, we work very closely with the architect and contractor to ensure everyone is on the same page. That requires a lot of on-site meetings and walkthroughs of the jobsite. The Pulp team stays on top of every detail to ensure that the design plan that our clients approved is exactly what they will see after installation.

In this particular project, that design plan included an addition that opened up the floorplan and gave them a new office and master bath.

We worked with Wealdstone Construction and studioSHORTALL architects to bring our design vision to life for the space.

For many people, this can seem like the “boring part” of a design project. But this is really where the magic happens! Things like lighting plans and electrical plans can make your home function for you in the best way possible. So those details are really key to the entire home remodel.

We’ll test new stains and finishes until we get to the perfect look for our clients. You can see our progress on a new hallway floor above.

And the Pulp team always looks to use every square inch of a floorplan to add as much storage and function as possible. Above, we added cabinetry and a bench seat to the new passthrough hall.

We’ll drop by a job site at least weekly, especially to check on the paint progress. Mistakes can happen, so we always want to be sure it’s the right color, the right shade, and the right sheen for the room.

The accent wall above was going to be the focal point of the family room, so it was especially important to get it right. The teams we worked with on this project were such pros – they really brought our ideas to life.

The closer we get to the final look, the more excited our team gets. No matter how many times we work on these bigger projects, we’re always energized by how fabulous the homes look. And then finally, it’s time for furnishings, art, and final touches. Here’s how this Dallas project looked when we opened it up for the final reveal to our clients!

The living room with that focal wall – and the new passthrough hallway beyond.

A stunning new kitchen with much more light and life.

The new home office with that gorgeous black paint on the walls.

The hall with all that fabulous storage and a little seat for reading or just hanging out.

To see more of this gorgeous mid-century modern home, take the tour here. And if you’d like to talk about a major remodel of your home, give us a call!