All posts by Beth and Carolina

Before + After: Redesign on a Deadline

September 11, 2019Entertaining + Home Livingcolor, Dallas, deadline, decor, decorating, design, home, house, ideas, interior design, interior designer, living, Los Angeles, pattern, personality, pulp, pulp design studios, redesign, renovate, rooms, seattle, space, style, tips, trends, uniqueBeth and Carolina

We were all set to start on a renovation project for these clients when their dream home in the perfect location became available! After a quick switch of gears, we were set to get the new home ready and filled with style and color. But we were on a tight deadline to deliver this gorgeous home in just a few months before the kids started school. Pulp Design Studios put it into warp drive to create an eclectic and elegant home that made smart choices and nailed the clients’ wish list! Bam!

Formal Living Room

Hall

Home Office

“The home office is our favorite room in the house! The art and mix of patterns give this room a strong personality!”
– Carolina Gentry

Kitchen

Family Room

Dining Room

“The right paint, lighting, and furnishings can transform a home when you don’t have the time for a major renovation!”
– Beth Dotolo

Garden Room

Master Bedroom

Powder Room

Laundry Room

There’s even more to see in the full project – just click here to take a tour!
Want to know how we can transform YOUR home?
Book a complimentary call to discuss how we can help!

Home Tour: A Stylish Family Home

September 4, 2019Entertaining + Home Livingart, black room, chic, color, Dallas, decor, decorating, design, family, home, home decor, house, ideas, interior design, interior designer, living, Los Angeles, pattern, pulp, pulp design studios, rooms, seattle, sophisticated, space, stripes, style, texas, tips, trendsBeth and Carolina

Not every Pulp Design Studios project involves major construction and renovations. We love to work our magic with finishes and furnishings, bringing a home to life with a nip and tuck instead of a full face lift. This Dallas family loved the “bones” of their home, but they just felt that it didn’t really reflect their personalities. We gave them clever and unique selections for paint, furnishings, and lighting for a house they are proud to call home! Let’s take a tour!

Q: How did this client find you?

We designed their neighbors’ home, and they saw it when it appeared in D Home. They liked what they saw so they reached out to us to see if we could inject some personality into their Dallas home.

Q: What special requests did the clients have for you?

They have two small children, so they wanted to be sure the home would stand up to their daily wear and tear. But they also wanted to be sure the house was hip and colorful, with great art and details. We gave them fabrics made to repel stains and messes, and we curated art that would give them both color and personality in each room.

Q: What is the clients’ favorite space?

They really love the bold black study! It’s at the very front of the house near the entrance, so it makes a major impact when you come through the door. It really gives any visitors an idea of how bold and hip this family is!

Q: Besides paint and art, what’s another easy way to show your personality in your home?

Definitely with your bookshelves! The books you choose are always a good giveaway for what you like and anything that you’re interested in. And shelves are also a fantastic place for you to show off all those amazing things you bring back from your travels, or the spectacular photos you take with friends and family. There’s no better place in the home to make a personal statement!

Take the full tour of this fabulous Dallas home here!

Home Tour: A Hip Haven for Creatives

August 5, 2019Entertaining + Home Livingcolor, Dallas, decor, decorating, design, home, house, ideas, interior design, interior designer, living, Los Angeles, pattern, pulp, pulp design studios, rooms, seattle, space, tips, trendsBeth and Carolina

We love mid-century modern architecture, so when our Dallas clients came to us with a 1955 home that needed major work, we couldn’t wait to get started! This creative family was looking for a hip and modern vibe that would give them space to work from home, and entertaining areas for friends and family. We gutted the home and created an addition that included a home office and also opened up the home’s floorplan. Take a tour with us of the mid-century modern makeover, and see the full tour here.

Q: How did you open up the space?

We did a complete gut for the renovation, which allowed us to take out walls and make a more open floorplan in the main entertaining spaces. It has a great flow for the family and also for hosting their friends and guests. Our clients loved the result and the way the kitchen, dining area, and living space work together.

Q: You created an addition onto the home – what rooms did that include?

These clients are creative people and he even works from home, so we wanted to be sure to give him a home office that would help spark his creativity and would give him a great place to work.

We also added a hallway that offers a lot of storage since the home is only 1,900 square feet and they have a growing family.

Q: How did you combine the history of the home with the more modern updated look the client wanted?

Luckily, with midcentury modern design you already have a lot great architecture and details that lend themselves to a 21st century modern look. We used their art collections, unique custom details, and dramatic wall colors (like black!) to give the home a super-hip vibe that still fit with the home’s 1955 design.

Q: What is the clients’ favorite space?

They wanted an oasis for their master suite, and the new addition gave us the space to create a fabulous spa bathroom for them. We designed the suite to be a calm and reflective area where they can recharge their batteries!

Q: The clients have a small child – are there any spaces that you designed specifically for kids?

Definitely! The home needed to function for their child and for their pets, so we gave them a fun bedroom, bathroom, and playroom that would be colorful and full of pattern to spark a little one’s creativity, too.

Q What is your favorite space in the home?

Definitely the powder room! We love the impact that the black paint color makes in this space, especially combined with the natural wood and brass. It’s a showstopper!

Before + After: Big Style in a Small Space

July 30, 2019Entertaining + Home Livingapartment, before and after, color, condo, Dallas, decor, decorating, design, home, home decor, house, ideas, interior design, interior designer, living, Los Angeles, pattern, pulp, pulp design studios, rooms, seattle, small space, space, tips, trends, wallpaper, zonesBeth and Carolina

When our client purchased a luxury condo in a premier Seattle high rise, he wanted more than just the plain box style that he started out with. Without any construction, we gave him a home made for entertaining, with clever ideas to make the most of every square inch. He loved the design we presented so much that he had no changes. We transformed his interiors from zero personality to maximum style!

Entry Hall

Living Room

“Using wallpaper on the ceiling to define the living room as a separate space from the kitchen/dining area really gave the illusion of more space in this condo.”
– Beth Dotolo

Kitchen/Dining

“I never thought my place could look so amazing. The colors, the furniture, and the accessories are all just incredible.”
– Gary E. Pulp Design Studios Client

Bedroom

There’s even more to see in the full project – just click here to take a tour!
Want to know how we can transform YOUR home?
Book a complimentary call to discuss how we can help!

The Pulp Edit: Summer Brights

July 22, 2019The Pulp Editabstract, bright, color, Dallas, decor, decorating, design, home, house, ideas, interior design, interior designer, living, Los Angeles, modern, pattern, pulp, pulp design studios, pulp edit, rooms, seattle, space, summer, tips, trendsBeth and Carolina

Bright Summer Colors & Playful Patterns

Summer is for fun, so we’re loving the trend to bright, bold colors and playful patterns. Colors inspired by the blues of the seaside are complemented with hot orange and sizzling pink – perfect for warm-weather fun!

And today we’re also debuting our 2nd issue of ICON, our in-house magazine packed with trends, sneak peeks, and design ideas! We have an amazing summer issue that showcases summer living, top vacation getaways from our designer friends like Bobby Berk, and great ideas for your home! Just click here to read the new issue.

And now, let’s dive back into our top summer trends:

Lee Jofa’s Graffito pattern is a fun, organic look in a watery blue. We love the abstract print, too. It almost looks like a topographical map!

Add personality to a lamp shade, or pillow with a funky trim by Schumacher. It’s called Tumbling Blocks and it offers an Escher-like dimensional design.

We’re obsessed with the color on this juju hat, called blood orange. It’s THE color of summer. Juju hats are constructed of feathers, bamboo, and raffia, and we LOVE using them in our interiors!

Our collection of S.Harris fabrics showcase our love of color, pattern, and exotic travel. The Kismet design adds bold color to a geometric vibe.

Make a statement this summer with an Eric Javits hat in a punchy color! We love this bright and boldly striped version, featured in InStyle magazine, May 2019.

The Missoni Family Cookbook adds the company’s signature color to any kitchen, plus it has delicious recipes! Four generations of Missoni family offer a kaleidoscope of tastes, scents, and colors.

Pulp is a huge fan of these copper enamel plates! Carolina and Beth purchase these on trips as souvenirs. Carolina started her collection in high school. They make a great accent for any coffee table.

Make a splash with a modern tile that has a retro feel – Art Deco with a Memphis Style inspiration from Walker Zanger called, appropriately, Kaleidoscope.

This gorgeous Hamptons home designed by Kelly Behun and featured in Architectural Digest is full of color and fun!

Home Tour: Lakeside Modern

July 1, 2019Entertaining + Home Livingcolor, Dallas, decor, decorating, design, home, house, house tour, ideas, interior design, interior designer, lake house, lakeside, living, Los Angeles, pacific northwest, pattern, pulp, pulp design studios, pulpinterior design, rooms, seattle, space, tips, trendsBeth and Carolina

Our clients had a dream team of architects and builders for their Pacific Northwest home – but they needed furnishings and final touches. And of course we were ready to jump into this beautiful lakeside home! We gave them streamlined designs and the perfect palette to complement the stunning house and the tree-filled setting.

Take a tour through this lakeside modern home with us, and see the full project here. We also were lucky enough to have this home showcased in an entertaining feature for Traditional Home. Click here to see the home all dressed up for a party!

Q: What was your favorite part of the project?

Besides the fact that it was a gorgeous house in an amazing Bellevue, WA, location, the clients were amazing and we understood what they needed right away. In fact, there were ZERO changes to our original presentation!

Q: How did the clients find you?

They were referred to us by their friends, who had been Pulp clients and had a great experience with us.

Q: How did the lakeside setting impact your design?

We were so inspired by the views of the lake and all the trees – it really felt almost like you were in a super-modern treehouse. So we used a lot of natural woods and textures, as well as a palette that had the soft greens and grays that we could see right out of the windows. It gives a feeling of the indoors and outdoors melding together.

Q: What’s the clients’ favorite room?

They would probably say it’s the family room! With a “snuggle pit” that’s a fabulous sectional and a gorgeous ping pong table, it’s a room that’s fun for the whole family.

Q: What’s the Pulp team’s favorite space?

Probably the outdoor terrace – how could you not love a space that has a view like that?!

Pulp’s Famous Michelada Recipe

June 10, 2019Entertaining + Home Livingfood and drinkBeth and Carolina

We shared our Michelada recipe years ago here and people often ask for us for the link, especially around summertime! We decided to re-share Carolina’s famous Michelada recipe…

1 16oz. Glass or Mug
Ice
1 Mexican Beer (Tecate Light, Corona, Dos Equis Light, Bohemia)
2 tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice (about 1 medium juicy lime)
1 oz. Clamato Juice
2 -3 dashes Cholula Hot Sauce (How hot do you like it?)
2 dashes Maggi Seasoning or Soy Sauce
2 -3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
Dash of Black Pepper
Pinch of Course Salt
1/2 teaspoon Tajin (BTW this is awesome on fruit, cucumbers, jicama and popcorn)
Add some Tajin to a plate and use for rimming the glasses

Grab a glass and rim the edge with tajin. Add lime, clamato, cholula, maggi, worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper & tajin to glass. Mix well and add ice, tilt glass slightly and slowly pour beer into glass, stir gently to prevent over fizzing.

Voila…Fiesta in a glass! Enjoy!

Home Tour: Eclectic Elegance

June 3, 2019Entertaining + Home Livingart, color, Dallas, dallas designer, decor, decorating, design, eclectic, family, home, home tour, house, ideas, interior design, interior designer, kids, livable, living, Los Angeles, luxurious, luxury, pattern, pulp, pulp design studios, rooms, seattle, space, texas, tips, trendsBeth and Carolina

When a Dallas family of five came to us with a tight timeline to create a gorgeous home in a 6,700-square-foot space, we were ready to take on the challenge! They needed all of the architectural selections, painting, flooring, and furnishings selected, installed, and ready to go by the time the kids started a new school year. We only had a few months, but we our organized system kept us on track to deliver a gorgeous home that offers livable luxury!

You can see the entire project here, or follow along on our home tour as we answer your burning questions about this art-filled project!

Q. How did the clients find you?

We were already working with them! We actually were about to renovate the home that they were living in when their dream home came onto the market. Since it was the home they always wanted, they grabbed it, which meant that we needed to change gears quickly.

Q. What was the scope of the project?

They needed minor renovations, architectural selections, painting and flooring. And of course they needed furnishings. They also had a large art collection, but it needed to be curated for the home. The clients wanted the home to look collected, but lived-in. They wanted it to feel like a home, not a museum for their art.

Q. Where there any challenges?

The timeline was very tight – they bought the house at the beginning of summer and wanted it remodeled and redecorated before their three kids started school. We prioritized the kids’ bedrooms so they would be ready first, to help their transition to a new home and a new school year.

They clients also wanted an elegant home, but it also needed to stand up to the wear and tear from three kids and their friends. We know how to select fabulous furnishings and finishes that look luxe but are hardworking, too. So we were able to give them a gorgeous home that is full of livable luxury.

Q. What was the clients’ favorite room?

They have two favorite rooms! The indoor/outdoor room we created gives the feeling of being both in the garden, and in an elegant indoor room. And they also love the master suite, which they describe as their getaway at the end of the day.

Q. Beth and Carolina, what was YOUR favorite space?

We love the office – it has a great mix of patterns and textures. And we used some unique pieces that offer unexpected details. That’s really our design signature!

Thanks for taking the home tour with our team!

10 Gifts Dad Really Wants

May 27, 2019Shopping Guidebalenciaga, beard oil, belt, book, color, dad, Dallas, decor, decorating, design, fathers day, gift, gift guide, gifts, gifts for dad, gucci, home, house, ideas, interior design, interior designer, living, Los Angeles, pattern, pulp, pulp design studios, rooms, seattle, shinola, slides, space, tips, trends, watchBeth and Carolina

Remember the days of soap on a rope? No need to drag out those tired presents – we have a list of gifts that dad really wants to receive on Father’s Day. Put the tie down and back away!

SHOP THE GIFT GUIDE:

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

May 20, 2019Shopping GuideBeth's Picks, Carolina's Picks, founders picks, shopping, shopping guideBeth and Carolina

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

Interior Designer Style + Home Favorites

BETH’S PICKS

MY husband surprised my with this Chloe Femininities Necklace from his trip to France. I’ve received so many compliments so had to share!

I recently started seeing a nutritionist who recommended these Morccon Your World Picky Bars and I am obsessed.

These Tibi ankle wrap strap heels have made my latest wishlist.

I’ve been feeling a little dull with with seasonal skin change, so I’m giving the Goop Glow a try!

This stunning Cox London Serpent Table is on my client pinboards and can’t wait to use it on a project… We first spotted it on an inspiration trip to the London Design Festival!

CAROLINA’S PICKS

I am a sucker for good heels and you’ll rarely catch me in flats. These Chloe ankle strap sandals are my new favorite!

Aoyama makes a stunningly fragranced incense. Add this to your must list, if you love incense.

If you’re looking for a new statement necklace, this Truth Pendant stopped me in my tracks.

I love a bold Entry table and this new Beacon Console table is gorgeous!

Dedon makes some to-die-for solar powered lanterns and their Lantern L is on my list for my backyard design.

Wherever You Are

We work all across the country, designing primary residences, pied-à-terres, and vacation homes, for our clients near and far.

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