All posts by Beth and Carolina

Founders Five: 10 Essentials for Entertaining

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‘Tis the season… for entertaining guests and hosting holiday parties! To help you make the most of your social calendar, Pulp Design Studios’ co-founders select 10 must-haves to help you welcome and host in style!

BETH’S PICKS

Give your guests the perfect perch for charging their phone with this magnetic stand from Courant.

You can decide if you want to get these fabulous pinstripe linen loungers from Deiji Studios for guests or just for yourself. I would get a set for everyone!

Guest rooms are definitely more welcoming when they smell fabulous. Try this spicy Shinrin Yoku scent from Het Ki Nen.

The Ruban d’Hermès tray offers a chic place for guests’ keys and jewelry, or use it for small snacks when entertaining!

Turkish cotton towels offer a unique touch for your guest bath, especially with a fun pattern like this one from Happy Place.

CAROLINA’S PICKS

Offer your guests a more chic drinking glass like these marbled designs from Moda Operandi!

The Savon de Marseille soap cube is crafted from French olive oil for a luxe experience for your guests!

This bottle basket from Gohar is designed with 100% cotton fabric in West Africa, weaving the perfect package for an entertaining hostess gift.

I love a fabulous charcuterie moment, and these beautiful boards from Lulu and Georgia, two in marble and one in wood, provide the perfect backdrop for snacks.

Crafted from pure organic cotton in a supersoft ribbed texture, these towels from Parachute will wrap your guests in comfort.

Dallas Modern Farmhouse Tour

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The key to a beautiful modern dream home isn’t just the gorgeous furnishings or art that’s selected for each room. The best designers will guide you to smart investments that will inspire you to live your best life in your home. Pulp is known for looking at the big picture, for designing a home holistically so it functions perfectly for our clients, while also creating wow-worthy spaces. In this Dallas modern farmhouse, Pulp gave a transplant New York family their very first single-family home after years of apartment living. So we wanted to be sure it had everything they wanted – and more. Let’s take a tour!

ENTRY

The house has a very modern and chic design that offers a new twist on farmhouse chic.
Floor-to-ceiling windows and doors let in beautiful natural light.

GREAT ROOM

This family loves to entertain and welcome family and friends, so the open spaces flow into each other in the great room. There are zones for gathering, cooking, eating, and conversation.

KITCHEN

The beamed ceilings seem to flow directly down into the kitchen cabinetry, creating a modern twist on a traditional element. Custom cabinetry and a large family island offer function, while the waterfall counter and stunning light fixture from Gabriel Scott draw all eyes to the design. Texture and layered wood tones perfect the mix of updated and vintage styles that were key to this home. All appliances are from Thermador.

DINING ROOM

Pulp is known for creating custom looks for our clients, giving them unique and very personal interiors. We designed the glam custom table in the dining room, as well as the beautiful muscovite wall covering behind the bar. Those touches make a Pulp home stand out from the crowd!

STUDY

The Pulp team’s expertise is in listening to what our clients really want in their homes. The result includes spaces like this one, where a unique work area was custom-designed for our clients to fit their profession and their tech needs. It’s a dramatic yet cozy space.

PRIMARY BEDROOM

One of Pulp’s favorite spaces in this home is the primary bedroom suite. We love the calm tones and textures – it’s the perfect place to retreat to after a long day. The natural world right outside the windows inspired organic textures and motifs, like the faux bois console table. Pulp also designed a custom headboard for the bed to give this room a bespoke look.

PRIMARY BATHROOM

Continuing that modern organic design theme, the primary bath creates a serene retreat for these Pulp clients. It includes a free-form tub, a walk-in shower with multiple shower heads and jets, and dual floating vanities.

OUTDOOR ROOMS

This family loves outdoor living, so Pulp designed multiple seating and gathering areas to give them outdoor rooms that are just as chic as the indoor areas. Family favorites include the fire pit and the bed swing that Pulp designed just for them. You can also see the art that spells out the family mantra in the photo below.

See more of this gorgeous home, including kids’ rooms, a gym, laundry space, game room, and more. Just click here!

And to get your own custom look for your interiors, give Pulp a call!

 

The Pulp Edit: Animal Attraction

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Unexpected details and unique finds are hallmarks of Pulp’s interiors. We take a walk on the wild side with one-of-a-kind and fabulous details that will give our clients wow-worthy homes. So follow your animal instincts with these stunning items.

Gucci took a futuristic approach for its fall/winter 2023 collection, including a line of brightly colored faux fur coats with feather embellishments.

Natural horn offers a stunning pattern on this unique box with a brass handle, designed by Michael Berman for Labrazel.

This fabulous new book from Vendome by Melissa Biggs Bradley showcases Exceptional African Camps and Lodges for a fabulous look at iconic Safari Style.

The Plumage tiles by Botteganove are designed to fit together in hundreds of unique patterns, just like the feathers of a bird.

The Oscillation wallpaper from Harlequin is open to interpretation, with blurred lines that could be an animal skin pattern or falling rain.

Elitis showcases a sense of adventure for this vinyl wall covering. The Anguille design has the look of eel skin in a multilayered bronze color.

Beautifully embellished beetles in jewel tones crawl around this stunning Obsidian colored fabric border from Samuel & Sons.

Aluminum is hand-hammered into an alligator skin texture for this glittering Stalk Gold Serving Platter from CB2.

Peacock feathers are embroidered across this beautiful fabric from Kravet Couture, with a multidimensional pattern worn by the most dramatic of birds.

The abstract design for this hammered metal vase from Cyan Design was inspired by deep sea coral with small indentations floating across its surface.

Ready to add a sense of adventure to your home’s design? Contact us today!

5 Pro Tips for Styling Your Bookshelves

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Ah those notorious bookshelves. Too often, people have no idea what to do with them, and it shows. They can look unbalanced or too bare, and that can detract from what is an otherwise amazing room. That’s where pros like the Pulp team come in. We take care of every single detail in the interiors we design, and we know how to leave our clients with wow-worthy and magazine-ready rooms. So here are our 5 pro tips for styling your bookshelves so they look polished and perfect!

1. Back It Up

Don’t forget the background of your shelves. You can create a stunning showcase for your mementoes and books by using wallpaper or paint to set them apart. Having color or pattern peek through between the items on your shelves makes them more visually interesting. You can see that in our Seattle Glass House project above, with that lovely blue wallpaper from Phillip Jeffries.

2. Vertical / Horizontal

Bookshelves should allow your eye to travel, to move from element to element. One of the best ways to do that is to offer both vertical and horizontal elements. Even if your shelves are mostly filled with books, it’s best to stack some and then prop others. It also offers a balance to each open space, allowing you to fill in the open area or to let some air breathe around it. And one thing to remember is that you will never get this right the first time. You’ll need to take things down, move them around, and keep placing them until you get that balanced look!

3. The Magic Number

Until you feel more confident, one easy trick is to remember the power of three. Three elements will help you achieve that balanced look. It could be a stack of three books, three framed pieces of art, or three items on one shelf. Try it – it works almost every single time!

4. Show Personality

Pulp believes in the element of surprise, and there’s no better way to showcase that on your bookshelves than with quirky or personal items. They may be things you’ve brought back from travels, something meaningful from your childhood, or even items that you collect like pottery or art. Those pieces will give life and visual interest to your shelves and show your guests a bit of who you are.

5. Layers Are Key

Using those first four tips, experiment with layering. Mix books and art, add boxes and frames, even place things in front of others. Create a storyline that visually tells the viewer something about you and your family. Keep moving things around and step back to see how it all looks as a whole. When it’s right, you’ll know it. There will be balance and a lot of visual interest!

Founders’ Five: 10 Must-Have Travel Essentials

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The Pulp team finds so much inspiration in travel, and we’re squeezing in a few more trips before the end of summer. Here are the 10 essentials that Beth and Carolina can’t travel without!

BETH’S PICKS

A chic passport cover protects your most important travel document while also keeping everything organized in your bag. I love this black lizard version from Aspinal of London.

The luggage from Away makes packing so much easier! They have built-in compression that allows you to squeeze more in, and a hidden laundry bag that lets you sort out the dirty clothes.

The Salvas sneaker for Cariuma looks great and allows you to walk in comfort all day long – perfect for major sightseeing trips.

The Donna crossbody from Bandolier keeps your hands free but your phone available for great photos and digital tickets. I am obsessed with the bold orange leather version!

Apple’s AirTags are a great way to keep track of everything as you travel, from luggage to your kids or travel partner.

CAROLINA’S PICKS

I love the subtle simplicity of the high-tech Oura ring. It’s lightweight and waterproof and will track everything from your health to your sleep.

On a long-haul flight, it’s so important to be chic and comfortable. The solution is a pair of super-soft cashmere joggers from Loro Piana.

Fanny packs are back – but now we call them waist bags! This fab rattan version from Clare V provides great color and style, while keeping your hands free.

Long flights can make my skin look dry and dull, so I love to use a facial spray like this one from Kora Organics. It delivers moisture, refreshes makeup, and boosts that glow.

Tagging your luggage never looked more luxe than with this leather ID holder from Gucci. Loving the bold red with the iconic double G!

How Custom Design Sets Your Home Apart

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At Pulp, our team is known for crafting the most beautiful and functional homes for our clients. But we also want the interiors to be special and to stand out from the crowd of cookie cutter designs. We specialize in custom design that will give our projects a unique and stunning style. Why custom? Because we can create the perfect look that only our clients will have, and custom also can offer amazing solutions to design challenges. Here are some of the custom innovations we’ve devised for our projects!

Custom Cabinetry

This is probably the number-one custom detail that we recommend to all of our clients. Creating custom cabinetry allows you to have storage solutions that are perfect for how you want your room to function. In a kitchen, that can mean unique drawers for spices and baking ingredients, or toe kick storage for platters. In a bathroom, you could have a drawer that holds your hair dryer and curling irons, or a cabinet with the perfect place for all of your toiletries. We’ve used custom cabinets to put wet bars into extra spaces that would otherwise not be used, or to transform a boring closet into a glam wine room. Always try to include custom cabinets in your budget.

Custom Solutions

We love it when our clients give us a design challenge to solve. This is where custom design can definitely bring a smart solution. An unused space under the stairs can become a secret wine room. A TV can be hidden behind panels of art. A beautiful mural can slide back reveal an art room. That’s the beauty of working with custom craftsmen – if you can dream it, we can make it happen.

Custom Furniture

Sometimes you just can’t find that perfect sofa that fits just the way you want it to. Or you need a table that really blends into the room’s design with a unique finish. That’s when we call in our workroom pros to bring our custom designs to life. It’s a great way to get that piece of furniture that is exactly what you want and need. We designed several custom pieces for our “zoom room” at the Kips Bay showhouse, above.

Custom Rugs & Floors

In our Laredo project above, we spent a lot of time working on a custom rug for this living room. We wanted dimensions that you can’t find in commercial rugs, and we also wanted the colors to perfectly match the palette we created for the room. It makes such a big difference! We’ve also gone through up to 15 steps for the perfect wood finish, or hours putting tiles together for a wow-worthy look on a kitchen floor. Every detail is so important for a home that offers next-level design.

Custom Walls

Walls are a great way to add some fabulous style to a room. We use a lot of custom paint colors and we’ve created custom wallpaper to make a statement. But if you want to add a super-luxe look, then you should really think out of the box. In the bar area above, we had an artist hand apply muscovite mineral to the walls that looks like snake skin. It’s an edgy design that we love.

Custom Art

We have a great group of artists that we love to work with that can create the most beautiful works of art to fit any space in our clients’ homes. Not only does it make a room’s interior perfectly balanced and gorgeous, but original art is a special way for our clients to create or expand their own curated collection. Art can tell your story and show a lot of personality in a home’s design.

Does your home need a custom redesign? Give our team a call to get the Pulp team’s help to take your home to the next level.

5 Ways to Elevate a Bathroom Design

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The Pulp team is known for having a unique viewpoint that combines luxury design and a flair for the unexpected. When we design a space, we think way out of the box to give our clients personal spaces that are stunning and different. Every room deserves that, even the ultra-utilitarian bathroom. Rather than just thinking of the usual plumbing and tile, there are ways to really elevate a bathroom’s design into a functional and fabulous space. Here are 5 of our top pro tips!

1. Custom Design

The best way to get a bathroom that functions exactly the way you want it to, and is a design that you won’t see anywhere else is through custom details. The custom cabinetry we designed for our Kips Bay Dallas space (above) showcases beautiful reeded doors and drawer fronts. You can’t just buy that type of cabinetry in a big box store. And look at how the stone counters continue down the side in a waterfall effect. That’s another detail that you can only get with custom design. Even a custom sink can take your bathroom to an entirely new level, as you can see in the bathroom we designed below for our penthouse project in Seattle.

2. Add a Vanity

Every time we’ve added a special vanity area to a client’s bathroom, they have been thrilled with how much they use the space. It’s the perfect place to store makeup and toiletries, and it allows you to get ready in the morning in comfort. It’s such a luxe touch, and adds a bit of glam to any bathroom, as you can see in our Laredo project below.

3. Make It Steamy

There are so many bells and whistles that you can get in a shower or bathtub today! One of our favorites is a steam shower. It has so many health benefits, and it transforms your bathroom into a spa-like experience. You can also find aromatherapy showers, sound wave therapy for your tub, and built-in music systems. Ask your designer for all the latest tech innovations to help make your bathroom the perfect oasis, like the one we designed in Snoqualmie, Wash., below.

4. Rock the Walls

We always want to add that element of surprise and delight in a bathroom, and one great way to do that is with a fabulous wallpaper. Select a pattern that really packs a punch, like the bold design we chose below for a Seattle home. Paired with black and white, it makes a dramatic impact on anyone who enters.

5. Remember Luxe Details

In a bathroom, the beauty really is in the details, especially if they are functional! The Pulp team always thinks about extras that will make our clients happy, like a towel warmer (see below), teak flooring in a shower, heated stone floors, statement lighting and more. Think about the details that will give you an even better experience in this space!

Do the bathrooms in your home just function, or are they fabulous? Give us a call to help elevate the spaces you live in!

A Touch of Pulp

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Pulp Design Studios is known for its bold interiors and thoughtful details. So when our team began developing Pulp’s product lines, we knew we wanted to offer designs that would bring a touch of Pulp to every home! From signature hardware to fabrics to home fragrance, the Pulp product lines are inspired by luxe living and unexpected style. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how we developed one of our most popular products – the iconic Starburst Pull!

Inspiration

There were two things that inspired the Starburst Pull. First, we couldn’t find hardware for our projects that would be both classic and unique. So we decided to design our own, using the timeless starburst mirror as our starting point. Then we modernized the look, giving it Pulp’s signature styling. The result is a sleek star motif with chic rays.

Design

The Starburst design offers a backplate with the modernized star and a pull ring in the center. It makes the pull both decorative and very functional, adding a bit of bling to every application and in any room. Above you can see how stunning it looks against the red-orange cabinet in our penthouse dining room.

Style

We’ve used the Starburst Pull in bathrooms, home offices, kids rooms, game rooms, and more – including a winery tasting room! And we’re thrilled that so many other interior designers have used the pulls in their projects, too. Because the design is both classic and modern, the pulls can be included in traditional, transitional, or contemporary room designs. And the four finishes – polished brass, matte brass, matte black, and nickel – give the pulls a different look depending on the color you select.

You can also bring home a touch of Pulp by ordering your own Starburst pulls here! And be sure to check out our other iconic home designs, like our hand-poured luxe candles!

How to Make a Dramatic Entrance

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We all love to make a grand entrance and a great first impression! And that is exactly what your home’s entry should create for your guests. A beautiful foyer should tell a story about your home’s decor, and set everyone’s expectations high. Pulp is all about bold design and fabulous spaces, so here are our top tips for giving your home’s entry an amazing style that will wow your friends and family!

1. Set the Tone

From the front door, the entry should showcase the style and mood of your home’s design. If you have a contemporary house, then you definitely want to highlight the modern theme right away. In a minimalist house Pulp designed in Seattle, we used a unique cantilevered door and a neutral palette to showcase the style of the rest of the house. It makes a quietly bold statement that guests will find through each room.

2. Create a Landing Zone

If both your family and your guests will use the same entrance, be sure to create a landing zone that’s organized and stylish. You want a place for people to set their bags or keys, even temporarily, as well as a seat for removing shoes. Offer a table, bowls, trays, and other receptacles for whatever people are carrying. This will keep your entry looking chic at all times, like the Highland Park home we designed above.

3. Blend Indoor and Outdoor Spaces

Dark and dull entries are no fun to enter, so brighten those spaces with doors and framing windows to let in as much light as possible. Let the design be the bridge between the outdoor space your guests are leaving as they step through your front door. In the Seattle home above, we used warm wood tones to complement the gardens outside, and even kept the concrete flowing into the foyer, polishing it for an indoor look.

4. Add Your Personality

If you’re making a first impression on someone, it’s best to show your personality, right? You should do the same in your entry! Offer clues to what you love with art, books, and fantastic accessories. In the Laredo home above, Pulp crafted a look that showcases our client’s fresh and modern style, while large mirrors reflect the beautiful front door and courtyard outside.

Use these ideas to create a grand entrance that will impress your family and friends! If you need help with your home’s design, give our team a call!

Founders’ Five: 10 Essentials for Summer

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In just a little over a week, we celebrate the unofficial start of summer with a fabulous long weekend! The Pulp team loves the longer days and warmer weather and we’ve found 10 essentials that will make summer living even better this season!

BETH’S PICKS

The Leland Rattan Beverage Tub from Crate & Barrel has the perfect summer style for serving up cool drinks on hot days!

An intoxicating floral scent for summer days, Gucci’s Bloom Profumo di Fiori combines sandalwood with tuberose and jasmine for seasonal bouquet.

The Lete Tote from Evereve is the perfect beach bag or weekend inspiration. Made of 100% cotton, this is going to be my go-to summer tote!

This is a major aspirational piece for me, but a girl can always dream, right? I love the lock jewelry from Marla Aaron and this Fordite and mixed metal bracelet is one of my favorites!

Summer means evening cocktails on the patio, so I’m looking forward to this fabulous brass suspended tray from Gentner with handcrafted glasses.

CAROLINA’S PICKS

Platform espadrilles take the summer shoe look to a whole new level, and I am obsessed with these bold orange Mariza du Desert sandals from Christian Louboutin and Net-a-Porter.

Grilling is now a moveable feast with this portable BBQ from Everdure. I plan to use this little guy from Food 52 on the deck, at the lake, and at our favorite vacation spots!

Nothing says summer like turquoise, and I am obsessed with these paperclip-style earrings designed by Lee Jones for Ylang 23. Wear them alone or in a layered chic look!

Everyone needs the perfect perch in the great outdoors, and this Masha chair from CB2 hits the modern mark for me in teak and rattan!

Mocktails by the pool are the perfect accompaniment for sun and fun! You can still get your buzz on, though, with this THC-infused drink from Flora Hemp Spirit.