Tag Archive for: space planning

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The cabin: the entry

Welcome to the first stop on the cabin tour – the entry way! We all know that first impressions matter, so we cannot overlook the first room that greets you. While its first focus should be function – always – this space also sets the tone as soon as you walk through the front door.

As a reminder, this particular entryway also happens to be a central corridor and literally interacts with every other room on the main level.  Because of this, it was important to provide it’s own little moment, even if that was just a little bump-out.

We managed to fit a bench, closed storage in the form of a dresser, and a big mirror all in that little bit of real estate. The mirror, while needed to remind yourself how beautiful you are before before you head out the door, also tricks the eye into making the space feel bigger by spanning the full width of the bump out. But where do the shoes go?! Good question. In the dresser drawers! Like this IKEA piece – have you seen it? It’s a great small space shoe storage solution.

The stairs to the basement are just to the left as you walk in the front door. We’ve wrapped the stairwell walls with gridded windows to capture maximum natural light and those forest views. We’ve also added decorative stone to the foundation walls to help establish that cozy cabin feeling. The more natural materials you can feature, the more cabin-y it will feel!

Turning around to take a look at the other side of the entry, we are reminded that we are in the heart of the central corridor. The front door is quite literally right next to the shared bedroom wall. Any of the limited options that we considered for this side had to really hug the wall. Even though we’ve allowed for a wider-than-standard hallway, we still don’t want to impede into that space if at all possible.

So we opted to create a sort of interactive art installation and take up the whole wall with with a multitude of coat hooks in an offset grid pattern! I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time navigating multiple items on a single (heck, even a double!) hook. And every time I visit a vacation home, I’m always wishing there were more hooks. So we decided to go all out with the hooks! This could be accompished with several different styles; I can also imagine different colored and sized hooks playfully installed in a random pattern.

But here, we’ve kept the color scheme of the entry way comprised of earthy neutrals. This is intentional – so that it can speak to all the different rooms it opens up to: the bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen / living room. To keep things interesting, we’ve made sure to include lots of texture, balanced the light / medium / dark tones, and included colorful accents. Since this is our vacation home, we’ve used personalized framed photography on a picture rail that spans the length of wall above the coat hooks. On the other side, we included accents with the foundation stonework and patterned throw pillow. Oh! And the plant. Never underestimate the power of a green plant accent! If you can, tend to the live version for improved air quality. But in the case of a cabin, especially a vacation home that is visited intermittently at best, you’ll want to invest in some quality faux greenery.

As a reminder,  our vacation home plan assumes 2 bi-weekly users and will need to accomdate occasional groups of up to 6. A few things we considered for  our cabin entry way:

  • Store a guest book on the photo ledge
  • Artwork can include personal photos and/or fun times at the cabin
  • Ditch your outside shoes for personalized cabin slippers
  • The linen closet holds one spare set of sheets for each bed  and at least 6 bath towel sets
  • Could also use entire entry nook to house / store extra dining seating.
If we were to use this cabin as a short-term rental, we would want to consider these things a little differently:
  • Pair a small seating option with closed storage to house games, books, and extra blankets
  • Display a binder with property / rental information on the dresser
  • Frame and hang the wi-fi password on the wall(s)
  • Instead of typical artwork, frame a local map with points of interest labeled by the front door
  • Provide cabin slippers as part of rental experience – and to encourage no outside shoes to help preserve cleanliness and flooring longevity
  • Linen closet holds same AND the locked owners closet holds additional spare linens

If you like what you’ve seen so far – stay tuned to see what the bathroom has to offer next. I may be biased, but I think it’s pretty spectacular!

 

 

Are you building a cabin of your own? Either as a vacation home or short-term rental? If you need helping hand, we’ve got all your affordable interior design needs covered! You may want to specifically check out our Whole-House Interior Design Packages or our Short-term Rental Design Options!

 

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The cabin: my plan

I grew up in a log cabin on a section of my grandparents’ farmland in Central Illinois. The acre yard and 20 acres of pasture beyond were literally my playground. While my life is now happily rooted in the city life of Madison, Wisconsin, I have a built-in need for quiet and fresh air. That and my love of hammocking (yes, it’s a verb in my world) is what inspired me to buy a small wooded lake lot in late 2019! It’s about an hour away and I dream of having a cabin there someday for slumber parties and remote work. Until then, I will continue to use it for day trips to hammock and kayak on the small no-motor lake. It’s truly dreamy and I’m so grateful to have this little getaway!

 

Originally, I wanted to build a majestic A-frame on top of the hill. Sadly – no matter how beautiful it would have been – the price tag was just not worth the ineffecient floor plan. So back to the drawing board I went. I emerged with a basic 25′ x 35′ rectangle that will ultimately feel anything but basic. You’re going to have to wait a bit to see what the outside will look like, but the main level floor plan is ready for its debut!

While the lower level will be largely unfinished, the main level is split in half along with a central hallway, which creates four distinct areas:

  • Entry/Bathroom
  • Bedroom
  • Living Room
  • Kitchen

The more private spaces face the driveway with the open kitchen and living room facing the lake. The stairwell is just to the left of the main entry door and will get flooded with natural light from windows that wrap around the corner.  These same gridded windows will also be used in the bedroom, but the lake facing windows in the kitchen and living room will provide as unobstructed views as the budget allows.

The ceilings will all be vaulted, so the rooms will feel more spacious than their relatively small footprints. And knowing what is to come – I can say with confidence that while this cabin may be small, she is holding onto a few really big moments (stay tuned – the entry is next!).

So what makes this a cabin and not a small house? Good question! While this would fit Webster’s definition of a “small one-story dwelling of simple constuction”, I will also have a basement added. Since the building code in my area requires a 4-foot frost wall below grade – and I’m on a hill – it makes sense to go ahead and dig a full basement while they’re at it. So I guess it’s technically a small house?

But I consider this to be a cabin because it will be used as a getway and not a full-time residence. With that comes different considerations for the amount and type of space I will need. In one word? LESS. Here’s the working assumptions and priorities that went into this plan:

  • Will be used year-round.
  • Most trips will be relatively short with 1-2 of the owners as guests.
  • Needs to be able to accomodate 4-6 total guests on occasion.
  • There will be some clothing left there full-time, but not a full wardrobe.
  • Basement level will hold laundry appliances and a powder room, but will otherwise remain unfinished.
  • Prioritize lake views and comfortable seating / sleeping spaces.

What would be different if it were a short-term rental? This particular plan could quite easily be modified to suit a short-term rental by:

  • Incorporating a stackable laundry unit on the main level.
  • Ensuring the sectional sofa holds a queen sized bed for additional guests.
  • Creating an ‘instagram-able moment’ with a cantilevered window seat in the bedroom.
  • Finishing the basement with a second bedroom and bathroom.
  • Including a ping-pong or pool table in the basement.

Are you building a cabin of your own? Either as a vacation home or short-term rental? If you need helping hand, we’ve got all your affordable interior design needs covered! You may want to specifically check out our Whole-House Interior Design Packages or our Short-term Rental Design Options!

 

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my burnout story

Burnout doesn’t always arrive with flashing lights and a dramatic collapse. Sometimes it builds quietly, when you push through too much year after year, until one day your body and mind simply refuse to keep going. Looking back, that’s exactly what happened to me — though at the time, I didn’t have the language for it. I just knew I was tired. Deeply tired.

My career started in my twenties on the State Farm catastrophe team, handling homeowners’ claims. It was intense work — long days, constant travel, and a crash course in home construction so I could write accurate damage estimates. Oddly enough, that part came naturally. Something about understanding how homes were built just clicked. But the day to day was exhausting.

When I wasn’t traveling, I poured myself into designing the adorable house I had bought. For fun, I’d scroll through furniture stores and mentally catalog what each one carried. I didn’t know it then, but I was building the foundation for a future career.

Eventually, I sold the house and enrolled in design school in Chicago. I worked for high‑end designers and remodelers, collecting some wild stories and valuable experience — but also realizing that world wasn’t a good fit for me. I never identified with massive budgets or the idea that beautiful design was only for a select few. I kept thinking back to my catastrophe‑team days, seeing how many people just needed a little bit of help. HGTV was booming, the internet was still new, and I saw a gap: everyday people wanted design guidance, but they didn’t need (or want) a full‑service designer.

So I created a simple, affordable model: You send me photos and measurements. I design the room using retail sources. You put it together.

It worked — sort of. I only charged $350 for a full room, which wasn’t nearly enough. At one point I was juggling three part‑time jobs just to stay afloat. I was exhausted, creatively drained, and eventually broke. I thought that was my first real taste of burnout. But the truth is, burnout had been building long before that.

I went into design school thinking it would be a relief from climbing roofs 12 hours a day, six days a week, living in hotels for 10 months out of the year — which I’d done for four straight years. But it wasn’t a relief – it was just a different kind of hard.

So by the time I returned to property claims, I was already down right depleted. Then came early‑pandemic COVID, when no one knew anything about it. Factor in being 42 years old at the time — prime for perimenopause — and my body simply hit a wall. It felt like everything broke at once. Three years later, I was fighting panic attacks daily, barely able to eat or sleep.

Only later did I learn how profoundly stress depletes minerals, disrupts hormones, and affects every system in the body. And that all stressors play a part, even the good ones. So all that exercise that I was cramming into my schedule because I thought it was helping my mental health? Not helping. Especially not when I wasn’t eating enough to properly fuel the workouts in the first place.

I was literally running on empty. 

Unfortunately, historically for me, life has had to really slap me in the face to get my attention. This time I decided to use the opportunity to slow down and really look at all the stresses I was inflicting on my body. And it wasn’t pretty. I quickly realized that I needed to make a big change to the biggest stressor: my job. The rest of my career needed to look differently.

I really wanted to help everyday people love their space. But I needed to not wake up to an alarm anymore (3 years later and it still sends me into panic). And I needed a flexible schedule – including an afternoon most weeks to take a hammock break. Mostly, I needed to redefine what success looked like: I’m not looking to build the biggest business, just a sustainable one. And I know from experience that creativity is hard to come by when you’re constantly in survival mode. So if I’m going to find any kind of success as a designer, it’s going to have to work this way.

Could it actually be that taking a break is literally good for business?!

I know not everyone can pivot and just decide to scale back their life. But everyone can – and should – have at a space that supports them. Feels like a hug. Even if you need to start with one corner of one room. Much like the importance of minerals when it comes to stress, our physical environment has a profound effect on how we feel day to day. Let it be your friend, not your enemy.

How does our physical environment impact how we feel and function?

There’s plenty of science about how color affects mood, but one of the most important things I learned in design school was much simpler: Form follows function. It doesn’t matter how beautiful a chair is if it’s uncomfortable or oversized and you bump into it every time you walk by. It doesn’t matter how pretty your office desk is if it’s too small to work efficiently. It doesn’t matter how many storage bins you buy if none of them actually solve the problem.

When your home doesn’t function well, stress accumulates in tiny, constant ways:

  • Papers pile up because you don’t have the right storage.
  • The guest room becomes overflow storage, so you stop inviting people over.
  • You avoid certain rooms because they feel chaotic or unfinished.

Little frustrations compound until home becomes a drag instead of a lift. But the good news? The reverse is also true. When your home supports your life, everything feels a little easier.

Insighed Designs - office remodel 3D rendering

How can your space support you better?

Start with function. Always. Make the space work for you first — then make it pretty. Take a home office, for example (I’m reworking mine right now, so this is top of mind):

  • Your desk should probably be bigger than you think.
  • Invest in a comfortable chair. Your back will thank you.
  • Use closed storage for paperwork and anything visual that stresses you out.
  • Use bookshelves for actual books or for neatly organized containers — not endless décor. Too many objects create visual noise.
  • Choose colors, artwork, and styles that YOU love, not what’s trending on social media. Trends don’t live in your house — you do.

Insighed Designs - office remodel 3D rendering

What’s one simple shift anyone can make?

Paint. It’s the most affordable, high‑impact change you can make with the least effort. The hardest part is choosing the right color. A few insider tips:

  • If you’re choosing a “color,” go grayer than you think.
  • Always look at samples against a white background (printer paper works great), not your current wall color.
  • Compare samples next to trim so you can see undertones clearly.
  • Get a large paper sample or paint swatches directly on the wall.

How do my design services help without the overwhelm?

No more guessing whether something will fit, match, or work together. No more endless scrolling trying to find the right pieces within your budget. I’ve already done the research — let me help.

Most of our furnishing packages are done virtually, so first you’ll send me photos and measurements of the space. Or if you’re in Madison or within 25 miles, I can come take those photos and measurements for you. We’ll talk about your style and how the room needs to function for your daily life. Then I’ll create a design using retail stores and give you a clickable catalog to piece it together in your own timeline.

Similarly, we offer Kitchen + Bathroom Designs for folks looking at remodeling. Having both personal and professional experience getting remodel bids, I know that process can be challenging to get actual apples-to-apples bids. But if you go into that process with a design in hand? Much easier to see how they compare.

Burnout taught me many things, but one lesson stands out: Your home should support you, not drain you.

You deserve a space that helps you breathe, reset, and feel like yourself again — even on the busiest days. And if you need help creating that space, I’m here.

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our house remodel: kitchen + dining room

Welcome to the final stop on this leg of the remodel tour – the kitchen and dining room!

This room sees the biggest transformation in this remodel. As a reminder, we started with the stairwell access in the living room and the dining room as a small bedroom. The main purpose of this entire remodel project is to redirect the stairs back to their original orientation – aligned with the back entry door. The previous owners had six adults living in this space during the pandemic. Can you imagine?! They needed this small room to be a bedroom and the kitchen to have more work and storage space. So they turned the stairs around and cretaed a little pantry above backend of the stairwell. We would rather have an official dining room than a 4th bedroom – and we think most folks that would want to live here after us would agree.

Insighed Designs - our house remodel - main level before

Since we are working on the stairs, we are going to take the opportunity and lower the walls on either side of the stairwell to unite the kitchen and dining into one big room.  Then the coat closet gets rotated onto the shared wall with the primary bedroom along with a built-in bench to create a bona fide dining room.

Their orientation along that wall allows the entry to get relocated to align with the front door. This new view into the backyard from the front door and uniting the two rooms make this modest home feel so much bigger than it actually is. Score!

Before we get too far into this new plan, let’s take a moment to look back and honor these rooms’ past lives. Here’s the oldest photo we could find – from when it was listed for sale in 2013. My guess is that these are the original cabinets from 1955; mainly because my friend has the same layout in a nearby neighorhood and her kitchen layout is identical – true story!

And this is how it looked when we bought the house back in 2022 and largely how it looks today…

And here’s how it could look with a modern makeover!

 

As for the dining room, it was shown as a bedroom in the 2013 listing…

…and with a very awkwardly placed, too big dining table in 2022.

But just look at how much bringing down those stairwell walls opens up the space!

Let’s stay here and chat about the dining room before getting too far into the kitchen.  Can you even with this new layout?!?! I seriously love how open it feels, how much more functional it is (a real dining table!), and these shades of green against a blank canvas paired with wood and black accents just make my heart so happy. The sleek lines of the table and low profile of the chairs bring function and simplicity to this relatively small space.  The playful mult-globe pendant light set in front of the old entry wall insert (love this so much!) as inset shelves set a mid century vibe and a fun juxtaposition of basic shapes.

One more moment to appreciate how much bigger this space feels….and this view from the new range location?! Yes. Please.

This view of the kitchen from the dining room isn’t too bad either, eh? I love the natural light this new modern yet mid-century french door brings inside. But the space between this door, the stairwell, and the kitchen is tricky. There’s no good way around it, literally. It’s tight. In order minimize to traffic jams here, we’re going to place a tall but thin pantry perpendicular to the cabinets along the sink wall. This allows the range to move next to the refrigerator, at the lowered portion of the stairwell wall.  If there were full depth cabinets in both of these places, it would be uncomfortable for even one person to move through. Like I said….it’s tight.

So we found a way to open it up! This set up is a great example of how a small space can maximize storage and still feel easy to move around. While open shelves aren’t for everyone, they actually function really well for those most used dishware and gives easy access to cookbooks. And an opportunity to add some touches of personal decor here, too! Who says a kitchen can’t have family photos??

 

Speaking of….did you know that we now have affordable kitchen accessories in The Collection? For just $125, you’ll instantly receive a clickable catalog with 8 items to refresh your kitchen!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can also help if you are dreaming of a full kitchen remodel! You can choose from our basic kitchen + bathroom package with 8 standard items or customize your package to change / add catalog items. You can also add space planning or work with us in person if you are within 25 miles of Madison, WI!

Each of our designs come with a photorealistic image of the room, design narrative, and a clickable catalog. You can then do the work yourself or give a copy to contractors for comparable bids!

 

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our house remodel: the living room

Welcome to the next stop on our house remodel tour – the living room!

In the redesigned living room, our main entry door opens directly into the living room. But as you can see in the photo below, the house came with a full-height wall – with super cool cutout shelves – that sits directly beside the front door. Like, literally there is just a tiny sliver of space between the door trim and that wall. This makes for a really tight and awkward entrance, so we’ve kind of always known that removing this wall will be our first real project (don’t worry, you’ll see the cut-out again soon). It will allow so much more natural light into the living room and make it feel so much bigger. AND we’re gaining a proper little entry area! We once again we’ve kept the walls neutral to allow the saturated accent colors really shine.

Photorealistic 3D Image

 

2022 Listing Photo

 

This is the view from the backside of that wall – from when we bought the house in 2022. Thankfully I could see past the blow up furniture, because she’s got real potential! We added wall to wall storage cabinets across the far side of the room. Together, they give the appearance of an extra long credenza and trick the eye into believing the space is bigger than it actually is. For similar effect, we placed oversized graphic artwork on either side of the centered window and highlighted them with overhead lamps. If the space can hold these big things, the space itself must be big, right?! A little trick of the trade…

2022 Listing Photo

 

Photorealistic 3D Image

The wall mounted tv sits above a vintage credenze and is flanked by ovesized period inspired wall sconces. Because this sits directly across from a large window, we will invest in blackout shades to combat glare. For seating, we’ve chosen a neutral colored sofa and a classic pair of mid-century modern arm chairs. And upholstered benches in the entry area can be pulled over for extra seating for gatherings!

 

The last view we have for you when you step in from the front door. And if you’re still reading this – congrats – you just got a glimpse into one of the last rooms on our tour! Prepare yourself – the kitchen and dining room are going to be gooooood.

 

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Whole House Design + THE (new) COLLECTION

Over the summer I tackled one of my biggest fears – public speaking. I presented a business challenge to a women’s networking group and asked if anyone had connections within the short-term rental industry. I was just hoping that would be able to meet with someone that could help me better understand the industy. What I got was far beyond anything I could have imagined!

A participant sent a message to tell me about Reliable Residence; a new company that pairs traveling medical professionals with furnished housing. Brilliant! Healthcare workers deserve every bit of the comforts of home – and a good nights sleep.

On a hope and a prayer, I sent a message on LinkedIn and asked if I could pick their brain over lunch or coffee sometime. The owner, Christina, replied and ultimately changed the direction of the next few months! She said that they were launching their website soon and expecting to be contacted by homeowners still needing to furnish their spaces. Would I want to meet soon? Would I ever!

We had a delightful virtual meeting where I learned that she herself is a doctor and has horror stories about various accommodations during medical school rotation travels. I also learned that their clients really value a ‘lived in’ space that genuinely feels like a home and not a hotel. That means artwork and accessories and all the things. And it would be great if all of those things were available to them in one place.

Then she asked a pivotal question: Do you offer multiple-room packages? So someone could furnish up to a 4-bedroom house all at once? You know what – I have been thinking about that for awhile – but haven’t quite figured it out yet. Feels like this might be a good time for that, eh? Mission accepted!

SO. How can a Whole-House Design be both comprehensive AND affordable?! Well, it took some noodling, but we think we came up with a pretty good solution!

 

Because the personalized designs take up the majority of our time, we will reserve them for the most impactful rooms: the bedroom(s) and living room. These personalized designs include photorealistic 3D images of the new rooms and a custom clickable catalog with direct links to 8 of the most impactful products for each room. That means all those ‘big ticket’ items will be unique to you and truly reflect your style!

. . . . and  T H E N . . .

We layer in those accessories and decor items with our pre-fab designs in THE COLLECTION.

The Whole-House Design package includes 4 Collection designs of your choice! These designs only have clickable catalogs, are pre-selected, and are available for anyone to purchase directly from our website. You can filter by Collection type, room type, color scheme, and total product cost!

As we mentioned, the Collection designs do not include a photorealistic image. This is because they live on the website at all times for all to see. So it is challenging to provide you a preview without quite literally giving it all away. So here’s where we landed. The product image includes extreme close-ups of pivotal products you you can get a sense of the vibe…

…and then the descriptions are jam packed with all the details we can muster! In fact, these descriptions are a real treasure trove. They also include the Total Product Cost and icons to show you which products are included. The last thing we want is for there to be any surprises when you go to make the purchases.

 

 

If you have purcased a Collection design directly from the website, you will instantly receive the clickable catalog in your email inbox! However, if you are choosing them as part of your Whole-House Design, you will receive your personalized and pre-fab catalogs together.

You can click on any of the images or descriptions to see each of the products we’ve selected for you! Now you can put together your new room on your own timeline – and breathe that sigh of relief.

 

 

If you are interested in a Whole-House Design package, schedule a Free 15 Minute Meet + Greet here. If all goes well and you’re ready to get started, you will need to submit a $1,000 deposit and schedule your consultation.

If your project will be virtual, email us photos and dimensions of your room. If you need assistance, we’ve got a photo guide and measurement template to help you out.

During the consultation, we will talk about your budget, style, and needs for your space. We’ll take a look at the style boards on our Pinterest page and talk about what you react strongly to – both good and bad. And if you have your own boards going, we’ll want to check those out, too.

 

Thank you so much for choosing Insighed Designs! If you have any questions at all whatsoever, do not hesitate to ask! And if you have a one-room project to tackle, we can help with that, too. Check out our Online Interior Design package!

 

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our house remodel: the bathroom

Welcome to the next stop on our house remodel tour – the main level bathroom!

3D floor plan

 

There’s no getting around it…this is a small bathroom. Little. Diminutive. Tiny. But that is just what you get in a 1950’s ranch home. And we’re okay with it. Would this former long-time apartment dweller love to have enough room to twirl in here? Of course. But it’s got sneaky storage solutions and overall serves our needs just fine! But before we dive into her future, let’s take a look at her past. Here’s what we found from the 2013 listing:

Bathroom - 2013 listing

 

And here’s how it looked when we bought the house:

Bathroom - 2022 listing

 

Honestly, not a lot has changed since then…we even have a striped shower curtain. Ha!

 

small ranch bathroom

 

We have a lot of ideas about which direction we want to ultimately take the design of the bathroom. In the meantime – here’s our most modern and neutral contender. The black frame on the sleek new window speaks to the black hexagon tile floor and the shower panel frame.

small bathroom

 

 

The biggest change in this design is also the biggest space saver: replacing the bathtub with a walk-in shower. The small black hexagon tile floor carries into the shower for a seamless appearance. This little visual trick also help make the room feel bigger. And we know this tiny little bathroom needs all the help it can get in the space department.

 

small bathroom with shower

 

Unfortunately, a larger vanity is just not an option; instead we ensure it allows for maximum storage underneath. The arched mirror doubles as medicine cabinet for toiletry storage and there is basket storage in the cubbies above the laundry chute (it’s original…score!).

 

small bathroom

 

We again kept the walls neutral to allow the saturated accent colors in the artwork really shine. Similarly, the classic beveled subway tile is the perfect backdrop for the classic pub style footrest we’ve repurposed as foot support for leg shaving. These brass tones are carried throughout the room within the plumbing fixtures as the historical feel balances out the new modern touches.

Are you dreaming of remodeling your bathroom? Here at Insighed Designs, we believe in affordable interior design and would love to help! You can choose from our basic kitchen + bathroom package with 8 of the most impactful product selections or customize your package to change or add catalog items. You can also add space planning or work with us in person if you are within 25 miles of Madison, WI!  Each of our designs come with a photorealistic image of the room, design narrative, and a clickable catalog. You can then do the work yourself or give a copy to contractors for comparable bids!

 

Get ready for the next stop on our tour – the living room!

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Kitchen + Bathroom Design

Back in 2023, we gathered bids from design-build firms to remodel our 1500 SF ranch home. We were quoted $85k – $150k alone for the 10′ x 11′ kitchen. And then there was another $5,000 – $8,000 cost on top of that for the design. While I’m sure their work would have been great and the housing market is strong in Madison, the reality is that it’s just not smart to invest that much in this home.  I think there’s a lot of folks in a similar position to us – deciding between doing the work themselves or hiring a small contractor.

Early on in my interior design career, I worked for remodeling contractors designing kitchens and bathrooms. I learned that these are not projects you want to go into without a plan – regardless of how big or small your budget may be. That’s why we are now offering affordable kitchen and bathroom designs. Because everyone deserves to come home and breathe a sigh of relief.

 

How can we offer affordable kitchen and bathroom designs? We focus on the major players. Our basic package includes a standard set of 8 of the most impactful product selections. Then, you can customize your package if you want to add or change catalog items. You can also add space planning or work with us in person if you live within 25 miles of Madison, WI!

 

 

When you’re ready to get your kitchen or bathroom design started, submit a 50% deposit of the basic package fee and schedule your consultation. If your project will be virtual, email us photos and dimensions of your room. If you need assistance, we’ve got a photo guide and measurement template to help you out.

During the consultation, we will talk about your budget, style, and needs for your space. We’ll take a look at the style boards on our Pinterest page and talk about what you react strongly to – both good and bad.

 

After the consultation, you will receive a mini-moodboard with two sets of the four most impactful catalog items. This gives you a little preview and an opportunity to give us feedback on which direction to take the design. How do they make you feel? Does one of the options really hit the mark? Do you love the floor of one but the cabinet of another? Don’t like either of them? Whatever it is, I promise we want to know. Because we already know the road to a successful design experience is paved with your open and honest feedback.

CONGRATS – the time has come! Your completed design package will be received in your email inbox. The personalized photorealistic 3D images and design narrative are formatted to resemble a catalog with the final page linked to each products’ brand website.

 

It should be noted that including brand links is a departure from our furnishing design packages, which link directly to a vendor’s website. The reasoning for this is that kitchen and bathroom projects are usually completed by a contractor – who will provide you a bid based on pricing from their established vendor relationships. So we have designed our basic package to be used as tool to help you gather comparable bids from multiple contractors. Once you’ve chosen a contractor, they can use it as a guide for their design team and/or material vendors.

If you are DIY proficient and plan to do the work yourself, we’ve got you covered too! You can customize the basic package to include direct vendor links for just $250. During your consultation, we will discuss if there are any local or nationwide retailers you would prefer to patronize.

Thank you so much for choosing Insighed Designs. If you are interested in more of our affordable interior design offerings, check out The Collection!

boho bedroom with colorful rug

 

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our house remodel: the office

If you’ve been following along, you know that we’re planning to remodel our 1955 ranch home on the east side of Madison, WI. We’ve already talked about the new floor plan and design for the primary bedroom. We now continue our tour into the office – welcome!

 

Insighed Designs Remodel Primary Office Overview

Much like the room choice for the primary bedroom was obvious, the office knew its role from the beginning as well. Though its small footprint could also work well as a nursery or child’s bedroom. As you can see here, the previous two owners showed this room with a twin bed.

Insighed Designs - office remodel - before

 

 

Insighed Designs - office remodel - before

 

Insighed Designs - office remodel - before

When we bought the house, we decided this room would serve as my office. While I had furniture pieces that technically fit in the space, the room really didn’t function very well.

Insighed Designs - office remodel - before

 

Insighed Designs - office remodel - before

 

And we all know how I feel about that. So…to the drawing board we went! Having used the space for a few months, I knew it needed these three things:

  • a window seat for Willow
  • closed storage for supplies and a hidden printer
  • enough desk surface to fit a laptop and a freestanding monitor

We knew this iteration of the room would not be forever, so we kept the budget affordable. Incredibly, the combination of the Billy bookcase and a laminate countertop from IKEA sits just at window height for Willow. AND their Micke desk would just barely fill in the remaining length of the wall. Like, literally, within a half inch. And yes, in fact I did re-measure everything about a thousand times before pressing submit on that order – ha!

ID - space plan - before + after

This left the opposing wall open for more of that closed storage we need. Namely, the hidden printer. Now folks, I have dreamed of a vintage mid-century credenza for a very, very long time. When I realized this would be a great spot for the printer AND could actually fit into both this and the future vision for this office?! It took 2.5 seconds to decide to stretch the budget a little.

 

Insighed Designs - our remodel - office - desk view

 

 

Insighed Designs - our remodel - office - credenza

 

Someday, when the budget allows, we may consider adding custom millwork to the space. A wall-to-wall desktop is supported by a centered storage cabinet. Floating shelves fill the wall space above the desk.

 

Insighed Designs - office remodel 3D rendering

 

We kept the walls neutral to allow the wood tones to anchor the space. These heavier feeling wood tones balance out the levity of the floating desktop and shelves. Finally, the books, area rug, and artwork add just the right touch of bold color to the space.

 

Insighed Designs - office remodel 3D rendering

 

Who’s excited for the next stop on the tour? Up next….the bathroom!

 

3D floor plan

 

 

 

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our house remodel: the primary bedroom

Welcome to the second stop in our remodel tour! We’ll be talking about the design of each room on the main level, starting with the top left corner (the primary bedroom) and working our way around the main level to the new dining room.

Insighed Designs Remodel Primary Bedroom Overview

While the house technically has 4 bedrooms, it was pretty obvious which one would become the primary bedroom. One will become the dining room, the second only fits a twin bed, the third is downstairs and only the last one would fit a king sized bed. And this side sleeper really wanted to upgrade to a king sized bed. So, yeah. The primary bedroom was a pretty obvious choice.

We managed to find listing photos from two sales ago and here’s how they used the room. It appears they have a full or queen sized bed, two nightstands AND two dressers. Knowing the space, I can imagine it was quite challenging moving around the room.

Insighed Designs - primary bedroom - listing photos 2013 (2)

And here’s the ill fitting blow up bed from the listing photos from when we purchased the house in 2022.

Insighed Designs - primary bedroom - listing photo 2022

And here it is as the blank slate we started with! Since we were moving up to a king sized bed, there was really only one good spot for it: under the window across from the door. Now, some folks may say that a bed shouldn’t sit under a window. And I respect that. Doesn’t the light bother you in the morning? Nope; we added blackout shades. But how do raise and lower the shade? Ah, yes. Fair point. It’s not great, but also not impossible. And maybe someday we will incorporate automated shades?

But I digress. The king sized bed and two nightstands sit comfortably along that window wall. While the room doesn’t fit much more that, it works well for our needs. A fresh coat of paint and a few interesting pieces will make a big difference, don’t you think?Insighed Designs Primary Bedroom Space Plan

As for style, we want to incorporate mid-century pieces as a nod to the house’s roots, but lead with our own comfortable style. Which typically leans ‘light and bright’ with careful but fun additions of color. And this design certainly fits that bill! We kept the bigger components of the room neutral – warm white paint, natural oak floors, jute rug, and white bedding. Then brought in a contrasting bold black floral pattern on the curtains that sit behind a beautiful emerald green tufted headboard. The classic mid-century nightstands sit below a pair of modern globe pendants.

Insighed Designs Remodel Primary Bedroom Design

Which, by the way, you never really notice how much space a bedside lamp takes up until it’s gone. When you bedroom has a small footprint, every little bit counts. If you can relate – stay tuned! We’ve got some things in the works with you in mind. Everyone else stay tuned for the next room in the remodel design tour…the office!

Insighed Designs Remodel Primary Office Overview

 

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INSIGHED DESIGNS

nancy@insigheddesigns.com

Based in Madison, WI. Serving the world!

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