Let’s face it: like with most things, budget is a factor when it comes to home design. It would be nonsense to say otherwise; I’m a realistic renovator after all, not ridiculous.
The good news for the other 99%, however, is money and style aren’t mutually exclusive. Just ask [insert nameless big name starts here]. While a Scrooge McDuck-style mountain of cash certainly doesn’t hurt a home facelift, a little creativity and willingness to dig in can go A LONG WAY.
What often prevents people from achieving their dream home
More than any price tag, what often keeps people away from creating their ideal space is this: fear. Home reno jitters is a real thing. The intimidation factor that a little sheetrock and shag carpet present can be so real, in fact, that a little concern cocktail quickly becomes an immovable mountain, permanently blocking the view to a could-be personal palace.
Let’s start out with a quick experiment: Look around and take a quick stock of your space — what does it say about you? Are you tired? Plain? Expected? The dreaded expected…eek. (Whatever it is, this is a judgment-free zone.)
Now, what do you want it to say about you? Never mind the current style, your perceived skill set, budget, or any other limitation your brain can dream up. Push all of that out of your head. Simply ask yourself, what motivates you? What gets you out of bed? What makes you tick? (You didn’t know you were in for an existential reality check, did you?)
Enter: Home-Made High-End
Next, I’ll take a crack at our little experiment. Although it hasn’t always been this way, when I look around my home, I see what I like. I like a thing… and another… and suddenly, those things are present all around my home. While there’s clearly a defined style, it’s really as simple as that. (Dare I say) it’s a space that knows itself.
Upscale industrial is totally a thing.
To get more specific, I like to call my aesthetic “upscale industrial.” (That’s right. I have named my look.) Call it ego, call it wackadoodlery, or call it what you will, but I’m telling you — defining what you want to see more of is like having a golden compass fall right into your lap. Sometimes one little kernel of an idea is all it takes to achieve genius.
But, things haven’t always looked this way. Not by a long shot. I’ve been in your shoes; I’ve planned and executed a home renovation from the ground up. And, my budget was anything but unlimited, so I really had to make my money stretch as far as possible. That meant getting creative, being hands on, and doing some good old-fashioned research. At the heart of it all, that’s the HMHE essence.
Luckily, I also just so happen to generally nerd out over this stuff. With that said, I’d like to use that combo and take a little bit of the heavy lifting off your hands. I’ll share my insights, likes, and project details. And you can, well, just read along if you’d like. Simple as that.
Shamelessly bringing loft style to the ‘burbs
The HMHE Vibe
If you’ve come this far, we might as well get the like and dislike checklist out of the way. If you find yourself running down it with increasing shared enthusiasm, then we just might be style soulmates. In which case, welcome to my playground — we’re going to have a GREAT time. (Maniacal cackling ensues.)
Oooh yeah
- Black, white, and metallics
- Art-deco overtones
- Geometric shapes and straight lines all the time (the modern-day art deco equivalent)
- Industrial features (think metal, brick, wood and other raw materials)
- The marriage of old and new, high and low, unpolished and sophisticated
- An awesome patio view, preferably with a cocktail in-hand
- If you’ve ever said you had “caviar tastes on a cat food budget”
- If you love all things moody and brooding with a razor-sharp sense of humor
Yeah… not so much
- soulless, meaningless artwork
- Most colors (controversial, I know, but we’ll get into it)
- Mass produced aesthetics (my apologies, Karen)
- Overly floral, glam, rustic, kitschy, or gaudy (Not MY bag, but you do you!)
Even if this list doesn’t tick off all the checkmarks for you, ALL are welcome here. This reflects my personal taste and, therefore, will frequently pop up in my home designs and some of my selections. However, I appreciate A LOT of beautiful styles and will aim to showcase those things here as well. Ultimately, I say follow the design YOU love — even if that takes you to an exotic weekend at Bed Bath & Beyond. In that case, rock that BB&B getaway, guuuurl!
What this brand is all about
Create the space you own in meaningful ways that are controllable by you.
With Home-Made High-End, I’ll always advocate for owning your space in ways that are meaningful to you and controllable by you. My belief is that your space should ultimately be a reflection of you. So, find that thing, whatever it is, and grapple with it UFC-style if you have to. No matter what you do, hold onto it for dear life. Because, that, my friends, is where our work begins. Are you ready to elevate the space you have? I sure hope so, because the crazy train is leaving the station!
