January 21, 2024 - Dara Agruss Design

Beds in Front of Windows: Usually the Right Answer, If You Solve Four Things

A modern bedroom with a large bed, two gray pillows, a blue upholstered bench at the foot, two abstract paintings, and a chandelier overhead.

Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways Putting the bed in front of a window is not a mistake. It is often the only arrangement that respects the proportions of the room. Centre the bed on the window rather than on the wall. If the two disagree, the window wins almost every time. Leave four […]

How to Brighten Up a Living Room: Contrast Does More Than White Paint

Modern living room with white curved sofa, two white chairs, a black chaise lounge, round coffee table, large rug, potted plant, and wall art with decorative sconces above a dark credenza.

Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways Separate the two problems. Too little light is a quantity problem. A room that reads dull is a contrast problem, and they have opposite solutions. Adding something genuinely dark makes a room look brighter, because brightness is relative and the eye needs a reference. Start outside. Clean glass […]

Steps to Remodel a Bathroom: Almost Everything Is Decided Before Demolition

A modern bathroom vanity with a gray cabinet, marble countertop, rectangular sink, hexagonal mirror, wall sconces, and a vase of flowers on the counter.

Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways The sequence is not a matter of preference. Each stage physically depends on the one before it, which is why the order barely varies between projects. Nearly every decision has to be made before demolition. Choosing fixtures during the work is the single most common cause of delay. […]

Interior Design vs Design Build: The Real Question Is Who Represents You

Bright living room with built-in shelves, a fireplace, wall-mounted TV, gray armchairs, light sofa, coffee table, and a large potted plant in the foreground.

Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways The labels matter less than three things: who holds the drawings, who manages the trades, and whose advocate the designer is when quality and schedule conflict. In design build, the designer is employed by the builder. That is not a scandal, it is a structure, and it should […]

Why Get Custom Furniture: Three Situations Where Nothing Else Works

A dark blue built-in bookshelf filled with assorted books, decorative objects, and a rolling ladder positioned in front.

Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways Custom is not automatically better. It earns its place in three situations: awkward dimensions, a function nobody manufactures, and pieces meant to last decades. The test is usually a measurement. If nothing about your room is unusual, ready-made will fit and there is no reason to commission. A […]

Best White Interior Paint Shades: Undertone and LRV Decide Everything

A modern living room with neutral-toned furniture, built-in shelves, a wall-mounted TV, large windows, and a potted plant near the sofa.

Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways There is no white that works everywhere. A white is defined by its undertone and its light reflectance value, and the room decides which one is right. Every white has an undertone. Yellow, pink, green, grey or blue. It is invisible on a card and unmistakable across four […]

Fireplace Mantel Height, and How to Update Stone or Brick

A modern living room with a black stone fireplace, a large white vase with greenery, two small textured stools, a round rug, and a guitar in the alcove.

Last updated August 31, 2026 Key Takeaways Most mantel shelves land between 54 and 60 inches from the finished floor, and roughly 12 inches above the top of the firebox opening. The firebox sets the mantel height, not the ceiling. A 10 foot ceiling changes what happens above the shelf, not where the shelf goes. […]

How to Decorate a Long Hallway: Give It Somewhere to Go

A modern staircase with white paneled walls, a large window, and a hanging chandelier with multiple glass globe lights.

Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways A long hallway fails because it has no destination. Fix the far end first and most of the problem goes with it. Do not decorate both walls equally. Give one wall the art and keep the other quiet, or the corridor feels like a squeeze. Light in pools […]

Mixing Traditional and Modern Furniture: Pick a Host and a Guest

A living room with a brown leather sofa, two white armchairs, a wooden coffee table, a decorative fireplace, wall sconces, and a large indoor plant.

Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways Do not aim for a fifty-fifty blend. A room split evenly between two styles reads as indecision rather than as a mix. Decide which style is the host and which is the guest. Roughly eighty-twenty is the ratio that looks deliberate. The architecture is always the host. If […]

Front Door Opens Into the Living Room: How to Build a Threshold Without Building a Wall

A round black table with gold decor, two green velvet ottomans, and a tall black vase with pampas grass, set against a staircase with black railings and white walls.

Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways The problem is not the missing hallway. It is that the room has no threshold, so you arrive in the middle of the living space with no pause. The single most effective move is orientation: arrange the seating so you arrive behind the sofa, and the sofa back […]

Day: January 21, 2024