As part owner of Studio K Interior Design + Furniture (studiokandco.com), Kristen Dommel was already equipped with the interior design skills she needed to create her dream craft room, but she insists it’s more than strong design principles that make a dream room.
“The best way to create your dream space is to make it personal for you,” explains Dommel. “Start with an object that has specific meaning to you, then build your design around that.”
Anything from personal photos to artwork can function as a starting point, and it’s always useful to “shop your home” first. You may get used to an item in a certain setting, but it can take on a whole new look in a new space.
Dommel designed her dream craft room with the intention to make it multi-purpose and multi-functional for both herself and her school-aged daughters. It was important to create a “welcoming space that made them feel good about being there.”
Bathed in natural light with pops of bright color, the room feels inviting, but it’s also designed to be purposeful. Dommel wanted to provide the girls with an environment they’d feel comfortable in—even for more unpleasant tasks, like homework! Despite having zoned areas within the room to make it functional for all ages, both mom and girls gravitate toward the hanging chairs by the windows. Dommel admits to drinking her coffee in those chairs every morning.
“It’s where I go to feel grounded and to gather my thoughts,” she shares. The neutral background gives the space a restful feel, but the “purposeful injections” keep it fun, colorful, and personal to the inhabitants.
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Dommel and her partner at Studio K, Karen Frank, never overlook the personal touches that make a space appealing to the person living in it.
“The biggest part for us is interviewing the client to find out about them,” shares Dommel. “We want to get to the core of what they like—what features they’re drawn to, what colors they gravitate towards. Sometimes it takes a few meetings, but we want to get it right because they’ll be the ones living in it.”
Making changes can be intimidating, but Dommel stresses that it’s important to remember the end vision and trust the process. Even minor changes can give your room a whole new perspective.
