Style Q&A: Interior Design Blogger Sarah Gibson

Meet Sarah Gibson – a lifestyle and interior design blogger based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the founder of lifestyle blog Room for Tuesday, where inspiration and unique content is generated for world-wide readers.

Recently, Sarah updated her closet and guest bedroom with Nostalgic Warehouse products. Read below to learn about how she picked the hardware and more details on her renovation projects.

I feel like my design and overall aesthetic is constantly changing and evolving. It’s tough to nail down one particular style. I’m attracted to lots of looks: eclectic, industrial, masculine, regency, modern, and even traditional. I know that doesn’t answer the question directly, but the thing I like most is challenging myself to find a way to curate decor and furniture of different styles in a single space. I suppose I like a “collected” look.

Make every inch count! I’m also constantly asking myself questions… is this functional? Does this maximize my space? If considering open storage, will it look appealing or disorganized? Realistically, will I keep this space tidy?

In addition, I’m a big fan of purging. When downsizing to a smaller home, I had to part with a lot of things. I’m realizing less is more. Clutter is never good.

I love the historic styles! I try to use timeless and classic materials throughout my home… nothing permanent (like hardware) should be too trendy. I also love the quality and heaviness of Nostalgic Warehouse hardware… you can immediately feel that it is nice and substantial.

In my last home, I opted for vintage restored glass knobs. This time around I knew I wanted brass. It’s pretty difficult to find a good brass finish. There are a lot of bad, cheap looking options on the market. Nostalgic Warehouse had one of the few good finishes (Antique Brass) and I was immediately sold. I also fell in love with the hammered Craftsman Knobs. I adore that handcrafted texture. The hammered sets are currently being installed on all of our interior doors (bedrooms, bathroom, office, etc). The French closet doors boast a matching set of the ovaled (non hammered) Homestead knobs. I like a little variation. I’m not into the super “matchy” look.

Most definitely! As I mentioned above, finding the right finish is half the battle. Once I find a finish I like, I prefer to stick with that brand throughout the home. Variety within style is key, but I’m a little OCD about keeping the finishes somewhat consistent.

In addition to the interior doors and closet doors, I’ll definitely need hardware in our kitchen. My husband and I are also discussing a potential add-on, which means lots of custom opportunities. I’d love a built-in armoire or custom storage solution. That would be ideal for showing off beautiful hardware.

Each closet takes about two weeks. From designing, ordering, installation, customization, trim, and paint… it’s a lot of work. I’m very detail oriented and so is my contractor (aka, my husband). We like to take our time and make it the best it can be.

In regards to our renovation, we’re expecting the entire house to take about a year. We both have full-time jobs and renovate after hours and on weekends.

I typically begin by finding inspiration. It’s sounds stupid, but it could be anything from a trip to an art gallery, traveling, or a simple internet browsing session. Once I have ideas bouncing around my brain, I begin putting together mood boards using items within our budget. From there, I’ll order samples and see how everything looks together as a whole (in person). If everything goes as planned and looks cohesive, I’ll begin ordering. Once everything has arrived (I usually buy everything online), my husband and I plan installation. We’ll figure out where to start and give ourselves a timeline. Once a project is completely installed, it’s time to style. That’s my favorite part of the process! Lastly, I shoot and share the results with the world on my blog.

Absolutely! We have a guide to kitchen hardware positioning… you can find that here. I also recommend finding a balance. For example I centered the hardware on the French doors because it felt best from a visual standpoint, but it’s also an ideal placement and is at easy-to-open waist height. Sometimes each situation is unique.

After all five closets have been completed (we’re on 3/5), I’ll be revealing the guest room. It’s actually already finished, but has yet to be styled and shot. From there, you can also expect to see the living room, bathroom, master bedroom, office, kitchen, dining room, laundry room, and outdoor living area. As I previously stated, we’d eventually like to add-on. We’re brainstorming ways to add a level that would include a garage and master suite, but it might be a bit before the budget allows.

Aside from my own renovation, I’m constantly blogging at Room for Tuesday and taking on design clients at Tuesday Made. In the little spare time I have, I’m enjoying the state of Utah, getting outside, and training our newest rescue dog. There’s never a dull moment!