Decorating and Design Tips from Louise Brooks

Traditional Home has been showing houses and kitchens designed by Louise Brooks for more than 15 years. The Connecticut architectural designer founded her design business in 1988; the firm is now known as Brooks and Falotico. Her design talents are varied, but anyone renovating a house (and especially a kitchen) take note: She has a wonderful ability to reconfigure a space while keeping it appropriate to a home’s design, using every square inch to great advantage.

Here are Louise’s simple, creative tips for using space well and for giving your home a design lift.

Expand Your Storage Space

Grab some extra storage space when you need it with these handy retractable hanging rods. They stow away when not needed, but give you a visual reminder to bring in your dry cleaning when they are extended.

Clean up the Kitchen Counter

The under-counter paper-towel holder is an absolute must for every perfect kitchen. Built right into the cabinetry, it is at your fingertips for daily use, but is out of sight to keep your kitchen pristine.

Simplify Your Sink

Sometimes you just need an extra hand in the kitchen, or in this case, a foot. Add a foot pedal to your sink. It’s a simple, inexpensive luxury that will make life easier.

Create the Best Home Bar

The family bartender always appreciates bottle storage that is easy to access. A 6-inch-deep and 6-inch-high bottle well along the back of the bar does just the trick. It hides the busy labels while keeping the liquor at hand for the next round of drinks.

Design with a Fountain of Fun

No longer just for school, a water fountain in your kitchen or mudroom is a great way to satisfy thirsty children running around on a hot day. It’s the ultimate functional indulgence for the whole family—think how many dirty glasses it eliminates—and it’s just plain fun.

Floor the Entry for Function

Recess a coco floor mat so that it is flush with your finish floor. This creates a neat, dirt-free, no hassle entry area.

Treat Your Dog to Special Digs

Your dog is a member of the family and deserves his own retreat. Include a comfortable built-in home for your best friend and you will no longer have to live with a bulky crate.

Hide Appliances in the Architecture

Ironing becomes a major chore when it involves locating, extracting and clumsily setting up the laundry board. Solve the space problem and the hassle in one go with this ironing board concealed in beadboard paneling.

Open up with a Glass Ceiling

Open up any room to the great outdoors with an elegant glass ceiling. The division and pattern of the glass can be coordinated with your home’s design.

Conceal Computer Cables

Make unsightly computer cables a thing of the past by concealing them behind handsome wood paneling. This smart solution allows easy access but keeps your office looking tidy.

Brick up an Old World Look

Thin “English Pub” brick brings instant, cost-effective Old World charm to any space. We use it on floors and walls, and it looks great in the kitchen, mudroom, wine cellar, or billiards room.

Install a Unique Outdoor Shower

Nothing is more refreshing than a shower al fresco, and this special place requires special attention. Create a walled garden feel or bring the indoors out and make the outdoor shower a true extension of the bathroom.

Add Instant Age to Hardwood Floors

Looking for that warm, antiqued feel in your home? Edge rolling and hand planing of lumber flooring quickly creates the highly sought-after patina of age on new material.

Sensationalize Your Stair Railings

The stairs are an important architectural feature in any home that often go dismissed. Flat-sawn balusters are economical and allow plenty of opportunity for personalization.

Kitchen Designed by Louise Brooks

See the beautiful kitchen that Louise designed for a special client—her own sister—in Kitchen Remodel: Finding Space.

You’ll also want to visit the Web site of Louise’s design firm.