THE ART OF ONLINE HOME-DECOR SHOPPING
A third-generation interior design aficionado let her fingers do the shopping for her new house
SEATTLE— Granted, Hayley Francis holds a couple practical advantages over the rest of us run-of-the-mill, do-it-ourselves-ers.
Francis is the trend and design manager of online home-furnishing company the Mine. It’s fair to assume she’s plugged in to cool things.
Her mother, Laurie Francis, was a professional interior designer whose own mother also was “big on interior design,” Francis says. So it’s also fair to assume she has a natural way with stylish things.
Yet Francis’s eclectic taste is all hers — as is the total DIY decor of her fabulous 1922 Craftsman home in Seattle’s Roosevelt neighbourhood. She’s spent three years — and more than 100 hours on Etsy alone — curating treasures, old and new.
All told, it’s an 1,800-square-foot living lesson in online decor shopping. And Francis tells us how she did it.
Where did you start?
I bought the house in August 2014. My goal was that I always wanted a black-and-white tile kitchen, so the fact that I found one with the floor, in my price range, was pure luck. I painted the walls white (they were grey). Grey made you feel locked in. Avoid grey in Seattle!
When I got here, I had the bar, dining table and the little mini-chair from my mom, who would smoke her cigarettes by the fire in that little chair. Figure out where you’ll spend most of the time, and start there. I knew it would be the living room, with the fireplace and TV, so I bought the sofa first.
How did you make your plan?
(For the kitchen cabinets and trim) I got a bunch of swatches — really bright green — and went on Pinterest. I really started researching. I knew the vision in my head. Paint is really hard.
Between buying my sofa and moving in, I had been sketching out a plan and dimensions.
I knew where the pieces would go. I do e-design on a computer — I’ll lay out a space, based on dimensions, on an e-design board. I would advise having a focal point, otherwise you’ll buy things you like and not know what to do with them.
How do you choose a focal point?
I used rugs as a way to make my house feel cohesive. I knew my colour palette: salmon pinks and greens and white. Some say it’s always a sofa or something specific, but that’s not true. You have to keep your dimensions in check, but otherwise, what- ever you want can be a focal piece. (In the master bedroom), the first thing was the wallpaper; that was the focal piece.
What’s it like to pick out pieces without touching them?
I had to take a risk. For one rug, I stared at it for months and got it down to $300. I knew it was flatweave, so I sent an email and said, “This is how I’m interpreting the colour.” Always email. Online, there’s so much more. You can’t touch or feel it, but you can research it.
How do you work with an online seller to customize a piece?
If you see a piece that needs four weeks or more of lead time, it’s probably made to order. A lot can’t be customized, but it’s always worth asking — for instance, ask to tailor it to your space. Oftentimes, there’s no change (in price) unless it’s larger.
What can you do to determine an online seller is reputable?
Check the reviews. And if it’s nonreturnable, don’t do it. Only order from places that will return, with a shipping label and pickup schedule.
What are the advantages to doing so much online?
I like to find things nobody else has. What’s also cool: I’m five-foot-two and live on my own — I can’t carry big things upstairs. I can order it assembled or installed: one-stop shopping.
How do you pace yourself?
You have to take your time, or you’ll have regrets.
It’s better to buy something you’re going to keep. I also took my time for financial reasons. If you can’t afford it, wait and do it right.