A fireplace is often the centerpiece of a room, but what if yours isn’t delivering the warmth or joy you crave? As an East Bay interior designer, I know just…
In today's tech-savvy world, snapping photos of your home's interior has never been easier or more popular. You don't need to be a pro to showcase your design flair –…
I happened to stop by at my returning clients’ home in Walnut Creek, CA recently. I was in the area and they hired me for a new project working on…
Many of my interior design clients and friends ask me about wallpaper. In Japan, regular walls almost always have wallpaper of some kind, whereas in the U.S., we mostly have…
Your home is a direct reflection of who you are as a person. It has a huge impact on your day to day activities and the productivity you can achieve.…
As a Japanese interior designer living in California, I have always been fascinated by Japanese architecture and Scandinavian design. Even before “Japandi” became a popular trend, I often found myself…
With 2022 already on the horizon, this year seemed to fly by. When looking toward the next year, colors with primary earthy tones along with focusing on the “feeling” of…
Here are the 4 biggest interior design trends for 2021. Interior design trends are always influenced by changes in fashion and culture. Most of us are okay to say goodbye…
https://vimeo.com/985273035 Whether you are in a tiny apartment in the city or live on a rural countryside in a farmhouse, you might have some open shelving in your home that…
Before: Unnecessary Architectural Separation This home’s kitchen and living area needed some serious work! For one thing, the wall separating the dining space from the kitchen made this house feel…
Meet the designer Yoko Oda. Yoko is an interior designer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was born in Japan, where her mother is a famous floral designer.…
2020 Interior design trends forecast by Yoko Oda of Yoko Oda Interior Design. Top 3 of 2020 Home and Interior Design Trends. Design Trend#1: Gray is fading out. Interior designers…
In residential luxury homes, hardwood flooring has been a top flooring choice for my clients. Hardwood adds value to your home and is certainly a timeless, beautiful design element. It…
When people think about interior design, they envision glamorous, totally wild, creative artists. I think many would be surprised to discover that I mathematically think about the space planning and…
This blog is a bit personal, because color is personal and purple/violet is one of my favorite colors. I personally like cool colors more than warm ones. I get tired…
Big interior design projects are residential projects over 3,000 square feet. Big projects include remodeling most public spaces—living room, family room, kitchen—and private spaces—bathrooms and bedrooms. The minimum it will…
Terry and Steve moved from Seattle to Walnut Creek to retire in sunny California. The 1200 square foot condominium was dingy, cluttered, and lacking the open, airy, indoor-outdoor California feeling…
I want to help you to DESIGN YOUR ROOM! Yes, it’s a room, not a house. My interior design philosophy is to divide and conquer! This room should be…
What is Biophilic Design in Interior Design? Biophilic Design or green architecture may be new concepts to you so let me explain. Biophilia translates to “love of nature." As humans,…
Trending Elements in Interior Design What's trending in interior design? As the year is starting to wind down and we begin to think about projects for next year, it is…
Textiles are one of the key elements. Texture is an often overlooked factor in interior design but all successful rooms possess different levels of texture that work together to keep…
Do you want to know the secret to creating a space that shines above the rest? Does your living space seem to be lacking warmth even though it is cohesive…
Create a Focal Point Paint is one way to transform your space as you have learned from my previous blogs about paint but wallpaper can take your space to the…
Lighting is an often overlooked design detail when you are thinking of remodeling or buying a home but it is also one of the most important elements of design. I…
Now that you have decided on the perfect cabinet door style with a little help from my previous blogs, it is time to start thinking of backsplash inspiration. There are…
In my previous blog, we talked about my favorite cabinet door and drawer styles. In this blog we will explore cabinet finish, construction, and finishing touches. Cabinet is one of…
Cabinet Door Styles There are many different styles of cabinet doors from heavily ornate to a sleek slab panel. After deciding on a door style, cabinet stain, paint, and hardware…
Think of your room as an outfit. You can wear a classic tee and jeans to blend in or you can make the look your own by adding unique accessories.…
I often get asked, “Should I use the same paint finish in different rooms?” My answer is "It depends!" Choosing a paint finish can be a daunting task for the…
Finishing touches are not afterthoughts; they need to be thoughtfully planned when you decorate your space. Even the most interesting design can look bland and basic without the appropriate finishing…
You’ve just bought a new house and you want to move in, but you need to make the space your own so you decided to hire an interior designer. Here…
Designers often use mood boards to convey ideas, moods, feelings and materials that are hard to communicate in other ways. Mood boards come in handy when you are tackling decorating…
Many customers ask me about window treatments. When your house has unusual shaped windows, what would you do for window treatments? We call these unusual shaped windows “specialty shaped windows”…
Frameless Shower Doors Dear Yoko, Will my frameless shower “leak” water? This is a common myth that shower doors are all watertight. They are NOT perfectly watertight!! A frameless shower…
Dear Yoko, How do you select window coverings? Light! Light! Light! When you consider window coverings, the first thing you need to consider is how much light you would like…
Design Lessons on Colors As an interior designer, I am asked most frequently about paint and paint colors. Picking paint colors for your home can be daunting. I like to…
Dear Yoko, What’s your favorite stone countertop edge? Deciding on a countertop edge is probably the last thing you would think about during kitchen and bath remodels. A lot goes…
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