DESIGN JOURNAL

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

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,

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.

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

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

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 –

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

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

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

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 can

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”

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