We don’t mean to rush things, but August signals the start of the countdown to Fall. It’s that time when back-to-school shopping kicks off, fall sports teams start forming their rosters, and vacation mode begins to power down. So, what does this transition mean for your home? As you stow away your suitcases and pool floats and move your paper plates and plastic cups back to the pantry, it’s a great moment to consider what’s next for your living space.

Well, as we transition from the sweltering heat of summer to the crisp embrace of fall, the world of interior design is undergoing a vibrant shift. Fall 2024 promises to bring a rich palette of trends that blend comfort, sophistication, and a nod to our planet’s wellbeing. Whether you're refreshing your space or embarking on a full redesign, here’s a glimpse into what’s trending this season.

1. Earthy Tones and Warm Hues

This fall, the color palette is all about grounding and warmth. Expect to see deep, earthy tones like terracotta, ochre, and rich browns dominating interiors. These colors evoke a sense of calm and stability, perfect for creating cozy, inviting spaces. Accent these hues with warm neutrals and shades of cream to balance out the intensity and add a touch of light.

2. Textural Layers

Texture is taking center stage this fall. Designers are layering different materials to create dynamic, tactile experiences. Think plush velvet sofas, chunky knit throws, and woven rugs. This approach not only adds visual interest but also enhances comfort. Mixing textures—like pairing a sleek leather chair with a soft, knitted ottoman—creates a more layered and sophisticated look.

3. Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Materials

Sustainability continues to be a major focus in interior design. This fall, look for eco-friendly materials such as reclaimed wood, bamboo, and recycled metals. Designers are also embracing upcycled furniture and decor, giving new life to vintage pieces. Not only does this trend benefit the environment, but it also adds a unique, personal touch to your home.

4. Artisanal Craftsmanship

Handcrafted items are making a strong comeback. This season, there’s a focus on artisanal craftsmanship, including handmade ceramics, bespoke textiles, and custom furniture. These one-of-a-kind pieces bring a sense of individuality and authenticity to your space. Artisanal items often have stories behind them, adding depth and character to your home.

5. Rich Patterns and Bold Prints

Patterns are getting bolder and more intricate this fall. Expect to see a resurgence of geometric designs, floral motifs, and abstract prints. These patterns are not just confined to textiles but are also making their way onto wallpapers and furniture upholstery. The key is to balance bold prints with solid colors to prevent overwhelming the space.

6. Mid-Century Modern Revival

The mid-century modern aesthetic is making a strong return this fall. Characterized by clean lines, organic shapes, and a minimalist approach, this style seamlessly blends with contemporary trends. Look for furniture pieces with tapered legs, curved silhouettes, and retro-inspired details. The combination of mid-century charm with modern elements creates a timeless, elegant look.

7. Warm Metals and Natural Stone

Warm metals like brass, bronze, and copper are trending, adding a touch of luxury and sophistication to interiors. These metals are often paired with natural stone, such as marble or granite, creating a rich, textured contrast. Consider incorporating these materials through lighting fixtures, hardware, or accent pieces to add a touch of elegance to your space.

8. Personalized Spaces

Fall 2024 is all about creating spaces that reflect your personal style. The focus is on curating a home that tells your story, whether through eclectic decor, family heirlooms, or unique finds. Personalization makes a space truly yours, so don’t be afraid to mix and match elements that resonate with you.

9. Biophilic Design Elements

The desire to connect with nature remains strong, with biophilic design elements being prominent this fall. Incorporating indoor plants, natural light, and organic materials helps to create a calming, restorative environment. Plants like ferns, succulents, and trailing vines add life and freshness to any room, bridging the gap between indoors and outdoors.

10. Cozy Nooks and Reading Corners

As the days grow shorter and cooler, the demand for cozy, intimate spaces within the home increases. Create your own haven with a comfy reading nook or a plush corner for relaxation. Incorporate soft lighting, comfortable seating, and plenty of throw pillows to make these spaces inviting and warm.

As you embrace these fall 2024 interior design trends, remember that the most important aspect is to create a space that feels right for you. Whether you're drawn to rich textures, sustainable choices, or personalized touches, let your home reflect your unique personality and style. Here’s to a season of warmth, creativity, and stylish living!

Check out our portfolio for inspiration, or visit our Wellesley or Wilmington locations for an informal chat about your ideas.

While everyones trying to book the best deals, the last minute flights, organizing dog sitting and plant watering, you wonder; why do we do this to ourselves? We pay so much to have a home, why not be able to enjoy it? By simply putting the next few vacations aside, the money you would’ve spent on some 1 week all-inclusive resort, you can turn your home into your own at-home oasis. What better treat than to come home from work and kickback in the Refined home of your dreams?

1. Embracing Summer: The Art of Slowing Down with Customized Interior Design

As the sun climbs higher and the days stretch longer, summer often becomes synonymous with endless activity and outdoor adventures. But amidst the rush to seize every moment of sunshine, there's a serene alternative waiting within the comfort of our homes. This season, why not indulge in the art of slowing down and savoring the pleasures of customized interior and exterior spaces? Right in your home, the way you want it, and exactly the way you’ve always imagined it.

2. Creating Your Personal Oasis

Your home is more than just a place to rest your head—it's a canvas for self-expression and relaxation. Summer invites us to reflect this vibrant energy indoors through thoughtful interior design. Whether you're drawn to the calming hues of coastal blues or the warmth of earthy tones reminiscent of a sun-soaked afternoon, your space can embody the essence of summer year-round.

3. Bringing the Outdoors In

While summer beckons us outside, bringing elements of nature indoors can cultivate a soothing sanctuary. Consider incorporating natural textures such as rattan furniture or bamboo accents, or introducing houseplants to breathe life into your living spaces. These touches not only enhance aesthetics but also foster a connection with the outdoors, promoting tranquility and rejuvenation.

4. Curating Comfort and Ease

In the hustle and bustle of summer activities, our homes offer a retreat where comfort reigns supreme. Soft, plush furnishings beckon you to unwind, while ambient lighting sets the mood for relaxation after a day under the sun. Personalize your space with cozy throws, cushions in playful prints, or a hammock chair that invites you to sway gently with a good book.

5. Celebrating Personal Style

Summer is the perfect season to celebrate your unique style and infuse it into every corner of your home. Whether your taste leans towards minimalist chic, bohemian flair, or classic elegance, let your personality shine through in your decor choices. Display cherished mementos from summer adventures or showcase artwork that captures the essence of the season—it's these personal touches that transform a house into a home.

6. Time Well Spent

In a world that often glorifies constant motion, summer encourages us to slow down and savor moments of quiet joy. Embracing customized interior design allows us to create a space where time seems to slow, where we can fully appreciate the beauty of our surroundings and the company of loved ones. Whether it's enjoying a leisurely breakfast by a sunlit window or hosting an intimate gathering with friends, these are the moments that define summer and create lasting memories.

This summer, amidst the flurry of activities and outdoor escapades, take the time to rediscover the tranquility and joy of your customized home. Embrace the art of slowing down, where every corner reflects your unique style and invites you to relax, recharge, and reconnect. Let your home be a sanctuary that celebrates the essence of summer—inside and out.

Contact us or visit our Wilmington or Wellesley location to create your dream home.

SOME OF THE VIBRANT FACES OF THE NEW ENGLAND’S DESIGN AND BUILD COMMUNITY!

Did you attend our NE Home Event on 5/16 at our Wellesley location? If you missed it, check out some of the photos below captured by Matt Stone. This networking event consisted of delicious food, great drinks, amazing people and unforgettable moments. So you think these can designers can design? Watch them putt! NE Home took to the Refined Putting Green and together we raised $500 for Habitat for Humanity.

Vendors, designers, builders, engineers, craftsmen, project managers, photographers, full teams and entrepreneurs all took to Refined’s Wellesley Showroom to celebrate NE Home Magazine’s May-June issue. To have that many creative minds in one building was such an uplifting experience. From ‘networking’ to chatting on personal levels, professional connections were made and some friendships blossomed. We even had Erin Gates with Element Style, along with Youngblood Builders who were featured on this issue’s front cover.

What an experience it was! Thank you all for attending, and we look forward to connecting and collaborating in the near future.

With the month of may comes promise of warmer days, longer evenings, and the anticipation of summer just around the corner. It’s a time when we dust off the grills, launch our boats, and eagerly plan cookouts with friends and family. The first day of May marks the unofficial beginning of the pre-summer lifestyle, where outdoor living takes center stage. For many of us, our homes become an extension of our lifestyle, reflecting our love for outdoor activities and the desire to soak up the sun. This is where the importance of a well-designed outdoor space comes into play. Gone are the days of simple patios and basic backyard setups. Today, outdoor kitchens, pergolas, and refined outdoor spaces are the epitome of luxury living.

Imagine stepping into your backyard and being greeted by the sight of a beautifully designed outdoor kitchen, complete with a state-of-the-art grill, sleek countertops, and ample seating for guests. The scent of barbecue fills the air as you gather around the fire, sharing stories and laughter late into the evening. But outdoor living is not just about entertaining—it’s about creating a lifestyle that seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor spaces. It’s about redefining the flow and consistency throughout your home to mirror your way of life. This may mean extending your living area with a spacious deck or patio, installing bi-fold doors that blur the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, or adding a pergola to provide shade and style to your outdoor oasis. The beauty of renovating your home to embrace outdoor living is that it’s not just about aesthetics—it’s about enhancing your quality of life. It’s about creating a space where you can unwind after a long day, host memorable gatherings with loved ones, and connect with nature in a meaningful way.

As we celebrate the first day of May and eagerly anticipate the joys of summer, let’s take this opportunity to reimagine our homes as havens of outdoor living. Whether it’s through the addition of an outdoor kitchen, the construction of a pergola, or the redesign of your backyard space, let’s embrace the pre-summer lifestyle and create outdoor spaces that truly reflect who we are and how we want to live. Are you in the Greater Boston area? We’ve got showrooms in Wilmington and Wellesley. View some of our past work here - our in-house team handles both interiors and design & build services. Let’s get refining!

Sometimes some ‘zhuzhing’ can do the trick!

In the realm of home design, the principle of less is more can be a great start to finding your home’s style and really help you get rid of that ‘junk’. We know it’s not junk, but is it what you want around your home? Do you want to look at it every day? Embracing this ethos, the art of zhuzhing introduces a minimalist approach that can completely change the look and feel of your home. By decluttering and carefully curating furnishings and décor, a sense of serenity pervades, promoting mental well-being and relaxation. Simple yet stylish pieces take center stage, showcasing individuality and personality without overwhelming the senses. Functionality merges seamlessly with form, with sleek furniture and strategic lighting enhancing the aesthetic appeal. In essence, through the subtle refinement of said zhuzhing, homes attain a harmonious balance where every element contributes to a sophisticated ambiance, proving that sometimes, all it takes is a minimalist touch to achieve timeless elegance.

Does all this happen with simple zhuzhing? No, but it’s a great start. To truly reach your goal of a Refined Home is to reach out to us here at Refined Renovations!

With passion, experience and drive, we take pride in our unofficial ‘soup to nuts’ catch phrase. We tend to receive inquiries with no plans or general concepts, just that they don’t have enough space and they don’t want to move. Honestly, that excites everyone here at Refined. It allows us to get creative and thoroughly explore different design concepts by bouncing ideas back and forth with the clients to truly encapsulate their dream space. Once our renderings leave our clients speechless, we proceed to the build phase.

Though, this all doesn’t just happen on it’s own. What makes us unique is each Refined team member and their ability to constantly pull their weight, work together and unite as a strong team. Everyone working together, collaborating on strengths and assisting with weaknesses, they pull each other up and make sure everything is running smoothly.

From conceptual designs to pushing in chairs and fluffing the pillows, Refined designers works with their clients to get their wants and needs down onto paper, bringing them to life through conceptual designs in Chief Architect, and then carry them through to the build phase with our in house build team.

So how can we help you?

Well, lets get chatting! We can help you set your design sails and set your course. Think about these things:

• Where do you spend the most time?

• What tends to become the most cluttered space?

• What do you feel like you’re lacking?

• What would you have in your dream house that you don’t have now?

• Is your family still growing? Are you looking for more bedrooms or more living space?

• If you take ONE glimpse at your Pinterest board, what one color jumps out at you?

Once you have some answers in mind, fill out our new client inquiry on our contact us page. We look forward to chatting with you!

Refined’s Jim and Matt’s Debut on Love it or List it (totally legit & not photoshopped)

Have you ever seen HGTV’s Love it or List it? While one person is ready to stick a for-sale sign in the front lawn, the other is saying they’re being buried next to Bailey their beloved late golden retriever by the oak tree out back. But in February, we all only think about love and compromises… RIGHT?

Let’s reflect. What in your current home brings you the most joy? Where were your favorite memories made? Where do you spend the most time? But now, what drives you crazy? What about your home makes you want to move and never look at it again?

Love where you live. People spend most of their lives making money to afford a house. Once you have that house, time passes, memories are made, and it becomes your home. The home then becomes another member of the family that some people just aren’t ready to leave behind as their lives continue to grow. That’s when additions and renovations come into play. Don’t grow out of your home, let your home grow with you. You laid your roots, so let’s let them grow.

That’s where we come in. We work with you by hearing you out. By listening to your pros and cons, we mediate design and build options, and provide alternatives to compromise for the entire family. We work together to refine your home and make it suit your lifestyle. It could be as simple as repurposing spaces, rearranging furniture, adding color, or removing texture.

What we do to help. Through conceptual design meetings, we render design options for you to review. This helps visualize actual furnishings, to scale, within your space. People say online shopping is so annoying because there’s no guarantee it’ll fit, the return process is annoying, yatty yatty yatta. We’ll they’re not wrong, it is! But here at Refined our designers are excellent at Chief Architect - on which, to scale, they model your home and layout fixtures and furnishings that are guaranteed to fit your home. So time isn’t wasted with will this fit? will that fit? We have the dimensions of what we are working with and we get designing.

Don’t know where to start? We specialize in new construction, renovations, additions, remodels, and interior design. With showrooms in Wilmington, MA and Wellesley, MA, we service all of Greater Boston and around. A few towns we work in are: Andover, North Andover, Burlington, Winchester, Lexington, Concord, Newton, Wellesley, Natick, Brookline, Cambridge, South Boston, Somerville, Arlington, Sudbury, Haverhill, and more. We’re a one stop shop here with an in-house design and build team who project manage and over see your entire project from start to finish. From full blown conceptual designs, to sourcing finishes, to framing additions and custom millwork, we have you covered. Soup to nuts.

So are you still singing, ‘Should I stay or should I go?’ call us this Valentine’s Day to talk your feelings out. We usually have chocolates and delicious lattes right in our showroom. Contact us today and let’s get your home Refined!

Christina Coakley - Refined Renovations

More often than not, our “We’ll get to it”’s tend to remain on our New Years Resolution lists year after year. But what’s really stopping us? Is it not having enough time? Not having the funds? or even having the funds but not prioritizing? We’re all right there with you! Don’t think you’re the only one with 10+ year ‘temporary’ carpet or furniture that you once said when touring the home that that would be first to go. So what is it? Personally, I think it’s committing to the right design, finish, fixture, etc. Why? Well, it’s difficult! Even just a simple search of “modern light fixture” brings up thousands of items that can be purchased in just 2 clicks.

But those two clicks tend to lead to a return process that requires having to get a box, go out in public, ugh, and actually set up a return. All in all, you end up spending so much time trying to live your life and not focus much on your house tasks. You just want to go home at the end of the day and kick back, and I don’t blame you! The joy of working with a design & build team is that we take all that stress away from you. Your task is simply work with us so we understand your vision, then you trust the process. Your house will transform into a home right in front of your eyes.

A house is truly one of the most financially difficult and scariest assets to own. So to put money into your house, you want to make sure it is truly every single itty bitty little thing you want down to the nails. And that’s what Refined makes possible. What you want, we create. What you are unsure of, we guide you to see all your options. What your mind is set on, we will still offer numerous possibilities. What’s nice is , and not to brag (bragging), our design team is killer in Chief Architect; so visualization is never a problem. What would the house look like with different color sidings? or what if we wanted to paint the bricks? Boom. Our project team comes out for the initial project walk-through, take all measurements and photos from all angles. Our designers then spend days and days on building these models to scale and as accurate as possible to truly make this as real as possible. Then comes the fun stuff; making it pretty. Whether meeting at our Wilmington or Wellesley showrooms, our materials libraries will have you in awe with all the materials and finishes. If we don’t have it in hand, we access to get samples of hand curated materials for your project.

All in all, we’ll get to it for you. We’d be happy to discuss your to-do list and make your house a home. Contact us to get started, visit one of our showrooms in Wilmington or Wellesley, or view our projects on insta or our portfolio to get some inspiration!

Christina Coakley - Refined Renovations