BUILT-INS FOR PETS

They play, sleep, work, and may even eat with you. So why not include a functional pet-friendly design element (such as a dog feeding station) in your home? If you’re anything like us, we LOVE our pets and consider them family, which is why we enjoy incorporating creative, pet-friendly design selections when possible.

Here are some reasons why we think dog feeding stations are the best thing EVER:

1. Functionality. Including a built-in feeding station in your kitchen island provides easy access to a nearby sin, allowing you to fill a water bowl with minimal effort. You could also integrate a pot filler above the bowls- how genius is that?! Because the bowls are built-in, they will no longer be constantly moved or tipped over creating that awful mess. With a hard surface such as quartz or granite, clean up will be a breeze when an accident does occur! If you have an aging dog, the raised bowl will properly support them without further discomfort. Functionality is key, friends.

2. Prettiness Factor. Yes, we said it- pretty. Wouldn’t you rather have a beautifully designed, custom dog feeding station built into your gorgeous kitchen island instead of having random dog bowls in the corner standing out like an eye sore?! These food bowls can be easily incorporated and become a part of the sleek design concept. As designers, we believe functionality should also be beautiful- it’s the best of both worlds!

3. Happy. Think about it- when you give your dog a brand new, squeaky (and annoying) chew toy, what is their reaction? Jumping, barking, tail wagging for joy of course! Now imagine introducing a brand new dog feeding station in your kitchen so that they can now have their own designated place to enjoy their food and water. A happy pet = a happy life. Our pets should have comfortable, well-designed spaces and niches to be happiest like their “people”!

Image: Traditional Home

Image: Roundtree Construction

Image: Blackband Design

Image: Molly Frey Design

Speaking of pets..

Here at Reveal by Polish, we decided that each quarter would be dedicated somehow to a unique non-profit. This quarter, we will be giving back 5% of our pillow sales to help our furry-friends at Indy Humane. https://indyhumane.org

TEXTILES

Pillows for Paws

Shop our one-of-a-kind, custom made pillows here online, or in person! Your purchase will be greatly appreciated by not only us, but all of the furry friends at Indy Humane.

DESIGNERS WHO DINE || SPOKE AND STEELE

One of the greatest things about Summer is its VIBE! From pool parties and barbecues to major fashion moments, Summer is one of those seasons that you just have to love! We do love a good "summer Friday" as much as the next entrepreneur, but this summer Polish is trying to stay focused on the biz - even with all the sunshine! With that, here are our five top tips on how to balance work and play: 

1.) Summer is all about adventure, so why can't meetings be? One way we've kept on task so far this summer is this blog series,  Designers Who Dine, which allows us a chance to explore Indy's fab culinary and interior design attributes while we discuss our business. This month we visited Spoke and Steele, a delicious downtown restaurant with mid-century modern decor that makes your mouth drop. 

2.) Fresh and invigorating flavors surround Summer. Apply this concept to your marketing! What can you do that's new and exciting? How can you spice up something that's a classic? Encourage your team to get creative to keep them interested! 

3.) Host a "summer Friday" appreciation party. Show your team you know its hard to be in the office 9-5 when the sun is beaming through their Ray-Bans! Have a Friday afternoon cocktail hour or host a small gathering at a local sporting event to show them you get it! 

4.) If the sunshine is calling your name, take your work outside. There is no reason you can't be productive while you get a good base coat! Soak up that Vitamin D while you blast out emails instead of giving up for the day - trust us, your workload will appreciate it just as much as your skin! 

5.) What would summer be without a vaca? As a company you should be proactive and considerate - make sure your team knows they are welcome to take summer break to get some well deserved R&R!!! Everyone knows you come back with refreshed mojo after a nice break! 

If you'd like to learn more about our Summer, check out our Instagram! 

DESIGNERS WHO DINE || THE GARDEN TABLE

Being busy is a great problem to have, so we don’t mind one bit when we need to combine our day to day activities. That said, we recently invited Katy McCoy of Lemonayde Digital Marketing to join our small series of Designers Who Dine “meetings”. As we sat in the deliciously quaint restaurant, The Garden Table, in Broad Ripple Village I felt relaxed by the ambiance and delighted by a menu of locally sourced food. Sometimes, the industrial quality of design can make a space feel cold and unwelcoming - not this time -  the only thing cold about this spot is its fabulous cold pressed juice! 

While enjoying a few dishes, the Granola Gangster being my favorite for the name and flavor, we moved into a wide variety of topics. Appropriately, I found the majority of the conversation centered on social media. As a young company who already drinks the social media Kool-Aid, we love hearing more and more about the capabilities of social media platforms. For those of you who are less inclined to jump on board, here are a few of my favorite social media nuggets: 

·     Social Media is great for your Brand. In fact, according to BrandWatch, 50% of users follow brands on Instagram.

·     You can gain insight into your demographics by becoming a business account. 

·     According to Lyfe Marketing, Instagram’s engagement rates are 58% higher than Facebook’s and 2,000% higher than Twitter’s. 

·      With more than 2 billion monthly users, Facebook hosts over a quarter of the world’s population, providing advertisers with an unparalleled opportunity to reach virtually anyone and everyone.

Anyone can use Social Media to generate leads, brands, or promote their company - it's as simple as getting an account and getting started! However, if you need some guidance and/or would like to learn more, please reach out to Kate McCoy to find out about her upcoming social media workshops @ Lemonayde Digital Marketing 

DESIGNERS WHO DINE || CRISPY BIRD

While Spring hasn’t exactly arrived in Indianapolis, our business Spring cleaning has been well underway for some time! We sat down last week at Crispy Bird to enjoy the delicious menu paired with a side of business! 

First things first - Design! A playful yet sophisticated ambiance permeates through this space like the wonderful smell of fried chicken. Details like the natural wood walls, sleek black seating, open shelves, floral booth seats, fabulous art and playful wallpaper (yes, in the bathrooms - my favorite part of the whole restaurant) all combine to create a beautifully curated space. Don’t forget that the food complements the decor with its fab presentation and flavor pairings that make your taste buds dance. I may be biased because I am a huge Martha Hoover fan, but I have to say she has nailed it again!

Now, back to business - “Spring Cleaning”! Courtney and I are always trying to work smarter not harder so we decided to look at our company’s productivity by analyzing a few aspects of how we spend our time.  Previously, we marinated on the following topics and revisited them while we indulged on the kale and hydro bibb salads:

1.) How do we spend our time? We documented what activities we do each day for a week so we could capitalize on any opportunity to make things more efficient. Our main goal was to determine if we need more staff and if so, what type of position are we looking for?!

2.) How can we improve our training process? As boss babes, we want to offer our team the best guidance and professional development without monopolizing our own time! This is always challenging and we continue to work on procedures and training manuals to increase our professional development. 

3.) What do we want to do? As business owners, we tend to have our hands in everything! Having a partner makes it a little easier, but we still have to determine what we can and can’t delegate. We have to decide how we can continue to maintain our brand while also letting go, which I find is much harder than one thinks!

Have any advice for us? A suggestion for our next meal? Send it to christina@polishinteriors.com 

AND don’t forget to head on over to CRISPY BIRD https://www.crispy-bird.com/home 

DESIGNERS WHO DINE || NORTHSIDE KITCHENETTE

As many of you know, Courtney and I are just two boss babes creating beautiful spaces for wonderful people while attempting to run our own company! As small business owners, we do try to balance it all; but time gets away from us and unfortunately it is a little difficult to keep our owners meeting on the books! (You know how that goes!) That said, we decided to put some FUN back into the functional part of our business and create a small series of blogs called #designerswhodine. The idea was cultivated from our passion to wine, dine and support local businesses!! We'll highlight a variety of topics from business tips/struggles, comments on the cuisine, and last but never least - decor, ambiance, styling, etc.! Get the picture? Well, if not -  see a small sample below!!  

First up - the most important meal of the day and a breakfast favorite of ours, Northside Kitchenette. This cozy spot makes you feel right at home with the freshest ingredients and friendly staff! We love meeting here to split an omelette (or two) and discuss business over coffee. Yesterday, we stopped in to discuss some last minute details for a current project and as we dined I couldn't stop obsessing over their lighting! As Spring rolls in, I have been very drawn to bamboo lighting and its ability to add warmth and texture to a space! The strands of lights and boxwood wall make this space feel like you are relaxing in your own backyard - who doesn't want to feel that way when they grab a bite?! Join us in supporting this fabulous local spot http://www.northsidekitchenette.com!!

Come back and read each month as we develop our business while stuffing our faces! 

Kitchen Accessory Wish List

Alright – it’s late-January and I’m confident you are well into your own 2018 routines and eating habits (or not). One of the goals we have in our household is more meal-prep which means more time in the kitchen. As a busy business owner with little spare time to cook, the convenience of our kitchen needs will come first when beginning our kitchen renovation design. I’ve done some research and here are some kitchen accessory must-haves for our kitchen.

1. Kitchen Mixer Storage and Stand

Although fairly new to the Kitchen-Aid mixer club, it’s currently taking up a massive amount of space on my already small countertop. I’ve contemplated between a garage cabinet or a pull-up storage stand, but ultimately don’t want to ever lift or scoot the heavy piece again.

Image: Unknown

2. Trash/Recycle Combo Drawer WITH Storage

If you’re anything like us, we recycle far more than we toss, which means we need side-by-side trash/recycle bins and a place for bags! This is the perfect solution instead of bending down underneath the sink or hassling the stairs for trash and recycle bags!

Image: Apartment Therapy

3. Spice Storage

I’m a fan of drawers over doors, so I love how this spice drawer is easily accessible AND has a division for those two sets of spices we all have (generic and name brand)! What would I add? Another division on the right or left to store my two sets of measuring spoons (decorative and functional, of course!), making that portion of meal prep a breeze.

Image: Buzz Buzz News

4. Dog Feeding Station

Who else is a dog lover out there?! We are a dog family and likely always will be, so having a place in the kitchen for our dog to eat and drink water is important. Although not a kitchen accessory, per say, this feeding station is convenient, stunning and easy to clean! Any #teamcat readers? A smaller version of this example would also work! 

Image: Traditional Home

5. Appliance Garage

Now that the Kitchen-Aid mixer is taken care of, what about your Vitamix, food processor, toaster, coffee maker, etc.?! Enter an appliance garage. These days, there are many unique garage doors, hinges and cabinet fronts to explore when considering an appliance garage. The example below takes advantage of what would have been an awkward corner and turns the space into functional and hidden! 

Image: Cocoon Home Design

Which is your favorite kitchen accessory? Comment below! 

This blog post is in collaboration with ACo - Love Where You Live.

GETTING INTO SHAPE - THE BUSINESS EDITION

At the start of a new year, personal health and wellness naturally makes the top of our goal or resolution list. Although we believe fitness is important for a well-rounded life, today we are collaborating with other Indianapolis based business owners discussing ways to get your business into shape for 2018! Check out their inspiring tips below!

If you haven't already, review what worked for you in 2017. I like to simply go through my Outlook calendar and write down everything I did in the year - time spent working, networking, planning, etc. This takes some time and effort but I think is the best way to audit where you’re actually spending time and deciding if the 'dog is wagging the tail' or if the 'tail is wagging the dog', so to speak. I also like to have a rough plan for the year ahead for professional development, whether with trainings, conferences, or masterminds - which can all be great accelerants for your business.

Katie Smith

Founder

Careerable

Examine when your business was put under extreme stress in the last year - be it from the crush of sales or a time-consuming project - and identify which processes broke down. Is your order fulfillment too time consuming when scaled from 1 order to 10? Are you spending too much time on data collection and not on analysis? Once you’ve pin-pointed tasks that aren’t working for you, find ways to make them more efficient or automate them completely so you can stop doing them. If you deal with physical goods like me, find software solutions to automate areas like inventory management, packing lists, shipping labels, and gift messages. If you’re in the digital space, find ways to automate tasks such as data collection, reporting, social media scheduling, and customer support. If you’re new to software automation, check out Zapier and IFTTT to get ideas. By working to automate my business, I’ve made pain points like order fulfillment and customer service more efficient, freeing up time to create products and grow the business.

Kat Rudberg Gordon

Founder and CEO

Crafted Taste

This year I scheduled a couple days in late December to focus on my business plan for 2018. And I am so thankful that I did - I analyzed my financials and set up my marketing/advertising budget, made sure that all of my partners and clients had actionable next steps listed in my CRM, mapped out stretch goals and actionable steps for what I WILL achieve in the year to come and got a head start on my blog content for Q1r. I found that I was able to consolidate all of the notes that were living on paper, in my phone and on my calendar into a single space that I can reference as needed. Now, as business picks up, I feel like I know exactly what needs to be done on a daily/weekly basis.

Maria Baer

Residential Organizer + Party Stylist

The Baer Minimalist

Do an audit of your website! Check for broken page or image links. Comb through and edit or update content as needed or remove outdated content. Perhaps your copy, images, or design could use a bit of a refresh. Make sure your social links reflect the platforms you are actually active on. Set up a Favicon if you haven't yet. Check your analytics and see if you can streamline your navigation to reflect how visitors navigate your site. Run the speed tests from GTmetrix.com and neilpatel.com/seo-analyzer and make as many improvements as possible. And if you haven't done so, this is the year to make sure your site is optimized for mobile!

Kara Gladish

Big Kahuna

Kahunify

In 2018, I am really narrowing in on my time and scheduling! I have started the year knowing I will have designated office days and meeting days, which keeps me grounded throughout the week and feeling more prepared to sell and service our current and future clients. It's easy to get wrapped up in the weekly demands of a small business, but I believe having a solid plan for the week will benefit our business in the best way possible! My business partner and I share an Iphone calendar and I've decided to also keep an old-fashioned planner - double duty planning has to be a good thing, right?!

Courtney Walker Pope

Co-Founder and Lead Interior Designer

Polish Interior and Art Design

What are your business savvy tips for getting in shape? Share below or comment on our Instagram! 

TILE PATTERN

Remember the days when tile was installed two ways: grid or diamond pattern? Yes, us too, but the design and creativity with tile is exploding right now! From the shapes to the materials and array of colors, it’s a good time to be alive and sourcing tile for your home! In fact, one of 2017’s biggest design trends in the kitchen and bathroom is PATTERN!

The Simple Subway Tile-

We have seen the simple subway tile for many years now and simply put, it’s a classic size and horizontal installation pattern that will always be in style. For those of you who might be interested in a little zing for your design, consider the subway tile with a unique pattern such as a Crosshatch, Herringbone, or Diagonal Offset!

(Crosshatch) Image/Design: Caitlin Wilson

(Herringbone) Image: PopSugar 

(Diagonal) Image: Home Designing 

Combining Sizes and Pattern- 

Maybe you’re more attracted to a subtle tile with a change in orientation! Below the Affordable Companies completed a shower renovation that really expands the eye, top to bottom and left to right, making the shower appear large, spacious and bright all by using a variation of sizes and install orientations (Horizontal and Herringbone) to complete the design.  

Image/Materials: The Affordable Companies

Patterned Tile-  

Do you have a small space to really pack a punch in? If so, consider a patterned cement tile by one of the several brands at the Affordable Companies! Like so many tiles, there is truly a color and pattern for everyone’s style! Here are a few of our favorites from Caledonia Stone and Tile (sold at the Affordable Companies).  

Image/Materials: Caledonia Stone and Tile

Image/Materials: Caledonia Stone and Tile

Image/Materials: Caledonia Stone and Tile

Are you interested in incorporating a unique patter tile in your project? Comment below or share on our Instagram feed @polishinteriorandartdesign. 

(This post is in collaboration with The Affordable Companies. Visit their website at www.the-affordablecompanies.com .)

WARDROBE TO WALLPAPER

As a lover of labels and all things fashionable, I can't get enough of the recent Spring 2017 New York Fashion Week (NYFW). While scanning through my socials reviewing the latest go-tos, I started thinking about how the runway will influence the room. Undoubtedly, interiors see fashion’s influence through textiles, textures, and tones. What should we expect to see straight from the Spring 2017 runway? Floral motifs that remind us of our grandma - but in a good way (you know what I mean); stripes, stripes, and more stripes; and, khaki paired with any shade of yellow are just a few of my favs. I am so excited to see these trends translate from pants to pillows, but what I am really dying over is (what I am calling) "wardrobe to wallpaper". Check out my favorite pairings from 2017 NYFW below AND comment if you've spotted any fabulous wardrobe to wallpaper finds!

Altuzarra Blazer and Dress Hygge & West Riffle Paper Co. Wallpaper: Loving this wallpaper which combines two of my favorite trends - yellow and florals! 

Anthropologie Wallaper, Rosie Assoulin Dress: Another moment of fabulous florals!

Walls Need Love Wallpaper, Prabal Gurung Jacket: Any shade of blue was also a big hit this season on the runway. 

Tome Dress, Caitlin Wilson Wallpaper: Everyone loves a classic buffalo check. When you add the ruffles to the mix its time to swoon!

Milly Dress, Katie Kime Wallpaper: Ready to wear leaf prints were a huge hit on the runway. I don't know about you, but my walls are ready to wear this jungle print wallpaper too! 

Derek Lam Dress, Twenty2 Wallpaper: Lots of designers rocked classic neutrals including white and khaki. I can't get over using this textured nude grasscloth to elevate your design. 

THURSDAY THREE

It's Thursday and it feels like the last 400 meters of a marathon. It's almost time for that finish line beer! We are gearing up for a big home installation this weekend, but some of you may be taking a mid-winter trip or planning for a getaway in the upcoming weeks. 

Back when we started our list of blog ideas, a Top "insert number here" series was included. Alas, it's Thursday and we present our Thursday Three: Travel Style. Inspired by some recent and quick travel, we wanted to scope the web and rack our brains for a couple of hotels worthy of spending your time (and money!). Everyone has a different travel preference -  budget conscious, splurge, or book for a unique experience. We are a mix of all - some nights a clean Holiday Inn Express does the job but other times we want to sleep in the best on the block.

1. FOR THE COMFORT: Hotel Diva

Once upon a time, we were both runners and Courtney decided to sign up for the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. Hotel Diva was high on the short list for unique, chic as can be, central, and affordable. We ended up taking a different route but definitely will keep this in mind for our next West Coast trip to "The City".

2. FOR THE TEXTILES: Kimpton Hotel Palomar DC

The Kimpton Hotel Palomar drew us in at navy blue and textile galore! From the lobby to the guest bathrooms, no detail was missed in this downtown DC hotel. Plus, we noticed they have $1 nightly cocktails. What's not to love about that?!

3. FOR THE BAR: The Spectator Hotel

Dramatic spaces have a time and a place and this is it! We are loving everything about the Spectator's Bar/Hotel - from the built ins and trim detail to the streamlined green bar stools, our designer hearts are full for this Charleston speak easy space.

Since we have spread the travel bug, which of these would you like to visit? 

(All images are from the linked hotel sites.)

MOVE OVER GREIGE, COLOR HAS ARRIVED!

Christina here this week! After recently visiting a new trade showroom, I have compulsively - and not secretly - been obsessing over colorful cabinets. As a lady who loves the classic look that transitions through styles, I'll admit I was quite surprised by my gravitation toward this impactful trend! Like so many of us do, I too have been spending some time debating how a unique cabinet color can be implemented in my own home. Will I introduce a needed splash of color on my bathroom cabinets or go big and completely remodel my kitchen to add this fabulous design feature? A few of my faves are below (all sourced from Pinterest)! 

The verdict is still out, but one of my favorite characteristics about this trend is the versatility! I love that anyone can literally take a can of paint and update a small bathroom just by painting the cabinets and adding new hardware.  Not everyone loves or has time for a DIY project, but you can still transform a room by adding custom cabinets in the kitchen, bar, bathroom - any space, really! In addition, I'm loving the combination of wallpaper, brass, and decorative tile with these fun and fabulous cabinets (more to come soon on these throw back trends). While I am over here still debating, throw out that greige paint and let me know what spaces you will be updating with a splash of color! 

WAKING UP, IN STYLE.

Courtney here with our first (of hopefully many) blog posts for the 2017 year. Recently I had a design/wakeup crisis with my to-be Mr. and immediately messaged Christina expaining this experience was one for the blog.

Do any of you readers go to bed scrolling through your phone and wake up to the same? Yeah, us too. The phone holds (basically) our lives on it, including the functionality of an alarm. Most recently, our two little digital devices both failed us - going from 42% to dead as a door nail in the middle of the night. Cool on the weekend - not so much when I have a 7.30 AM meeting. Decision made the second my eyes opened in panic - we are getting a clock that plugs in OR has batteries - a good 'ole fashioned alarm clock! 

It was pure disappointment at Target that evening when I walk up to options of alarms. There were five - one without Disney characters on it. Super! So I purchased the one, but it has yet to be taken out of the bag and fully intend to return. Before some research, I was holding on to hope someone still made stylish, yet functional alarm clocks. Alas, I found some options for all design styles..

Transitional: Bedside Alarm Clock

Traditional: Mother of Pearl Clock

Mid-Century Modern: Bai Designer Pick-Me-Up

Vintage Eclectic: Mercury Row Daphnis 

Modern: Mescoo Cube

Techy: Philips Wake-Up Light

Although the Wake-Up-Light is intriguing, we may go with the Transitional styled alarm clock for our room! Is anyone else in the market? Which will you choose? 

CRISP AND COOL CALLS FOR ADDING LAYERS

Late last night, fall weather finally graced us with it's presence here in Indianapolis and we are thrilled. (What was with the 80+ degrees?!) Fall is one of our favorite seasons because it means changing colors, moods, fashion, and most importantly decor. There are many easy and inexpensive ways to begin incorporating layers and heavy textiles into your everyday decor. From switching out a blanket or pillows to layering candles, we surfed the internet for some inspirational pieces from our favorite designers. 

View fullsize

SF GIRL BY BAY

With a texture such as fur, it gives the room instant warmth both physically and visually. Think pillows, throws, rugs! 

100 LAYER CAKE

As one of us currently plans a spring wedding, lanterns are in heavy conversation as a decor option for the big day! This doesn't stop us from loving a layered look with a mis-match of lanterns and candles for the fall months ahead. Place them on your front porch, mantel, or as a table centerpiece. 

Martha Stewart

Martha, we love you! Look at this moody vase with all the colors we love throughout fall plus berry twigs for the added spread. Look for inspiration in your backyard as to what may work in your home. A trip to the nearest flower market or store may not even be necessary! 

West Elm

Layers on layers - don't be afraid! Any basket with this texture would be an excellent space to store and show blankets for the cold days ahead. Follow the link above to find the source and purchase!

Are you as excited about the Fall season as we are?!