It is our very own pleasure to announce our collaboration on the blog ​ “Working With an E-Designer? Here are 10 Things You Should Know” as a New England-based Design Firm; our goal is to allow people to give our clients effective E-Design as one of our services. Throughout years of experience, we have come out with practical and modern solutions to our client's needs for residential and commercial design.

Redfin is an award-winning agency that is reinventing real estate in America combining technology and brokers to make home buying and selling easier for everyone. One of the main Things you need to know is:

In addition to the main blog we also reccomend: Do your research, there are a ton of e-design services online. Understanding what design input you need and how detailed the collaboration should help narrow down your search! Engage an e-design expert that matches your expectations and/or escalate the e-design package from simple schematics to complete installation-ready plans.

​E-design is an efficient way to work, no matter if you live in another city or country. It is a new way to obtain an excellent exclusive and personal design for the space you want, and most importantly, you can do it yourself, on your time, and with your budget. It is the cheapest way to work with a designer in person, saving you visits and time.

I have been lucky enough to not only have some great mentors throughout my career so far but also have relied on a few resources to help guide me through some of the uncertainty.

Starting out and even as the company continues to grow, there are always elements to the business that are 'new' to the operations and administration of the studio.

For example, we just expanded our small operations here to also include enhanced employee benefits which I personally feel is important to the overall satisfaction and appreciation for all the hard work the team does on establishing existing conditions, modeling design options, and everything that goes into seeing projects from beginning to end.

For anyone who might be considering starting off on their own or even want to potentially explore expanding any side work into more of a stable self-employment opportunity; feel free to reach out to me directly at nsilva@8tfive.com as I'd be happy to share any insight I can with you.

The decision to start off on your own is never really easy. If you're thinking I'll wait until the time is right or when I finally become more financially secure; that time never really comes about.

The advise I could give and have tried to share with a few colleagues who are undertaking the journey for themselves, plan for what you can and take the opportunity when it arises.

There is no time like the present! If there is anything I can do to help, reach out.

After a year with more time at home, the boundaries of work/play/relax have been blurred. It is important to provide places of respite to rest and recharge both mentally and physically. Your bedroom is a prime example of a room that should be a place of sanctuary at the end of each day.

Let’s start with the color of your bedroom. A wide variety of colors can be used. Blue is a popular choice for bedrooms because the color can be soothing. Make sure that if you go with a deeper blue, you have plenty of natural light so your room doesn’t feel too dark. 

 If you’d like to increase passion and romance in the bedroom – try for a rich red! When choosing strong colors, remember to always balance them with brighter neutrals so the color doesn't feel overwhelming.

An easy way to incorporate stronger tones into your room is the keep the color in the easily updated pieces – bedding and accessories. By doing this, you can keep the walls a timeless neutral and keep your options open to update your room for less hassle in the future.

While color plays an important role in the overall feel of your room, eliminating clutter will also help you clear your mind at the end of the day. Consider nightstands with drawers to hide little things away. Hanging lamps from the wall or ceiling can free up table space as well.

Your bedroom should have a balance of natural light. Especially when working with darker colors, natural light is very important for your wellbeing. Consider installing room darkening or black-out shades for use while sleeping if you are bothered by bright light in the morning. This will give you the ability to allow in as much light as possible during the day and blocking out both natural and man-made lights at night - reinforcing your circadian rhythm.

No matter your personal design aesthetic, if you keep these basic pointers in mind your bedroom will be a fantastic space to rest and recharge.