Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone
This is not for everyone, but this is what I always preach to my styling clients. Everyone has their comfort zone in style, and I find that most of the time this is based on what’s trending in the magazines or social media. People are often afraid to do something a bit different because it’s not the main stream. What I also find with my clients is that when they do go beyond their comfort zone, they surprise themselves as to how happy they are with the results. I think in recent times with the evolution of Instagram and other such outlets, people’s uniqueness has been more celebrated than ever, and this makes me so happy! People aren’t afraid to wear something different or put something out there for everyone to see because they seem to be more open to accepting things that are not strictly ok’d by the Anna Wintours of the world. When it comes to your home, find your style and what makes you happy, but also have fun with your design and challenge yourself to try something you may not typically do.
My design aesthetic is eclectic, more modern than traditional, more whites and bright colors than dark, more beach house-y than chateau-y, but I wasn’t working with a blank canvas here. This was and is a 1950’s Colonial. To me, it wouldn’t be right to turn its inner bones into something that looks like it’s straight out of Malibu just because that’s what I like. I needed those New England traditional features to blend what this house is, with what I wanted it to be. I took a trip outside my comfort zone and turned the downstairs itty-bitty powder room into the complete opposite of me. The dark wallpaper, the elaborate gold faucet and finishes, the customary black and white marble tile, it’s so not me, but it’s just so right for this house. It’s traditional but with a touch of unconventional.
Give it a shot, even if it’s a small thing in each room, or making one room something totally different, believe me, you’ll have a smile on your face every time you see it.
Take another fun look inside Alisa’s home in this Houzz article.
For more design inspiration, find Alisa’s home and others inside the pages of, “Your Home, Your Style” By Donna Garlough.
Alisa Kapinos has been a fashion stylist and personal shopper for almost 15 years. She started her career in fashion working for a Boston based magazine as their Fashion and Beauty Editor and then went onto become their Editor in Chief. During this time she produced and styled countless photo shoots, working with top designers and top photographers. She has been lucky enough to attend many New York Fashion Weeks, also styling shoots for commercials and print ads, as well as assisting in styling Samantha Brown on the Travel Channel and the Jonas Brothers on their Boston stop during their musical tour. She then began her career as a personal stylist to some of Boston’s most notable people, as well as women and men from all walks of life. What her clients love about her is her attention to detail, her understanding of personal style (not just what’s trending), and her ability to mix high end with affordable pieces that fit everyone’s budget. Through her work in the fashion industry, she has also partnered with many charitable organizations to bring awareness and raising money for their causes. Recently, Alisa has taken her passion for interior design and has worked on a few interior projects for local clients. She has had her own home, which she renovated herself, featured in a home design book and a few home websites. Alisa’s greatest loves are her husband of 11 years, her two dogs and her three kids. She loves photography and taking photos, loves to travel, to write, to garden, to decorate, to cook and spend time with her family and friends.
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