Decorating Your Luxury Home for Christmas

We all know the usual Christmas routine – tear down the Thanksgiving and fall decorations, break out the box of Christmas décor you purchased 10 years ago, and the whole family is on deck to style your home the same way you do every year. Trust us, we get it. Tradition is fun! But every once in a while, it’s fun to twist it up with the addition of a few extras.

Your luxury home is the perfect canvas for luxury Christmas decorations. This season, consider adding a few of these decorations to your usual Christmas theme to spiff up the place for the holidays!

Luxury Christmas Decorations

1)  Crystal Decorations

Crystal decorations have been popular for over a century. They are a timeless style that always adds the extra “sparkle” your luxury home needs this season.

The best part about crystal decorations is that they come in tons of different types, sizes, and styles. Whether its décor of the trinket type, table centerpieces, chandeliers, or ornaments, you’re sure to find one that works for your luxury home!

2)  Gold Graduated Cone Trees

You’ve probably seen cone trees in the Christmas décor aisle of every retail store. They’re not all that hard to find. However, gold cone trees make for a classy, sleek style that’s bound to draw the attention of friends and family at any party you host this year.

Gold cone trees have a wide-variety of applications in a home. They work great as dining table centerpieces or living room shelf accents; there are even LED golden cone trees that work as unique additions to your outdoor patio décor collection!

3)  Meteor Christmas Lights

Many of us use the same white or colored Christmas lights every year. This year, change it up with the addition of luxurious meteor Christmas lights!

Meteor Christmas lights give the illusion of “trickling” in order to mimic falling stars. They are unique, eye-catching, and absolutely gorgeous. Add them to your outdoor trees or patio for a fabulous, luxurious lighting solution this year!

Conclusion

Decorating for Christmas doesn’t have to be the same routine every year. Mix it up with the addition of a few luxurious Christmas decorations this season and see how they transform your home and bring it to the next level!

Selecting a Pool for Your Luxury Home

I know, it is a bit crazy to start talking about pools when it is finally Christmastime. But, if you are thinking about installing a pool in your backyard for this coming summer, it is time to start getting plans and things in order.

Pools have long been an envied luxury addition to custom homes. But unlike painting, decorating, or even moderate interior construction, building a pool is a major endeavor. Depending on the specifications of your selection, installing a pool can be an expensive and lengthy processes. However, as anyone who is installing a pool knows, they can add so much value to your family and friends’ life. They make hosting easier, parties more fun, and those hot Texas summers a bit more tolerable.

Selecting a Pool Style

Building a pool is so much more than just digging a hole in the ground – there are dozens of styles, each meant for a different home and backyard landscape. If you are looking to get a pool for Summer 2019, here are a few popular styles that are sure to work with your luxury home!

1)  Modern Pools

Modern pools are becoming increasingly popular. They are often characterized by square or rectangular designs, simplistic materials, sharp corners, and mosaic tiles. The great thing about modern pools is that they are a classy addition to any home – they are stylistically versatile and can help to add that extra “spiff” to your house.

2)  Tropical Pools

Yep, you read that right. Tropical pools are a statement design that give a fun, engaging, and vacation-like feel to your backyard. Big boulders, trees, and even small waterfalls are a few of many elements that can be added to tropical pools. It’s a fun and relaxing twist to the common pool!

3)  Traditional Pools

It’s really hard to create a category for “traditional” pools, as there are truly so many different design elements that fall under the umbrella. Generally speaking, traditional pools are rectangular or hour-glass shaped with natural stone or bricks. They’re classic, nostalgic, and “homey” – it’s hard to go wrong with a traditional design.

Conclusion

Adding a pool to your home is an exciting (and sometimes stressful) task! Pools bring so much life and fun to a home – both stylistically and functionally. If you are looking to make the installation soon, be sure to settle on a style that works best for you. Whether you are going for fun and exciting (tropical), elegant and classy (modern), classic and homey (traditional), or something entirely different, you are bound to find a pool style that fits your home perfectly!

If you are ready to get to work so you can have a pool in your backyard for this coming summer, give Tony McClung a call now at 214-668-7802!

Selecting Paint Colors for Your Luxury Home

There's so much hype on the web today about styling your home. Endless Pinterest and blog posts on decorating for the holidays, and the overall theme of your house, are becoming the norm of interior design. But often times, people forget to place attention on how the color of their walls can affect the overall look and mood of their house. In fact, we would go so far as to say the paint color you choose far outweighs the importance of decor when attempting to change the mood of your home.

2 Approaches to Selecting Paint Colors for Your Luxury Home

If you are looking for an update to the interior design of your home, we suggest you look into a repainting project. If you need help with selecting colors and theme, here are a couple of our recommendations:

Painting Thematically

When we use the term "theme" in this context, we are referring to elements that are stylistically cohesive. This includes everything from color, temperature, texture, brightness, and gloss. But here’s what’s different:

Many people make the mistake of assuming "theme" implies "similar". This is where we recommend you break the norm and have some fun! A house can be painted thematically without using similar colors. Pinks, grays, blues, reds, and so many other colors can be represented from room to room while still working thematically.

If you want to paint your house thematically, we recommend focusing on between 1-4 colors. The biggest trick is selecting paint that has the same texture, matte/gloss, and brightness level. Bring the more neutral colors in areas such as the kitchen and living room, while leaving the larger statement colors for bedrooms, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.

Painting Representationally

Another (less-popular) form of painting would involve what we refer to as "representational painting". Another way of looking at this is painting a home to represent the colors of the earth from the ground up. Here's an example:

Homes can be painted representationally by painting the lower levels (basement) with more earthy textures (browns, golds, and darker colors). The middle levels are painted with more lively colors (greens, yellows, oranges, reds, etc.) And finally, top levels (upstairs or attic) are painted to represent sky-like colors (blues, whites, and purples).

Why would you paint a home this way? The emotional impact of the color differentiation can make a house feel taller than it truly is. Color theory proves that humans associate colors to things we are familiar with, and in the case of a home painted to represent colors from the ground to the sky, we subconsciously acknowledge a home as being "tall" based on its interior colors. We unknowingly associated browns and darker colors with the ground, and whites and blues with the sky, which alters our perception of a house’s actual characteristics. Thank you, science!

Conclusion

Painting a home is daunting! While many people are scared of taking on the workload, I think most of us can agree that color selection is the most intimidating part of the process by far.

If you are looking to paint your luxury home this year, we recommend taking one of two approaches: thematic painting, or representational painting. The former refers to selecting a couple of color groups that are consistent in brightness and texture. The colors can be similar or wildly different! So long as the overall exposure levels and reflectivity of the paint match, you can tame down some crazy colors and get a beautiful theme throughout your house. The latter refers to painting a home to represent the earth - from the ground to the sky! Paint lower levels with darker colors and upper levels with lighter colors such as blue or white to represent the sky. The emotional impact of the colors makes people assume the house is taller than it truly is.

Regardless of if you've made your mind up on what you want, we recommend getting over to your local paint store and starting to browse! When you see the right colors in person, you'll know which ones are best for your home. And of course, don’t hesitate to give Tony McClung a call if you want to bring in a professional designer!

Selecting a Fireplace for Your Luxury Home

Fireplaces used to be a functional necessity for a home. However, today they are one of the most renovated pieces in home makeovers, and for good reason. You used to have one choice – the classic brick structure with a chimney. Obviously, now days the industry has expanded to thousands of different styles – elegant, rustic, corporate, moody – you name it, there’s a fireplace to match the character of a home, inside or outdoors.

While fireplaces are nice for the warmth, you don’t always need one for purely functional purposes, especially here in the warm Texas winters! There are so many options on the market that you should be able to find the perfect style for your luxury home. If you are looking at investing in a new fireplace for your luxury home this season, here are some of our top recommendations:

Fireplaces for Your Luxury Home

Selecting a fireplace for your luxury home can be a tough decision – and it should be! You want something that will compliment the theme and personality of your house, not a unit that stands out apart from the rest of your design and interior structure.

There truly are many different styles available; you don’t want to jump in and try selecting a fireplace at random. To help you with your decision, we have selected our favorite overarching fireplace design styles to help you find what look best suits your luxury home. Here are some of our top picks, along with their pros and cons:

The Classic – Brick Fireplaces

Just because you update your fireplace doesn’t mean you can’t pay homage to the classics! A modernized brick fireplace can be a great addition to the house. But you can take a few different angles to brick fireplace design. Using an open fireplace as a candle display, painting your bricks white or black, or making a rustic wood frame addition to the outside are just a few of many ways you can modify brick fireplaces.

Pros

• Classic and familiar

• Wood and gas options available

• Simple

• Easy to modify/remodel

• Easy to install

Cons

• Can appear to be outdated

• Sometimes difficult to clean and maintain

• Often understated/non-significant in appearance

“Statement” Design – Island Fireplaces

The island fireplace can’t get any more “opposite” than brick fireplaces. They stray far from the classics. These units have four glass sides and sit in the center of a room – either playing the role of a centerpiece or a loose divider between sections of a home.

Peninsula fireplaces are a related cousin to this style of fireplace, whereby it extends from the wall with 3 viewable glass sides.

Pros

• Very modern, futuristic, and luxurious

• Dozens of different designs available

Cons

• Take up a lot of space

• Difficult installation

• Fragile 4-sided glass (think children here…)

Modernized – Slim Fireplace

Slim fireplaces are quickly rising in popularity these days. Slim fireplaces, sometimes referred to as “shelf fireplaces” are fireplaces that extend far in width (up to 60”) but are usually no taller than 1.5 feet. As a result, they look very modern and elegant and are usually versatile in placement.

Pros

• Easy to put anywhere – kitchen, dining room, bedroom, etc.

• Framing customizability – wood, granite, brick, metal, or any other material can be used on the outside of the fireplace to accommodate the room.

• Easy to install

• Affordable

Cons

• Not super functional (don’t emit much heat)

• Not well-suited for old or traditional styled homes

Conclusion

Fireplace selection is all about finding a unit that compliments the style of your home. A fireplace says a lot about your home’s character and overall appearance, so spend the time necessary to find the perfect one. Getting the right unit takes time and a lot of research. The best place to start is by defining the overarching category you’d like the fireplace to match – traditional, modern, rustic, etc., and then boiling down your options from there!

If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to Luxury Homes Designed and Built by Tony McClung! We are always happy to offer suggestions and hear your opinions.

Decorating Your Home Uniquely For Fall

We’ve heard it said that a house is like a blank canvas for designing and decorating…

We couldn’t agree less…

Yes, while there are endless options of how you could style your luxury home, each home has its own character and personality. Finding the right seasonal décor to compliment this is difficult. It’s as much about how the decorations look as it is how they fit your specific living space.

So, you want to decorate your home this fall, but the classic “50 Fall Decorations You Need to Buy” posts just aren’t doing it for you. Why do the homes customized by designers always look better than your Pinterest-board montage attempt? Surprisingly, it boils down to a few, simple techniques that should be kept in your peripherals as you make décor selections this year. Here are our tips on how to take your custom luxury home’s decorations to the next level this fall:

Minimalist vs. Maximalist

The title alone probably hints what we’re getting at here. The truth is, both minimalist and maximalist design techniques can make for a gorgeous home this fall season. So how do you decide? As stated before, the layout and design of your custom home should lead you to know which is best.

Some homes speak for themselves without any design. The sheer layout, carpet, wall colors, and furniture offer a unique character that needs only be complimented by decorations. In this case, minimalistic design is the way to go. If you consistently find yourself struggling to know where to put your decorations in an attempt to avoid drawing attention away from the natural design of your household, perhaps a minimalistic design will better suit your home.

Then, there are homes that seem to serve as a foundation or canvas of sorts for decorations. If you are always noticing a preference to decorate each shelf and empty ledge in your house, your home may be better suited for a busier, maximalist décor approach. Follow your gut instincts on how you feel your home wants to be styled. It will suit you better than any online tutorial or recommendation.

Color Schemes: Finding “Unique” in Traditional

Want an incredibly bland home this fall? We recommend using red, yellow, and orange exclusively. It should be easy! That’s all that’s usually sold in the fall décor section of online and local stores.

Sorry for the sarcasm, but it’s true! If you want a unique home this fall, we recommend bringing in all those traditional fall colors with the occasional unorthodox accent color. For example, a Persian blue or an amethyst are a great way to add a unique twist to your fall season’s décor. A good ratio is a 1 to 6 combination. For every 6 pieces of fall décor, pick one to be a unique color.

The most important part though – stick to one accent color. Don’t start adding multiple or those pieces will just look less like accents and more like accidents.

Textures

Wood, canvas, natural, shine, matte, rough, smooth – any one of us can think of a thousand different textures. Any one of us can also probably find and purchase one of each texture when shopping for fall décor, but we highly recommend against it.

So much of the character of interior design comes from the décor’s texture as much as its color and placement. When deciding on a color scheme, we suggest you also decide on a texture scheme and carry it with you throughout the designing process. You shouldn’t need to have more than 1-3 different textures at most present in your fall décor.

Conclusion

It’s fun to decorate for each season, but it can be difficult to truly find a style that looks good in your house. Each custom or luxury home has its own unique personality and character to it. Don’t try to mask that with decorations! Find décor that uniquely compliments and assists the natural vibe and character of your home. If you really want a uniquely decorated fall home, think outside the box with colors. Don’t just stick to reds, oranges, and yellows – add in a blue, purple, or other unorthodox statement color to differentiate your home from the everyday “Pinterest-inspired” idea (which is becoming all-too cliché these days).

In summary, much of great interior design for fall décor boils down to thinking thematically as opposed to focusing on decoration-specific selection. Decide on colors, textures, and the amount of décor you plan on putting in your house before you start buying items. It will make for a more unique, consistent look from room to room and will be sure to inspire and amaze family and friends this Thanksgiving.

And of course, if you find yourself deciding that new decorations just aren’t doing it anymore and you need a new home remodel, please reach out to Tony McClung with Luxury Homes Designed and Built by Tony McClung in Dallas Texas!

Custom Home Upgrades to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Consumer waste comes in large part from our houses. Whether it’s food waste, constant A/C in the summer, or a leaky sink, there are plenty of upgrades you can do to help the planet. Adopting a DIY approach means you make sure everything you add is eco-friendly, all while letting you design your home exactly the way you want it. Here are some ways creative homeowners are helping the environment with custom upgrades.

1. Energy Efficient Appliances

Did you know your stove might be costing you too much on your electric bill? Unless your appliances are certified Energy Star, they’re using more than their fair share of electricity. When you replace your old units, consider looking for an eco-friendly model.

2. Solar Lights

These are hot right now – they store energy during the day and power on during the night. They’re a great alternative to electric lights, offering an accent to your exterior and saving you some money, while helping the planet too.

3. Insulated Doors

This might come as a surprise, but your door is probably the second biggest reason your air conditioning is on so much. Unless your door is fiberglass or insulated wood it’s constantly letting in the heat – especially if it’s in the sun!

4. Insulation

Speaking of insulation, when was the last time you replaced yours? It’s not just for keeping the heat in during cold months, without good insulation, your walls aren’t protected from the hot weather either.

5. Native Gardening

An innovative trend is hitting the world of gardening. Instead of growing pristine, traditional grass lawns, some homeowners are focusing on cultivating native species of plants that don’t require as much water. Depending on rainfall, this can mean anything from native flowers and trees, to abandoning grass altogether in favor of succulents like cacti.

6. LED Lights

We all know fluorescent lights are better than traditional bulbs, but what about LED? It turns out, they’re also a great choice for a low-energy light in your home.

If you’re looking to build your dream home, look no further than architectural designer Tony McClung. Tony’s portfolio includes over 50 years of Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico’s finest designer homes. Contact Tony to start making your dream into a reality.

5 Custom Home Features for Blended Indoor/Outdoor Spaces

The end of summer/start of fall is a great time to be outside – the Texas sun isn't quite so hot but the days are still long enough to enjoy time outdoors after school ends for the day. It’s perfect for family time – except for all the mosquitos of course. Sometimes, you just want to enjoy the beautiful outside view but in the comfort of A/C without the bugs. You’re not alone, blending the indoor/outdoor spaces of your home is big in the design world. Whether you already planned for it, or are just considering, these are some great ways to incorporate this trend into an upcoming remodel.

1. Floor to Ceiling Windows

Windows are great – they offer a scenic view, and let in plenty of natural light. What better way to let in more light – and thereby more of a view – than with bigger windows? Floor-to-ceiling windows are big in the design of sunrooms and blended space, as they blur the line between inside and outside.

2. Sunrooms

Whether a cozy breakfast nook or living room, surrounding a room with windows provides a scenic view all from the comfort of the indoors.

3. Glass Doors

The classic French door is an excellent choice for letting in natural light. Did you know they also make sliding versions? A sliding glass door is a great way to maximize natural light, while still keeping a barrier between you and the outside world.

4. Intimate Patios

If you like dining outside, but aren’t a big fan of spending too much time outdoors, you can landscape your patio for a quaint, intimate feel. By keeping the space compact and close to the back door – along with weatherproof furniture of course – you can have the charm of an outdoor dining space on your patio, without getting too close to the bugs.

5. Walls and Patterns

If your wall needs a fresh coat of paint, consider an old classic that’s coming back: wallpaper. Floral and tropical prints are big in interior design this year and for a low-intensity upgrade, adding a palm tree pattern to your rooms can give you the look of the outside, without the time of a full remodel.

If you’re looking to build your dream home, look no further than architectural designer Tony McClung. Tony’s portfolio includes over 50 years of Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico’s finest designer homes. Contact Tony McClung to start enjoying more of the Texas, comfortably!

Tony McClung - Custom Home Builders & Designers - Dallas TX

6 Interior Design Trends That Are Hotter Than A Texas Summer

Pastel kitchen appliances have made a major comeback. Image Source: toriejayne.com

This year’s hottest trends are right in time for the summer. From bold, gelato colors, to a taste of the tropics in your living room, this summer’s interior design trends are scorching hot. Here are some of Summer 2018’s hottest design trends.

1. Pastels

From soft but vibrant pink, to deep, elegant purples, designers love these ice-cream inspired styles. Even more popular is complementing these soft but bold colors with a matte, or white background. The best way to keep ‘cool’ this summer is with these hot colors and patterns.

2. Taste of the Tropics

From foliage and florals, all the way to pineapple motifs, one thing’s for sure: the tropics are in. In your home that is! Designers nationwide seem to be taking inspiration from the heat and humidity and bringing the jungle inside your home. Set your clocks to island time with these themes.

3. Metal Fringe

Brass, gold, chrome and more! From finishes, to fixtures, and all the way to fringes, metallic motifs are here to add a glittery glow to your home. Brass in particular is riding high on the waves of summer 2018.

4. Ornamentation

Minimalism is not the hottest ticket this summer. Instead, it’s rich and diverse textures and accents. Checkered patterns for your textiles, and bold rattan and wicker furniture are some of the biggest names this year. In 2018, it’s all about the statement piece.

5. Floral Themes

Interior design seems to be taking a lot of inspiration from the beautiful outdoors right now, mostly with bold new floral designs. Prints and motifs are incorporating floral elements all over.

6. Indoor/Outdoor Integration

Take advantage of the summer weather by designing your outdoor space as an indoor, or vice versa. Natural light, texture, and materials all combine to turn a living room into a patio, and by bringing the patio indoors.

Designed and built by Tony McClung

If you’re looking to build your dream home, look no further than architectural designer Tony McClung. Taking immense pride in his craft, Tony’s portfolio includes over 50 years of Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico’s finest luxury custom homes. Contact Tony McClung to start making your dream a reality.

An Interview with Cathryn Withrow on her Recent Condo Remodel

How did you choose Tony McClung to be the architectural designer for your remodel?

Tony’s wife, Jeanne McClung, was my college roommate. I have always loved Tony’s designs and longed to have him design my home as well. When the time finally came where I needed a renovation of my condo, I jumped at the chance to have Tony design the space. The outcome was more than I could have imagined. I got my dream! It is just so beautiful and both me and Tony are so happy with the outcome.

I have always wanted a Tony McClung house because I love what he does. When I had the opportunity to renovate my entire condo, I thought it would just be paint and carpet, but as we got in, we realized there was a lot more to it – it became a floor to ceiling remodel! He was able to get in and solve these situations that were new for both of us. But he took 1 step at a time and solved everything.

Tell us more about your experience working with Tony McClung.

Tony did EVERYTHING for me! He was my contractor and brought along all of these incredible sub-contractors that have worked for him for years. They are all just top of the line, skilled experts so you don’t have to worry one bit. The trust factor of having these people in your home is a huge relief - Tony is 100% trustworthy and so are the people working with him.

Luxury Homes Designed and Built by Tony McClung has been in business for 40 years, and that is a testament to how skilled he is. Not only his skill and his knowledge of the business, but also his personality. Tony gets along with everyone so well, is very easy to work with and just a fine person. He took all the stress, concerns away from me and so it made for a very successful project. It was just amazing all he did for our family! It was just such a great and wonderful experience to work with him. My condo is so beautiful, and I am just so happy.

Where is your condo located?

We live in Highland Park, TX, a part of Dallas, TX.  I just want to spread the word on how great he is. He solved so many quirky problems that my home presented and did a complete remodel from floor to ceiling. I am so pleased with him and my home.

How long did your remodel take?

It took a year and 3 months. If something were to go wrong, it did…but Tony took care of everything – permits, contractors, etc. Tony knew how to handle everything and where to go. He was so great to working with so many various people. Quite a professional, he handled everything! And most important, he took all the stress off of me.

Did any other teams work with Tony to complete your remodel?

We had an interior designer that also worked alongside Tony in the remodel. Tony has such great taste that he was even able to give some guidelines that helped the interior designer! Tony was in the middle of the remodel from top to bottom. If a team was working, he was there and was fully involved. He doesn’t miss a thing!

If you were to remodel again, would you use Tony McClung?

I feel so fortunate to have had Tony McClung design the remodel of my condo. If I were to go through another project, I would absolutely have to use Tony –  I just don’t know how I could do it without him!