Our story so far: As we pondered how to wire and plumb the old Methodist church we planned to turn into our home, we created some guidelines for designing it.

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Our brand personality would be a balance of necessity and luxury, of industrial and homemade, of modern and classic, of masculine and feminine, leaning toward economical, casual and subdued.

And then I wrote down ten design rules:

1. Details matter.

2. 

   Recycle, reuse and repurpose whenever possible.

3. Natural lighting brings the outdoors indoors.
4. Build storage into every room. Two closets, two cupboards, two hooks, two nooks are better than one.
5. Accent walls create a center of focus.
6. Doors and doorways should be beckoning and give some clue as to what’s behind them (think: frosted glass with the word “laundry” and design that reflects the room within).
7. Artwork should be graphic, realistic (think: photographs) or abstract. Large object art and quote art—words, saying and verses—should be used liberally.
8. Flooring should be hardwood and/or tile with durable rugs made of natural fiber, jute and sisal.
9. The two rooms we spend the most time in—kitchen and master suite—should be most luxurious and elegant.
10. Curb appeal is worth spending money on. The front door sends a message. Our entryway should be functional and welcoming.

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Tomorrow: We wrap up Chapter 13 with the color story. Read about it here.