How I see your home
It doesn’t matter if it is a friend's home, a client's home or a real estate listing, when I see a house, I immediately start to think about its potential. I am not judging whether it's messy or if it has been updated, but I do like to dream about the possibilities.
Of course, this is just the initial filter which takes into account the architecture of the home and the surrounding environment. When we work with clients, there are additional layers to the analysis. We dive deep into how our clients live, what inspires them, how they spend their time at home, and the places and experiences that have shaped them.
At the same time, I am constantly gathering inspiration of my own. Whether it is a boutique hotel discovered while traveling like Casa Mae Hotel in Portugal, a beautifully detailed restaurant, a historic structure like the Botanical Building in Balboa Park, or an inspiring neighborhood (hello Kensington!), I am always collecting ideas and mental notes.
Those references become part of the creative process as we look for ways to make each home feel distinctive, personal, and connected to its surroundings.The goal is never to impose a predetermined style. Instead, it is to uncover what makes a home and our client’s special and amplify it.
Often, that means looking at a home through a different lens and seeing opportunities where others see limitations. In one Carlsbad project, an arched niche in a bedroom became the inspiration for custom wrap-around nightstands that provided the storage the couple required.
In a Kensington house with a series of small, awkward windows, we used a full drapery wall to turn what initially felt like a limitation into a feature that created a luxurious and cozy primary retreat.
In my own home, I finally convinced my husband that it made sense to rework a closet into a reading nook and I can tell you that space gets more love than that closet ever did.
I am always looking for the details, constraints, and characteristics that can become the foundation for something memorable. It is the part of the work I love most, and it is why no two Allito Spaces homes ever feel the same.
Learning to see a home this way starts with knowing what you're looking at. I put together a renovation glossary, the terms, materials, and details we use every day, so you can walk through your own home with a designer's eye. Download it here.