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b'Our guest this episode is NYC-based architect Damian Samora. Damian studied at the University of Notre Dame and began his career in London before moving to New York and joining the esteemed architectural firm, Ferguson & Shamamian. Ferguson & Shamamian is on the AD100 and has been featured in all of the top design magazines. Damian has designed everything from rustic mountain retreats to historic apartment buildings to large family homes. We discuss why Damian and his firm always work in tandem with an interior designer, the challenges of working within the confines of NYC apartment structures, what to look for when hiring an architect and more.\\nWhat You\\u2019ll Hear on This Episode:\\n\\nFerguson & Shamamian have a deep-rooted philosophy in designing spaces with interior design at the forefront.\\n\\nNYC apartments are often limited in their structural changes. How Damian and his team confront those challenges to achieve the client\\u2019s vision.\\n\\nHow Damian works with an interior designer to face challenges like finding sources of light even in tiny apartment hallways and combining two apartments into one.\\n\\nFamiliarity is often how people choose their \\u201cwarm\\u201d or comfort in their homes.\\n\\nWhile being at home more, people are more activity-focused. Things like pools, homework rooms, dual offices, etc., are becoming more popular. So are doors and walls!\\n\\nAfter living in London, Damian\\u2019s design was influenced by parts of the English style like respect for context and uniqueness.\\n\\nHow furniture structure can evoke a feeling and affect a mood.\\n\\nWhy soundproofing and hiring an acoustician can be so important to the function of your home yet is often overlooked.\\n\\nDamian\\u2019s tips on where to spend and save; depending on if it\\u2019s your forever home.\\n\\nWhen looking to hire an architect, Damian recommends finding the firm whose work you like then trusting their referral to the individual architect. It should also be treated as any other relationship.\\n\\nDamian gets most excited when clients want to design around their art collection.\\n\\nAre people still doing screens on their windows? Yes, but Damian recommends being selective and not placing screens on every window.\\n\\n\\nMentioned In This Episode:\\nFerguson & Shamamian\\n#FergusonShamamian on Instagram\\n\\nDecorating Dilemma\\nHi Kate,\\nIt\\u2019s going to be helpful to think about where your priorities are and then weigh it against what is most cost-effective. Your rangehood and your island carry the most weight in those spaces. So unless you are going to replace them, you have to work with them and not against them. In terms of light fixtures, we would shy away from matching them because they are doing different work. If you want to pull focus to the island, you could try a pot rack light fixture or something linear to give the kitchen some weight. For the breakfast room, we would definitely add a round table. We also like upholstery on the chairs to soften things up (Sunbrella or other performance fabric would be great with kids). Regarding the window treatments, you want them to be sort of \\u201ctalking\\u201d to each other, and this is a great place to bring in some fabric. The backsplash is always hard and right now it\\u2019s grabbing too much attention. We would contemplate replacing the countertops to match the backsplash. We all agree that we like the color of your cabinets and painting it another color white won\\u2019t do much; the tile is the real problem. We also don\\u2019t think you need to paint the rooms; just balance the lighting and the window treatments. The island doesn\\u2019t necessarily need to change color either, but the stools should tie more to the value of color of the cabinets. Think of the breakfast room, the kitchen and the family room each as a node that pulls you inward to them. There\\u2019s a lot of great space here; don\\u2019t be down on yourself and give yourself some time.\\nGood luck and please send us the after photos!'