Designed for you

If you’re a fan of the HGTV reality show Love It or List It, you can appreciate the power of imaginative renovation to sway a homeowner’s decision to stay or sell. Your home is an emotional boomerang you can’t help but love coming back to.

For the past 18 years, Frank and Tracy Rendina at Harlequin Design Studio have made it their mission to help homeowners create stunning magazine cover-worthy homes. As project manager and lead designer, respectively, they help them tap into their imagination.

“Our goal is to make the most of your interior real estate,” she says. “We craft strategies to ‘steal’ square footage from underutilized rooms like dining rooms and pantries to create larger and more functional kitchens and bathrooms. Rethinking the footprint of a home changes everything.”

All About You

“A great design begins with a good conversation discussing what works, what doesn’t, and what we need to do to improve space,” says Tracy. “Communication is key throughout the process. We begin by asking a lot of questions about each person’s lifestyle and then listening.”

Clients also appreciate the streamlined communication flow of only having two points of contact throughout a job.

“We are both old school when it comes to communication,” says Frank. “People put their trust in us for good reason. I’m on the job site every day overseeing our tradespeople, making sure the job runs smoothly and on time.”

Throughout the process, Tracy doesn’t try to sway clients from their core style.

“It’s not about me. It’s about them,” she says. “I develop ideas and consult with them about making selections that work together. In the end, every job is uniquely customized to the client.”

What Clients are Asking For

From visiting the fabulous design studio by appointment to visiting vendors to make selections, every step of the experience is personalized to the client. 

The studio—where the latest trends from farmhouse chic to glamorous contemporary are on display with elegant vignettes—lends insight into what’s possible. 

“Open concepts, while they are starting to fade out, are still what our clients are asking for,” says Tracy. “They make a space feel more expansive and accessible.”

When it comes to cabinetry in kitchens and baths, she reports all-white palettes are losing ground to bold colors like dark green, navy blue and black.

“We’re also seeing a more organic esthetic, with earth tones and natural elements,” she adds. “When it comes to primary bathrooms, homeowners are getting rid of their big tubs in favor of mega-showers.”

No matter the project, Tracy and Frank want people to feel confident in their choices.

“I tell them, if they’re going to live in the home for years, create the space that perfectly reflects them,” she says. “At the end of the day, the only person who needs to be happy is them.”

In Tracy’s upcoming seminar, she’ll be discussing what a budget would look like if planning for selling versus staying put in your home.

Harlequin Design Studio is located at 313 Treeworth Boulevard in Broadview Heights. Call 440-627-6301 or visit HarlequinDS.com for more information.