You’re invited Saturday March 14th, 2026 to our event at the Compass Highland Park office from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. It’s a casual get together with food and drinks and we’ll be discussing the state of the Eastside Market, Interior Design, Return on Home Improvements, and how to fund these projects. Lender Daniel Arias from We Fund LA will be speaking along with, Danielle Lawless (Cleo Rosa Interior Design) and yours truly, Rich Michalowski from MINIMALISM LA.
RSVP: rich@minimalism.la
And before we dive in deeper during Saturday’s event, what are some of the simplest things you can do to increase your home’s value?
- Landscaping – sometimes you don’t need to go deep on landscaping and depending on neglect of the yard space, a simple clean up, mulching, and rearranging, adding or removing plants can see a return of roughly 80 to 100% percent. Landscaping can create instant curb appeal. Pro Tip: Non Bearing Olive Tree + tree uplighting.
- Paint Paint Paint. Of course you need to pick the correct color for your home, but paint can completely transform your home in the blink of an eye (well at least in a few days). Exterior paint dramatically improves curb appeal and can take a worn home and make it warm and welcoming. ROI varies from 55% to 75% for exterior and 100% or more for interior.
- Very Simple Cosmetic Updates: If you’re thinking of selling your home and want to quickly elevate your homes look and see a nice ROI, cosmetic updates are usually the way to go. Think on trend modestly priced light fixtures, hardware and faucets, kitchen backsplash and the always helpful “nose job for your home,” a new front door.
I love surrounding myself with not only professional and talented designers, vendors and lenders (no intentional rhyme there), but also folks that are fun to work with and kind. Danielle Lawless from Cleo Rosa has helped many MINIMALISM LA clients on small to very large interior design projects and clients always speak very highly of her. She will be sharing her insights and thoughts on Eastside design this Saturday. Ahead of the event, she weighed in on seeing beyond the mood board and trusting the process and the professional.
“I Still Can’t Picture It” – And That’s Completely Normal
I hear this all the time from clients: “I’m so excited, but I still can’t really see how it’s all going to look.” This is one of the most honest things a client can say, and I appreciate it every time. Design requires thinking spatially and texturally in a way that becomes second nature through training and practice.
Seeing Beyond the Mood Board
Even with all the tools we have today – renderings, 3D models, Pinterest boards – none of them come close to capturing what a space will actually look and feel like when you’re standing in it. Light moves throughout the day and materials shift in color depending on whether it’s the morning sun or an evening glow. Textures interact in ways a screen just can’t convey. A nubby bouclé sofa next to smooth plaster walls, the rhythm of moving from one space to another – these are things you experience, not things you see in a flat image.
This gap between representation and reality is where designers live. I’m not just selecting beautiful pieces and hoping they work together. I’m considering how every element will interact in real space, real light, real life – factoring in things like how you move through your home, where natural light falls at different times of day, and how materials will age and patina over time.
Trust the Process (and the Professional)
I know it can feel vulnerable to invest in something that exists only as samples and drawings. But consider this: my entire career has been built on translating abstract ideas into livable spaces. I’ve watched hundreds of projects move from concept to completion. I understand proportion, scale, flow, and all the invisible details that make a room feel right instead of just looking fine or, worse, like a generic retail showroom.
When clients express uncertainty about how everything will come together, I understand completely. Design is abstract until it’s not. Your inspiration images show moments you’re drawn to. My work is translating those moments into a complete environment that supports how you actually live.
The collaboration between client and designer works because we each bring something essential: you bring deep knowledge of how you want to live, what frustrates you, what brings you joy. I bring years of experience turning those insights into functional, beautiful spaces.
So if you’re in the middle of a design project and feeling uncertain about the outcome, that’s a completely natural response to a creative process that requires faith. Design asks you to believe in something before you can fully experience it. Designers carry the technical complexity while you focus on what only you can answer: how you want to feel, what matters most, and how you want to live.
Danielle Lawless can be reached at: danielle@cleorosa.com
Last but certainly not least, local and experienced lender Daniel Arias will guide us through the process of using equity in your home to fund remodel projects, the re-fi process and is happy to answer any and all of of your mortgage questions.
Per Daniel:
I remember buying my first home and having tons of questions hoping to find proper guidance. I have spent the last 16 years curating a modernized mortgage experience by compartmentalizing the homeownership roadmap and walking you through each step, one at a time. Our areas of expertise include working with first time home buyers, entertainment industry freelancers, teaching and healthcare professionals, as well as first responders. Whether you are a first time home buyer or you’re ready to make that dream home purchase, the We Fund LA Team will guide you home.
When I’m not in the office you can find me exploring the outdoors and traveling or flying high as a helicopter & fixed wing pilot.
Daniel can be reached at daniel@wefundla.net
