guest post - Katie from Olios Design

My next guest poster is interior designer, Katie from Olios Design!  Katie runs a full-service residential and small business interior design firm.  I am so excited to have her share some of her designer secrets with you today!

Picture this: you walk into a space and see a wall full of books, drawers with fabric samples, a drafting table, a few desks with computers, phone, and the like, and a conference table with 6 chairs. Yes, I am beginning to describe walking into a designer’s studio. While these things are all important, most of the time a designer will only use a handful of smaller items weekly, even daily (this doesn’t include the computer, of course). A designer will typically keep these things stored together so they are easily accessible…in their toolbox!


Today I want to give you a sneak peak of what is in my toolbox and why those things are so important to my work as an interior designer. I purchased my toolbox, well, my tackle box (literally), when I was a freshman in design school and over the years have accumulated a lot of art supplies and tools. Well, 2 years after graduation I still use my toolbox weekly! Without further introductions, check out the top 10 things I use on a weekly basis in my toolbox (not in order of importance):

• PRISMACOLOR rendering markers: I have about 50 colors (and my collection is still growing)
• white artist’s tape: I use this tape to adhere drawings to matte board and foam core when presenting options to clients
• 3 sided ruler: I actually have 3 rulers in my toolbox, but I use this one the most
• drafting pencils:
• PRISMACOLOR Colored Pencils: You wouldn’t believe how they help transform a black and white sketch for my clients
• 16’ tape measure: I carry a smaller one in my purse at all times and have a larger one in my studio…you can never have too many tape measures!
• Exacto Knife
• nail file: you never know when you need to ever-so-slightly ‘repair’ something!
• Gorilla Glue: seriously, I never leave home without it!
• index cards

Be sure to visit Katie's website and of course, her blog, where she has such great interior design posts and you can follow along with some of her work! 

Thanks again to Katie for sharing while I'm away!