A kitchen counter with a black cabinet, a beige lamp on top, and a red-framed clock on the wall. Above, a wooden shelf holds various ceramic bowls and a small ginger root. The floor has a herringbone wood pattern with sunlight casting shadows.

ba · sic

/ˈbāsik/

adjective

forming an essential foundation or starting point; fundamental

creates mindful, joyful spaces using

balance design studio

A black and white logo with the word 'Basics' written vertically on the left side, featuring a stylized star design to the right of the text.

In his book, The Architecture of Happiness, philosopher and simple living advocate Alain Botton suggests that one of the drivers of architectural style is a search for what’s missing in our lives. 

Botton also writes about the therapeutic power of art, the destructive power of status, the importance of human relationships, and the potential for our surroundings – the kind of walls, chairs, buildings, and streets we’re surrounded by – to create happiness or misery. 

The BASICS, a design lens, is rooted in this same understanding of human flourishing. 

It strives to balance our many wants and needs to create spaces that are beautiful, functional, adaptable, sustainable, and deeply personal. The goal is a home that continues to enrich life long after the novelty has worn off.