Accessories

Accessorizing Your Home

July 22, 2019

Accessories are an important part of interior design; they add color, character and – perhaps best of all – they are more temporary design elements. Unlike cabinets or countertops, kitchen layout or furniture – accessories are easy to move around, sell, donate or move on when you’re ready to refresh your look.

Questions to Ask Before Purchasing An Accessory For Your Interior Design

Here are some of the questions or considerations to ponder before deciding yes or no on a specific accessory or piece of art.

Is the foundation of my design complete?

First, it’s important that you and your interior designer have narrowed down the foundation of your design. An accessory you love now might not actually work when the bare bones of your interior design is in place. So, make sure the larger ideas like layout, colors, style, furniture placement, and so on are all finalized before you begin shopping for items to fill the empty spaces.

Am I clear on how much is too much?

The last thing you want is to purchase and display a bunch of accessories that wind up cluttering up your beautiful brand new remodel or renovation. Do work with your designer to establish how much is too much so you don’t over accessorize. Remember that “white space” is important to a design – giving the eyes a place to rest. If you fill all those valuable white spaces with accessories, your design will feel too busy and guests will be hard-pressed to relax.

Is this design timeless?

This isn’t a necessity, but it certainly helps. I find the happiest clients are those who prioritize timeless accessories and art works. While the pieces may move from one room, wall or corner to another, they never really go out of style. Not only does this help you as your own designs evolve and change over the years, it will make those accessories much more desirable if you choose to sell them or move them on to a new-to-them owner down the road.

Are you balancing functionality with looks?

Selecting accessories for accessories’ sake can be a recipe for disaster because you end up with rooms full of looks without any substance. One way to incorporate the timeless consideration is to make sure you are balancing functional accessories along with those that were made with the sole intention of looking pretty. Rather than a plant stand that is too flimsy to hold any plants, look for a functional version that actually does what it was designed to do. The more your items have a purpose, the less superfluous they will be.

Alternately, you can seek out re-purposed furnishings and accessories that have a unique new role to provide, like a refinished wood ladder that can be used as shelving whether it’s propped against a wall or suspended horizontally.

Can it live somewhere else in your home?

There are cases where a particular art installation seems to be made specifically for one spot in your home (odds are that’s a timeless accessory and you’re already good to go). However, I recommend choosing accessories that could potentially live elsewhere. That way, if you want a fresh new look in a few years – a little rearranging and an updated color palate are all you need to enjoy an updated interior design without reinventing the wheel.

Is this adding a new texture into the mix?

Texture is one of the most overlooked areas in design because people focus so much on colors, matching, style and their own innate preferences. In a modern home, for example, a homeowner may wind up with a home that is sleek, sleek and more sleek – but that winds up being a bit boring because everything is so smooth and shiny without anything different or interesting that breaks it up.

Take a look at your interior design and analyze it in terms of texture – is there a texture that is underrepresented? Overrepresented? If so, keep this in mind when shopping for accessories and try to choose textural components that fill in the gaps as much as possible.

Area Rug Do’s And Don’ts

July 10, 2019

The area rug is a helpful design tool. They soften hardwood floors, warm a room up, add color or pattern and they anchor whole living areas in open floor plans. Shopping for area rugs, however, can be a bigger challenge than you think. Questions like, “what size rug should I get?” or “is this pattern too bold?” can send you walking quickly in the other direction, putting area rug purchases on hold indefinitely.

What’s an Area Rug For, Anyway?

There’s no need to panic. A simple review of what area rugs are for, and how to implement them in your living spaces, will be enough to get you back online – or out to the stores – to buy rugs that enhance your interiors.

Let’s review the main purposes of an area rug:

To protect your flooring. In addition to providing a softer, warmer floor surface (so much nicer to get out of bed and have bare feet meet a nice, plush rug!), area rugs are often used to protect the floor surfaces below. This is especially true for high-traffic areas, like hallways, entryways, and stairs. In these cases, you will want to look for more durable rug materials, and rugs that can be easily cleaned, so you aren’t having to replace them on a regular basis.

The trend towards indoor/outdoor living has caused many rug designers to expand their indoor/outdoor rug lines. It’s hard to tell the difference these days and indoor/outdoor rugs make great area rugs for families with small children, pets, or for those aforementioned high-traffic areas.

To anchor a living space. In the world of design, area rugs are used most often to anchor a living room space. This can be your living room, a conversation area, or your dining area. It might even be the anchor for the play space in your home’s family room. It tells guests, “this area has a designated purpose” and keeps the furniture from “floating” in the space.

To enhance your decor. Finally, your area rugs should enhance the decor. They provide a finishing touch and, in a mostly monochromatic design, they may be the only pop of color or pattern. Area rugs also offer a wonderful way for conservative designers to add a wild pattern without overpowering the space.

Do’s and Don’ts of Using Area Rugs

The wrong area rug can have a negative effect on your overall design, and you certainly don’t want that. Hence, here are a few Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind when you’re purchasing your rug(s).

DO splurge on high-quality rugs. There is a visible difference between high-quality rugs and their cheaper counterparts. Spend extra for a well-made product and you’ll have an area rug that lasts a lifetime, or until you’re tired of it.

DON’T buy a rug that’s too small. Referred to as postage-stamp rugs, these rugs look disproportional to space. Instead, buy rugs that fit all of your furniture, or at least the front legs of the furniture. If it’s in a dining room, make sure all of the chairs fit on the rug when they are pushed up to the table. In a master bedroom, it’s better to have one large area rug spanning two-thirds of the bed, perpendicular to the foot, than two smaller area rugs that look like bath mats on either side.

DO mix patterns. Don’t be afraid to mix patterns. Just keep the color wheel in mind and choose patterns that are in different proportions to one another to keep things balanced.

Picking The Perfect Throw Pillows

June 21, 2019

How many times have you read, “throw pillows are a simple and easy way to add color/pattern/texture to any design…” While this is entirely true, shopping for throw pillows isn’t as easy as it sounds. There is an amazing range of quality, shapes, colors and sizes to choose from. Ultimately, I always advise “taking the long view,” whereby the largest percentage of your selections can be used in versatile ways for years to come, while keeping more stylized choices to a minimum.

Tips For Choosing Throw Pillows For Any Room in the House

Here are some of the tips I use when selecting throw pillows – also called accent pillows – for my clients’ designs.

Invest in quality. By saying you should invest in quality, I’m not saying you should never buy your accent pillows at bargain stores. However, there is a distinct difference between a high-quality and low-quality pillow. The upscale versions are filled with durable filler materials that don’t lump up, bump up or scatter to the perimeters within a year or so. Higher-quality options will also be covered with higher-thread count covers that can hold up to wear and tear. While you might cringe a little at a higher-priced pillow, keep in mind that it will last for multiple years and can be recovered over and over again. So you will wind up with multiple pillows for the price of one. If you opt for cheapies, you’ll be replacing the throw pillows much more frequently.
Opt for pillows with removable covers. I recommend investing in pillows that have removable covers. This makes them much more versatile. Standard square pillow sizes are about 18-inches, larger pillows will be closer to 24-inches. You will be able to purchase pillow covers online or a local seamstress can make custom covers for you using fabric of your choosing. So, for one set of pillows and a little extra for customized covers, you have limitless aesthetic options.
Pay attention to your fill options. Throw pillows always have feather and/or down fills or synthetic fill versions. The former are pricier than the latter but are also softer and squishier to sit or lay on. Thus, pay careful attention to the pillow’s use. If it’s for looks only, save yourself a little money by selecting pillows with synthetic fill. If you plan on resting your head on it, you like to mold your pillows to your back or you use them to prop your arms as you read/work on the couch, pay a little extra for feather- or down-filled versions. If the pillow will be used to prop you up in a reclined position or will be used as a back rest for kids or adults who prefer to sit on the floor, a firmer synthetic-filled option will be preferred.
Think about color, pattern and texture. If you are at all shy about using bold colors or patterns in more permanent interior design features, accent pillows are a worthy tool. They offer a chance to try out bright colors you’ve been afraid to utilize via wall colors or larger furniture pieces. Pay attention to color and pattern – and let the pillows be practice for pattern layering! Also, think about texture. A little fur, embroidery, sequins, beads, tassels or shaggy texture on the pillows will help to round out your design.
Be odd. While there isn’t a rule about this, odd numbers of pillows are usually preferable to even numbers. The two-and-two or three-and-three balance can look a little boring and dimension-less.

10 Ways to Add Gold to Any Room

April 26, 2019

Gold metallic accents add warmth, light and elegance to a room. While some people are just fine with ornate gold furnishings and accents that rival those of Marie Antoinette’s Versailles, others shy away from adding gold accents to their interiors for fear of overdoing it.

There is, indeed, a fine line between the right and wrong ways to add gold to your living spaces so these 10 ideas will help you to do it with grace and style.

10 Ideas for Adding Gold to Any Living Space

Accent pillows. If you’re wary of using gold, start small and then add piece by piece. Accent pillows are a good place to start because if you don’t like the look, you can always switch the pillow shams. In this contemporary living room design, which lends itself towards shabby-chic, we used gold-accented pillows on the couch to help increase the impact of the chic.
Use gold upholstery. You can find beautiful upholstery fabric in various shades of gold as well as varying degrees of shimmer. Use an old chair(s) or couch, or look for a used one with good bones, and reupholster it. It won’t overpower the space and provides the foundation for adding other gold elements as you want to.
Picture frames. Gold gilded frames will help your art to stand out from the wall but also adds a hint of shimmer and formality.
Gold art. You can purchase a 3-D wall hanging that is already gold, or spray paint one yourself. Either way, you end up with an eye catching piece that can stand alone or complement other gold accents in the room.
Go(ld) all out. For the middle of the list, we recommend embracing your gold inspiration and designing an all-gold room. If you haven’t done it before, you may want to enlist the assistance of a professional interior designer to make sure all of your golden hues work together. The result can be stunning.
Mix it with silver. Gold and silver can be blended well when done with foresight. Metallic furnishings are popular in other cultures so finding the balance between gold and silver in my clients’ living room allowed them to display a variety of pieces they had collected on their travels without clashing or becoming too “blingy.”
Use it in an all-white space. If you are taking the plunge and designing an all-white space, gold is the ideal accent. It adds warmth and enhances the ethereal quality inherent in all-white designs.
On the ceiling. As long as we’re discussing the ethereal, take a look at this gorgeous formal living room that used metallic gold stencils on the ceiling, along with an absolutely unique and perfectly ornate light fixture. The blue backdrop only adds to the appeal. Even without the tasteful gold accents in the room below, this ceiling would be worth emulating.
Light fixtures. And that brings us to light fixtures; because gold reflects light with a warm glow, it makes a desirable finish for lamps, chandeliers and other light fixtures.
Highlight wall trim and molding. Take any crown molding or decorative wall trim and paint it gold and you will see it in a whole new way. The gold is rich and lustrous and it also helps to highlight the light and shadow of the patterned wall trim relief so it is better displayed. This works even when there isn’t a single additional gold accent in sight.

8 Ways to Create a Warm and Snuggly Living Room

April 19, 2019

While it’s true that spring is on the horizon, most of the country will benefit from a warm and snuggly living room for months to come. That’s certainly true for those of us in the Bay Area. Modern and transitional designs often need a little boost in that direction since the tenets of these design principles can lead to cooler design motifs.

8 Ways to Make Your Living Room and Little Warmer

The following items can help to soften the edges and add warmth and comfort to your living room space. Don’t forget you can always consult with a professional interior designer to get a few extra ideas or to provide approval of your design ideas.

Add a fireplace. If your home wasn’t built with a fireplace, you may want to look into a modern fireplace insert. Fireplaces have long been the heart of the home and while the kitchen may have transcended that in some ways, it’s hard to pull yourself away from a beautifully lit fire. Modern inserts are easy to install and an efficient way to add warmth and ambiance to your room.
An abundance of throws. Have at least one or two throw blankets at the ready. With the simple addition of a chest or an ottoman that includes storage you can house an abundance of soft, colorful throws that can be changed from season to season.
Implement natural wood finishes. Natural wood finishes add instant aesthetic warmth. This home was created from an old fire house. What could have been a cold and austere interior, due to exceptionally high ceilings and open living space, is instantly warmed with the addition of natural wood.
Make a slight change in color. Did you know there are warm whites and cool whites? Warm whites have undertones of yellow or pink – just enough to add a warmer element to its finished appearance. Other whites have blue, green or gray undertones, which add a cool aesthetic. Revisit paint samples and see if your walls couldn’t be warmed up with a slightly warmer shade of the same color.
Change your window coverings. Windows are a major source of heat loss in the home, regardless of how efficient they are. They just can’t compete with solid, well-insulated walls when it comes to keeping the heat in. Use honeycomb blinds for extra insulation and consider using drapes made from a heavier material to prevent heat loss.
Throw a slip cover on your leather couch. Leather couches are gorgeous but they can also be quite cool to the touch. Consider adding a stylish slip cover on your leather couch during the coolest months so it will feel softer and warmer when you first sit down.
Go natural with your design. Over-designing is often the biggest mistake homeowners can make. In an effort to get that magazine-worthy look, you can mistakenly design a room or home that nobody feels comfortable in. Yikes! To prevent this, make sure there are elements of home occupants’ personalities in the space. Shy away from entire furniture sets that have that matchy-matchy feel and find ways to incorporate family heirlooms, antiques and the occasional kitschy piece you love anyway. These simple additions can ensure your well-decorated space balances the Wow! factor with homey comfort that welcomes your guests.
Throw another area rug on the floor. Hard surface floors can be absolutely freezing on bare or socked feet. Use area rugs alone or in layers for a fresh look and extra warmth.