Kristina Wolf's House of Design

Interior Design, Accessorizing, and DIY Tips

Accessories

7 Ways To Use A Serving Cart

7-ways-to-use-a-serving-cart

Furniture can be divided into three categories: pieces you use daily, pieces you use weekly, and pieces you hardly ever use. To a minimalist designer, the latter category is clutter, filling up unnecessary space. A traditionalist will look at that piece differently, allowing it to remain as long as it jives with the rest of the decor. A transitional or functional designer says, “Let’s put that piece to use more often!”

Serving carts are a prime example of a furnishing that can be superfluous unless you’re getting more out of it than the occasional service at a party or social gathering.

7 Ideas to Make A Decorative Serving Cart More Functional

A serving cart can be attractive in its own right but, unless you’re using the piece regularly, it’s also a space hog. Here are ideas to put that piece to use.

  1. Make it a home bar. Serving carts work great as a small home bar. Put all of the basic – or your favorite – liquors on the top, along with an ice bucket, napkins, a shaker and a glass to hold spoons or stir sticks. Put a few tumblers and wine glasses on the bottom level. Now, happy hour can migrate anywhere you want it and is at the ready when you have a visit from an impromptu guest.
  2. A kitchen island. Have a small kitchen? Apartment, cottage or townhome dwellers find a serving cart makes a wonderful kitchen island substitute, providing extra “countertop” space for food prep and storage.
  3. Enjoy fresh flowers. The idea of having a fresh flower arrangement on a weekly basis is lovely, the practicality is less so. It’s difficult for families to find a space where a vase of fresh flowers can sit relatively undisturbed – most of the spaces where it would rest are used on a regular basis, which makes it more of an inconvenience. Your serving cart, however, makes a perfect host for your arrangement, and when it’s tucked diagonally in a corner or along a wall, it won’t be in the way.
  4. Craft cart for kids. No matter how hard you try, the kids’ craft supplies are rarely returned to their intended location. Why? Because kids draw on the coffee table, the dining room table, the kitchen table, on a book on the floor…etc. Purchase some attractive storage containers and make your serving cart a portable kids’ craft cart they can wheel to where its useful and then wheel back again – making it easier for the miscellaneous supplies to make it back into one spot.
  5. Your craft cart. Do you love to scrapbook, embroider or sew? Don’t tuck those projects away in a cupboard. Instead, use the same idea as the kids’ craft cart. Organize your crafting materials in tidy, attractive storage containers and keep them out and handy so you can work on your projects more often.
  6. Use it as an end table. If the height works with a chair or couch in your living or family room area, the cart can serve as an end table – holding a lamp, some magazines or those errant remote controls.
  7. Plant stand. House plants add color and life to interior decors, and the right plants also improve your indoor air quality. Your serving cart will work as a plant stand. Put the pots on serving trays to protect the stand from water run off and to simplify things when it’s time to relocate the plants while you use the tray.

The Perfect Front Door Color

the-perfect-front-door-colorYour home’s front door is almost like the smile on your face; it’s a welcome beacon for family, friends and unexpected guests. In fact, the front door is considered by many cultures to be like the mouth of the home, and you must be careful about the energy you let inside. Even the color can be symbolic, depending on your beliefs.

The color you choose for your front door can run the gamut from bold and bright to more conservative or neutral, and each one will leave a different impression. If you’re stuck choosing a new front door color for your home, we have 7 tips to make your job a little easier.

  1. Align with the architecture. Because architecture always reflects a period, certain colors will look better than others. For example the exterior paint colors used for colonial architecture will vary from those used for a Mediterranean-inspired design. Many of the major exterior paint manufacturers make period- or architecture-specific palettes that can help narrow your choices.
  2. Play by the exterior paint rules. Architects and designers typically recommend selecting three to four different colors for your exterior paint. These are referred to as the field color, the trim color and the accent color. The latter is used for shutters, railings, and architectural accents. Your door can fall into this third category OR you can select a fourth color that is used solely for the front door.
  3. Consider your landscape. Are there dominant colors in your landscaping? Working with these colors and highlighting a particular favorite color that appears in your geography or planted landscape can also be a good way to select your front door color.
  4. Consider feng shui. While feng shui comes to us by way of China, there are interesting similarities between the color rules used by this specific design code and rules from other cultures. For example, blues are thought to represent peace and tranquility. Red doors are typically considered “welcoming”, which is why early-American homes often had red doors. A red door let wayfaring travelers know they could stop, enjoy a meal and stay the night along their journey. If you are seriously interested in feng shui, the direction your door faces will also determine your color options. You can read more about it in this article by feng shui expert, Rodika Tchi.
  5. Take a peek at the neighbors. No, I don’t advocate keeping up with the Joneses, but your neighborhood has its own style and (hopefully) synergy as well. For this reason, I do recommend you try to select a color that blends somewhat with your neighborhood’s collective environment.
  6. Be trendy. Not surprisingly, exterior paint colors don’t trend as frequently as interior paint colors and with good reason, right? Nobody wants to repaint the exterior of their home more often than necessary since it is cost and labor intensive. However, there are broad trends and, right now, deeper and darker colors like blues, grays and slates and woody taupes are popular.
  7. Throw caution to the wind. Have you always wanted to go completely wild and paint your front door an atypical color? Why not do it? The good news about painting a front door is that it’s easy to repaint if you aren’t happy with it. There’s no reason why you can’t try something more daring as long as it still works with your existing exterior paint colors.

Taking Your Interiors From Summer To Fall

taking-your-interiors-from-summer-to-fall

If you’re a serial reader of all things home design, you know “Seasonal Design” can actually be pretty labor intensive. Kudos to you if you have the time, energy and drive to paint an accent wall in an autumnal color, or if you’re willing to purchase a new furniture set to ring in the new year.

Most people, however, don’t have the ability to make significant changes to their interiors (or exteriors) in order to honor the changing seasons.

Simple & Practical Seasonal Design Changes to Welcome Fall

Here are simple, practical ways you can change the look of your home’s interiors, taking them from summer to fall. In most cases, a single, large Tupperware storage container is all that’s required to store these seasonal transitions in between times.

  1. Focus on fall colors. Perhaps the single most defining feature of autumn is the changes in color that happen as the result of shorter, cooler days. People from the west coast and interior U.S. travel long distances to enjoy fall colors on the east coast. Warm golds and oranges, rich crimsons and browns – all signify the changes taking place outside. You can bring these same colors into your homes via pillar candles, center pieces, wreaths and garlands.
  2. Switch out your accent pillow covers. I always recommend clients purchase high-quality throw pillows and an array of pillow shams that can be changed from season to season. It takes very little storage space to house the seasonal pillow covers in between seasons and only a few minutes to remove one season’s covers and replace them with another. Make sure to vary colors and textures – and look for accent pillows with gold, metallic embroidery or materials here and there, which add a nice shimmer as well as a golden glow when your fire or candles are lit.
  3. Bring out the throws. In our neck of the woods, we’re fortunate to enjoy the best of both worlds when fall comes around – warm, sunny days and cool crisp nights. Throw blankets are the perfect solution to those quick fluctuations in temperature. They also add a splash of fall cover when draped over the arm of your couch or the body of a favorite wing-back chair.
  4. Adorn the mantel. Your fireplace (which may be coming to life this season) is a focal point in your home and the mantel is the crown. Look for pillar candles in fall colors, use garlands made from fall foliage or adorn the top of the mantel with fall leaves, colorful gourds or a cornucopia. Perhaps you have a still life of a bowl of fruit or an outdoor scene that boasts fall colors elsewhere in the house; move it to the mantel and let it rest casually against the wall.
  5. Use fresh flower arrangements. Summer bouquets are filled with roses, daisies, dahlias, and peonies – all in reds, blues, purples and yellows. When autumn comes around, arrangements can take a different turn – filled with chrysanthemums, Gerber daisies and autumn leaves. Garden color palettes are less varied, which leaves room for creativity – incorporating greenery, berries and fresh herbs as well. A dining room, corner or entryway table can serve as out-of-the-bustle locations where flower arrangements add color and life to your decor.
  6. Change the bedding. Just as you switch out your accent pillows and throw blankets, fall is a great time to change your bedding. Heavier quilts or a down comforter with a seasonal duvet signify the change in seasons, a different color scheme and a cozier night’s sleep.

What are some of the ways you welcome fall into your home each year?

Throw Rugs

throw-rugsDo you have hardwood or another type of hard-surface flooring? Are you struggling to create some sort of boundary between different areas in an open living space? Are your feet freezing when they hit the ground, or is the sound of your dogs’ clickety-clack driving you crazy?

Answering yes to any or all of the above questions is a sign that you need a little more throw rug in your life.

Throw Rugs Offer Amazing Solutions To Basic Design Dilemma

That subtitle may seem like a bit of an overstatement – but it’s not! Throw rugs offer solutions to a myriad of design – and even lifestyle – issues that crop up along the way.

Let’s address some of the ways you can apply throw rugs to improve your day-to-day life.

To add warmth and warm up a hard-surface floor

Personally, I’m a big believer in hard-surface floors. You only have to tear up carpeting – and the pad underneath – one time in your life to know why wall-to-wall carpeting is a bad and risky enterprising. Ever had allergies? Ever had mold? Ever wanted to live amidst layers of dust and particulate matter that can’t be eliminated no matter how much you vacuum? ‘nough said.

Even so, life with hard-surface flooring requires the application of a throw rug here and there. Firstly, they break up foot after foot of the same surface. Secondly, they’re much warmer on bare feet – especially in the winter months or first thing in the morning. Finally, throw rugs add visual warmth, because even an area rug in a traditionally “cooler” color will add a softer look to the hardness, and that translates as “warmer” overall.

Show us what you meant by your furniture arrangement

In a traditional home, with segmented living spaces, area rugs are usually the central stars – located underneath the coffee table, for example, or perhaps as a runner in a long hallway.

These days, however, area rugs have a more important role to play; they anchor space in open floor plans so we know what each of your furniture groupings means. Aaah! That one over there anchors the reading and conversation corner, while the larger area rug over there is clearly meant to define the TV zone. The rugs create visual boundaries that may not be as visible otherwise, and it makes our brains happier to see all that nicely organized space.

Note: Size matters in the world of area rugs. Being too small or too big will cause problems. Try to find rugs that are large enough for all of the furniture legs to fit on or none of the legs to fit on. Only the front end of a couch or chair is fine too in a pinch. It shouldn’t wrinkle or bunch up because it doesn’t lay nicely along a wall edge (try to leave at least a few inches there) or an adjacent furniture piece.

Give us a little texture or pattern to sink our eyes into

When you look around at your interior design what do you see in terms of texture? Wall, floors, and tables are all hard surfaces. Even certain couches – particularly the contemporary, shiny leather versions – can appear more “hard” or “sleek” than soft. If this is the case in your home, area rugs are a very simple way to add texture.

You don’t have to get a high-pile shag for this – even a woven jute rug will suffice. The point is to bring something texturally different into the space to balance what’s there already.

I’m including a pattern in this category too because patterns can add texture as well. Patterns, particularly geometric or viny/floral patterns can add a different dimension to the space. If you’re someone who’s less comfortable adding patterns to a room, let your area rugs do the work for you. Patterns on the floor can be diminished a bit if part of the rug is covered by a couch or a chair and they are less intrusive than when they make an appearance via upholstery or wallpaper.

You can also layer your area rugs – using a larger, patterned rug on the bottom and then a solidly-colored rug on top – a smart choice if a pattern is attractive but feels too bold or too busy for your taste.

Don’t forget to think about comfort and safety

I like to use area rugs for comfort as well – in the kitchen where I stand to work (designer outdoor rugs work great for this because they’re attractive but durable and easy to clean). I use them underneath my favorite reading chair so my feet can rest on a soft, warm surface. Consider placing them in front of your bathroom vanities, and to protect stairs and hallways from wear-and-tear.

That being said, area rugs can be major trip or slip and fall hazards, so make sure to use the anti-slip mats underneath them to prevent them from sliding out from underneath you. Also, get rid of any rugs that curl up around corners or edges; it’s only a matter of time before someone trips and falls. In the dining room, be thoughtful about how they work – or don’t work – when chairs are scooted out and back in so nobody unintentionally tips over.

Making Your Shelves The Most Interesting Piece In The Room

making-your-shelves-the-most-interesting-piece-in-the-room Shelves are made to be utilitarian, which is fine. But, with the right eye and a little creativity, they can become utilitarian works of art – or, at the very least – utilitarian accents that enhance an interior design.

How Can I Make My Dorm Room Shelves Stand out and Look Interesting?

When it comes to making your dorm room shelves stand out and look interesting, it’s all about getting creative with your dorm room resign. Consider adding colorful storage boxes or decorative baskets to bring a pop of style. Showcase unique knick-knacks or personal mementos along with your books and essentials. Incorporate fairy lights or statement artwork to add personality and make your shelves visually captivating.

9 Ways to Make Shelves Stand Out

Here are 9 Ideas for replacing existing shelves, or updating the ones you want to keep, so shelves do more than just “hold stuff.” Give them something to brag about while they’re at it…
  1. Make them disappear. Here’s an idea for the modernist as well as the decorator who appreciates a little whimsy. Purchase metal L-Brackets at the hardware store. Then mount them about 10-inches to 12-inches apart- or as far apart as some of your largest, hardly-read books. Then, stack the large book on the bottom (forming the shelf) with smaller books stacked on top. The effect is a floating stack of books on the wall.
  2. Put an old ladder to work. Have a loft or industrial-style space? Find an old antique ladder and paint it any color you like. Then, open it up against a wall and run planks of wood, metal or whatever hard material appeals to you (thick glass with dulled edges would be awesome too) through both sides of the ladder.
  3. Don’t forget the white space. One of the biggest mistakes most of us make is overcrowding shelves so they become a boring, non-stop run of books and/or cluttered with curios. Don’t forget the white space. From books to collectibles, shelves will always look cleaner and more interesting if you leave some gaps in between things.
  4. Wallpaper them. Budget designers can turn ugly, old wooden shelves into works of art by wallpapering them top and bottom. You can often find old scraps of wallpaper for cheap, but even purchasing it new will cost less than $50, depending on how many shelves you have. This is idea is especially attractive for shelves that are higher up, because the undersides of the shelves add unobtrusive color and interest.
  5. Old crates or boxes. Sand, finish or repaint old wooden boxes or crates. Even old dresser drawers or file drawers will work. They can be mounted on the wall like a curio cabinet individually or in unique arrangements.
  6. Display collections. We posted an entire piece on how to display your collections. Interspersing a collection amidst books or designating “display” shelves is a smart way to add interest to various rooms in your house.
  7. Use rough planks. I love the look of thick, natural wooden planks that keep the edges of the tree in their natural curvature. They work wonderfully for mantel tops and also as shelves. Have a small entryway? Use a thick wooden plank or two, hung above the height where it would knock ahead, to display some curios.
  8. Stack antique benches. Most plain, wood benches are about the same depth as substantial shelving, which makes this a smart way to convert antique benches into shelves. You can stack them, bracing them for safety to make a bolder statement. A distressed look is always appreciated and it’s just fine to mix-and-match colors.
  9. Use art. Shelves are a great place to display some of your art, especially smaller pieces that can get lost on a wall by themselve. Instead, you can show them off – and create a little of that aforementioned shelf space – by using a shelf to prop them up against the wall. Even larger works of art will look stunning this way if the shelf and space accommodate them.