Furniture

Got The Winter Blues? Try Rearranging The Furniture!

September 4, 2018

Days of endless wind and rain make us all a little crazy this time of year. When I start to feel that restless itch, I know exactly what to do –use cooped up weekend days to rearrange things.

When I was a girl, my friends and I loved rearranging our rooms. Together, we saw possibilities we couldn’t envision on our own. This yielded creative, fresh arrangements of furniture, stuffed animals, and posters. It was my first time to experience a bed that was placed kitty-corner in a corner, for example, rather than along a wall.

Rearranging a bedroom was fine for that era of my life, but these days, I love rearranging a home. By looking all of your furnishings from a different perspective, your session will be more thorough and will result in more creative layouts and arrangements.

Tips For Rearranging the Furnishings in Your Home

Here are some of my tips for rearranging the furnishings in your home. In many cases, you’ll feel you’ve benefitted from a mini-remodel since things will look and feel so different. And, the best part about it – you don’t have to spend a single dime.

Tackle the de-cluttering projects first

First, it’s wise to get serious about de-cluttering. If you have accumulated “stuff” throughout your home, it will stymie your rearranging process. Piles here and piles there need to be dealt with before certain furniture pieces can be moved.

Believe me, when I say, this will take the wind right out of your sails. Come Monday, you’ll be sitting around with a bunch of furniture slid this way and that, piles of junk laying around – and no time to do anything about it. Instead, take the weekend before your rearranging project to eliminate the clutter. Read, A Guide to What Stays and What Goes, to help you sort through things.

Get out the extra paint cans

Once you start moving furniture and art, you’ll notice the walls are a bit dingier, dinged up, scuffed or faded than you realized. By having your extra paint cans and brushes at the ready, you’ll be able to do touch-up work in the moment, rather than having to scramble to find what you need.

If you’re thinking about re-painting, this is an optimal time to do it. Once the sun returns, you’ll want to head outside and latent paint projects will languish for another year. Hit the paint stores and start dreaming –using the time you have with furniture pulled away from the walls to slap on the paint or wallpaper you’ve been dreaming about.

Enlist the help of a savvy design friend

We all have them. Those friends with a great eye, always able to make something out of nothing. While your attempts at thrift-store shabby-chic wound up looking just-plain-shabby, theirs could grace the cover of Country Living.

This is the friend you want to have over for tea or lunch while you discuss your plans. His or her eyes will light up and the energy will begin to crackle with excitement. Ah, yes! The possibilities will now be revealed to you.

Don’t get locked into individual rooms

Obviously, beds and significant dressers are going to remain in the bedrooms, but don’t get stuck on a particular room’s furniture or items as having to remain in that room. Instead, try to see your home as a blank canvas and act as if all of your furnishings were sitting out on the front lawn in a big heap. These furnishings are your oyster and your mission is to re-think them – and your living space – in a new light.

So, that desk in the guest room may be the perfect new TV stand for the living room – or perhaps it would work in a corner as a display space for your indoor terrarium. The wood TV tray you keep tucked in a closet might become the perfect corner bar in your formal living room. Perhaps it’s time to find a new way to orient couches and chairs, swapping the wingback in the master bedroom for a chaise lounge you used in the living room.

Don’t be afraid to unload things

Sometimes, we cart things around with us for the simple reason that they’re ours. But they might not really work in our lives. We once had a very attractive and even comfortable loveseat in our family room. The problem was, nobody ever really sat on it. Finally, we realized, “this room would have a whole lot more space if we simply got rid of that!”

So we did, and we moved a lower-profile chair from the guest room in its place. We wound up with two rooms – the family room and the living room – that felt more spacious and we ended up cash positive to boot from the money we got for the loveseat.

Create your own gallery or collection wall

Once you begin rearranging, you may find you have enough miscellaneous art tucked away – or formerly on display around the house – that you can create a beautiful gallery wall. This will come in handy if you wind up with more blank wall space than you used to have when Furniture A moves from here to there. Similarly, your new arrangement might allow you the chance to display your collections in a way that does them justice – pulling them out of hidden corners and into the forefront.

Are you inspired or what? Rearranging your home is a wonderful way to embrace a new year and whole new outlook.

Making A Student-Centric Study Area In Your Home

July 9, 2018

Time flies doesn’t it? One minute you’re helping your baby learn how to walk, the next minute she’s in Kindergarten and before you know it – homework becomes an everyday event. One of the best things you can do to foster a reverence for learning is to create a customized study area for your children.

Not only does this begin to build an academic culture in your home, when done right, it also creates a soothing and distraction-free area where children can focus on their studies.

Your study area can arise just about anywhere, as long as there’s enough room for an uncluttered working space. Perhaps you’ve decided to add a message center or small home office space in the kitchen, or maybe you have a corner of a living room or the child’s bedroom that you can carve out.

I’ve found that creating a small work or study space in a guest room space can be a good idea. Getting the child out of their room and into a quieter, “special” space can help them focus on their work. In any case, here are the basics for making a study area where your child can get to work.

Study your child. We are all very different when it comes to how we work and study best. Make sure you create a study space that is tailored to your child’s needs, and not your own. For example, some people work best in absolute quiet and silence, while others actually do best with a little background music or hubbub around them. Some need to sit still while others (kinesthetic learners and higher-energy children) need to wiggle a bit. Your child’s learning style and studying preferences should lead the way.
Choose the space. Obviously your home will be a great predictor of where this space will be. If you have a small townhome or apartment, using a spare room is probably out of the question. But your goal should be to find a space that can accommodate a small desk or work surface, an appropriate chair or yoga ball (more on that later) and the essential work tools. You also want to take things like sound and lighting into the equation.
Choose the furniture. Make sure the workspace is ergonomically comfortable for your child. Typically, the work surface should be about waist-height and the chair should be one that fits your child well (no dangling feet!). If your child likes to wiggle, consider using a yoga ball or swivel chair, so they can move a bit as they work. Motion anchors thought for kinesthetic learners and many younger, active children – so if they can’t more or wiggle a bit while they work, they’ll have a difficult time concentrating and staying on task.
Eliminate clutter. Clutter is the enemy in any home design. It’s distracting and confusing. It tires the eyes and the mind. Your child will be particularly susceptible to clutter so a designated homework station should house only the necessary items – paper, pencils, pens, dictionary, and the homework at hand. Even markers, staplers, tape, glue, etc. should be stored in an accessible drawer or cupboard until they are needed.
Keep supplies stored close. If you use a table, rather than a desk, make sure the cursory homework supplies are stored within arm’s reach, if possible. Every time your child has to leave the area to get something, or get up to ask you where something is located, takes his/her mind off the task at hand.
Create space for organization. For the most part, organization is a learned skill. You can facilitate that skill in your children by teaching and implementing organizational tricks. Use a large wall-calendar to track and organize homework assignments and test days. If the homework area is in a family room or living room, you can use a desktop calendar instead so it doesn’t take up wall space. Make sure there’s a large, easy-to-read clock somewhere close so they can keep themselves on schedule. In and out boxes can help both of you keep on track of what needs to be looked at and/or signed and what is ready to be returned to the teacher.
Sanctify Homework Time. Finally, you lead the way and set the tone, so do your part by making homework time a sacred time in the household. The TV should be off, cell phones should be placed on silent (the child should not have access to their cell phone until homework is complete), social media interactions are put on hold, older or younger children should be equally beholden to respecting the homework space and quiet time, etc. The less distractions the better so you child can really sink into the work and do their very best.

The Couch Is For More Than Just Sitting On, It’s A Statement

May 12, 2018

The primary job of your home’s furnishings is to serve a function; the bed is for sleeping, the dressers are for storing clothes and your couch is for sitting and relaxing while you watch television, read or converse with your family and friends.

Even though these furniture pieces are functional, interior designers view them as an opportunity to make a statement. We feel their form is almost as important as their function since they add style and visual appeal to living spaces.

Tips for Selecting a Couch That Enhances Your Living Room’s Appeal

The couch is one of the largest furniture pieces in your home. It often takes center stage in your living and family rooms. As such, it’s important that you spend time finding the right size, shape, color etc., so that it enhances your interior design. There’s no way to hide an ill-selected couch.

Here are the things you will want to keep in mind when selecting a new couch for your living room, family room or great room. By taking the time beforehand to get particular about your needs, you’ll be able to invest in a couch that will be at home in its space for years to come.

Consider the size. Perhaps the first item of business is to determine the correct size and shape for your couch. You want your living room furnishings to be proportional with the room’s dimensions, as well as with each other. If your room is larger, opt for an L- or U-shaped couch, which often includes a chaise lounge-like section for relaxing. These are also good for open floor plans as they help to create a division between living areas. Choose one that can be set up with the small end of the L on either side so its arrangement can be changed if necessary. If you have a smaller space, you will want to look for linear couches that can be integrated into a corner or form a low-profile along a wall.

What’s the couch’s function? How does your family use the couch? If you often relax at the end of that day with your DVR line-up of favorite shows, you’ll want to make sure it’s in front of the TV. If your family enjoys reading, see if you can get it somewhere with ample natural daylighting and then have floor and table lamps on hand for nighttime.

Material options. If you have little ones or pets, we recommend choosing leather couches for their easy maintenance and clean up. You can also look for couches that are upholstered using indoor/outdoor fabrics, which are very durable and easy-to-clean, or you can find a high-quality used couch and have it reupholstered. Another good idea is to select a couch with removable and washable covers so you don’t have to hire a professional upholstery cleaner every time an unavoidable accident occurs.

Choose a couch that suits your style. If you’re a modernist you can choose something sleek and contemporary or have fun and go a little eclectic. Traditionalists will appreciate couches with curves, including sculpted legs and feet. If you fall somewhere in the middle, opt for a transitional couch that will look at home regardless of your your accents and accessories evolve over time.

Color or Pattern? If you have major reservations regarding a colorful or patterned couch, I recommend choosing a neutral couch color and changing other furnishings to get the pop of color or pattern you want. However, re-upholstering is easy and affordable so be brave and know you can always go back to conservative if necessary.

Arranging Living Room Furniture

February 25, 2018

Arranging furniture is often a process of trial-and-error and, odds are, if you’ve moved into a new home or planning to remodel the one you’re in, it will take a few different arrangements before you land on the living room furniture placement that suits your family or household best.

Helpful Tips for Arranging Your Living Room Furniture to Enhance Style, Function & Flow

It’s impossible to give you a set of rules because every living room is different – and every family’s use of that space is different as well. However, there are a several tips that can get you started.

Get out the ol‘ fashioned graph paper. If lugging furniture back and forth doesn’t appeal to you, and/or you are good at envisioning two-dimensions in your head, I recommend getting out a sheet of good ol‘ fashioned graph paper and start drawing, cutting and shuffling. Your first item of business will be to outline your living room’s exact perimeter measurements to scale. Mark windows, doors, the fireplace and other architectural features that will affect furniture placement. Then, use another sheet to draw to-scale shapes that mimic your furniture and furnishings, and begin placing your “furniture” in different spots to see which arrangements seem to work best.
Consider traffic flow. Think about how people enter and exit your living room space. You want your furniture to facilitate, rather than hinder, traffic flow. Also, try to prevent traffic from bisecting those who are seated and their view of the television.
Think about your focal point(s). What is your our living room’s focal point? Is it the television or a large picture window? Perhaps it’s your fireplace mantel or a gorgeous work of art. In any case, your main seating area should be placed such that the eye is easily led to an attractive landing point.
Get furniture away from the walls. It’s so common for people to place couches and/or chairs right up against the wall, thinking it will make the room seem larger. In fact, this tactic can make for a boring interior design and can also yield a great deal of dead space if you aren’t careful.
Create a balance of high and low energy. If your living room is big enough, try to create separate areas for entertaining and higher-energy activities – like movie nights – and quieter, low-energy areas – like a corner or fireplace-oriented furniture arrangement that facilitates private conversation or a reading nook.
Think about surface placement. Make sure that every couch or chair has a hard surface nearby, whether it be a coffee table, end table or a nearby credenza or book case so you have a place to set drinks, snacks, magazines or books, the remote controls, etc. If you are in the process of remodeling, this is a good time to think about lamp placement too, as well-placed floor outlets prevent trip hazards created by exposed electrical cords stretched across the floor. Figuring out your future furniture arrangement now will allow you to be more precise with your new electrical plan.
Don’t forget the benefits of area rugs. Area rugs are used often to help anchor living room furniture and/or to create a visual sense of different areas in a single space. One rug, or two layered rugs, can be used to anchor your main seating area while another smaller rug can create the boundary for a small play area or reading corner.

Mix Wood Types And Finishes Tastefully In The Same Space

December 11, 2017

If you’re like most of my clients, you have a mix of wood types and finishes that aren’t perfectly matching sets of furniture and furnishings in every room in the house (good for you). The good news is, things aren’t boring.

However, it can also be tricky to mix-and-match furniture with different wood types and finishes, grain patterns and finishes without looking cluttered, chaotic or a little too eclectic for your taste. The same can be true if you’re working with furniture that is painted different colors.

Think in terms of wood undertones

If you pay careful attention, you’ll notice that wood has undertones. Maybe it’s a deep brown, luminous gold or rich red, for example. By paying attention to undertones, you can include multiple pieces in the same space, even if actual stains or wood types are different. In fact, using this technique can deepen the effect of your beautiful assortment of wood furnishings, creating rich, layered textural contrast.

Use contrast to your benefit

Speaking of contrast, use it to your benefit when working with various wood types and finishes or colors. For example, a darker finished piece can become the focal point of a room, while lighter finishes live on the perimeters. If your wood pieces are only slightly different, choose a contrasting, monochromatic color for the room’s walls and flooring.

Use the birds of a feather rule

While there are variations of a sort (like the pattern difference between standard and bird’s eye maple), most wood types have similar grain patterns and colors. Keeping to the same wood family will create a more cohesive look.

Think more about the furniture’s style rather than finish

Sometimes, the finish is the least of your problems when it comes to using different wood types or finishes in the same room. The issue is actually the architectural style of the piece itself. For example, trying to mix a light, wicker beach house chair in the same space as an imposing, dark-stained Victorian hutch might pose a problem. On the flip side, either of those pieces might look right at home sharing a space with a rustic or distressed piece in the right hue. In this case, its style – not finish or color – that matters most.

Use an area rug to transition floors to furniture

Perhaps the biggest challenge isn’t getting the furniture to blend together, it’s getting the furniture to blend with the hardwood flooring. Dining and coffee tables are the most notorious for creating this visual dilemma.

The area rug – or throw rug – is your greatest ally here. Just as a backsplash creates a transition between contrasting countertops and cabinets, or between two cabinets that are finished or painted different colors (more on that next), you can choose an area rug that includes both wood tones in its color scheme or pattern. That way, it matches both the floor and the table and forms a transitional bridge to balance them. Now your eye won’t even be bothered by the difference in wood type or finish.

Make the most of different wood types and finishes or tones in the kitchen

Your new kitchen will have beautiful cabinets – and odds are there will be a fair amount of them – especially if you have a larger kitchen or an open floor plan. Be careful if a wall or two has wall-to-wall cabinetry with little interruption. This can wind up looking overwhelmingly blah.

By choosing two separate finishes for the top and bottom cabinetry, or on the perimeter cabinets and the island, or using a fun accent color on the island, you can create a more interesting effect. It also gives you more room to play with other colors and finishes in the current design, as well as when you want to change things up again in the future.

Re-think your house-wide furniture placement

Sure, the dining room table belongs in the dining room, and a couch of some type belongs in the living or family room. Sometimes, however, I find clients are stuck in furniture ruts – placing the same pieces, in the same rooms, in the same configuration for years on end or even in different houses.

Perhaps it’s time to re-think furniture placement throughout the house. Maybe you’ll find that a small end table in the living room would look better in the guest bedroom and that a small trunk from the guest room would make a fun and eclectic replacement for said end table. Look at ways you can rearrange your furniture for more stylish and blended arrangements from room to room. If you get serious about it, it can feel like a free home remodel. Inviting a design-savvy friend over for this chore can create a delightful afternoon and a whole new look and fee.

Which pieces are ready to be repainted? Or reupholstered?

If you have an abundance of wood furniture, why not convert a piece or two, or three via a fresh coat of paint? It’s hard to cover up beautiful wood, but if you can’t find a solution to your rainbow-of-finishes issue, it’s time to either trade some in for new pieces or paint the ones most ready for a little TLC.

Reupholstering is another option for wooden chairs. Not does upholstery add color, pattern and comfort, reupholstering leaves only the legs exposed (or the backs, if you only cover the seats), and that might do the trick when it comes to mixing those pieces with others in the group.

You’re always welcome to contact me at Kristina Wolf Design. I can help you via single, in-home consultation where we brainstorm together for a whole new look. Or, you can hire me to do the mixing and matching of your various wood types and finishes for you. Either way, I guarantee we’ll find a way to ensure there’s a place for every finish, and every finish will find its place.