Kristina Wolf's House of Design

Interior Design, Accessorizing, and DIY Tips

Interior Design

6 Swanky Basement Bar Ideas

Interested in designer basement bar ideas to elevate your basement into a classy, boozy retreat? Basement bars allow you to convert a once-dreary space into a personalized area to socialize and relax. Upgrade your basement into a fun, active space to entertain friends and family.

Let’s go over some themes for basement bar design and some unique design ideas to help you personalize a basement bar to meet all your needs.

Themes for Basement Bars

There are many possible themes available for basement bars. Some are trickier to pull off than others, but many are DIY-friendly. Start by selecting the theme that works best for your tastes and the space you have available. Here are some popular ideas to get you started:

1. A Vintage Bar

Bars are an enduring institution. They’ve been around a long time, and they’ll be around long into the future. Why not draw on the past with a vintage-themed basement speakeasy? Go with warm, dark wood for a bar that makes you think about the Old West and adventure.

2. A Pub at Home

British or Irish pubs are warm and welcoming, promising hearty food and good brews. The look translates well as a basement bar idea. Bring that cozy look into your basement with bar stools and professional-looking cabinets. Selecting the right lights often makes the pub look work in a basement bar.

3. A Minimalist Bar

Do you favor clean and simple lines? A minimalist bar design offers what you’re looking for. Minimalist bars limit decorations, staying elegant with a limited color palette and sharp lines. These bars are comfortable with what they are and aren’t trying to distract with anything flashy.

4. A Country-Rustic Bar

The rustic look brings warmth to many basement bars. Going country often means using impactful wood for the floor and even the bar top. Decorations — like a set of antlers on the wall — add to the country-western theme in this kind of bar.

5. An Industrial Bar

Want to go modern with a well-worn look?  An industrial design focuses on exposed metal, often with an unfinished look. With the industrial look, you could make your bar itself out of corrugated metal, with pipes for accents. Many property owners find the industrial look to be affordable and easy to do on their own.

6. A Futurist Bar

Let’s get neon with a futurist bar idea. The futurist style draws on sharp corners and straight lines, often highlighted with points of bright, colorful light. Consider using brushed metal for the top of a futurist bar, making for easy clean-up in an inviting space.

Use the Space of Your Basement Bar

No two basement bars are exactly alike. You get to personalize your basement space based on the amount of room in your basement, your unique tastes, and your budget. Proper planning and design transform even small spaces into welcoming basement bars.

Some property owners with limited space decide on a corner bar. These bars set aside a space for the bar and allow you to continue using the rest of your basement for other things. Other property owners set up a small wall bar.

Wall bars usually don’t include chairs or stools. Instead, they put the focus on a lovely countertop, usually over a wine cooler or minifridge. Cabinets allow you to store glasses and other bar must-haves, letting you carve out a little space to relax.

Larger basements give you more options for decorating your bar. Consider adding eye-catching pieces to your basement bar, including:

  •  A pool table
  •  A jukebox
  • Unique bar stools
  • A television

Make your basement bar a unique reflection of your personality.

Personalize Your Basement Bar with Unique Touches

Selecting a theme for your basement is just the first step in planning. Make your basement bar your own with personal touches, accents, and highlights. Let’s go over some ideas for decorating a basement bar.

Customize Your Cabinets

A basement bar needs cabinets to store dishes and glasses. Personalize the look of the bar with custom cabinets. Consider designs for the cabinets as well as the colors you want to use. You also get to pick material. Do you want wooden cabinets or a more modern metal look?

Consider Booth Seating

Stools are often associated with bar seating, but you don’t have to go with the old standbys. Consider using booths for the seating at your basement bar. Booth seats allow you to stretch out, encouraging comfort and relaxation at a basement bar.

Add Eye-Catching Accents

Decorating your basement bar helps make the space yours. Consider adding light-up signs that offer unique messages. Put a dartboard up on the wall for an entertaining centerpiece. Select the kind of lighting you want, from bright neon to warm, dim tea lights to create an inviting private space.

Start Planning Your Basement Bar Now

Designing a custom basement bar provides the perfect opportunity for you to personalize your home. Our team of designers at Kristina Wolf’s House of Design is here to help if you want more assistance coming up with tips for accessorizing, interior design, and DIY projects as you look for basement bar ideas. Send us a message through the contact form on our website for personalized help from expert designers.

What Is Chinoiserie Wallpaper?

Vintage wallpapers have made a massive comeback in interior design, and the classic Eastern-influenced wallpaper called Chinoiserie is no exception. Filled with natural motifs, brilliant tropical colors, and romantic air, chinoiserie wallpaper is the kind of luxurious wall covering you need for a lounge, bedroom, or even a stylish bathroom.

Let’s explore the history of this fascinating and beautiful wall art, its key characteristics, and how you can incorporate it into your home.

History of Chinoiserie

Chinoiserie emerged in the mid-17th century in Europe, gracing the homes of nobles and royalty. The name comes from the French word “chinois,” which means Chinese, and the patterns seen in the wallpaper, fabrics, and porcelain of the time demonstrate why. The artistic and stylish designs are all hand-painted, and the images depicting beautiful flowers and exotic birds of the Far East form a pattern that never repeats.

Chinoiserie was heavily influenced by China, as well as Japan and the Far East in general. When chinoiserie designs gained popularity, Europe was very active in colonizing that part of the world, bringing back the imagery and artistic techniques of those far-off lands. Chinoiserie wallpapers were not a part of Chinese traditions but were inspired by them.

Chinoiserie designs waned in popularity by the mid 18th century but continued through to the 19th century, declining after the First Opium War (1839-1842), which was fought between China and Britain. Chinoiserie re-emerged in the 1920s when the Far East’s style and society gained popularity once again.

Today, chinoiserie wallpaper is once again surging in popularity. Though it is a vintage style of interior design, the look and feel of the wallcoverings lend themselves to both classic and modern interiors. They can complement the current interior design or contrast it successfully. If your interiors need an injection of romance, charm, and the exotic, chinoiserie wallpaper is an excellent choice.

Chinoiserie Wallpaper Characteristics

Chinoiserie wallpapers have many unique characteristics that set them apart from every other kind of wallpaper. First, they are not, in fact, paper but 100% silk material. The backing, made of rice paper, provides a solid foundation and helps stave off deterioration.

The designs of chinoiserie wallpaper are hand-painted using tempera or gouache paints. These silk paints give a luxurious watercolor look to the designs, which are all intricate and unique. Rich colors are used to paint the motifs, depicting the Far East’s flora and fauna.

When on the wall, Chinoiserie creates a mural effect and may encase an entire room in design, working around doors and windows effortless due to the non-repeating pattern.

Modern chinoiserie wallpaper uses adhesive and may even be removed, a great advantage when applying the exotic papers and you need to reposition a portion.

Using Chinoiserie Wallpaper

Chinoiserie wallpaper may be used in a variety of ways in your rooms. The lack of repeating patterns and the ease of removal and reapplication means you can experiment a bit. Here are some ideas for how you can use chinoiserie wallpaper to inject some bold and exotic beauty into your home.

Surrounded By Nature

Chinoiserie wallpapers are made to cover large expanses of walls, making them perfect for creating an exotic bedroom retreat. With a relaxing green or blue background and plenty of flowers, trees, and buds gracing the mural-like design, it’s a quick way to make a room spectacular.

Full wallpapering is also a good choice for a living room or sitting room, and areas of a whole wall in a library or lounge can be wallpapered, bringing the space and air of the outdoors.

Inserts and Accents

If full wall coverage isn’t the ideal choice for your space, you can use chinoiserie wallpaper on an accent wall. Choosing a wall in the room and using this beautiful wallpaper creates a thematic focal point, helping to bring the entire room together. You may also want to limit the wallpaper to a portion of the wall, such as space in a dining room above a chair rail.

Chinoiserie wallpaper may also be used in small pieces. With the addition of some crown molding and careful attention to the pattern, you can create a unique window to the outside world with your wallpaper. The effect is like a series of windows, with flora and fauna of the Far East visible.

Wallpaper designs may also be available in fabrics, allowing you to bring more attention to the design and unite the room as a whole with the addition of patterned accent pillows, table-toppers, or even painted rugs.

Can Chinoiserie Wallpaper be Used to Jazz Up Your Stairs?

Chinoiserie wallpaper adds a touch of elegance and style to any space. So, why not jazz up your stairs with this exquisite wallpaper? Transform your ordinary staircase into a stunning focal point that mesmerizes and delights. With its intricate patterns and vibrant colors, Chinoiserie wallpaper is a perfect choice to enhance the beauty and charm of your stairs. Let your imagination soar as you create a unique and enchanting staircase that leaves a lasting impression.

Learn More About Chinoiserie Wallpaper

In general, Chinoiserie wallpaper and chinoiserie design are all about adding a touch of the exotic to your interiors. Want to learn more about Chinoiserie and how you can incorporate it into your interior home design? Sign up for Kristina Wolf’s House of Design newsletter to stay in the know with all the latest interior design tips and ideas.

How to Declutter Your Home Like an Interior Designer

If you’ve ever seen a home staged to sell, you know that interior design home decluttering goes beyond most people’s vision for tidying their space. Over the years you’re bound to pick up items you think you need and then never even look at again.

Not only do these items take up space, but they can also lower your mood and productivity. Getting rid of things you no longer use can be daunting, but a few tips from the pros can make the process a lot more efficient.

How to Get Started

Starting is the hardest part of decluttering. If you struggle to decide which items to throw away, first determine whether you really need them.

That doesn’t mean you should get rid of anything that doesn’t have a practical use. Souvenirs from past holidays have sentimental value, so if they make you happy, they’re still useful. Similarly, if you look at an item and it brings up bad memories, throw it away. You don’t need it anymore.

Before starting, plan a decluttering route around your house. The key is to be as organized with the as possible. You also to keep things manageable and motivate yourself. Many people choose to work from the farthest corner of the room back to the door, but other methods may work for you.

Take Your Time

You don’t have to declutter your whole house in one go. In fact, sometimes it’s better if you don’t. If you dread clearing out the clutter, taking your time can make the process less daunting.

Try tackling one room each day, and when you are done, treat yourself. Giving yourself that incentive over several days may draw out the process, but it will keep you motivated.

Meanwhile, if you burn out after decluttering a few rooms in a day, you are less likely to finish the job. Understand how you work before you start interior design home decluttering. You’re probably not staging your home, so make the process work for you.

Keeping it Clear

Nothing beats the feelings of a decluttered home, so try to keep it that way. Consider investing in baskets and boxes you can use to put things away so that the clutter doesn’t build up again.

Give every item its own place. If you know where to put something once you’re done using it, it’s less likely to end up back in the middle of the floor.

To keep your house clear throughout the whole year, every time you bring something new into your home, throw away or donate something you haven’t used in a while. This can be a challenge, as once you’ve decluttered, you won’t have as many excess possessions. But by keeping a consistent flow of items into and out of your home, you’ll keep your home from overflowing with stuff you don’t need.

Everyone has their own method of decluttering. If you don’t love the task, you may benefit from more efficient methods. Using these tips for interior designer home decluttering can get the job done fast, so you have more time to do what you love.

Wallpapering Tips for Beginners

No one starts off applying wallpaper perfectly. It involves a more complicated technique than painting with brushes and rollers, and any mistakes become permanent. If you paint a wall wrong, you can always paint over the problem. It’s harder to hide air bubbles in wallpaper.

While wallpapering is tricky at first, you can do it yourself. Following these wallpaper tips, you can get that professional look without hiring a professional.

Prepping the Room

Before you start applying the wallpaper, decide where each of your wallpaper strips will go. Using a measuring tape, work your way around the room and draw a line to mark where each strip ends.

Measuring and marking the wall will also help you determine how much wallpaper you need to buy. Multiplying how many strips you need by the height of your room will give you an approximate amount. It’s better have some left over than to not have enough, so buy around 15 to 20 percent more than your calculations say.

Finally, remove all fixtures like light switch covers and heating vents and fill any gaps you have with non-shrinking joint compound. You want the wall to have as few imperfections as possible when you start wallpapering.

Prime the Walls

Prime your walls using a wall sizing product. This product will make the walls smooth and slippery. This might sound like the opposite of what you need when sticking on wallpaper, but it helps you move the wallpaper around. You’ll rarely apply it straight the first time, so having the freedom to adjust means a lower chance of imperfection in the finished product.

This movability is particularly important when applying wallpaper to drywall. Without proper priming, you can’t get the wallpaper off if you decide to redecorate later.

Applying the Paste

Always apply the paste to the paper, not to the wall. Don’t be tempted to paint the walls with paste and stick on the wallpaper. It might seem more efficient at first, but you’ll create more work for yourself when it dries and ruins your priming.

Find a flat surface—preferably a worktable—and apply the paste using a paint roller. This technique gives you a more even spread than a paintbrush and speeds up the process. Check your wallpaper to find out which type of paste to buy.

You then want to book the paper. After you’ve applied the paste, fold the paper back on itself to soften it.

Where to Start

If you have chosen a wallpaper with a repeating pattern, it is likely that wherever it ends, the patterns won’t match. There is no perfect way to resolve this, so your best option is to start and end in the least conspicuous spot.

If you know that you plan to put a cupboard or another large piece of furniture in a particular spot, start there. Still, consider that you may want to rearrange your furniture at some point. To keep your options open, you may want to start around or above a door.

If wallpapering your home makes you nervous, don’t worry. With these wallpaper tips, you can avoid beginners’ mistakes and make anyone think you knew what you were doing from the start.

Tips for Decorating with Houseplants

If going outside doesn’t satisfy your nature craving, decorating with houseplants brings the outdoors into your home. Houseplants also give you the opportunity to garden if you have limited space in your yard.

The benefits of indoor plants aren’t limited to keeping your hands busy. They can be great for your mind, too. Studies have found that when people are surrounded by plants, they become more creative and productive. Plus, the oxygen plants provide can reduce anxiety.

Use these tips to build yourself an indoor garden by decorating with houseplants.

Coordinate Your Plants

You rarely find two different plants that are the exact same color, size, or shape. Therefore, when deciding on which houseplants to buy, you should try to coordinate rather than match them. You can still try to group plants by their coloring, but try to choose shades that complement each other.

Usually, a plant’s leaves stand out among all other parts of the plant. When you’re decorating with houseplants, consider the shapes and positioning of their leaves. Try grouping different kinds of plants to see what visual effect they have on the room. A lopsided plant may look strange by itself but could work well when placed next to something more balanced.

You can also group plants together by how many you have. If you want a symmetrical, formal look, group your plants in even numbers. On the other hand, grouping plants in odd numbers can give the room a more casual and relaxed feel.

Caring for Plants

When decorating with houseplants, remember that different plants have different needs. Some plants, like ferns, need a high level of humidity. Grouping these types of houseplants together will create a pocket of moisture and grow healthy plants.

Light also impacts your choice of plants. Some plants like full sunlight, while others prefer shade. When you choose plants, make sure you can give them the amount of natural light that helps them grow best.

If you have a lot of tall plants, make sure they aren’t obstructing other plants that might need light. Likewise, try not to group all your plants in one area if it doesn’t meet all their requirements for ideal growth.

How Can I Successfully Decorate with Tropical Houseplants?

Tropical houseplants allow you to bring a touch of lush paradise into your home. To successfully decorate with these vibrant plants, consider their specific needs. Choose plant varieties suited to the light levels in your space and provide adequate humidity and watering. Use tropical houseplants strategically, placing them as focal points or adding pops of color to complement your existing decor.

Choosing the Right Pots

Your pots can be just as striking as the plants you put in them. Look for decorative pots that can brighten the room. If someone gives you a plant you don’t want, a beautiful pot can take your attention away from the plant.

However, not all pots work for all plants. Some will allow for too much drainage, which makes the plants dry out. Others won’t drain enough, leaving your plant sitting in excess water and putting it at risk for root rot.

If a pot is draining too much water, try placing a small stone over the hole before potting your plant. This won’t completely stop the water from getting out but should slow the drainage enough to keep your plant healthy.

If you want to brighten your home, decorating with houseplants can bring life and beauty to any room. Remember to choose plants you like and coordinate them with your space and each other. By caring for your plants properly, you’ll transform your home into an indoor oasis.