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Interior Design

Do You Really Need A Formal Dining Room?

January 12, 2018

do you really need a formal dining roomI am a huge fan of the formal dining room. They’re beautiful, elegant and they create a separate space for intimate gatherings or fun, frivolous celebrations. They can provide a moment of Zen in a busy day and – like a formal living room – they’re often one of the only spaces in the house that remain free of clutter and full of high-quality furniture and furnishings.

On the flip side, a formal dining room can be a huge waste of space. Some families only use theirs a handful of times (if that) per year. Because the room sits largely unused, it winds up becoming a catch-all and hoarders delight, filled with all the projects, boxes, paperwork and crafting ideas you plan to get to some dreamy “Someday”

Ways to re-think the formal dining room

So which is it for you? Are you someone who adores the formal dining room space but wishes it were used more frequently? Or are you someone who adores their formal dining room but is ready to re-think it’s under-used square footage, in the hopes that it might be more useful in another configuration?

Here are some ideas for making the most of your formal dining room space – or eliminating it altogether – depending on what you decide.

How often do you use it?

If your answer is less than four times per year – or even six times a year – I highly recommend you brainstorm ways to make better use of valuable living space. If you just cringed reading those words because they resonated with you, then start using your dining room more.

You don’t have to have formal dinner parties to use a dining room. Maybe it’s time to have some Friday happy hour socials with neighbors and friends. What about making it a priority to have a phone-free, weekend brunch with the family every weekend – Saturday or Sunday – depending on the household’s weekend schedule? Even end-of-the-week pizza nights or taco bar dinners can take place on the ample dining table while giving the meal a more “connected” vibe. Who says it has to be formal? Altogether, used and enjoyed is just fine.

Expand into an open floor plan

If you’re planning an upcoming remodel, think about whether or not an open floor plan might be more your style. Older homes are often compartmentalized and they were built that way for coal/wood heat conserving reasons. Now that homes are air-tight and more efficient, it’s economical to have a more open floor plan – and homeowners appreciate the larger and more spacious feel. Also, those interested in creating more senior-friendly or accessible designs are beginning to appreciate the mobile-friendly aspects of open designs.

If you’re feeling cramped in your current, compartmentalized floor plan, it’s time to work with an interior designer and envision the more open possibilities. And, don’t give up on a formal living area, even if it isn’t a designated room. Pony walls can go a long way towards dividing spaces while maintaining the open feel. Similarly, dine-in spots on one side of the kitchen can be separate from a larger dining table in the open living space. The former might be the “everyday” eating spot, while the latter remains the choice spot for special gatherings. Even in an open floor plan, you can find plenty of ways to create a warm and inviting dining room space.

If you do go this route, with separate eat-in kitchen and formal dining area, be mindful of clutter, which accumulates quickly on a big, accessible table. Families might want to invest in high-quality custom cabinetry and/or shelving specifically designed to house and organize items that might wind up on the dining room table otherwise.

Create a new space altogether

So you don’t eat in the dining room more than once a year, but the whole family uses it as art central on a weekly basis. Or the kids practice their musical instruments in there because it’s quiet. Maybe you’ve shoved the dining room table against the wall in order to make way for all the toys and games so the kids have a play space separate from yours. Are you scrapbooking? Knitting? Embroidering? Doing yoga on a daily basis along with a little stationary biking or treadmilling?

In that case, your household might benefit from treating the former dining room as an empty spare room, for which the possibilities are endless.

Are you struggling to find the right balance between formal dining room and wasted living space? It’s not a comfortable place to be. Contact the nearest interior designer and brainstorm a solution that makes perfect sense most of the time, rather than three nights per year…

Filed Under: Interior Design Tagged With: decorating, decorator, design, designer, home, home design, home interior, interior, interior decorating, interior decorator, interior design, interior designer, living space, professional designer, professional interior designer

Budget-Friendly Fireplace Mantel Upgrades

December 29, 2017

budget-friendly-fireplace-mantel-upgradesHere in the Bay Area, fireplaces serve as a cozy addition to weekends and evenings leading all the way up until spring. Even after chilly evenings turn warm, most living room seating arrangements position the fireplace front and center – so it’s worth creating a mantel worth gazing at.

Affordable Ways to Dress Up Your Fireplace Mantel

Long winter days provide the ideal setting to plan and execute a new version of your existing fireplace mantel – there’s nowhere to be but tucked up inside anyway, right?

Here are some affordable, budget-friendly ways to re-vamp a mantel so it delights the eye for months or years to come.

Rearrange your house

I recently posted a piece on rearranging your home furnishings with panache. While in the process, I recommend mixing and matching art pieces, collectibles, or miscellaneous tchotchkes on display elsewhere.

Use these extra or leftover pieces and arrange them on the mantel. Still, have leftovers? Maybe it’s time to update your entryway while you’re at it.

Prop – don’t hang – your art

If you have a rather large art installation, it’s best to mount it properly and securely to protect the art as well as unsuspecting family members or guests. Otherwise, propping your art, rather than hanging it, gives it a slightly more casual or even edgy look. I like the way paintings or photos look when propped by staggered degrees or in layers.

Forget about art, how about frames?

Rather than using framed art, you can use empty frames. The frames themselves can be gorgeous and then fresh flowers, plants, candles or other decorative display items can be set around them or playfully “framed” in front of them.

Paint and more paint

Sometimes, the best way to make something “pop” is to paint the space behind it. If you live in a more recently constructed home, odds are the fireplace is an insert, surrounded by a tile of some kind, with drywall comprising the rest of the wall and the chimney behind it. Why not choose an accent color you love and paint the wall behind the fireplace? Then, give the mantel a fresh coat of paint – one that contrasts with the accent color – and va-va-voom. All of a sudden, the mantel becomes the star of the show.

Hang a mirror over it

Mirrors pack a powerful design punch. The mirror frame itself can be used to add texture, color or an eye-catching focal point. The mirror will reflect light – both day and night – helping to illuminate the space. Because it’s a reflective surface, a mirror also makes the space feel bigger – especially helpful in a smaller living room or den space.

Change it out for something repurposed

Is your mantel boring or outdated? Consider swapping it out for something more creative and inventive. There are plenty of items that can be repurposed into a mantel. Reclaimed wood is all the rage these days. While it can be very costly to use reclaimed lumber for flooring or an expanse of kitchen cabinetry, a single slab of beautiful, rustic reclaimed wood is an affordable option for a mantel. Salvaged mantels from older homes abound in antique and curio stores so keep an eye out for something unique and then install it above or around your fireplace.

Have a fireplace that you never use? Why not build shelves over it and around it and then use it as a personal library. Similarly, you can use the fireplace, mantel and/or installed shelves to creatively display a prized collection.

These days, almost anything goes in the world of home design so don’t hesitate to go out on a limb and try something new.

Filed Under: Interior Design Tagged With: decorating, decorator, design, designer, home, home design, home interior, interior, interior decorating, interior decorator, interior design, interior designer, living space, professional designer, professional interior designer

Making Your Home Purrfectly Pet Friendly

December 29, 2017

making-your-home-purrfectly-pet-friendly

Pets have always had a special place in the hearts of American families, but the last couple of decades have made life even cushier for our furry friends. From designer clothing lines and memory foam sleeping quarters to purified water dishes and jewelry, modern day pets are living the American dream.

All kidding aside, contemporary home designs often take pets into consideration in an effort to maintain a stylish household while still accommodating four-legged members of the family.

The Contemporary Home: Designing Your Interiors With Pets in Mind

Here are a few ideas for making your home purrfect for furry, feathered and potentially scaly family members.

Enjoy the benefits of indoor/outdoor upholstery. Honestly, if you have kids or pets, the main living areas in your home should always contain furniture with indoor/outdoor upholstery. Put the idea of rough canvas or green fabric with bright rainbow flowers right out of your head. Indoor/outdoor fabrics aren’t just for the patio anymore. The advancement of technology and synthetics has allowed furniture manufacturers to create patterns and prints that look and feel elegant enough to complement any design. They don’t tear as easy, they don’t stain as readily and any spills, accidents or fluid-involved pet shenanigans can be wiped up in a flash.

Built in sleeping and eating quarters. Built-in shelving and storage areas are the norm now in living rooms, kitchens and laundry rooms. These built-ins also make for ideal “pet centers”. If you have the luxury of a large laundry room or mud room, you can include a low, tiled area with a perimeter rim and a drain for dog washing (also handy for rinsing boots, shoes, hands and feet after gardening or wet season outdoor play). You can also build sleeping nooks built to fit a favorite pet bed, slide-out, metal-lined drawers that hold economy sized pet food and a cabinet or two for all the pet accessories. These are all attractive ways to incorporate pet gear into your home without all the clutter.

Kitty walkways and playgrounds. If you’re a cat lover, things can feel cluttered pretty quick. On one hand, your cats need something to keep them distracted from clawing up your favorite furnishings. On the other, those carpet covered cat poles and platforms don’t always mix with the rest of the home decor. Companies like Square Cat Habitat sell designer pet furniture that blends in to a well-designed home. You can also incorporate “barely there” cat walks, stairways, platforms, sleeping lofts and more by using the upper areas of your walls, soffits and ceilings. Check out the colorful cat playground that was blended into these children’s bedroom.

Hard surface flooring. When families are consummate pet owners, I always recommend working with hard surface flooring in all of the main living areas. There are many wonderful products out there for eliminating pet messes, odors and stains from fabric but – no matter what – there always seems like a little residual “memory” lingers. Plus, animals often have “favorite” places to express their accidents and upsets, which can lead to more wear-and-tear on those particular sections of carpet from all the repeat washings. Hard surface flooring is versatile and easy to clean. You can save cushy carpet for formal living rooms, dining rooms or any bedrooms that don’t have regular access. Area rugs can be used to soften things around the house and are more easily washed or traded in for new models when needed.

Filed Under: DIY, Interior Design Tagged With: decorating, decorator, design, designer, home, home design, home interior, interior, interior decorating, interior decorator, interior design, interior designer, living space, pets, professional designer, professional interior designer

Simple Ways To Add Charm And Character

December 29, 2017

simple-ways-to-add-character-and-charmEven a serial modernist can’t help but acknowledge that older homes have charm and character. There’s something special about architecture from years gone by, not to mention the wood work and unique details that were more common in the everyday homes of the earlier 20th century and further back along the architectural timeline.

You don’t have to buy a historical home to enjoy living spaces that have charm and character. All you have to do is personalize your own a bit, and throw in a few extra details that make guests take notice and feel more like they’re in a Home.

Here are 9 examples of what I’m talking about:

  1. Re-vamp your foyer. When’s the last time you took a good hard look at your foyer or entryway? A welcome mat and a mirror are not enough to make guests feel welcome, nor will they tell us anything about who lives here. Eliminate clutter, clean things up and then re-vamp your entryway with a few extras that express a little bit about you, your tastes and your interests. Read, The Entryway, to learn more entryway design tips.
  2. Dress up those windows. Sheer curtains are lovely, but they can also be bland. See if your windows couldn’t be framed a little better with curtain panels, or a valance, that highlights your color scheme or adds a bit of texture with its subtle or bold print. You’d be amazed at how different a room’s energy will feel with the right window dressings.
  3. Show off those collections. Are your collections hidden away in boxes or a storage unit? Or are they cluttering up a few squashed shelves in your den? Get your collectibles out into the open using stylish display methods and your living space will be infused with personal charm.
  4. Finish off those unfinished or unused spaces. Do you have a window seat that’s dying to be transformed into a reading nook? Is there are blank corner that could be put to work housing a gorgeous potted plant or tree? Look at those unused or unfinished nooks and niches in your home and get them settled into official “somethings” once and for all. They’ll add character, color and interest to the room.
  5. Trim it up. Wood trim does wonders for living spaces. Take a peek at the trim that adorns your windows and doors, your baseboards or the top of your walls (if there is any). Then, begin perusing the array of moulding and trim out there. It might be time for some replacements or additions. Even the simple addition of a chair rail around your dining room wall, along with a new coat of paint (or a half-wall’s worth), will make it seem like you’ve had a total room remodel.
  6. Change out your light fixtures. Did you move into an already-built home? Unless you’ve done a total remodel, odds are you have a light fixture or two that was chosen for you. If they are the standard versions that came with the home, I’ll bet they are they’re totally boring – and/or not your cup of tea. Get online or out there at flea markets and look for fun, unique or stunning light fixtures that will enhance your interior design and are worth taking the time to look up at.
  7. Is that wood underneath that carpet? Many homeowners take their carpet for granted, and have no idea their older home may have stunning wooden floors underneath the carpet. If the wood underneath is a little beat up and you can’t afford to refinish or replace it, you might think about painting it. Let me begin to count the ways wood flooring trumps carpet: looks, character, resale value, less allergenic, more sanitary, etc. etc. If you are one of those older-home owners whose neglected to learn what lies beneath the carpet, do your homework and find out. You may be pleasantly surprised.
  8. Decorate your ceilings. The ceilings are a much-overlooked piece of the interior design puzzle. In most cases, it’s like a big, blank wall staring at your from above. When clients decide to paint their ceiling, install coffered ceilings, or trim their ceilings with wood or woven fabrics, it adds a tremendous amount personality.
  9. Look for that perfect vintage or antique piece. Find a piece in your home that is boring, out of place and/or made cheaply. Now, your mission is to scour flea markets, antique stores and craigslist for its vintage or antique counterpart. That one swap out will make a difference. Repaint or refinish your replacement if needed, but don’t forget that the right type of wear-and-tear can be quite charming on its own.

Stuck on how to incorporate a little more charm or character in your Bay Area home? Schedule an in-home consultation with what you have and then work from there.

Filed Under: Accessories, DIY, Interior Design Tagged With: decorating, decorator, design, designer, home, home design, home interior, interior, interior decorating, interior decorator, interior design, interior designer, living space, professional designer, professional interior designer

Budget Friendly Tips For Re-Decorating Your Kitchen

December 25, 2017

budget-friendly-tips-for-re-decorating-your-kitchen

While a full kitchen remodel might sound nice, the current budget may not accommodate your vision. Does that sound familiar? If so, you’ll appreciate these 10 easy and budget-friendly tips for redecorating your kitchen.

10 Tips to Redecorate Your Kitchen on a Dime (or two…)

  1. Consult with an interior designer. Interior designers are just as happy to be paid for a few hours of design consultation as they are to orchestrate a full remodel. This can be a great tool for running your ideas by a professional as well as gleaning a few ideas and tips.
  2. Switch out your light fixtures. Do you have an outdated suspended light fixture over your dining nook or island? Switch these out for contemporary replacements. You can get stunning light fixtures for pretty cheap and they will update your kitchen in a matter of minutes. It may even be worth it to get a quote from an electrician for wiring pendants, if you don’t already have them. That type of work is typically pretty affordable.
  3. Make-Your-Own island. Rather than paying for a more costly built-in island, you can easily convert an old dresser or table into an island instead. In some ways, this is an even better idea because its position is flexible and it can be moved out when/if needed.
  4. Consider cabinet refacing. Refacing your cabinets is typically half the price of building new ones. Your cabinet boxes will be reinforced and will look brand new when complete.
  5. Pick one thing. Which thing needs to be updated the most? Spend the bulk of your budget on that and use thrifty fixes for everything else. For example, replace your countertops and then repaint your cabinetry and replace the hardware over time. In most cases, the results will be just as good as a full remodel.
  6. Just add paint. A new coat of paint, especially if you select a new and improved color, will go a long way. Typically, a single can will be enough to do the trick since your cabinetry covers the bulk of the wall space. Speaking of cabinets, repainting your cabinets is another way to get a new lease on one of the most significant features in your kitchen. Consider using a two-tone approach for a designer-worthy finish. Try using a darker paint on lower cabinets and a lighter one on the uppers. Or, paint your kitchen island a different color than the perimeter cabinetry.
  7. Do an accessory overhaul. Look around on your counters. Are your accessories in the “20+ Years Old” category? Replace them with high-quality updated versions and donate anything that can be used or repurposed by someone else.
  8. Add open shelving. Contemporary and modern kitchen designs typically incorporate some type of open shelving. It is a clean look and gives you the opportunity to add a splash of color or interest based on what you choose to store there. Have an unused section of blank wall in your kitchen? Give it that fresh coat of paint and then install an open shelf or two.
  9. Remove upper cabinet doors. Like the idea of open shelving? You can remove the cabinet doors on some or all of your upper cabinetry for a completely different style. Fill any screw holes, repaint the boxes, and you’ll have an updated look for a very affordable price.
  10. DIY Fridge integration. Integrated refrigerators are all the rage but involve expensive new cabinet materials. If you’re at all handy, you can do-it-yourself. Check out the instructions (Q. #12) at theoldpaintedcottage.com.

Filed Under: Interior Design Tagged With: decorating, decorator, design, designer, home, home design, home interior, interior, interior decorating, interior decorator, interior design, interior designer, kitchen, living space, professional designer, professional interior designer, redecorating, redecorating kitchen

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