design

Decorating Difficult Spaces

August 18, 2018

Sometimes, a space is challenging to work with. Perhaps the window placement and/or entryways make it difficult to arrange furniture the way you’re used to. Furniture may block entrances or traffic flow is such that it interrupts the conversational paths. Or, perhaps you have tiny nooks or other architectural details that feel like more of a hindrance than a help.

There are design solutions for every floor plan. It may be that a single consultation with an interior designer is will provide just enough brainstorming power to get you started on your own. Here are some of the things she might suggest.

Pull furniture away from the wall

Traditional home design typically places couches and other large furniture up against the wall so it doesn’t take up usable space. This doesn’t always work with awkward spaces. With awkward spaces, we often pull things away from the wall. You can use the wall space for shelving or decorative furniture pieces to display houseplants, artwork or curios. Then, create conversational and focal areas by grouping furniture together in their own zones, anchored by area rugs and end tables.

Re-think your furniture

Sometimes, it’s not the room that’s the issue – it’s the furniture. Room size and layout should play a big part in the number and size of the pieces you own. In tricky layouts, it often makes sense to have love seats and wing back chairs, creating versatile arrangement options, than it does to have a big sectional couch and recliners. Another bonus of smaller pieces is that they can be rearranged and mixed and matched easier than large pieces, allowing you to play with your design without having to make any large or big-budget modifications.

Prioritize the swivel

If you are going furniture shopping, prioritize chairs that swivel. They are extremely handy in open floor plans because while they may take up residence in a reading nook or conversational grouping, they can be easily oriented to watch TV, join a conversation on the opposite side, or to continue chatting with the busy host and hostess in the kitchen. Similarly, in a family setting, they can be swiveled away from busy or noisy areas to enjoy a bit of serenity or reading time.

Make the nook a focal point

There are nooks (yay!), and then there are nooks (grrrr). The nooks we love are the ones that grant us that perfect space for two chairs and a table between them, or a chaise lounge with a lovely view out the window. Then, there are the nooks that complicate things. These nooks are often created to hide awkwardly placed interior wall stuff – like plumbing or structural supports. Your job is to take that nook (grrr) and make it awesome.

If it’s in your budget, this might be an opportunity to connect with an interior designer who provides custom furniture design, taking advantage of her connections with local furniture builders and artisans. If not, the nook can be an ideal place to install bookshelves, build a wet bar, create a gallery wall from your art collection or use houseplants to mimic a mini greenhouse effect.

Think in the round

Round tables are much less awkward in tricky spaces than their square or rectangular counterparts. If you’re having a hard time figuring out how to place your rectangular kitchen table in your new breakfast nook, or your square end tables just don’t seem to work in the living room, it might mean it’s time to shop for circles. Circles work to soften angular spaces, and you can get them right up against the wall, placing two or three chairs around them rather than four.

Could you swap spaces?

I was once called in to remodel a home that had beautiful, separate living and dining room spaces. The problem was that the living room was laden with lots of windows and inconvenient entryways that made it tricky to place furniture in a way that honored the fireplace as well as a TV area. All of a sudden, I realized that the dining room would make a very cozy family room and TV area, while the living room would work perfectly as a formal dining room with a comfortable sitting area at the other end of the table. Sometimes, it’s a good idea to start completely from scratch and re-think your rooms and furnishings to come up with whole new solutions.

Texture And Interior Design

August 17, 2018

Style, color, and patterns are all instrumental in creating a cohesive interior design. Even if you adhere closely to all three of these, however, your design will fall a bit flat if you don’t also pay attention to texture.

Texture Makes an Interior More Interesting

Texture can be used in a variety of ways, depending on the look you are going for. Here are some of the most common ways texture is used to make interior design more lively and interesting.

Monochromatic Interiors. In a monochromatic interior, one where the same color is used throughout – with very little variation, texture adds depth and dimension. Without it, the room or space would feel flat and lifeless.
Modern Interiors. Modern interiors tend to have a “hard” look because they focus on clean and streamlined aesthetics. This is where a nice textured window treatment, shag rug, or funky accent pillows can go a long way in softening the overall appearance.
Wood-Wood, Leather-Leather. Is there a room in your house that tends to have an abundance of one particular texture or finish? This is a sign you should consciously add a different texture or two so things aren’t too repetitive.
To Feel Good. Textures can also be added simply because they feel good. Think about that favorite chenille throw blanket or a luxurious towel set in the bathroom. What about a velvet armchair? In addition to looks, certain textures feel better than others, so you’ll want to incorporate softer, more luxurious textures in rooms that have an abundance of less-comfortable finishes.

Tips For Adding Texture to Your Home’s Interior

There are all kinds of ways to add texture to your interior design. Take a look from room to room and see where you could use a little “texture update” to improve the overall look and feel.

Just add houseplants. If you feel like you got the textile thing down, try adding a houseplant or two. In addition to a whole new texture, as well as depth and dimension, you will also improve your home’s interior air quality. Houseplants are a great addition to empty corners or tabletops.

Look for throw pillow covers. Invest in high-quality throw pillows in standard sizes and then be on the lookout for colorful, patterned, and/or textured covers that you can switch out as the mood strikes you.

Use area rugs. There are plenty of reasons to love area rugs. They save wear-and-tear on flooring in high-traffic areas, they help to define a particular area of a room, and they can also anchor furniture or seating areas in large rooms and open floor plans. Also, area rugs add texture. From sleek low-pile rugs to woven rugs and shag versions, they can make a big impact. A patterned rug can also give the illusion of texture, even if the surface isn’t all that high or chunky.

Pattern layering. I mentioned that patterned area rugs provide texture, and that is because certain patterns create an optical illusion of sorts, creating depth where there is none. This optical illusion can also give the appearance of varied textures. Think about paisley or geometric patterns, which can look 3-D or will appear as if different materials were used – even if patterns are printed on a uniform surface. Layering patterns will enhance that effect, even if your textiles or finishes are all the same.

Half Painted Walls and Beyond

August 15, 2018

There are two types of people in this life: those who plan their next color scheme the minute the final coats of interior paint are drying and those who pass out at the thought of painting on their own. Well, I have a secret for you: half painted walls can be the happy medium for those of you in the latter crowd – and the result will be a living space that has all the benefits of a fresh new look, and added architectural interest.

Here are examples of how and why half painted walls can be a wonderful design solution for your interior spaces.

The literal half-painted wall. Meaning you measure how high you want the line, tape it off, and start painting above or below the tape line – is our first example. Like accent walls, this can be a good option for those of you who want to add a bright or bold color, but worry it will be too dramatic on an entire wall space. By painting the brighter color on the bottom, the boldness will be broken up further by furnishings, so the exposed areas become a nice pop of color. If your ceilings are low, painting the bottom half of the walls the color you want and leaving the top half white will make the room appear more spacious.

Half-painted walls also work if you want to provide a textured bottom to your wall, such as beautiful wood wainscoting, beadboard, or other wall applications; then you can paint the top half the color of your choice.

Precise sections of wall. You can also tailor specific sections of your wall for painting. For example, this living room in Amsterdam uses bright orange on the section of wall framing the grey couch. The grey and orange look great together. Cutting the orange section short of the door way keeps it a more distinct and intentional part of the design. What could have been garish becomes totally stylish when you know how to balance proportion and impact, and half painted walls can accomplish that.

Artistic interpretations of the half-painted wall. What is most appealing to me is some of the style-forward artistic ways that people are using color on their walls. Treating the wall as a blank art canvas, and using fun color combinations, unique application techniques and/or non-traditional boundaries (or lack thereof) is such a creative way to add color, texture, dimension and a whole lot of interest to your space. Look at these examples from decoesfera.com. The site is in Spanish, but you can easily cut-and-paste it into Google Translate to read the full blog. Here are some of my favorite examples:

Purposely uneven. Forget about the tape. Just roll or brush your color of choice in the general dimension/shape you want and let the loose and feathered edges become their own design statement.
Water color. Look how gorgeous it is when you make a section of your wall a watercolor canvas. It’s a wonderful and soft way to add color and becomes a modern work of art on its own.
Get a little funky. Check this idea out: one color is applied (almost traditionally) in a section behind the bed. The other color was applied with a textured technique on the top third of the wall and moves to the adjacent wall. It looks fantastic and will definitely solicit appreciative comments from guests.

Making That College Dorm Stylish

August 3, 2018

College dorms are the ultimate “shared design experience,” especially freshman year when you don’t know much about your dorm mates. In many cases, college dorm rooms end up looking like two halves of completely different wholes – with a nearly visible line down the middle. The ultimate goal is to find ways to design your section of the room so that it is comfortable and expresses your own, personal style.

7 Tips for Making that College Dorm Stylish

The following tips will help you make your dorm space your own.

Create a color scheme. If you are in contact with your future roommate(s) and are in conversation with them, ask them what they plan to do. While designing a room together is probably a bit of a stretch, knowing what colors(s) they plan to use can help you choose yours. Are you familiar with a Color Wheel? They are fantastic for determining which colors go the best together.

Using complementary colors (colors directly opposite one another on the wheel) is one approach. Using analogous colors (colors that are side-by-side on the wheel) is another. This Houzz.com article is a good introduction to the process. If you and your dorm roommates can coordinate the colors in your individual spaces using the tenets of the color wheel, your room will look amazing, even if your styles are completely different.

Use impermanent color. While the typical nail holes and scuff marks are expected in a dorm room, most colleges forbid more permanent changes – like repainting the walls. Therefore, you will have to find ways to use impermanent color to keep your space from resembling a sterile, white hospital room.

Easy ways to do this include:

Creating a large wall board with favorite pictures, posters and memorabilia from back home.
Using colorful, decorative throw pillows on your bed – which also serves as a chair, couch and hang-out space when more than one friend stops by.
Hang tapestries or wall hangings that add both color and texture to your room.
Choosing an attractive bedding set since your bed will always be in the spotlight when your dorm room door is open.

Read, Adding Color Without Adding Paint for more fun ideas for how to add style and color in your dorm space.

Upgrade your “home office.” Your desk is going to be your home within a home over the next several years so you might as well make it as stylish and comfortable as possible. First, make sure you set your desk up in a way that supports ergonomics so you aren’t compromising your physical health by typing in crazy positions. Then, add a little color via desktop organizers, pen/pencil holders and don’t forget an indoor plant or two to add a little life.

Keep that closet organized. Part of keeping any space stylish includes keeping it free of unnecessary clutter. That’s no easy feat in a dorm room, so an efficiently organized closet is key. Dorm closets are notoriously small but you’d be amazed what a difference an efficient closet design will make. The more organized your closet is, the less of its contents will spill into the rest of the room.

Bring the bare minimum with you to start since you’ll only be adding to it as the year progresses. If you live there for a few weeks/months and decide your missing some essentials, you can always have them shipped out. Visit a home furnishings store to find closet organizers that work in both your dorm room and future closets.

Your Guest Room: Designing A Home Away From Home

July 31, 2018

Here’s a little confession: I know exactly which family and out-of-town friends have the most comfortable guest bedrooms to stay in, and I often base my length of “available visit time” accordingly.

Do you blame me? While I can roll with the punches to a point, there is a big difference between sleeping on a blow up mattress on a child’s bedroom floor or having a room to myself, just as there’s a difference between sleeping on somebody’s old, worn-out mattress rather than enjoying a comfortable bed that feels (almost) like home.

Get Your Extra Bedroom Into Shape Before the Holidays

With the holiday season right around the corner, this is a perfect time to prioritize a guest room makeover. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Choose relaxing colors. Regardless of your owner personal taste or penchant for bright colors, I feel guest rooms are best left to the relaxing and neutral areas of the color palette. Guests are often jet lagged or tired from the very nature of what it took to get them to you in the first place. Just being away from home and the normal routine is enough to create an energy drain – consciously or not. Therefore, chose wall and trim colors that are restful and relaxing – whites, grays, greens and blues are all good options. Feel free to add fun, peppy and more energetic splashes of color via accents and display items. If your guest room is on the smaller side, you can use color tricks to make the room seem larger.

Make them feel like royalty. If at all possible, try to provide a queen-size bed at the very minimum. While a double bed works for a singleton, couples are going to struggle sleeping well on anything less than a queen. Then, do invest in a fantastic mattress. Today’s mattress – especially memory foam options – will last a lifetime. If budget is an issue, look for the prolific 0% financing options, which provide you with a new, high-quality mattress for double-digits per month. Alternatively, go directly through the manufacturer for better deals.

Indulge in comfortable linens and bed sets. Cheap sheets feel terrible. While most hotel mattresses are all right these days, it’s the sheets themselves that can really drive you nuts. They are more irritating than they are comforting. Look for sheets with a thread count that is 300 or higher to give your guests a soft place to rest. Think along those same lines when it comes to providing soft bath towels. Then, think in terms of layers. I like to top my guest bed sheets with a thin, soft blanket so those that sleep hot can still enjoy that cozy feeling. Then a down or wool comforter can top that for those who need a little more warmth. I also like to provide four pillows (don’t go too crazy on the pillow front or guests don’t know what to do with them all each morning/night) – two for the head and an extra for those who prefer them or who enjoy reading in bed before going to sleep.

Give guests a place to keep their clothes. Living out a suitcase can be discombobulating at best and completely disastrous at worst, with favorite shirts, suits and dresses having to live in a perpetual state of wrinkled. If you use your guest room closet for storage, try to leave a dozen empty hangers and a small section of closet rod available when guests come to stay. Along those lines, an empty dresser drawer or three is always a nice bonus as well. If there is no closet space available, read, Creating a Closet in a Closet-Less Space, for ideas – most of which can be set up temporarily.

The little extras. Here are some of the little extras I like to provide for guests – arranged artfully in a basket – so they don’t have to ask:

Shampoo, conditioner and bath gel or soap
Unscented or gender-neutral lotion/moisturizer
Shaving cream and decent razor
Toothbrush, toothpaste and floss
A tastefully hidden array of feminine hygiene products
Q-tips and cotton balls
Tissues
Brush/comb

By having these items at the ready, your guests don’t have to feel embarrassed or burdensome if they forget an essential item or two at home. This “guest survival” kit is also handy for guests whose luggage gets lost along the way.

I choose to have beautiful houseplants rather than fresh flowers in my guest room as I have found that flowers in small places are more conducive to guests with allergy attacks.

Finally, leave a guest book on the nightstand. Our household has gone through several guest books over the course of the last few decades and it is such a delight to peruse them from time to time, remembering past holidays, gatherings, visits and special events.