Flooring

Flooring options for todays homes

Today we have more options than ever in choosing a floor for our homes.  Sometimes we choose our floors for pure aesthetics and sometimes we fall in love with a certain look. Floors take the most abuse in our homes so choose yours wisely.

Hardwood is the most popular partly because it is easy to clean, can be refinished and doesn't have allergy issue.  Hardwoods come in different widths, satin or high gloss finish, roughened  to look like old boards and an unlimited number of colors.  Medium to dark stains are what most of us are going with now and they wear great and show minimum dirt.  If adding hardwood floors and they butt against existing hardwoods, create a darker stained border with the wood running perpendicular to the old floor.  This creates a strong delineation to allow the eye to rest before moving to the next surface.

Tile floors follow closely and surpass hardwoods in areas like bathrooms.  Ceramic, porcelain, terrazzo, travertine are just a few and offer unlimited colors and textures.  Grout colors can change the look of the floor and hide wear and tear.  The wider the grout line the more slip resistant your floor will be.  1/8" to 1/4" is standard but it is up to the customers preference.  Sizes also vary widely and most manufactures offer sizes from mosaic to 12x12 in the same stone.  This makes for easy decorating and you can use the most expensive tile to give you that added punch.

Carpet has been around a long time and I still like using carpet in the bedroom.  Warm and inviting to bare feet carpet has unlimited colors and textures.  Plush is sprayed on color so it can stain easily.  Think of it like an apple, color on the outside, only.   Berber is dyed all the way through like a carrot and wears good in high traffic areas.  Pet nails can pull at the larger loops so stick with the tighter weave if you have animals.  Frieze is hot now and depending on your age, it is also called a "short shag".  Love it for its multi colored twist and great texture.  Doesn't hold up well on staircases as it can crush easily.

Pick your flooring with the thought that it is the most abused surface in your home and you can go in any direction that suits you and your family.

Happy Decorating!

Face lift with curb appeal

What a difference paint can make!

We have all heard of curb appeal and how the first impression people get of your home is the most important one.  Simple color changes make big impact to all of your spaces but it is a HUGE difference to the outside.  

The most overlooked area for a color decision is the roof.  It usually is at least 1/3 of your frontal space, so it needs to be taken into account when choosing colors.  Siding, trim, shutters and door are the paintable areas that you want to harmonize with the roof and surroundings.  Everything in decorating is cohesive if you stick with the odd number rule.  Slate gray roof, taupe siding and red door is the odd number rule.  The trim in white and railings in black are shades but we still have 5 colors.

Add some green for shrubs, hints of red and white in your flowers, some tall spiky grasses and you have a brand new home, ready for anything!

Happy Decorating!

Before...BORING!

During....

After and what a POP!

  

How to hang a chandelier

How big/little should you go?- Have you ever walked into a friend's dining room and seen the biggest sphere ever, dangling over the table?  Or just as bad, a dinky lighting fixture more suited to hang over an island?  Too small or too large is a design dilemma most of us find when choosing our fixtures.  A simple equation is your solution!  Add your room's length and width in feet (round up) and get a fixture that is the same number of inches.  12' x 12' room gets a 24" light fixture.  Or if you know the table width, the chandelier should be at least half the width of the table.  60" long table gets a 30" chandelier.  

How high do you hang it?- The height of the chandelier is usually a problem because you still need to speak to the person across the table from you.  Hanging it too low is a problem and too high doesn't tie in with the surroundings.  The bottom of the light fixture should be about 30" from the table top and no more than 36".  This allows you to have a conversation and lights your space for the task at hand.

Picking out your style- Choose a style that is appropriate based on your dining room furniture.  Dressy, upholstered chairs?  Go a little fancy, such as crystal.  Farmhouse table and benches, rustic or perhaps a wrought iron.  Choosing the light fixture is as easy as picking out your sofa pillows.  Go with something you like while taking into account what you already have and it will be the crowning touch to your space.

Finishes- Matching finishes isn't as popular as it once was.  The hardware on the hutch may be brushed nickel, the silverware might be a fiesta ware but the light fixture can be wood and copper.  Anything can be mixed together to achieve the look you are going for.  Choose by using the rules above and you can get the one of a kind look you are going for.  

Happy Decorating!

Too high

Perfect height

Too small

Beautiful in the bath

Elegant

Wall Arrangements

Empty Wall Spaces

What is more intimidating than an empty wall?  Nothing confuses clients more than trying to figure out what to put up on their bare, naked walls.  Too personal?  How big/little? Same color frames and mats? Too much thinking and not enough doing. Nothing in your home can be "too personal" unless you are displaying pictures of your first born's actual birth. 

Lets start with the basics.  Think of what you are putting on those walls as displaying your love of life for everyone to see.  It can be the beach vacations, black and white photos of your kids, sky diving over the Grand Canyon.  If you look at those photos everyday and they are telling a story of happiness and joy you can't help but smile when seeing them.  Don't be confined to just photos either because just like bookshelves you need to mix things up.  Add a decorative plate or one of the new "rub on" decals, an architectural piece, starfish....whatever.  

Tell a story- No longer are we hanging that bridal portrait dead center on a 12' wall and calling it done.  But we are starting with the bridal portrait then shots of you and the hubby walking into the sunset, pictures of the honeymoon, first anniversary, new mommy, daddy and baby.  You get the picture!  Add, subtract, change it out as your story grows and you will share the love that you call LIFE. 

Happy Decorating!

Musical Chairs

Musical Chairs

Add some personality to any room in your house with a whimsical accent chair. Portable, practical occasional chairs add so much personality to a room that I can't help be drawn to them when junking.  It never matters what the upholstery looks like because with a few yards of fabric and possibly some paint, I get a one of a kind piece.  

A lot of times the kitchen/breakfast nook table could use only 4 chairs for everyday use.  But having those 2 extra chairs comes in handy for guest.  In the foyer, flank both chairs beside a console table, put in an empty corner with some books stacked on top, pulled up to the bed for an extra nightstand.  So many uses for these easy to grab seats.

By now, you know that I love to go junking!  It doesn't have to be anything fancy, my kids will be the first to tell you that I brake for "junk" on the side of the road.  Antique malls, barnyard sales, consignment shops and flea markets are great spots to find that one chair left over from a long ago set.  With their small proportions and no frills most chairs can be reinvented to fill the space that nothing else has.  Make sure its sturdy, has strong lines and clean shape, can be refinished, repainted, reupholstered and you can have a masterpiece.

Happy Decorating!

The Fifth Wall

Ceilings are getting the attention they deserve

Ceilings have typically been painted white to allow the light to come into the room, bounce off the ceiling and illuminate the space.  But we are missing a great opportunity to decorate another surface.  There are a number of great ways to spruce up this often overlooked space from punched tin tiles, beadboard or just a new paint color.

Pressed tin tiles or Anaglypta wallpaper can give a small bathroom great depth by adding texture to the ceiling.  This paintable wallpaper can be painted copper, silver or faux finished to give the illusion of old tin.  Pressed tin tiles are great for the average DIY person especially in small spaces.  The panels or squares are nailed onto furring strips that have been attached to the ceiling.  Seal with a clear polyurethane or paint with any oil based paint.  Latex will make it rust for sure!

Paint is the cheapest, fastest method to give a WOW factor to that 5th wall.  Decorative, metallics, hand painting, decals or just a great color.  Many master bedrooms have a tray ceiling that can be painted  a contrast color to coordinate with the master bathroom.  Pulls the spaces together and gives punch to an otherwise overlooked space that you spent good money on.  High ceilings also get a cozy feeling if you carry the wall color up and over,  as the lighting will slightly darken the ceiling shade.  Unless its a metallic finish you are going for, stick with a matte or flat paint as sheen enhances imperfections as well as roller marks.

Ceiling medallions, faux beams and paneling will get you attention so use them where they are mostly seen by your guest.  Dining rooms, living and family room and kitchens get lots of traffic so you will get "Ohhs" and "Ahhs" with any of these treatments.  Ceiling medallions look great in a dining room as most people are seating and can enjoy whats above their head.  These can be painted any color to coordinate with the trim or pull out the cobalt blue from the rug.  Faux ceiling beams work with high ceilings as they are usually distressed to give the appearance of old timbers and painted a dark wood tone.  This look is great with a cabin or cottage look but even traditional spaces gets lots of drama with this heavy horizontal detail.  Paneling is a classic cottage look and easy to install.  I like paneling in a bathroom or front porch. In the Southern tradition, I paint porch ceilings the palest shade of blue to repel insects or to keep ghost and evil spirits from entering the house.
Happy Decorating, Ya'll!

Cheap, quick and recycled

Cheap, quick and recycled

We all are looking for ways to make the things we have look better.  Move the furniture around, change out the lamps, move in the dining room rug to give the family room a new look.  Tried and true!  But what about some things that we think are too expensive so we keep putting off buying because of the fear of making a mistake.  Here are a couple of my favorite fixes.

Window Treatments- Layering is always the first thing I do in tackling a window.  Privacy being #1 and I love bamboo shades.  Everyone is selling them and some places even have them with liners.  Great if you are close to neighbors or people walking their dog outside your door.  Many come in a huge range of sizes and you can even fit some windows with inside measurements.  This allows pretty molding to show and when you are ready you can easily move to the next phase.  #2 Functional would  also be decorative in a lot of homes.  Drapery panels hung with pretty hardware.  Love the look of bamboo shades and long gorgeous pinch pleat panels hung a foot outside of each side.  The leading edge of the drape covers the mechanics of the side rails in the window and pushing the panels out give more drama to the width.  Hanging them higher, 1/2 way between molding and ceiling, gives height and spaciousness to your room.  Great places like Bed, bath and beyond, Home Goods, even J C Penny have pinch pleat drapes (make sure they are lined) and if they aren't long enough, they can be banded at the bottom.  Panels make great insulators as well as black out for bedrooms.

Recycle your own stuff- You already know that I am an advocate on painting anything!  So first paint it, distress it (love tinted wax for a great patina), wallpaper it, whatever makes something look new and unique.  Bookcases are great display pieces and I like to wallpaper the backs to give everything on the shelves some pop.  One roll of wallpaper gives plenty of punch!  Old end tables that have seen better days can be covered in black and white(copies) photos and a sheet of glass cut to finish it for a new look.  When on vacation, instead of picking up another tacky souvenir, pick up a map of your area and frame the different areas for great visual memories.  Maps can be cut up and used in a variety of ways, covering those bookcases or multiple other things just lying around the house.  Think outside your box.

Happy Decorating

Horizontal band of paint to give drama to 1/2 bath

Industrial cart was in the kitchen and was moved to a sofa table

Family room has it BIG for Scrabble!