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!

REDO, REFINISH, RECOVER AND REPAINT

The easiest way to get the fastest return on your money is to repaint something.  For under $100 you can't ask for a better bang for your buck.  Even if you just paint one wall in your home the change is amazing.  I love to add a chalkboard wall, sometimes framed in like a piece of artwork with wood trim, in a busy families kitchen.  Great impact if you never use it for anything other than the kids doodling or the weeks menu.  I also think it has tremendous PUNCH in a teen's room as their headboard wall.  Their friends use it to write funny things, homework due?, Mom's To Do List, whatever makes them happy.  Most teens want a "black" room if for nothing more than the shock value.  A black chalkboard wall solves this debate.

Recovering furniture, even if it's just the desk chair you are reading this blog in, makes a welcome change.  If the furniture is easy enough for you to do yourself, great!  If it has sentimental value or it is well made, 8-way hand tied, kiln dried piece of furniture, it would be worth the investment to have it recovered.  A chair runs about $350 in labor and averages 8-10 yards of fabric.  I don't like slipcovers as much as reupholstering because of the constant adjusting you have to do.  If the family is very young and a white slipcover is the desired look then think painter's drop cloths.  They are cheap, easy to use and you just throw them in the washer to clean.  Make sure you preshrink them before cutting!

Refinish something!  Maybe the top of the dining room table has seen better days but the rest of the piece is in excellent condition.  Try gold or silver leafing.  Easy to do, it is basically adhering the foil to a sticky surface and filling the space up till its all covered.  Change the hardware and you have a new piece of furniture to show off.  

Redo all the above and you are on your way to that great space you have only dreamed about before.

Happy Decorating!

How to relax on your day off!!!!

Decorating Everywhere!

Even on a Saturday, I just can't stop.  The outside has been neglected (not to mention the dirt inside) because things have been crazy!  It's time to spruce up the 2nd most used space in our home.  The deck!  I love being outside almost as much as I love my inside.  Everything was looking shabby so it was time for some update.  First, everything had to come off the deck and cleaned.  Power washed the deck, the furniture and the grill.  I went to the shed and pulled out the bright red cushions that I got from Target at the end of summer last year and plopped those down.  Next were the hard items for the deck, area rug, old galvanized wash tub for a side table, plant stands and 4 chairs( 2 with the new cushions) to make a cozy seating arrangement.  

Next was a trip to WalMart for some brightly colored accent pillows, planters and tiki torches.  We already had chinese lanterns that I strung around the handrail so lighting was taken care of.  Some new flowers to fill the pots, steak and margarita makings and we were ready for decorating.  

Back home, everything went in its new home and I had just increased my living space by 320 square feet.

Bright red cushions and pots, orange and yellow pillows and cobalt, yellow and red smaller pots and everything is ready for the steak, baked potatoes and margaritas.  Who doesn't love SUMMER!

Margaritas anyone?!!!!

Happy Decorating!

Life Changing Paint Colors- Color your world!

Crazy busy and no time to blog so I am keeping this an easy one!  I get asked my favorite colors ALL the time.  Here on the East Coast, these colors have served me well.  I know Benjamin Moore colors, ONLY and have painted with them for the last 20 years.  If you paint with their product you will always get amazing results.

Favorite Life Changing Colors

Red- Caliente AF-290

Blue- Admiral Blue 2065-10 (dark)

Gossamer Blue 2123-40 (light)

Green-Dill Pickle 2147-40 (bright)

Soft Fern 2144-40 (soft)

Yellow-Hawthorne Yellow HC-4 (bright)

Philadelphia Cream HC-30 (soft)

Purple-Autumn Purple 2073-20 (cool)

Wenge AF-180 (warm)

Brown- Hasbrouck Brown HC-71 (warm)

Beige- Shaker Beige HC-45 (light)

Alexandria Beige HC-77 (medium)

Black- Black Bean Soup 2130-10

White- White Dove (warm)

Decorator's White (cool)

Cream- Linen White

Gray- November Skies 2128-50 (cool, light)

Flint AF-560 (dark)

Orange- Harvest Moon 2167-30 (mellow)

Calypso Orange 2015-30 (electric)

The great thing about Benjamin Moore's Color Preview fan deck is the 4th color down is the true color and they lighten it 3 as you go up the chart and they darken it 3 as you go down the chart.  If one doesn't fit you then move up or down on the chip and you will find a happy color!

Happy Decorating!

Simple changes with a BIG impact

   Five weeks ago I got a desperate call from a customer I hadn't seen for about eight years.  She was going to be a first time grandma and had received a phone call from her daughter-in-law asking to have the baby shower at her house.  Thrilled and immediately thrown into a panic, she said yes and started dialing.  The next day I made a consultation appointment to get our time frame and list of what needed to be done.  

   Oddly enough, the back of the house and yard were ready to go.  The front living room and dining room had been neglected since the late 80's.  Furniture was outdated and sun faded, swags and jabots were threadbare and everything looked worn.  The dining room was never used so it had outdated swags that dwarfed the window, set of table and chairs and an antique hutch from the customer's grandmother.    The first thing we did was make a list of things that had to go.  

         (1) All swags and jabots were to be removed and disposed of.  Too worn to donate or give away.

         (2) Could the furniture be kept and possibly new window treatments, rugs and artwork?  Only if we can find fabric and/or rugs to make the fabric feel updated.

         (3) The customer felt overwhelmed with the 5 week time frame so I took painting the spaces off the agenda.  The walls were in excellent condition and painted a soft white.  It would do!

         (4) The husband made it clear he didn't want the wife to regret anything when I left and he didn't want to hang, move, transfer or return anything.

   Ok, so we had our list and we had to get moving.  The first meeting, all the window treatments were removed.  After a couple of hours of shopping, everything we could find made the fabric look faded and completely outdated.  So we went shopping to a place that has a great turnaround, excellent customer service and the prices are awesome.  I shopped to see what was there and had the customer meet me to look at what I had chose.  Her and her husband sat on everything, they loved the fabric and we could get it in 4 weeks.  AMAZING!  Her husband later called me and said that she had NEVER made a decision that quickly and he was impressed.  If she didn't cry at the end of this affair, I was worth anything I could charge.  Ahwwww.....how sweet!!!  

   Next came the rugs, lamps, artwork and window treatments.  The sofa and chair were in oatmeal, a matching chair in a gorgeous print with a neutral background and an open armed chair with exposed legs and a little curvy, in red with a small print.  Lovely, but we can still use another couple of prints.  Think big scale, a couple medium scale prints and a couple of small prints.  Always mixed in odd numbers 1, 3, 5.... Take my word for it, it works.  That would come from the window treatments and accessories.  Rugs take the longest to get in, so I gave them 3 options for a living room rug and a companion rug for the dining room.  They chose, we ordered and those came in 2 weeks and were gorgeous.  

   At this point, they were amazed that we had gotten this far so quickly.  Also, a little nervous over what they had spent.  So, I gave them 48 hours to shop and see if there was anything available that could work with our color palette.  I gave them the fabric swatches and they were on a hunt.  They did find something for the dining room but after getting it home, they thought it was too heavy, weighed the window down and didn't like the overall look.  I got the phone call to find some fabric.  They already have the privacy issue taken care of with 2" white wood blinds so this was more of a softening to the windows.  I wanted to go up higher with the window treatments and did a 1 1/2" wood rod in a dark stain, like the dining room set, with rings and finials and pinch pleated drapes.  Clean, simple and very elegant.  Also, did them in the red which is heavily in the rug of the living room but only on the border of the dining room rug.  

   The living room was a little difficult because they have a radius bowed window.  A difficult window to dress with very little space to mount hardware and no space to fix standard rods to.  Plus, we didn't want to cover the windows.  They had gotten used to nothing on them but the blinds and loved the light.  My solution was to do 1/2 width pinch pleated drapes, with simple rods that would be hidden behind the drape in a sage, yellow green that pulled in the print from the chair.  Small, tone on tone stripe with a little sheen and it turned out beautiful.  

   I knew the stress level of my customer and knew that the week of the shower everything we be in so I planned for it all to go in at one time.  The furniture company had agreed to take away the furniture to Goodwill that they didn't give away so I arrived with the rugs and we rolled those out.  The furniture guys showed up and hauled out the remaining furniture, brought in the new stuff and placed everything where it needed to go.  (Forgot that we had also ordered end tables!)  They left and we started finding things around the house that could hang in our newly decorated space.  Took the plastic off the new linen shades  and turned on the lights.  Then my window installer arrived and did his magic.  I hadn't shown the customers the panels so I asked them to get a snack and drink and take a break on the deck.  They happily agreed and he went to work.  

   After I let him go, I called them in to see the finished product and my customer actually did start crying.  But thank goodness it was tears of joy!  They loved everything that we accomplished and once that furniture was gone, she couldn't even remember what it looked like.  

   Everything is ready for the very special baby shower this Saturday, all except for the cooking, and Decorating Junkies has another very satisfied customer.  

Happy Decorating!

       

Furniture makeover

I love to go junking!  It is a wonderful experience to find something old and used and turn it into a great looking piece of furniture that fills an empty space.  It does take a special eye to find something that most people would walk past and think " Wow, with a little paint, that would look great!"
My kids, from a very early age, have realized their mother will break for anything abandoned on the side of the road.  Old window frames, chairs, ottoman....you get the picture.  They now, at the tender age of 25 and 20, see that look in my eye and say "Mama, don't even think about it!".  Party poopers!

Things to consider when you are hunting for junk

Hate the color?  Paint, stain, distress, mod podge it

Two of a kind?  Buy both and work out the details, later.

If it looks expensive, who will know you picked it up for cheap.

Hunt everywhere!  Goodwill, consignment shops, yard sales...

Don't do matchy-matchy!  Mix it up and things become interesting!

Sometimes, for the right price and the rules above, I have been known to buy something that fits a space but overall I don't care for its look.  It can take a while to find out what you want that piece to become.  When I found this piece in a storage unit in North Carolina, it looked pretty rough.  It has sat in my foyer for almost a year and I couldn't figure out what to do to it.  A piece of silk fabric I was considering for some drapery panels gave me my inspiration.  I loved the vertical lines and wanted to convey that to the desk.  With some new, funky hardware and a little paint it turned out great!  I still want to rub some tinted wax over the whole thing to give it a worn look.  As you can see from the before picture, my foyer doesn't have a big wall to display furniture on so the piece was the perfect fit.

The mirror above the desk that I found for $5.00 at a flea market was a dresser mirror that I turned upside down and put a couple of screw eyes and wire on and it had all the character I wanted for the first impression of my home.
Have patience, look beyond the ugly, battered, worn out object and you too may find the treasure you seek!

Happy Decorating!

Little secretary- before 

Little secretary-after

I love it!!!

Instead of lowering the price...

As an interior decorator my job is to create the home that people want to live in.  I take for granted that everyone loves their home and will do what is necessary to update, maintain and overall give, at least, general maintenance to on a regular basis.  As a home stager I am at odds with that thinking.  We get so used to living in our space that we don't see all the dents and dings that come with the kids, the dog, out of town friends staying over, etc;  Someone wanting to purchase a home will see all of those and so much more.
When you put your house on the market you should be putting your "Sunday best" on the home front.  No clutter, things tucked away from prying eyes, pantry and shelves organized, you get the picture. If you have had the wallpaper up since your first weekend in your home it is time to put on a new face.  Hire an outside cleaning company that won't skimp on dusting the baseboards, removing every cobweb and polishing those windows.  Little things make a big difference.  Hire professionals that can strip that paper and put on a fresh coat of paint, it will make a huge improvement.
Start at the front door and move through your home the same way the home buyer would.  Ask yourself some of these questions.
       Does the paint look new on the siding, shutters and door?  If not, repaint and yes, plastic shutters can be painted.
      Does the front door make a statement?  Bright, fresh color?  New hardware matching the side lights?  No cobwebs hanging?  What about a new welcome mat?  A beautiful, new American flag crisply flying from the porch?  All say "Welcome Home".  Make the impression you want to give your most important guest.
Move through your house, room by room, and take it apart with a fine tooth comb.  Evaluate each room, maybe with a brutally honest friend, and take every step to make those changes that will help you sell your house.
Some homeowners get fed up with the first few people walking into the house with nothing positive to say and agree to drop the house price by $10,000.  Why give your home away when all of the items mentioned above should cost you about $1800-2200?   Don't give away your equity, take steps to bring your home into 2012.
Happy Decorating

Updating in a crappy economy

The interior decorating business has been said to have gone the way of the economy...in the toilet.  I am not sure about this as we are basically an intelligent bunch of people.  Saying that, we realize that to try and sell our homes in today's economy usually turns out to be a frustrating and sometimes fruitless endeavor.  Instead of moving think of, wisely, improving your space.  The market will turn, someday and while we are stuck in our homes why not make the best of it.  Make some well thought out decisions and enjoy your home while you are still in it instead of making a lot of changes for the next home owner to reap the benefits of.
A lot of customers have benefited from this advise and just stayed put.  Hardwood floors, granite countertops, back splashes, updated bathrooms have been gained for the cost of a realtor's commission.  Have an appraisal done to see what your market calls for and what your home's after repair value would be with some of those improvements and you could be doing your part to revitalize the economy in your own way.
If you have considered the open floor plan concept of a lot of new construction, this may be achieved in your own home.  Knocking down a wall to open spaces that now seem a little claustrophobic is a much better plan than buying new, right now.  Most of us think about all the mess and cost and contractors that even the simplest construction project calls for.  But, with the right people getting the job done this can be minimized by keeping a reliable crew working together to not be stepping over each other but following through to get the job done.
The most traveled spaces like kitchens and bath reap the largest rewards in resale yet we hesitate to touch those spots for fear of creating upheaval in the family dynamics.  If this is where the family stays together, they will play so much nicer together with a new and efficient use of space.
Big changes aren't the only way to create an impact.  Adding crown molding, higher base boards, new hardware such as hinges and knobs to interior, exterior and cabinet doors make drastic changes to the eye.  Recently having flipped a house, we had a poor mix of door types, hinges and hardware on an old 1920's Victorian.  One of the biggest changes to the inside came from paint (cheap) and new doors and hardware.  I hated to remove the original doors but it had to be done and we found age appropriate, pre-primed hollow core doors for a little more than the cheap ones at the box stores.  New oil rubbed bronze, egg shaped knobs and hinges and it grabbed the attention of every buyer that walked through our doors.  I believe that improvement helped to sell our house in less than 38 hours.

Before

After

Simple back splash

New master bath

New tile floor

Slate and glass mosaics make for a popping back splash!

Happy Decorating

Orange and Turquoise

Everywhere you look today the colors orange, coral, blush, raspberry, turquoise, cobalt, aqua are on everything.  It's in clothing, accessories, shoes, jewelry and most importantly interior decorating!  With the majority of us being set in a very comfortable place of beige, cream and neutral these popping colors will electrify your space.  What a easy fix to be able to change the look of a sofa with a couple of muslim covered pillows with coral embroidered on them.  Or the brown leather recliner that your husband's butt print is permanently imprinted in, having a facelift with a gorgeous aqua, chenille throw tossed over the back.  Fresh, hot and with a pop.
Artwork makes for a splash of fun so mix it up a bit.  Find similar frames and white mats and roundup your favorite vacation shots, pictures of the family, food shots...whatever makes you smile when you look at it.  Remove what is currently over your sofa and lay your newly framed artwork on the floor in front of the sofa.  You should be about 2/3 of the width of the sofa and create a large mixed items to give you a personal keepsake to change out on a whim.  This will allow you to space thing accordingly and look at it before you start banging nails in the wall.  Keep your items fairly close together and no more than 12" above your sofa.  The framed artwork, typography, personal messages, antique family pictures, funny canvased sayings, whatever you love will make a conversation piece with family and friends.
Change it up, give it a punch and you will love coming home to your space.

Happy Decorating

Junking

Now that Spring has officially sprung, it is time to get out and do some junking.  Even if you feel like there is absolutely nothing your house needs, there is always space on the porch, deck or garden.  If you get the opportunity to visit some great tag sales in your area or even outside of your area, like 3 hours away, do it.  
New stuff that someone has been kind enough to lay out in a decorative setting will inspire you to tackle new projects around your home.  Either bought or something you have that can be repurposed is just waiting to find space in your home.  
If you love the Pottery Barn look, this is achieved outside that lovely store, right in your own community. Yard sales, tag sales, flea markets are all great places to start hunting down the next great find.
Last spring, I was in a antique village in North Carolina and found a cute, black secretary that was a perfect fit for my foyer.  I didn't like the very dark stain that had seen its better days but at the time couldn't think of what else I wanted to do to it.  Above the piece hung a old mirror painted white so I had to tie the two pieces together but I didn't want to paint the secretary white.  It was just too blah!  While at a   great flea market, this weekend, I saw the perfect thing for my secretary.  Vertical stripes in beige and off white.  They would make a POP in my foyer and tie in the mirror and other accents in that room.  Replaced the 4 wood knobs with porcelain lettered knobs and a year later I finally have a game plan.  
This is the reason why we need to get out and do some "junking"
Happy Decorating

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Wallpaper is making a comeback

Now that the faux finish market has crept away into oblivion, wallpaper is back and going strong.  Bold patterns and strong geometrics are hot and being used on accent walls as well as half baths to create drama.  The wallpaper industry has come to realize that the average consumer loves a new look but wants to be able to change that on a whim.  Wallpaper has always been considered messy, difficult to hang and remove and sometimes we just get sick of looking at it.  With the new papers they have found a way to give us a bang for our buck and fix all the "don'ts" about wallpapering.  Easy to hang makes for DIY and easy removal allows us to change our minds after 6 months and do something different.
Gone are the small prints, florals and too much stripe!  Today's papers are popping with big, bold geometrics and graphic patterns.  For the everyday homeowner, this allows you to keep that neutral sofa, chair and floor covering and make the punch with what is put on the walls.  If you decide one of these new prints is for you, add a medium or small print to balance the scale in your accessories.
Make the change to a half bath by putting the WOW factor right where your guest will get the biggest impact.  Enjoy some pattern in your life and have some fun!
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