OLDER ARTICLES

Color Choices for a Large Accent Wall

3
Sep

posted by Terrie filed under Living / Family Room, Readers Ask For Help

A reader in Washington faces a dilemma that I’m sure is shared by many homeowners. What to do with a 2 story entry wall. Here’s her specific problem:

“I can’t figure out what color to paint the large stairwell wall in my open floor plan family room/kitchen. My cabinets are maple, light oak flooring, chocolate brown sofa and the fireplace wall is a deep faux finish red. The kitchen granite is light & dark gray with a pretty patina copper backsplash. I want to be able to look at that big wall from the kitchen and think “Wow, I love that wall”. I’ve tried shades of orange, painted it green and am out of ideas. I’m open to changing out the artwork and/or accessories but want to keep the sofa. What do you think?”

Sandy's wall color dilemma - and a couple of sample colors.

Sandy’s fireplace red wall & maple cabinetry.

SOLUTIONS FOR A LARGE WALL

Sandy’s instincts are right to want to make that wall a feature wall. Although she mentioned she’s okay with painting over the red wall, it looks so beautifully done, it would seem a shame to paint it (unless she’s really just sick of it). So, working with the deep red, the chocolate brown of the sofa (I’m only guessing at the actual color of it) and the light woodwork, I’ve come up with a couple of color options.

Before I share color ideas, here are a few other suggestions. You’ll notice I played with the art arrangement in the following pictures. If art, rather than a wall treatment, is going to be the focal point, I think you need something larger or a combination of art making a bigger statement. I also recommend painting the white railing. It feels too bright and almost country in what is a more transitional room. Paint the railing the darkest tone of the accent wall color. I wouldn’t introduce another color, just take the wall color really dark. I didn’t address changing the rug, but it would likely need to change based on whatever new color is selected.

Here's a conservative caramel wall color with the art as it is now.

Here’s the most conservative option – pulling a color from the current rug, soft enough not to compete with the red wall (on the left, just off camera) and would blend with the coppery color in the kitchen backsplash. The art fades away. Surely we can come up with more drama than this…..

A deep purple wall will give Sandy lots of WOW.

I’ve always like purple and red together; I think they make a striking combination. Choose a purple with a red undertone to blend best with the red wall. Calming the colors down with the light floors and dark sofa and it could be a winning combo. Adding a sprinkle of lime green will freshen the look. (I’d probably throw in a couple more pillows pulling all the colors together.) Notice there’s now a pair of paintings, making a much stronger statement and more size appropriate to that big wall.

Blues are always a livable color solution.

Since Sandy has tried most of the warm tones – oranges, red, copper – consider the complementary color of blue. There’s plenty of light in the room to use a medium to darker color but keep it light enough that the brown sofa contrasts with it a little. Then choose a pillow fabric or rug that has blue, red, tans & brown – a floral or paisley or stripe. Remember the wall color blue doesn’t have to exactly match the blue in the fabric or rug, just be simliar in undertone.

Try a warm gray for an unexpected accent color.

Emphasize the height of the wall with vertical stripes.

Gray is an excellent neutral and since it’s present in the kitchen granite, it would be a good color to carry to the other side of the room. Choose a warm gray with a yellow/orange undertone rather than a blue undertone so it blends with the sofa. The top picture shows the current art as is and a plain gray wall. The 2nd, more appealing, option is to double the size of the art and play up the height of the wall with a 2 tone vertical stripe. Keep the scale nice and big with wide stripes so it doesn’t get busy. Then introduce organic shapes in the accent pieces to balance all those straight lines. And with the red wall – yummy!

Keep it cool with this trendy aqua blue color.

Keep the color palette cool, but add a little green to the blue for this fresh aqua. Try this brighter, lighter version of the blue family but don’t tip the scale to turquoise. Still pretty with the reds & coppers. I’ve also shown another potential art arrangement. See how a more horizontal arrangment fills the wall better? The pillows & rug again will be the glue that holds this scheme together.

Be bold and put a huge, overscale pattern on the wall.

A current trend is to use these huge, overscale patterns in interiors – on walls, furnishings, draperies, etc. Damask patterns have been updated, simplified and applied to walls to create dramatic statements. If you don’t want the permanence of wallpaper, look for a stencil or a faux painter who can do something organic.

A totally “outside the box” idea would be to paint the wall a deep color of your choice. Then hang a VERY sheer fabric over the whole wall in very soft, gentle folds so the dark color shows through the sheers. Rather than a standard curtain rod, use something like a drawer pull or doorknob and hang the fabric in swoops between the “hooks”. Place the hooks 18-24″ apart (depending on the width of the wall).

Sandy, I hope one of these suggestions puts you on the path of inspiration. Good luck with your project and let us know how it turns out.

Tags: Color, decorating help, decorating tips, inspiration board, room photos

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Wednesday Web Wanderings (www)

2
Sep

posted by Terrie filed under Green Design

Today’s web offerings span the blogosphere – try a little shopping or learn a little about living green or work on improving your photography – it’s all available online!

Cool Knobs & Pulls is a shopping site for anyone redoing a cabinet or just wanting a facelift. They’ve got a cool selection of novelty knobs, unusual knobs and a variety of finishes.

For the truly unusual, check out Stray Dog Designs where you’ll find lighting, accessories and more – stuff you’ll never see anywhere else.

For very modern, European looking accessories, kitchen goodies, small furniture and more, visit Umbra. The designs are young and fresh and creative – try it, you’ll like it.

The Skirted Roundtable is a design blog with a difference – created by 3 women, they offer audio interviews, tips and their takes on beautiful (or not so beautiful) rooms. And their most recent interview? Vincente Wolf, a designer I’ve talked about before.

One of my favorite photography sites is Digital Photography School. Full of tutorials, product reviews if you’re thinking of buying new equipment, and inspirational shots by other amateurs, it’s a site I refer to over and over. Whether you’re a fledgling photographer or more experienced, there will be plenty of info for you here.

Do you enjoy photography, but aren’t the shutterbug type? Jennifer Squires has a collection of beautiful fine art prints available in her Etsy store. Or you can visit her website where she writes a little, shares an occasional recipe or features new prints available.

Photography by Jennifer Squires.

Want to learn how to correctly dispose of incandescent light bulbs? Want to know the 10 greenest cities? Do you have a burning desire to learn what all those recycling symbols mean? Care2 Make a Difference is a recycle/reuse/green site that offers information about helping the planet, learning to live in a more environmentally friendly way and even some how-to crafty ideas for reusing various products. Truly a wide ranging informational site, it’s easy to navigate and worth bookmarking.

Enjoy the rest of the week and check back here tomorrow for answers to a reader’s questions.

Tags: accessory shopping, audio interview, photography, recycle-reuse, Vincente Wolf

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Create a Bedroom Sanctuary

1
Sep

posted by Terrie filed under Bedroom, Color, Designer Tips / Techniques, How-to Project

Bedrooms are all about rest. Relaxation. Serenity. Peacefulness. Calm. Luxury. Sensuous. Bedrooms are NOT about work, paying bills, playing with children, sewing or other activies. How do you make a room functional yet fulfill all those emotional needs?

TIPS TO CREATE A PERFECT BEDROOM

Move the desk, office, anything remotely work-like to another room (if you don’t have an extra bedroom that can donate a corner to a desk, then use the dining room).
Get rid of all kids’ toys, clothes, stuff. They have their own rooms & usually every other room in the house, so keep the master bedroom off limits for all things “kids”.
The bed is the focal point of the room. Not the TV. Make the bed as luxurious as you can. The frame or style of the bed matters, but the bedding is king (or queen). Don’t fall for that easy solution of a ‘bed-in-a-bag’ – it will be ordinary and definitely not luxurious. Find a comforter or duvet cover that you LOVE and build from there.
Spiff up standard, purchased bedding with trim – add beads, ribbon or fringe to the pillow edges, at the hem of the comforter or on the bedskirt. Those extra touches increase the luxury factor and give a custom touch. If purchased on sale it doesn’t have to break the budget. Don’t sew? Don’t worry. Use iron on fusible web from any fabric or craft store and iron the trim in place. Or, just tack it in place with a hand-sewn stitch here and there.
Layers. Lots of layers. Stacks of pillows, a soft, lush throw layered at the foot of the bed over a down comforter. Layered window treatments or yards and yards of fabric to make a wall of draperies.

Calm, relaxed, peaceful – colors that embody those emotions are in the cool range – soft blues or greens – or neutral like crisp white or greys. If you want to use a warm color, go with the pale version – peach, butter yellow, coral.

: These muted warm tones make a cozy bedroom.

This soothing blue and white bedroom epitomizes calm and serene.

Neutral but not boring. Just because you want calm and restful doesn't mean you can't have a little glam.

Use charcoal gray to create an intimate, luxurious cocoon.

Yards of fabric, crisp white pillows and sparkling chandeliers help this room shine. Create a luxurious cocoon with charcoal gray.

Hide the TV. Or at least have that option. Make sure that if you’re in the mood for a quiet, romantic evening, the TV isn’t pulling attention another direction! There are so many great armoires and chests available in all price ranges that you should really try to use one for this purpose alone. Extra storage is a bonus.
Have plenty of lighting options to enhance any mood. Generally you’ll want soft and low light for maximum romance, but having your lamps on a 3way switch gives you the option to brighten things up if you want to read a little.
Remember to add a little life to a tabletop or corner. Plants or flowers will add a finishing touch and soften the edges of the room. Real flowers on a nightstand are a treat to be indulged.
Bedrooms are all about satisfying the senses. Touch: look for soft, fluffy, silky smooth textures; you want to feel pampered. Smell: you want light, soft scents whether from candles or potpourri or infuser – enough to enjoy, not so much that it makes you sneeze! Sound: think about a little tabletop fountain or adding a radio/CD player to have quiet, mood appropriate music at the touch of a button. Taste: Hmmm….a little chocolate on the pillows? Sight: a glimpse of this haven should be all that’s needed to set the mood; keep it tidy, bed made, candles at the ready, and you’ll look forward to retiring to this special room every night.

How do you make your bedroom a retreat from the world? What colors inspire you to be restful or romantic? Need a little help pulling that bedroom look together? Write me and I’ll offer all sorts of free advice (that’s the best kind). Remember, if you enjoyed this article, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any of the upcoming helpful articles and tips.

Tags: bedroom, bedroom makeover, bedroom photos, decorating help, decorating tips, home decor, room photos

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Three is NOT a Magic Number

31
Aug

posted by Terrie filed under Accessorize / Art, Color, Designer Tips / Techniques, Living / Family Room

Decorating with pairs - that don't match.

I’ve heard it quoted as gospel over and over by designers and clients alike. To be attractive, things have to be grouped in threes. I’m here to say “bologna”.

To illustrate my point, I wandered my house and took pictures of the “not three” groupings I have. Here are a few….

Here's a pair on top of a bookshelf.

Two dissimilar items on a bookshelf.

To those who follow conventional wisdom and live by the rule of odd numbers, I want to remind them that people are built around the number 2. Two eyes, hands, ears, legs, etc. We are naturally disposed to find pairs pleasing. An obvious example is candlesticks or candelabras - usually sold in pairs, one for each end of the table.

Another grouping of two items.

WORKING IN PAIRS

Grouping things in pairs can be slightly trickier when you don’t use 2 identical items, but follow the same “rules” as any accessory grouping – pay attention to color, shape and scale. You can see in these pairings that there is a common color and a contrast of size and shape. Although one item is clearly taller, it’s within the rule of thirds so it’s still a pleasing arrangement. (No, I did not just contradict myself. The rule of thirds regarding proportions is more valid because it has to do with scale and size, not quantity. Rarely does anything look good paired with something half it’s size.)

Pairs develop symmetry and create a more formal atmosphere – a pair of chairs in front of a fireplace, a pair of topiaries framing the front door, a pair of lamps on a sideboard.

To put the above grouping in perspective, here’s a little more of the bookshelf it’s on. You can see that the shelves surrounding it are quite full so the emptiness of this shelf gives more prominence to the display and gives the eye a place to rest.

A pairing on a bookshelf.

The top photo showing the pairing of the family photo and finial on top of a bookcase help to connect the shelf unit to the upper ledge display, hinted at by the trailing plant – which also helps to visually connect the elements.

Sometimes a grouping of three works beautifully - or is it 4?

Another shelf in my bookshelf wall has this grouping of three – or is it four?? On the left is my group of 3, on the right my ‘group’ of 1, both odd numbers for those of you who are purists. Taken as a unit, the grouping is 4, an even number.

Again the overall grouping (however you want to view it) is held together by a unifying color, it’s visually balanced because the 3 on the left are approximately the same “size” as the bowl on the right. The interest is introduced by the polished driftwood – a new texture and color.

A tabletop trio.

BE AN INDIVIDUAL

This tabletop trio again uses connective colors and stairstepping size from the small doll up to the height of the plant. Although the doll doesn’t match by color or style, it has emotional value and fits size-wise, so for now it’s part of this group.

The lesson I want you to take away from this article is to decorate appropriately to the style of the room, the size of the shelf, the scale of the pieces in the grouping. Don’t be a slave to conventional wisdom….be an individual. If you enjoy 2 items paired together, don’t force adding one more thing just to have the magic number three. Stop when it looks good.

As in most things decorating, there is no one absolute answer. The best rooms will likely have a combination of pairs, trios and larger groupings. Enjoy the freedom of letting the decor develop gradually until you’re satisfied with the result. When you look at the following room pictures, find the pairs or even numbers: lamps, pillows, sconces, ottomans, accessory groupings. Do these rooms feel more formal to you due to the use of even pairings? If that’s a look that appeals to you, you now know one of the main ingredients to achieve it. Go on, try it!