How Do You Turn A Plain Room Into Something Sensational?
in Family Rooms, Fireplaces, Living Rooms, Other, Paint Colors, Window Coverings
Most rooms start our really plain. We need to add color, pattern, and texture to make a room interesting.
Our January contest winner, Christine, wanted to turn her plain living room into something sensational and to make the space more usable with a TV and stereo.
Katie designed a hip, chic room for this young professional by using new, modern pieces and adding functional built-in cabinets to accommodate the new TV and stereo.
Here’s the before:
Keeping her walls white, Katie recommended adding color and pattern with this great new area rug from West Elm.
She suggested having custom stained glass windows made to replace the clear windows on either side of the fireplace.
New built-in cabinets painted white will be directly below the new stained glass windows and will fill the space from the side walls to the fireplace.
Katie recommended painting out the fireplace to match the new built-ins for a clean, fresh look.
Soft, textural fabrics will be used on two new chairs and the new sofa. Full length drapes will cover the front windows to add warmth and privacy.
How can you transform your plain room into something sensational?
Remember that color, pattern, and texture are easy to add to a room and will completely transform the space. Rooms that have that element of WOW are the rooms where you want to spend your time.
If you’re having trouble with a space like our contest winner, Christine, consider getting help from us. We have an a la carte menu of services to provide you with fast, focused problem solving. Click here to learn more about our services.
Why kids, pets, and Persian rugs go together.
Real life is messy. Especially when you have kids or pets. Traditional Persian rugs hide a lot of abuse.
If this sounds appealing to you, look for a Persian rug with a background color that is medium in tone, not too dark and not too light. The more pattern the better.
Why? Dark color backgrounds highlight lint and light colored fur. Spots and dark fur show up on light backgrounds. But a highly patterned rug in medium tones hides almost everything.
When you have it cleaned, hire a professional who knows how to stretch the rug during the cleaning process. If not, you run the risk of ruining the rug.
Do you love your bed?
Is your master bedroom a luxurious retreat?
Don’t save it for last when you’re decorating your home. It’s one of the rooms where you’ll spend the most time.
Your bed sets the mood for the entire room. If you have the ceiling height, consider a canopy bed like this one by Niermann Weeks. It makes a grand statement. But there are so many other great options.
Click here to see some of our favorites.
The Benefits of Using Laminated Fabrics In Kitchens
February is the month of love. We say “love the messy parts of your life.”
Your breakfast area should welcome you like this beautiful example from Country Living Magazine. Don’t let spots and spills make it a mess. To solve this problem, we recommend using laminated fabrics on the cushions around the kitchen table.
Laminating seals a thin layer of plastic to the face of a fabric. It’s done by a custom laminator before the fabric is made into cushions.
After laminating, dirt and spills wipe up. You cushions will look new for years.
Most fabrics can be laminated but stay away from fabrics that stretch. The pattern will become distorted during the laminating process.
You should know that laminating dulls the colors in a fabric because you’re seeing the color through a plastic layer. If you mix different fabrics–perhaps the laminated fabric is used for a bench cushion where the dogs jump up and another fabric is used on the chairs where you sit–you won’t notice the difference in color intensity.
Laminated fabrics don’t work well on pillows. For them, we recommend either solution dyed outdoor fabrics or stain protection treatments.
Everyone’s life is messy. Love it all. Share this with a friend.
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