Bring Magic to Boring Taupe/Beige Walls

I got a call last week from a young man named Jeremy who has purchased his very first home.  It's a two bedroom, two bath condominium.  Jeremy wanted help with his living room.  He likes the color red and it was his desire to have the walls on each side of his fireplace painted red.  He called me over because he wanted my opinion on this.  His goal was to lighten up the room.  He also wanted a "wow" factor.  There is a double window that faces the front of the condo and it provides the only light for the living room, kitchen, and dining area.  Here is what Jeremy's living room looks like in its present state:

As you can see, it's a nice room but it needs a little help.  Typical for new construction, most builders paint the interiors of homes in the taupe family.  It's a great neutral color.  I would say that 99% of people who build or buy new homes  live with the taupe walls.  People, don't be afraid of color! studied the space for a few minutes and gave Jeremy my opinion on painting the walls next to the fireplace red.  Painting the walls red will make the space even darker than it currently is.  Also, I don't think that solid red walls will give him the look he wants for the space.  Yes, it will add color, but it doesn't say, "Wow!"  So, here is what I proposed for the space:

"WOW!!"

I decided to do a mock-up of the space with red stripes.  The stripes add the color that Jeremy wants in his space and it also adds the "wow" factor.  It also keeps the room from being too dark.  I presented my proposal to Jeremy and his fiancé and I hope that he allows me to transform his space. 


I am also on the hunt for artwork and other accessories (pillows) to finish out the space.  I did offer a suggestion to Jeremy to have the components moved off the fireplace mantel.  There is too much clutter on the fireplace mantel with the cable-box and other items.  I would like to see Jeremy get two matching chests to go on the both sides of the fireplace.  He could have the wires installed in back of the walls which would give the fireplace a cleaner look.  Here is what I envision the space would look like with matching cabinets:

Hopefully I will get the OK to get started on the stripes.  Check back in a week or two and see the magic come into reality!

The Art of Tablescaping

Tablescaping is placing accessories on a table top to provide interest (and sometimes function).  I'll admit that I have a lot of decorative accessories in my home in which their only purpose is to look good.  A few items are functional, but most are there to look good.  On my coffee table, I have a few decorating books and several decorating magazines (Traditional Home, House Beautiful, Elle Decor, At Home in Arkansas, and HGTV Magazine).  There is also an art piece I purchased a few years ago (glass knot), and something I would love to get rid of --a metal bowl with wicker balls.  I just haven't found anything more interesting to replace it with yet.


Tablescaping should be done in 3's--have a minimum of three items on your table top.  A single piece would look lost (and lonely) on the table by itself.  Here is a picture of one of the end tables in my living room with just the lamp on it:

Now here is what the end table looks like with a few accessories placed on it.  I actually do use the candle and candle snuffer on occasion and I have read all of the books beneath the plant.  So, there is some function to the accessories.

I actually have more than three things on my table top, but as a grouping, I see the item as 3's:  plant and books, candle and snuffer, and vase. 


All the table tops in my home have been tablescaped.  I think it adds interest to a room and provides a point of conversation.  So, if you have an empty table top or one that lacks interest, consider purchasing new accessories to add some WOW!! to your table. 

Staging vs Decorating

I've had several people ask me what is the difference between staging a room and decorating a room.  To most people, there is no difference.  But, if you are considering selling your home, there are differences between staging and decorating.  There are people who are certified stagers and their services are invaluable for people who are selling their homes.


So, what's the difference?  Decorating a room or home lets the homeowner express their individual style (or the style of your decorator).  When you decorate, you may have unusual pieces of furniture and art, paint colors that are very bright or bold, and lots of family photos on display.  A decorated home should fit the personality of the homeowner.  Most importantly, we all live in our homes, and often our spaces may not always look like the pages from a magazine.


If you are thinking about putting your house on the market, have someone, who does not live in your home on a daily basis, to come over and provide an honest assessment of your space.  This person's perspective of your home will probably be different than yours.  Be open to their opinions and thoughts about your space.


Staging a home is all about editing.  What I mean by editing is removing or relocating items in a room to maximize the spaciousness or to make the room look less cluttered.  Here are a few general rules about editing your rooms:

• Remove family photos so that perspective homeowners can visualize themselves in your home and not focus on your family photos.  Also, I think this is a good thing to do for you and your family's safety.
• Remove any special pieces of furniture or art that you don't want anything to happen to while your house is being shown by a realtor.
• If you have gone a little crazy on paint colors for your rooms, now would be a good time to think about changing those colors to a more neutral tone.  A lot of people lack the imagination to visualize what your space could look like with a different color.
• Keep your accessories to a minimum.  You are trying to make your home look larger.  Sometimes accessories can weigh a room down.
• If your upholstered pieces of furniture are a little worn consider slip covers, purchasing new pieces to take to the new home, or rent furniture while your house is listed.
• You may need to remove some larger pieces of furniture to open up your space.  Sectional sofas are nice to lounge on, but they can often make a room look very small if the piece is too large for the space.  Consider breaking up the sectional or swapping it out for a standard sofa.
• Try toep your home as neutral as possible.  It's okay to add pops of color with pillows and some accessories, but again, keep the accessories to a minimum  

Out with then old--in with the new!

I purchased a new rug for my living room two weeks ago.  I had a sisal rug in my living room when I purchased new furniture back in 2006.  I was going through my tone-on-tone look:  the walls were taupe, furniture was taupe, and the rug was taupe.  I liked it at first, but somewhere along the way I decided that I needed more color in the room.  So, I decided to paint the room last summer, which made a tremendous change.  I also played around with my accessory pillows.  The one thing that I had not considered was changing the rug. My living room is decorated transitional style--a cross between traditional and contemporary.  When I started looking for a new rug, I initially wanted to find a transitional style rug and stay away from the traditional look.  I fell in love with a rug at my new favorite rug place (Aladdin Rugs), but the rug was too small.  I needed an 8 x 10 ft rug and this rug came in 5 x 8 ft.  I was told that I may have to wait 6 months before the rug that I fell in love with to come in the 8 x 10 ft size.  Those who know me know that I am not a patient woman.


Two weeks ago, I drove to the Home Goods Store in Hot Springs, AR.  I wasn't sure if I would find a rug to take home, but amazingly I did.  And, the price was fantastic.  I purchased an 8 x 10 ft, 100% hand-tied wool rug for $299!!!  This price is ridiculous.  Rugs this size typically retail between $799 and $2,000.  I did good--LOL!!!  I did, however, compromise on the style.  My new rug is traditional, but I'm not disappointed.  The rug has all of the colors that are in my room:  tan, green, brown, red.  Decor style is not any different than clothing style:  trends come and go but traditional is always in style.  


Here is what my living room looked like with the sisal rug:

  
Now this is what the space looks like with the new rug:

I wanted a rug with color and I didn't want the rug to scream at you when you walked into the living room.  I think I achieved my goal.


Rugs ground a room and keep the furniture from having the appearance of floating in the room.  A rug completes the look of your space.  It's like finding the right pair of shoes to complete your outfit.  If you have been thinking about a rug for your space, be sure to check out Home Goods.  If you live in the Little Rock, AR area, there is a Home Goods Store in Conway (inside of TJ Maxx) and the store in Hot Springs, AR.  Home Goods doesn't have a lot of rugs, but you may get lucky and find the rug you want.  Also, another good place to purchase rugs in the Little Rock area is Aladdin Rugs on JFK in North Little Rock.  This store has a lot of rugs, and 8 x 10 ft 100% wool rugs are priced between $499 and $599.


Be sure to select the right size rug for your space.  I've seen way too many spaces where the rug is only big enough to fit under the coffee table.  The rug should fit underneath your furniture, but it doesn't need to go entirely under your furniture.  A good rule of thumb is to have approximately 2 ft of floor showing around the edges of the rug.  But, this may vary depending on the room size.

Making Your Bedroom a Sanctuary

For me, one of the prettiest rooms in a home is the master bedroom.  There is nothing more beautiful than a bed with nice linens and pillows (but not too many pillows!).  Back in my teen years and early 20s, I would love to go to the bedding department at Dillard's just to see how the beds would be displayed.  I know this is weird.  Most women go straight to the shoe department, but not me.  Even now, I will go to the home or household accessory department before I go to the clothing and shoes.  I've always wanted my bed to look like the beds displayed in Dillard's.

I travel a lot with job so when I come home at the end of the week, I don't like to come home to a space that is cluttered or in disarray.  I don't spend a lot of time in my bedroom--I sleep there and occasionally watch TV.  I never eat in my bedroom (wasn't allowed as a child and I still hold on to that).  I don't work in my bedroom.  Some people have a home office or have carved out a space to put a desk so they can work in their bedroom.  Desks are fine for kids who often do their homework in their bedrooms, but not so much for adults.  Sometimes this is unavoidable if you live in a small space, but try to avoid working in your bedroom if possible.  It can create stress and you don't need that if you're trying to sleep.  I only lay in my bed when I go to sleep.  I make my bed up every morning because I love the look of a made-up bed.  When people see my bedroom, the first comment out of their mouth is, "it's obvious that you don't sleep in this room."  I think I get this comment because my bedroom is clutter-free.  My dresser top only has decorative items on it.  My nightstands have a lamp, alarm clock, 1 or 2 books, and decorative accessories.  

I have friends whose bedrooms are so cluttered I don't know how they sleep there.  I see treadmills, exercise bikes, clutter on the dresser and nightstands, baskets of clothes, shoes in the floor, clothes hanging on door knobs and from the top of the doors, on the bed, etc....  Get the picture?  Bedrooms like this are clearly not a sanctuary.

So, what does it take to make your bedroom a sanctuary?  Here are my recommendations/suggestions for improving your space:

• Your bed should have at least a headboard--and a footboard is even nicer.  I know a lot of people who only have a mattress and boxspring.  That's just sad.  Headboards can be purchased for under $300 or you can be creative and make your own.
• Nice bed linens and comforter or bedspread.  This is a must-have.  Comforter sets can be purchased fairly cheap from Target if you don't want to plunk down $200-$300 or more.
• Remove items from your room that traditionally don't belong in a bedroom, i.e., treadmills, exercise bikes, and other clutter.  You'll be surprised at how much larger your bedroom will look with all of the extra stuff removed.
• Remove clutter from the dresser and nightstands.  Find decorative accessories at local discount stores to decorate these spaces.  I was at a Home Goods Store recently and this store has a lot of nice glassware that would look great as a decorative accessory.
• Make sure your window treatments are nice--either wood blinds, shutters, or drapery (if you like drapery).  Some comforter sets have matching drapery.  If not, you can purchase panels in a color that is in the comforter set.  I had custom draperies made a few years ago for my bedroom.  I picked a fabric color that I could live with for a few years and would go with many different colors when I change out my comforter.
• A fresh coat of paint goes a long way.  You may want to consider a change in color.  It can change the mood of the room.
• This will be hard for many, but make your bed up everyday!  My mother trained all of her children to do this when we were younger.  I think me and my oldest brother still make our beds everyday and he only does it because he's married and his wife makes him.

I am posting a video of my bedroom.  I want you to see what my bedroom looks like all the time.

So if your bedroom is not a sanctuary, a few easy steps can turn it into one!

Picking the Right Paint Finish

I get a lot of questions about paint finishes.  Flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, high-gloss and oil-based finishes can perplex a lot of people.  How do you know what finish to apply to your walls?

Let's go through each finish one at a time.

Flat:  Flat paint has no enamel in it.  There is no sheen to this finish.  A flat finish is typically what you find on most walls in homes.  It is also best for ceilings.  Flat paint is not scrubbable.  If you have children and pets, you want to stay away from flat paint.  A flat finish is not suitable for baths and kitchens; it can easily water stain.  I used a flat finish on my living room walls and the dark color looks velvety at night.

Eggshell:  Eggshell is a flat paint with a some enamel added to the mixture.  There is a slight sheen to this paint.  Eggshell can be used on all walls in your home.  An eggshell finish would be okay in baths and kitchens because this finish can be scrubbed without damaging the paint.

Satin and Semi-gloss:  For some paint manufacturers, satin and semi-gloss finishes are interchangeable.  A satin or semi-gloss finish has more enamel in it and you can definitely see a sheen in the finish. A satin or semi-gloss finish works well in baths and kitchens.  For a more dramatic look, you can paint a formal dining room and powder bath in satin or semi-gloss.  Using a satin or semi-gloss finish with a dark color brings light to the color. This is a very durable finish and clean be easily cleaned.  My neighbor used the same color of paint in her dining room that I painted my living room in but, she purchased the color in a satin finish.  The color looks totally different in her house than mine.  Because her finish has a sheen, the light bounces off the color.

High-gloss:  A high-gloss finish contains a lot of enamel.  It has a very high sheen.  It can be used on walls, but I do not recommend it for most rooms.  A high-gloss finish can add a lot of drama to a room.  Can you imagine a formal dining room painted in red or eggplant in a high-gloss finish?  A word of caution--your sheet rock needs to be practically perfect to use this finish.  
A high-gloss sheen will show all the imperfections in the sheet rock.  In California, high-gloss is used to paint woodwork instead of an oil-based finish.  Oil-based paints have been banned in California due to the chemicals in it.  Most green builders use high-gloss instead of oil-based paint--its better for the environment.


Oil-based:  Oil-based paints are typically used to paint woodwork (cabinets and trim).  The paint can come in a low-sheet or high-sheen.  It should never be used on walls.  It is a very sturdy paint.  One word of caution--oil-based paints are not water soluble.  Oil-based paint also has a very strong smell.  If you are going to paint a lot of woodwork in your home, you will want to purchase a respirator.  You will need mineral spirits to clean brushes.


The paint that I like to use is Behr.  Home Depot sells this brand.  It is a California-based paint.  I like Behr paint because it covers well.  Behr offers a paint with primer in it.  This provides ultimate coverage.  I have used this paint to cover dark walls and it works fantastic.  I like Sherwin William colors, but I take the Sherwin Williams paint swatch and let Home Depot mix it in Behr.


When I do a tone-on-tone stripe effect, I use a flat finish and a satin or semi-gloss finish for the stripes.  The result is subtle, but it adds a dimension to the walls.


I hope you find this helpful and will consider this for your next paint job!

The Powder Room

My house was not supposed to have a powder room.  It was intended to be a 4 bedroom 2 bath home.  Fortunately I met with my builder before she broke ground on the house and I asked her if a powder bath could be added to the plan.  Thankfully, it could.  My mother lives with me and I didn't want my guests to use her bathroom.  I'm funny about that.  I don't like people using my private spaces.

I knew that I didn't want taupe walls in my powder bath.  I wanted this space to make people want to spend time in this room.  It is very small.  In fact, this space was originally the closet for my study.  In 2005, faux painting was really popular and I had learned to sponge paint and rag paint.  I rag painted my master bath in my previous home and I also did a friend's powder bath and it looks fantastic.  If you are fortunate enough to have a powder bath, you should seriously consider going all out on the decorating and accessories.  So, this is what the space currently looks like now.  I want to redecorate the space.  I have in mind an eggplant color with a tone-on-tone harlequin pattern.  I can envision the space painted in this color.  It would be very dramatic.  I am showing the space in a video.  It is too small to photograph so I thought a video would work better.

 

Stay tuned for the transformation of this space!