Can't Find a Sconce You Like?--Make Your Own!!

For the past three weeks, I was working out of town and was lucky enough to stay at The Inn at the Mill in Springdale, AR.  This is a boutique hotel--small number of rooms, intimate setting, and the rooms are appointed with nice amenities.  I have managed to finagle my way into a few boutique hotels over the years.  This is not an easy thing to do on a government rate, but you never know until you ask.  The hotel was a mill back in the 1800's.  The property was turned into a hotel in 1991 and has undergone several renovations and updates over the years. 


As I was settling down in my room for the night, I noticed a wall sconce that was very cool.  Upon further inspection, I realized that it was a light.  I had never seen a sconce like this before.  I went downstairs to the front desk and asked the desk clerk about the sconce.  The story is that the owner of the hotel had the sconce made from a mold of his daughter's face.  She was a teenager at the time.  She is married to the owner/chef of James at the Mill and she works at the restaurant.  All of the rooms have this sconce and the restaurant has the sconces featured in the decor.

I would love to have a pair of these sconces in my dining room on either side of the mirror!

Color Courtesy of Mother Nature

I am working in Springdale, AR and right outside the location I am working is the most spectacular red maple tree.  This tree looks as if it is on fire.  This is why fall is my favorite time of the year.  Enjoy!

Quote of the Day!

I have a Twitter account and I follow several decorating Tweeters.  I saw this Tweet today from designer Bruce Norman Long posted by House Beautiful.  I think this quote best describes what I love about color:

"I like dark colors because they always make a room feel more decorated than it is."

I think this is so true.  On Saturday, I helped my neighbor Penny paint her dining room SW Coconut Husk (same color as my living room).  She loved the color when she saw it in my living room and wanted to paint her dining room this color.  Her dining room was red when she moved into her house 5 years ago and she never liked it from day one.  So, I schlepped across the street Saturday morning and we were done by noon.  The color change made a dramatic difference in the room.  This is the "after" photo.  I didn't get a chance to take a "before" photo.  Take my word for it--we did a dramatic color change.

How to Hang Artwork

In my previous post, I hope I got you inspired to buy new, big, and modern artwork for your home.  Once you get the artwork, you'll probably wonder how in the heck you are supposed to hang it?  One of my pet peeves (and I have many which I will share with you) is to see artwork that is improperly installed in a room.  I think I am going to put a small hammer in my purse so that I can undo all of the bad artwork installations I encounter.

Q:  How high should artwork be hung on a wall?
A:  It depends on the height of the wall.

Confused yet?  Here is my general rule for the proper height for hanging a single piece of artwork.  If your ceiling height is between 9 and 10 feet, try to hang the artwork between 70 to 75 inches up on the wall, assuming the hanging hardware is 5 to 6 inches below the top of the picture.  This is the point where the hooks should be inserted.  Why this measurement?  Artwork looks better if it is hung at a level where you can see it.  You should never look up to see artwork.  Also, if the artwork is hung too high, it will look as if it is floating in the room.  You want your artwork to ground the room, not get lost in the room.

If your artwork is hung over furniture (table or sofa), allow about 6 inches between the bottom of the artwork and the furniture piece.  This will keep the artwork from looking like it is floating over the furniture--not a good look.

For taller ceiling heights, 10 to 12 feet, you will need big art or groupings to fill in the larger spaces.  Try placing the hook 75 to 80 inches on the wall.  The thing to remember with taller ceiling heights is that you don't have to fill in the artwork to the ceiling line, unless you have a grouping that will be stacked.  It's okay to have empty space over artwork. 

This artpiece is hung in a breakfast nook of a house I decorated.  The ceiling height in the breakfast nook is 12 feet.  The artwork measures 4 ft by 3 ft.  The artwork is not floating in the room.

Big art, big impact!

Here is another one of my pet peeves:  Never hang your artwork taller than your door frame or window.  This is when you know your artwork is installed too high.

Look at the artwork in my living room.  My ceiling height in the living room is 9 ft/10 ft.  I have a trey ceiling that goes up to 10 feet, but the wall space measures 9 ft.  Notice the placement of the artwork:  it is hung below the door frames.

The artwork is not floating in the room, it has a relationship with the furniture.

Next, I want to show you the artwork in the living room of a realtor/interior decorator Cara Wilkerson.  She has a great blog called, "Live the Home Life".  Cara's blog can be found at http://livethehomelife.blogspot.com/

This is a great example of grouping artwork together.  Individually, the artwork is not that big, but hung together, the artwork makes a big impact.

Isn't this a great way to hang artwork?

Another example is shown in this photo from House Beautiful magazine.  Notice that this artwork is hung at the ceiling height, but it still grounds the room.

Take a look at the artwork in your home.  If it is hung too high, try lowering it and notice how this small change wil transform the room.  Get your hammers ready!

Artwork: Go Big or Go Home!

Artwork makes me happy.  I have artwork in every room in my home--including the bathrooms and laundry room!

Artwork in water closet in master bath--example of a big piece in a small space.

Artwork in master bath over both sides of vanity.

Artwork is personal.  What I like and what makes me happy may do nothing for you.  This is how people should respond to artwork.  If you see a piece of artwork in a store or gallery that you absolutely fall in love with it, you should purchase that art piece (if it's within your budget).  

I have grown very fond of abstract paintings.  I love a traditional room, but I don't mind my artwork being contemporary.  Since 2005, I've purchased 10 abstract paintings for my home.  I have replaced older prints and paintings with the abstract art.  I love the movement and color in abstract art.  I don't "see" anything in the artwork, but there's something about the colors and the flow of the painting that draws me in.

Here is my rule for artwork--Go Big or Go Home!  There is nothing sadder than a small picture or painting hanging on a large wall by itself.  Big art makes a big impact.  Whenever I have people in my home for the first time, the first thing they notice is the artwork.

I want you to see an example of how I replaced traditional artwork with an abstract painting.  The first picture is the before of the artwork in my breakfast nook.  I had a fruit theme going on in the kitchen and breakfast area.  I found two fruit prints that I hung stacked over the buffet server.  I liked the prints but there wasn't much color to them.  BTW, I still have these prints if someone is interested in them and the fruit pitchers on the buffet.

When using smaller pieces of artwork, try to group the pieces together.



This is how the breakfast nook looks with an abstract painting over the buffet.  Notice how the artwork pulls you into the room.

This painting was purchased at Bed, Bath, & Beyond--not expensive at all.

In my earlier post about painting, you learned that I have no wall space in my foyer for funiture or artwork.  To the right of my foyer, is my formal dining room and a wall that leads into the kitchen.  This wall is part of the hallway that runs from one side of the house to the other.  I consider this wall as part of the entry due to the proximity to the foyer.  You can see this wall from the foyer.  I can't place furniture there because it is the hallway.  So, my solution was to place artwork on that wall.    Red is a dominant color in my dining room, so these abstract pairs were a perfect fit.  Notice how well the art pieces fill in the space.

If you are redecorating a room(s) in your home, consider large artwork for the walls.  Be sure to check the big box stores in your area.  Most of these stores have a great selection of large prints and abstract art.  Also, I ran across this website which has a huge selection of abstract art at great prices:  

http://www.gallerydirect.com

You will be amazed at the impact large art will make! 

Pillows: Why Women Love Them and Men Hate Them

I think the argument over pillows between the sexes has been going on since the beginning of days.  I don't know any man that likes pillows.  Here is the basic difference of how women feel about pillows versus men:  For women, pillows make the bed more romantic.  It's like we're in a fairy-tale waiting on our Prince Charming to come and swoop us away.  Every woman wants a beautiful bed.  For men, pillows are just additional crap that has to be removed before going to bed.  Men, this is a losing battle.  Get used to the pillows because they're here to stay. I have accessory pillows in all of my rooms (with the exception of the kitchen and bathrooms).  Pillows add a little extra pop of color, especially in spaces where the decor is monochromatic or very neutral.


Let's talk about pillows on the bed.  As long as I can remember, I've always had pillows on my bed.  I can remember going to Dillard's Department Store and going to the Linen Department.  I always loved seeing the different bedding sets displayed.  What made these beds so beautiful was the pillows.  I think the biggest mistake many people make is too many pillows.  This is why men hate pillows.  I have seen beds with as many as 10 accessory pillows piled on top.  Usually the pillows are randomly and haphazardly displayed.  That's when you know there are too many pillows on the bed.  I have seen beds where the accessory pillows are piled on top of the pillow shams.  Accessory pillows should always be placed in front of the pillow shams or pillow cases, never piled on top of the pillow shams or cases.

Here is my basic rule for pillows on the bed.  I have a queen sized bed.  I use two European shams (You can use 3 Euro shams for king beds).  Euro shams are a must because they anchor the look.  You can buy the 24 inch pillows that go inside the shams at Garden Ridge or Bed, Bath & Beyond.  Don't use standard pillows--it doesn't look right.  Euro shams are placed next to the headboard.  I then place either my sleeping pillows or the pillow shams in front of the European shams.  If I have pretty pillow cases, I will place the pillow shams in front of the Euro shams, then the pillow cases.  Next, I place three accessory pillows in front.  The accessory pillows don't have to exactly match the comforter.  I think it's a more interesting mix to purchase accessory pillows with some of the colors of your comforter but a different pattern.  The picture below shows my bed as it is dressed for the fall and winter.  The accessory pillows did not come with the comforter set, but they match up with it pretty well.  When I'm ready for bed, I just removed the Euro shams, pillow shams, and accessory pillows. 

You may be able to get away with 5 accessory pillows, but you are pushing the limit.  I know someone whose husband doesn't understand the concept of Euro shams.  She had to remove them.  Her husband makes the bed up before he goes to work (he's the last one out in the mornings).  So, she had to give up her Euro shams because her husband didn't understand the need to have them.  Now that's really sad.

Where Michelle Likes to Shop

I live in Little Rock, AR.  Some of the stores I mention may be in your area if you live outside of Little Rock or out-of-state.  If you frequently visit my home, you will notice that I have a tendancy to change out my artwork and accessories.  I may love a piece of artwork when I first purchase it, but I tire of things pretty quick.  Over the years, my niece has gotten some pretty nice furniture and artwork from Aunt Michelle.  So, where do I like to shop in Little Rock for accessories?  Any place where I can get nice accessories for dirt cheap.

If you are looking for inexpensive accessories, artwork, and pillows, Garden Ridge located at Bowman Road and Chenal Parkway is by far the best place to go.  I knew about the accessories and artwork that Garden Ridge sells, but my neighbor Penny turned me on to the store's pillow selection.  Most of the pillows in the store are priced at $10.  Garden Ridge has thousands of pillows.  The store also has a great selection of artwork on canvas.  If you are into abstract art and don't want to spend a lot of money, Garden Ridge is the place to go.  Here is an abstract canvas art piece I purchased for $79!!.  It was described as an actual "oil on canvas" piece.

Hobby Lobby (located at Bowman Road & Markham St) is also a good place for accessories.  Check the Sunday paper for the sales items for the week.  I never pay full price at Hobby Lobby.

My neighbor Penny introduced me to Dreamweavers (located downtown at 11th & Spring St).  Dreamweavers sells rugs, pillows, and throws.  The items are unusual.  You won't find this merchandise at other stores in town.  The store also features accessories and limited artwork.  Dreamweavers is only opened the 2nd weekend of every month.  I purchased two rugs for my master bath and pillows for my living room from Dreamweavers.

The pillow is made out of neckties!

The rug is made out of old stockings & pantyhose!

Steinmart (Cantrell Rd and McCain Blvd) has a small accessory section in the store.  On occasion, I will drop in there to see what they have.

Burlington Coat Factory (Markham St & McCain Blvd) is also a good place to go.  The store has artwork and is a good place to go for glass work.

Just recently, I found a good place to purchase rugs--Aladdin Rugs & Home Decor located at 4529 JFK Blvd.  The store has a very good selection of rugs in different sizes.  I took my friend Marjorie there about two weeks ago and she purchased a wool rug for her study.  The rug measured 5' by 8' and cost $200.  For a wool rug, that is an excellent price.

http://www.aladdinsuperstore.com/

Gordman's is another place to get great accessories at a good price.  Gordman's has great glass pieces.  If you are looking to fill in blank spaces in your bookshelf or end tables, this is your store.

I also like to shop at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and Kirkland's for artwork.  Both stores have canvas art.  Always use Bed, Bath, & Beyond's 20% off coupon.  Kirkland's has great sales and you can purchase a pretty large piece of art for under $100. 

Little Rock has several furniture and accessory boutique stores (Pazazz, Coming Home, Phoenix Interiors).  These stores are not the cheapest, but they have some really cool inventory.  Sometimes you can get a better price if you just ask.  Check out some of the boutique-style stores in your areas.  Sometimes you may find an accessory that is one of a kind and it may be worth the price you pay.  I purchased this glass piece at Phoenix Interiors.  It is a glass knot.  It wasn't cheap, but I treated myself for my birthday one year.  It looks really cool on a glass coffee table.

Consignment sales/stores are also a good choice.  In Little Rock, there is a lady who has a consignment business.  She gets really nice pieces of furniture.  My friend Marjorie was able to find the nightstands and an armoire that matched her bed and dresser.  She also purchased the artwork that is in her breakfast nook.  I'll share photos from her home on a later post.  The website for this business is:

http://www.iconsign-furniture.blogspot.com/

Her inventory constantly changes.  Check it out.

If you are willing to hunt around town, you can get some pretty good deals on accessories for your home.  Happy Hunting!!