Design Advice | It's Great To Be Home

Design Advice: Dani’s Living & Dining

May 24, 2010 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 7 Comments

This latest Design Quickie came about when Dani asked for some help making her living and dining rooms feel a little more like home. Dani’s busy finishing her thesis so decorating her new home has {understandably} fallen by the wayside.

Here’s what she’s working with:

{ Everything here needed to stay, except for the rug. }

Each of the plans incorporates Dani’s love of blues, greens and neutrals, and I kept the existing wall color since both Dani and her husband love it. The living and dining rooms are both getting fun, patterned fabrics which will instantly make the rooms feel more homey.

There are some tricky architectural features in the living room. The doorways obviously pose an issue, but I think that for the most part Dani’s dealt really well with it – the sofa is in the right place, and the two chairs are perfect in front of the archway {from another pic I didn’t post}. Dani hoping for a chaise to place in front of the archway but I really think she’d be happier keeping the two chairs {or similar chairs} because the traffic pattern will flow much better into the dining room {instead of having to walk around a visually and physically bulky chaise}. I would also move the white bookcase to the wall between the front door and the archway, and flank both sides of the bookcase with a vertical line of black & white photos framed in the white Ribba frames from Ikea. That means that the paintings from Dani’s sister {not pictured} will move above the TV to provide a great focal point when people walk in the front door.

The only other tricky part of the living room is the wall behind the sofa – the size of the window and location of the sconces make that wall a bit awkward. Because of that I think it would be a great idea to create a wall of curtains on that wall – they would run floor to ceiling and wall to wall, hung from an oil rubbed bronze rod {more about the specific curtains later}. The sconces will peek between the individual curtain panels but be sure to keep the curtains pulled tight together so the look is seamless. The curtains will also be somewhat sheer to let in light from the window.

Finally, the wall with the archway – what a great feature! I would suggest painting the wall the same green color as the rest of the walls, then highlight the inside of the arch by painting it the same shade of white as the trim.

Now onto the fun stuff!!

I whipped up two options for Dani’s living room, including furniture arrangements and other details. Here’s the first mood board:

~ Rug. This faux bois rug {Option 1 and Option 2} works perfectly with Dani’s wall color and furniture, and the great natural pattern adds oodles of visual interest – as an added bonus, the wood grain will be great for hiding any stains.

~ Curtains. The curtains need to be extra long to reach from floor to ceiling, and fairly sheer to let light shine through. These beauties are the perfect option.

~ Fabric. This fun and funky fabric is a great complement to the wall color and wood tones in the room. I would recover Dani’s existing armchairs in this fabric and then pull the color to the other side of the room with a few throw pillows on the sofa. As for the legs of the chairs, think about staining them a darker wood tone.

~ End Tables. The sides of Dani’s sofa are begging for end tables – 2 of these babies painted navy blue will give Dani & Co. more places to put books and drinks, and Dani can also use them as extra seating when necessary.

~ Accents. Accents in navy and white will really make this plan pop.

And here’s Option 2:

Option 2 features the same rug and curtains, but there are some definite changes to the plan!

~ Chair Fabric. Dani’s chairs will look dynamite reupholstered in this floral fabric which pulls in the wall color as well as other fun hues.

~ Pillow Fabric. Bring out the turquoise in the chair fabric with a few throw pillows on the sofa in this pattern.

~ Curtains. The curtains are the same ones featured in Option 1 but they are getting snazzed up with this stencil in turquoise. The look we’re going for is similar to the staggered pattern on these curtains.

~ End Tables. These beauties will look great on either side of the sofa.

~ Bookcase. For a little extra pop, think about painting the back of the bookcase a pale turquoise color.

~ Accents. You might have guessed by now that turquoise and white accents would look amazing with this option!

Dani’s living room opens into the dining room through a gorgeous archway – so the dining room got a little gussying up, too. {Note – for everyday use I’d think about taking the leaf out of the table to center the table under the chandelier.}

Dani has a gorgeous dining room and I’m contemplating stealing her chandelier. Here’s how I’d like to accent everything:

Here’s Option 1:

~ Curtains & Rod. These Indian-inspired curtains have beautiful colors to complement the wall color and Dani’s beautiful table. I’d hang them close to the ceiling on a nickel rod like this to play off the nickel of the chandelier.

~ Rug. I know Dani like the look of jute so I thought the dining room would be a great place for a jute rug since Dani won’t have to worry about it being too rough underfoot. Here’s an excellent option.

~ Hutch. Dani’s in the process of painting her hutch white and once she’s finished it would look gorgeous backed with this graphic wallpaper.

~ Accents. Think about a table runner and other accents in the same pale blue that’s found in the curtains.

And Option 2:

~ Curtains {& same rod as above}. This beautiful damask fabric is subtle and elegant, and will make gorgeous curtain panels for the dining room.

~ Rug. Same as above.

~ Accents. Crisp white accents will really stand out in this plan.

Click on the following link to snag some design advice of your very own – Interior Design Services.

Design Advice: Lisa’s Landscaping

May 10, 2010 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 5 Comments

When Lisa signed up for a design board she felt like her cute home near the beach could use a little sprucing up. She had dreams of a pergola and a few pops of color, all while maintaining that beachy vibe that we all long for.

The main goal of the plans that I came up with is to make Lisa’s home feel more balanced and a little less boxy while incorporating beach-inspired hues and a pergola.

Pergola. In this design, a linear pergola in white reaches from the left side of the front door to the right side of the large window. Use a minimal number of slats across the top of the pergola to let in lots of light.

Patio. Underneath the pergola, a curved patio created out of pavers like these will give you a place to enjoy your front yard. The curved design {curving from the path to the door towards the house} will help break up all of the flat planes of the front of the house. Remove the boxwood hedge under the large window for a spacious patio. {If the budget allows, natural flagstone could be used instead of the pavers.}

Adirondack chairs. Two Adirondack chairs painted white and placed under the pergola will be a great place to relax and unwind.

Climbing roses. Adding climbing roses to the tall fence on the left-hand side of the house will add color and help incorporate that side of the lot into the rest of the landscape.

Pergola. Instead of running along the front of the house, the pergola in this design covers the garden to the left of the driveway. {The garden will be replaced with grass.} The purpose of locating the pergola in this area is to bring balance to the lot which is weighted very heavily on the right-hand side.

Front door. This design plan calls for painting the front door this beachy shade of greenish blue.

Adirondack chairs. Two Adirondack chairs, painted in the same dusty green/blue as the front door, will be placed under the pergola.

Climbing roses. Since the tall fence is now partially covered by the pergola, the climbing roses have been moved over to the garage where they will add some life and color to the left-hand side of the house.

Pergola. Option 3 is very similar to Option 1 except that the pergola is now arched {instead of flat} to add an extra curve to the front of the house.

Front door. This design plan calls for painting the front door this beachy shade of greenish blue.

Adirondack chairs. Two Adirondack chairs, painted in the same dusty green/blue as the front door, will be placed under the pergola.

Wisteria. Climbing wisteria will add a softness to the tall fence and the garage, and the pale lavender color will be a beautiful complement to this color palette.

Each of the design plans also addressed these elements {that I left off the mood boards to keep them from being too cluttered}:

~ The bushes along the front of the house all need to be trimmed so that they are below the bottom of the window frames. This will make the house appear taller and let more light inside!

~ Mulching around the Japanese maples will highlight them in the yard without making them appear separated from the rest of the landscape {a client request}.

~ Painting the short fence to the left of the house will make the house feel longer and incorporate that side yard so that it doesn’t feel disconnected from the rest of the lot.

~ When Lisa re-shingles the roof {a plan for the near future}, a medium gray will give the house some definition {try not to go too dark or else the house will feel squatty and heavy}.

~ House numbers would look great on the top riser of the stairs leading to the front door.

~ Lisa was considering adding pavers or pea gravel to the side garden to the left of the driveway. Unless she is in dire need of extra parking I would think about removing the plants and adding sod {and removing the concrete edging} for a soft look that’s easy to maintain – that side of the lot already has a lot of asphalt going on and I think that adding more hardscape will make the lot feel more lopsided.

~ Paint the chimney stack in the same gray tone as the siding to make everything feel a bit more cohesive.

~ Edge the bed in front of the house with colorful flowers in white and pink – this will define the beds and add some needed color.

~ Add simple white or black flower boxes below the two smaller windows on the right-hand side of the house – they will look great filled with pink flowers. As an added bonus, they will make the windows appear larger and more balanced next to the larger window on the left.

~ Add a large planter on either side of the garage door {maybe something like this painted the same color as the Adirondack chairs discussed above}. Plant caladiums or something similar to add a little color that works with the overall design scheme.

So there you have it! One beach cottage, whipped into shape.

Click on the following link to snag a little design advice of your very own – Interior Design Services.

Design Advice: Giving A Living Room New Life

May 3, 2010 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 3 Comments

Hey there, peeps! Did you have a great weekend? I just got back from Colorado where my sister got married over the weekend – it was a little hard to come back to a busy week after such a beautiful weekend!

Anyhoo, I need to get better about posting my design boards as they happen – this one has been waiting around for awhile, so here it is!

Here’s what Tiffani had to say about her living room:

{The room that I’ve chosen is} our living room – it’s huge and empty and I’m at a total loss as to what to do with it. We’ve only lived in this house for 2 months but my vision for this room is a casual, comfortable, inviting place for watching TV and hanging out after work, etc. but also a room that has enough seating that it could be used for entertaining purposes if needed as well. I tend to like neutral and warmer colors. I love tan, brown, navy/lighter blues, greens, golden hues (not too yellow), darker red, etc. I also tend to like to see white used to decorate a room (although I’ve never used this to decorate as I am in no way an interior designer but I always seem to love the look when I see it in magazines, design websites, etc.) I would have to say I lean toward the traditional design style (think Pottery Barn, Ballard Design, Restoration Hardware.) If I could have a house straight out of PB I would be in heaven.

We are a newlywed couple and don’t have a ton of extra money lying around but I still want to bring this room together and make it a room we enjoy spending time in. In the past I’ve felt like I’ve spent a lot of money “trying” to decorate a room but in the end it still never feels like a complete room. I decided to enlist help in order to achieve that finished look without over spending. This is not our “forever house” (we will probably only live here 5-7 years) so I definitely want to keep that in mind when purchasing new furniture pieces. We will also probably have kids in about two years so we don’t need top of the line, super expensive stuff (as much as I would love that I’m trying to be practical.) ~ Tiffani

Here’s how Tiffani’s living room looked when she wrote in:

Tiffani has an awesome living room with tons of great potential – with a vaulted ceiling, plantation shutters, gorgeous wood floors and a floor-to-ceiling fireplace, what’s not to love? With just a little tweaking, her living room will be the perfect place to cozy up in front of the TV or relax with friends. Take a look at her new space!

This plan is traditional with a Pottery Barn feel, but amped up with fun accents like faux bois fabric and gleaming tin panels. And while this color palette may be soothing with steely blues and cream, it’s anything but boring – pattern and texture throughout the room certainly keep things interesting.

~ Floorplan. With 3 doorways, windows on both ends and the large fireplace, the biggest challenge for Tiffani’s living room is the floorplan – but no worries, I’ve got it covered. The seating area will be anchored by a large rug in the center of the room, and the sofa and two chairs should be placed as depicted in the floorplan below.

Even though the back of the sofa is facing an entrance to the room, it will not interrupt the flow of the room thanks to a long, thin console table placed against the back of the sofa. Finally, a large media cabinet opposite the fireplace will balance the room and provide Tiffani with oodles of storage.

~ Rug. Tiffani’s favorite rug was the perfect jumping off point for this new living room, with tons of inviting colors from rust to sage to steely blue. In a 9 x 12 size, this beautifully patterned rug will fit perfectly in her large living room.

~ Furniture. Since Tiffani recently purchased most of the main pieces in her living room, the majority of the furniture for this space will remain the same – but with a few fun additions.

Chair. In addition to providing extra seating and balance to the room, this traditional armchair in an oatmeal color {on a huge sale!} will provide a lovely visual contrast against the deep chocolate sofa and chair that are already in the living room.

Media Cabinet. This grown up living room deserves a grown up media cabinet, and this beauty {no longer available – here’s a good substitute} more than fits the bill. Its deep wood tone will work beautifully with the existing furniture and become the focal point of that long and previously bare wall.

Console Table. Since the console table will be draped in a few yards of this fabulous cream faux bois fabric to break up the deep brown of the furniture, it doesn’t make sense to purchase an expensive console table. Instead, Tiffani could use two old bookcases and a long board {or something similar} to create a makeshift console table – no one will know the difference! A stack of books and some beautiful vases on the console table will be a wonderful greeting as guests enter the room.

~ Curtains. The color of these beautiful steel blue curtains was plucked straight from Tiffani’s gorgeous new rug. They will look best hung high and wide to showcase her beautiful plantation shutters.

~ Accessories.

Fireplace Revamp. I’m pretty excited about the makeover that Tiffani’s fireplace will receive. The inset above the mantle is just begging for something dramatic – installing these gleaming tin panels inside the entire inset will have a dramatic impact on the appearance of the fireplace {and for a great price!!}. I would also love to see the mantle and the beam on the vaulted ceiling painted a rich, chocolate brown for a little extra swankiness and contrast – and I think she’ll love how the darker beam accentuates the height of the ceiling {kind of like in our den}.

Pillows. Pillows in blue and neutral stripes will tie all of the colors in the room together and add a little interest to the sofa and chairs.

Shutters. The long wall next to the media cabinet is the perfect place to lean a pair of these crisp, white shutters, which are a fun play off the plantation shutters in the room {and are a steal when compared to this Pottery Barn version!}

Wall Sconces. Pairs of these simple but elegant sconces {on clearance!} flanking each window will add a little ambient lighting and tons of visual interest to each end of the room.

Floor Lamp. Because of the locations of the electrical outlets in Tiffani’s room, it’s a little tough to add lamps without having cords snaking all over the floor. However, this simple pharmacy lamp {which is no longer available – here’s a good substitute} placed near the chair by the fireplace is close enough to the wall that it won’t create a tripping hazard, and it will create a cozy nook for reading.

So there you have it! One more living room whipped into shape. What do you guys think?

Click on the following link to snag some design advice of your very own – Interior Design Services.