From the Floors Up

How to Master Shabby Chic Design

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There are hundreds of renowned design themes to choose from today. Some designs have passed the test of time and have been around for centuries, while others can become quick fads. One style that has proven to be quite popular is Shabby Chic. This light and airy look can create a feminine atmosphere while incorporating many antique furnishing. It is very recognizable and a fun one to incorporate in your own home or apartment. If you love Shabby Chic and want to add it to your own space, this is everything you need to know:

Antique Furniture 

Antique furniture is a staple of shabby chic. It creates a sense of elegance in the room by incorporating furniture which has stood the test of time. Many of these distressed antiques are typically painted bright white to help give the room a more airy feel. This lighter color scheme can allow old, heavy furniture to capture a more opulent appearance.  

Color Palette 

Shabby Chic is a very light and airy design. White is a great way to help open up the space and make older furniture feel less obtrusive. Typically, color is still added but in light hues, using pastel shades. Pastel colors are great because they can make very dramatic colors less influential on an environment. Consider if you painted a wall blue. The dark blue would have a very dramatic cool-tone effect on the environment. Yet, when you tone down the blue with pastel, you are left with a neutral tone that can still benefit the environment without being over-influential. 

Decor 

Shabby Chic is considered a very relaxed, romantic design. Romantic designs typically are very robust and dramatic, yet Shabby Chic can accomplish romance through its decor linens and fabrics incorporating floral designs. Shabby Chic is believed to be heavily influenced by garden design. Adding plant life or floral patterns can really make your space come alive. Incorporate subtle antiques like Edison Bulbs and distressed wood to give your space a more complete feel.

Shabby Chic is not for everyone, but it is a very growing style. It is a great way to help spruce up your home yet keep it as a passive environment. What do you like about Shabby Chic? Would you use it in your home? Let us know below in the comment section, and for more great tips and tricks on design, make sure to subscribe.

The Power of Color

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Color is one of the most influential properties you can add to a room. Color, yet so simple, is very complex. When we see colors, they are received and transmitted in different pathways of the brain. Due to this, we have emotions, hormones, and feelings that are directly correlated with colors. That being said, not everyone is affected the same way by colors. Since many colors have psychology feelings affiliated with them, we all can feel different ways about certain colors.  

Color Changes 

While choosing color is simply a choice of personal preference, there are many elements to consider. We cannot see color without light. If a room was painted red and another room was painted blue with no light, you would not be able to identify either. This also means natural lighting can affect how we see a room. When the sun rises and sets, we have warmer tones. However, midday light can have a more fluorescent feel. Where your windows faces can make the room feel completely different. In fact, color can be changed simply by your lightbulbs, the color of your flooring, the reflectiveness of your paint, and even the outside atmosphere (grass, sand, or snow).   

Choosing Colors 

A general rule of thumb is that rooms facing north and east do not get enough light throughout the day. This means it can be more beneficial to add warmer-hued colors. Colors like red, orange, and yellow can all help influence a warm feel in the space. Rooms that face south and west typically have enough light in them throughout the day. These rooms may thrive better using cooler tones like blue, green, or purples.

Color Feelings 

Remember, all colors have moods which they can set other than just warm or cool. Using dark tones can make a room feel smaller or more sophisticated. Lighter shades open up the space allowing light to travel more freely, which can make a room feel airier and inviting. Research color psychology to help determine which colors are best for your space, but try to not add too many colors to a space. Just see which shades work best with one another to create a seamless color scheme.

Lastly, you should always get paint swatches and test them in your room’s actual light. Check them in the morning, evening, and midday to see how they feel with the rest of the atmosphere. Remember, color can be one of the most influential elements in a space, so take the time to pick the perfect colors for your home while remembering to have fun. 

Is the Gray Heyday Over?

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Neutral color palettes will and always have been relevant in interior design.  We had a very long run with beige and tan being dominant in almost every design theme; however, we slowly watched as flooring, cabinets, paints, and decor accessories turned to another neutral option: gray. Gray is great because it features a vast spectrum. From black to white, gray has to ability to create a hard contrast, give depth, and keep a sophisticated look in many interior design styles. However, as quickly as we saw gray emerge onto the scene, we may also be witnessing its sudden demise.   

Fifty Shades

What is your favorite color? The chances that you thought “gray” are slim to none. Gray is usually associated with gloomy weather; however, gray is still used in many homes today. This is not because gray is beautiful, but because this neutral color allows other colors to shine. Gray is the perfect neutral color to allow other colors to pop. Its spectrum is just as broad as any other color, yet with white and black on either end, it makes this color feel much more significant! From sheen finishes to matte looks, gray works great in any style home. 

Using Gray 

Gray is great at creating depth and is used in many monochromatic-themed rooms. A monochromatic theme is a design which does not veer from one color. Picture a room using all shades of green or a room with all shades of blue. These rooms would give off a very distinct feel and ambiance. The green room may feel plant influenced, creative, and lively, whereas perhaps the blue room feels passive, calm, and bold. When using grey, you do not get these deliberate themes. Instead, this monochromatic color theme feels collective, sophisticated, but unbiased. So it is excellent for reselling and making an atmosphere that appeases to the masses. 

Is The Gray Heyday Over? 

Looking at sales in different categories of flooring, paints, and cabinets, gray is not selling as dramatically as it was a couple of years ago; however, the “trend” is not dead. Beige is coming back into interior design because it offers a little more warmth as a neutral color, whereas gray feels a little bit cooler.   

So What Does This Mean?

That being said, this does not mean that gray shall become obsolete in design. We should look at both these styles of colors for what they have to offer.  If you like the properties and stylings that gray has to offer, it is still an excellent choice for design. If you feel that beige provides a better feel to your home, go with beige. Each neutral color slightly offers a different feel. Deciding which one you like more allows you to tailor your home to you.

What are your thoughts? We would love to hear your opinion below in the comment section.

Interior Design Hacks for Your Home

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Moving into a new space can be an exciting change, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. Unless you are having your home custom-built, chances are, you will have to do some work. Tailoring your space to your personal style takes time and money. Tackling it all at once can be nearly impossible; however, some simple design hacks can help improve your home on a budget and quickly. Here are four design hacks you can do today to help improve your space:

Large Mirrors 

Mirrors are great for opening up a space visually. We continuously demand more space, so mirrors allow us to give off the illusion that walls do not exist. You can also use mirrors to help move natural light around your space. This simple trick can really help improve the visual aesthetics of a room.  

Trim 

Paint and flooring can improve a room’s aesthetics; however, adding lighting is the next step to help completely change the feel of your room. That being said, have you considered adding new trim? Trim around doorways, windows, flooring, and even ceiling trim can give a bland room a more sophisticated look.   

Paint Cabinets 

Kitchen and bathroom remodels can be quite pricey. You also do not want to invest a lot of money prior to starting a project just to give it a temporary fix. However, painting your cabinets can be a great solution as a temporary fix to these spaces. Find a color that will help customize your space, and you can transform kitchen and bathrooms with a low-budget solution to help improve the environment.

Light Bulbs 

Here is a trick you may not have considered! Since light helps us perceive color; a dull room can come across boring. Natural lighting is an ideal method to help brighten up a space. Next would be adding more lighting. A quick solution is investing in new light bulbs. If your room demands a warmer feel, try investing in warmer tone lights. If the room lacks a cool tone, add some bright LEDs to help enhance the space. This simple trick can really transform a room. 

Using your personal creativity is a great way to design your home. Since every design project does not need to be the final solution, you can just put some simple tricks in your arsenal to help enhance your space immediately. 

What short-term solutions do you use? We would love to hear your thoughts below in the comment section! 

Fading Design Trends | 2019 Edition

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Trends will come and go in interior design. They are influenced by many factors, including what generation is currently buying their first homes, the economy, and cultural influences. Neutral colors have been used for decades to help get homes ready to sell on the market. Neutral tones neither add a warm or a cool tone to the atmosphere, yet they are extremely adaptable and can work with anything without clashing. Therefore, many homeowners will add neutral colors to their homes to prepare them for the market. We have seen some styles come and go, and we are currently in the midst of some trends fading. Let’s take a look at some of these trends.

Beiges & Tans 

Many homeowners for a very long time were using beige, sands, and tans in their homes. These colors could commonly be seen in carpets, countertops, wall paints, and doors alike. While these neutrals did well for an extremely long time, they slowly began to phase out during the last decade. 

Greys 

The decade of 2010 began to bring forth a new generation of colors to the market. The millennials began incorporating shades of grey throughout their home, and this new edge look was being used in modern style homes and many minimalistic spaces. White and black created hard contrast to give the room depth while greys could make this monochromatic theme blend more appropriately. From stainless steel appliances, grey backsplashes, and grey flooring, the trend began to take off in the industry, and homes were being built with grey as the go-to color in the design. 

What Is Next? 

However, this rapidly growing trend has begun to lose speed. Experts believe the grey era is on its way out as a new neutral comes to take the throne. But what is it? The market has not had a definitive outlier yet. Some contending theories are that pastels may begin to become the new neutral. Pastels are muted tones that are so lightly hued that they have little to no impact on the room’s theme. Others believe soft, earthy tones are on their way back with a little more flair. Think caramel, burnt orange, hazelnut, and leathery browns. Perhaps, we will see the “Pewter” era, where grey and beige become more commonly blended together to give a new canvas feel to the room.   

We cannot be certain yet, but Pewter is slowly rising, yet not significant enough to phase out the grey area. What do you think the next trend will be? Will grey make it another decade or will a new neutral reign king? Let us know below what you think. 

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

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