From the Floors Up

Give Your Room a Polished Feel

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Professional interior designers know tricks to make rooms feel polished and perfect. The rooms in shelter magazines and on design blogs are perfectly styled without a cushion out of place or a mess of mail scattered on the counter. In reality, very few of us really live in a magazine ready home. However, there are some tricks of the designer and stylist we can all adopt to give our rooms a professionally polished feel.

Adding an unexpected element is one popular trick. This beautiful traditional living room, designed by Palmer Weiss, is furnished with traditional style furniture, including wingback chairs and an antique metal side table. The unexpected element is the Lucite coffee table. It takes up less visual space in this tight seating arrangement than a wood coffee table or upholstered ottoman.

Mixing metallics might seem like breaking the rules, but when done right can make both silver and gold stand out more. The modern, shiny silver lamp on the gilt-metal side table adds sparkle and the cool tone metal breaks up all of the warm golds and creams of the room.

Another modern pop in the room is found on the sofa: a modern patterned throw pillow. The gray and yellow patterned pillow works wonderfully with the more traditional fabrics and curtains of the room.

Mixing formal and informal fabrics creates a nice contrast between high and low. Velvets mixed with cottons, linens mixed with silks give a room layers of texture.

These are just a few tricks of the trade used by stylists and designers. Remember, there are few hard rules anymore in design, so have fun and let your personality shine!

Focal Point: Big Art

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Big art can be a creative and simple way to create a focal point in any room. The “gallery wall” style of hanging art in groups and clusters is currently popular and works well with smaller framed works of art. However, it can be busy and not as impactful as a single large work of art.  A large traditional oil painting could cost thousands of dollars at a gallery. If you are looking to buy a large scale traditional or antique painting, look at auctions and antique shows as well as consignment boutiques.

 

Other options for big art are framed photographs, prints and maps. There are several companies that will print a picture on a large scale canvas.  This can be a creative way to display your own photographs or family portraits. When using art as a focal point, bigger is better.  Bold colors, strong subject matter and a stand out frame can also create a big impact.

 

Mixing up eras and styles between furnishings and art work creates an interesting dynamic. A more modern version of a traditional subject, like the dog portrait in this living room, or an antique painting in a modern room creates a stylistic dichotomy that draws attention to the art. A single large work hung alone on a wall becomes the focal point of the room.

A large scale painting is the focal point in this hall. While the painting has a muted palette of neutrals, the silver frame draws the eye to it.  The single painting has more of an impact above the grouping of furniture than a group of works.  The big art as focal point allows the furniture to stand out as well as the art work.

 

Consider big art when creating a focal wall or focal point in your room.  Don’t be afraid to mix modern art with traditional furnishings. Use art to add color or interesting pattern to a room. Be brave and go big with your art.

Entertaining Design Part 2: Simple Dinner Buffet

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Dinner partyThis photo looks like a simple unplanned dinner buffet display at first glance. However, the host has used a number of simple design tricks to make this buffet as charming as it is delicious.

To start, check out the candelabra. The wrought iron material and simple design mesh well with the casual country feeling in the room. With a rustic table like this, no need for a tablecloth. But adding the simple denim napkin under the serving pieces adds a touch of warmth to the display while protecting the serving items.

Colors in this room are echoed on the buffet – in the bowls, plates and napkins. Blue provides the dominant color, and the secondary colors come in throughout the buffet and even the food.

From a functional standpoint, it would be easier for guests to serve themselves if the napkins and silverware were set up separately from the plates. Forks can go vertical in a glass or pitcher. Napkins set in a basket would contribute to the rustic feel while making the buffet easier to maneuver. However, overall the display works well for the room and the mood of the dinner party, and adding these simple design touches were the work of a few moments.

Entertaining Design

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iStock_000007027728XSmallThe difference between entertaining and entertaining well is taking a bit of time to include design concepts in your party plans. By thinking about how your space looks and making some special design gestures for your party, you tell your guests that you value them.

Fresh flowers provide an easy and effective first step. Placed strategically around your home, flowers create a mood and a design theme.

These days adding fresh flowers cost less than the appetizers. Your local grocery or warehouse store offers a great selection at reasonable prices. Pick up one or two bouquets with the same flowers and colors – or even the same type of flower for a consistent look.

Many people get nervous about arranging flowers, but if you stay simple you can create a design-rich arrangement with nice lines in a few minutes. Let the flowers help you decide on your approach. Try different vase shapes and sizes and don’t be afraid to trim stems if you need to. This arrangement is both simple and cost effective. A couple of long stems added to a vase with oranges to hold them in place and you’re done.

Place flowers on the main table, a few side tables, and in the guest bathroom to create a sense of welcome for your guests and help turn your party into a well-designed event.

Interior Finish Selections

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One of our clients, Pierce Flooring and Design had a reader submit a question on their blog about which choices should be made first when tackling a remodeling project. The question is a frequently asked question and one that I would like to add some additional thoughts on. Take a look at their post and below are some additional thoughts.

It can be extremely daunting when it comes to making selections for a remodeling project. Not only do you have to worry about deadlines, backorders, discontinued items, etc, but there are so many things to choose from.

The first and most important thing to remember when making selections for YOUR remodeling project, is that it is YOUR remodeling project. The biggest mistakes I have heard as a former designer were listening to too many friends and family or listening to too many different sales associates opinions and having the project turn out to be a combination look of what THEY all wanted. It’s ok to seek the advice of friends and family, but it’s critical to remain focused on the fact that it’s YOUR project and YOUR home. The selections need to reflect your and your family’s taste, lifestyle and budget. It’s very easy to get persuaded by the advice of people you love and trust, but at the end of the day, ask yourself the question. Who’s going to live there?

Also, be careful of starting the selection process around an item that you saw in your neighbors house or your friends house. Chances are, you have different lighting conditions, different styles and many other variables that will cause that item to look completely different in your home than it did in theirs.

If you aren’t sure where to start, consider hiring an interior designer. Most you can retain by the hour and in the end, designers often can save you money. All it takes is one mistake such as the wrong floors or cabinet colors and the designer fees then look like a bargain compared to the cost of replacement or fixing a mistake. The advantage to hiring a designer is that they can listen to your needs (taste and budget) objectively be the impartial person that takes all of the information about the project (including selections) and puts the pieces together to make sense. Again, the bottom line when working with a friend, a designer or several different sales associates from different stores is that the project needs to reflect your taste and style – not theirs and especially not a combination of theirs! It’s your job to make sure that the end result is the look and feel that you are going for.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

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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