From the Floors Up

Decor – Accent Wall

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The accent wall has been a favorite of designers and home owners for a while now. Some designers are big advocates of creating a focal wall with color while others prefer to have color encompass the entire room. One wall that is colorful, as this predominately white dining room, is the norm. Having more than one wall painted in an accent color can divide the space and begin to feel busy.

 

This dining room is a gorgeous example of how an accent wall can anchor a space, elevating it to feel more than ordinary. The soft blue grey paint of the accent wall is a nice contrast to the warmer wood tones of the floor and blonde wood table.  Orange upholstery on the chairs, another warm color, pops against the cool tones of the grey wall.

 

This contemporary dining room is typically minimalist.  There are no flourishes on the furniture or lighting, nor is there ornament on the accent wall.  The blank wall becomes like a large color field painting in the space.  The trapezoidal shades on the light fixture appear more sculptural against the grey wall. The off white shades would be lost against a white wall.  A neutral area rug beneath the table works with both the colors of the floor and table as well as both the orange and grey.

 

Keeping the furniture lines and color palette very simple gives more weight to the accent wall. Because this is a contemporary space, leaving the wall bare is an option that works.

Decor – Taking Advantage of Vertical Wall Space

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Now that televisions can be mounted to the wall, furniture layouts in living and family rooms have changed. Gone are the days where the television and entertainment centers took up a large bit of floor space. Along with changing the layout of the rooms, wall mounted televisions have changed how we approach vertical wall space.

 

Flat screens mounted on the wall draw the eye to the wall and therefore the vertical space surrounding the TV. Taking advantage of this space can mean adding extra storage, as seen here, or creating a focal wall with the television at the center.  Framing a flat screen with a shelving unit or bookcase like this one also helps the flat screen blend into the space better. A wall unit or built-in bookcase can be done in a wood to coordinate with your furniture or floors, or painted to match the wall or molding color.

 

Vertical storage space can be used for books, movies, CDS, games and other family room entertainment essentials. Games and toys can be stored in baskets that fit into the storage unit or bookshelf.  Moving storage up off the floor and onto the wall frees up the space for the furniture and better flow in the room. Decluttering the floor and keeping small items in boxes and baskets is a good way to get organized.

 

Taking advantage of vertical space is especially useful in smaller rooms and apartments. When floor space is at a premium, placing the television on the wall and surrounding it with storage can make the space more organized and functional.

 

Choosing Art for the Bedroom

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Bare, blank walls can make a room feel unfinished. Choosing what to hang where in the home can also be intimidating for some. Staring at a blank wall when decorating is kind of like a writer staring at a blank page when writing.  The blank stare can stifle us from making a decision. If you have blank walls in your bedroom, or anywhere in your home, we hope this article can help you take the first step to decorating your walls.

 

Bedrooms should be sanctuaries and calm places for us to restore our spirits as well as rest our bodies.  Comfortable textiles on the bed, soft flooring like carpet or area rugs on the floor, curtains that can block light all create the environment for good sleep.  You can add to the soothing and restorative qualities of your bedroom by what you hang on the walls.

 

Every wall in the room does not have to be filled with art. Empty spaces give the eye a place to rest. Art for the bedroom can be framed in frames that coordinate with the furniture, wall or floor. Metal frames can also add a little sparkle to the room. You can frame practically anything and it will look great on the wall. Framed art can include family photos, your wedding portrait or vacation photos. Fabric and paper can also be framed. Choose art that speaks to you. If you love it, you will love to see it as you fall asleep and wake up every day.

Transform Your Space With Paint

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Paint is one of the most versatile design elements in decorating. It can transform walls, furniture, floors and fabric. Simply painting a wall, one of the easiest DIY projects, can immediately change the feel and look of a room.  But paint can do a lot more than just change the color of a wall, floor or piece of furniture.

 

This room might seem an extreme example of what you can do with paint. The graphic pattern on the wall is very lively yet the look is achieved with just two colors of paint. Creating patterns with paint can make a simple project have a complicated result.  Using stencils and tape can yield a myriad of patterns. Vertical and horizontal stripes can be done with painters’ tape and a level. Stencils can be as simple as a circle or as complex as a lattice print or classic onion pattern.

 

The techniques that are most typically used on a wall can also be used on furniture. Wood furniture should be properly prepped before being painted. Prep work may include puttying, sanding, priming and more sanding before you begin to paint.  Stripes are easy to achieve vertically or horizontally on the wall.  Painters’ tape should still be used to mark off the stripes to prevent the color bleeding through. Stenciled walls can imitate traditional inlay or patterned tiles.  For a large expanse of wall, bigger patterns will feel less busy.

Perfect for the Kitchen: Food Themed Art

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At first glance this photograph might appear to be of an exotic type of marble or granite. Or perhaps a marbleized paper or faux painting technique. It is none of those things. It is a cross section of a cabbage shot in close-up. Yes, cabbage.

 

Food based art and photographs can be beautiful and food themed art is also the perfect wall accessory for the kitchen and dining room.

 

Kitchen walls are typically filled with cabinetry and appliances, but rarely is ever wall surface filled. Most kitchens are left with some blank wall space and some more than others depending on the size and style of the kitchen layout. What to put on these blank kitchen walls can be challenging.

 

It is not wise to put original oil or acrylic paintings near a cooking area. Grease in the air can cling to the surface of the artwork. Dining rooms are a better choice for paintings like these that are not framed behind glass. Watercolors, drawings, collages and photographs can all be hung in the kitchen since the majority of time they are framed with glass to protect their surfaces.

 

Choosing what food themed art to hang can be based on several factors, including the style of your kitchen, your favorite food and other colors in the flooring and cabinetry of the kitchen. Traditional kitchens would do best with traditional still life style art, while contemporary and modern kitchens could have food art that was more abstract. Be inspired by food photography to take your own shots and frame them.

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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