Wednesday, June 25, 2014

YES, summer is really coming...refresh your home to bring the colors of the season inside.


6.25.2014

Do you all change up your decor from one season to the next?  I love to, especially in my accessories.  I also find that my client's see it as a very budget conscious way to refresh their homes a few times a year.
Changing out the pillows on your furniture, eliminate or replace the rug or carpet in a room, add a summer throw to a chair and even make a few changes to an area like behind your bookshelves.
Recently a client wanted to highlight the walls behind the books.  We added a grey and white geometric paper, changed out a few accessories, adding flowers, a topiary and new picture frames for a completely new look.  It felt like we had made big changes to the room within only an hour and a small budget. 
Maybe it is time to make some color changes in your home. Here is what i hear from Maxwell fabrics to be the color trends for the rest of the year:
~Green continues to be a very strong influence.  Anything from dark emerald to vivid citrus lime.
~Navy blue and white combinations (my favorite) are on the rise, while turquoise remains a fresh choice.
~Pink!  Dazzling hot pinks are at the top of the list.  This is a color everyone is using.
~Metallics in copper, bronze and gold tones add warmth and luster.  Silver still is a favorite.
~Brown is the new black again.  I think it will overtake the greys as being the trendy color for next year.

Some of my all time favorites are the tweeds, linen, cotton-velvets mixed with the new colorful crewels. Lee Jofa and the Oscar de la Renta line offers some wonderful new color in the fabrics we are seeing.

This is the time to spend some time looking at a new color to revive what you already love in your home.  Think about a new pink, orange, purple or navy that might complement what you have to liven up your favorite space.  Add a few new large, print pillows...floral, geometric or textured.  Nothing adds new life to a room like a few new pillows.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Time for a new bathroom

Bathroom remodel 2013
Complete new bathroom with walk in tiled shower.
Sometimes all it takes is a bit of paint, wallpaper, new hardware, lights and you can go from plain to beautiful!

"Before" and "After" kitchen. 3rd ward cond


After Remodel

How great does this built in look in ths kiitchen? I love a cabinet in a kitchen that looks like a piece of furniture.


Spring/Summer 2014

                                        Spring is here! 
 The most wonderful time to refresh your home with light and new color. 

Do you feel like your home is still wearing it's winter clothes?  Need a new color to lighten up your space?
Time to remove the dark and heavy, replace it with the light, bright or soft and airy.  Take up the rugs, change the pillows, open the blinds, add new white bedding and flowers.  It's time to enjoy your home in a different way during this beautiful season!

Interior Design is not just about visual.  It is also about how it feels.  If you walk into a room and see the color on the wall, or see a piece of art, the fabric on a chair...what is your first response?  Does it excite you or make your head spin? Draw you in or make you gasp?  Listen to how it makes you feel.

Grey seems to be the new color of the year, maybe decade.  There are so many options when you go to the paint store to choose that new grey.  Is it a cool, blue grey?  Brown undertones?  Green base?  Be sure to think about putting samples of color on your walls before you choose.  Each color will come out differently in your space depending on the light, what direction your room faces and what else is in the room that might impact the color.
I am seeing grey used on kitchen cabinets, walls, bedding, tile and flooring.
It is a great alternative to black and white as a neutral.
 
There also seems to be allot of white going up these days.  Using white with a tint that compliments the colors in your room allows you to keep things neutral and add color everywhere else. Do you like warm or cool?
My favorite whites are Benjamin Moore...White Dove, Acadia White, Simply White and Pratt and Lambert Seed Pearl.  It is important to choose the right sheen for your white.  Depending on where you are using it, the light will have a big impact on the final look. 

I am so excited about all the new options for flooring.  The laminates have come back in a huge way.  The manufactures are working hard to come out with new and reasonably priced options that look amazing.  The vinyl flooring, cork, tile and wood are all giving us so many different looks to choose from.  You can now replace your floors with flooring that allow you to leave the old and just add on top of it, giving you a completely new look without breaking the bank.

I have been busy with so much remodeling this year!  It has been so much fun to take a bland, basic space and turn it into a warm, beautiful home with so much personality. I am looking forward to the next kitchen that starts soon.  There are so many ways to turn an old eyesore into a space that is functional yet beautiful.  I will be sharing more pictures of the "before" and "after".
Happy Summer!