Posts Tagged ‘decorate’

Small Spaces Need not Stifle Your Creativity

Beach Living -

With their house hunt over, Robin and Jason were anxious to hunt again – this time to find a Toronto Interior Designer to decorate their new Beaches-area home. “We knew what colours and style we liked, but we needed help pulling things together,” says Robin.  An internet search led her to Liz Watkinson and Susan Pollock’s company, 5th Business Associates. “we all met and hit it off,” says Robyn, who loved the comfy yet classy feel of their work. The house search was over, but the adventure was just beginning. Here’s what Liz and Susan did to give Jason and Robyn a personalized, polished space.

A charming stained glass window was the jumping-off point for the palette. The designers chose the paint colours – blues, greens and golds – directly from the stained glass colors.Painting the original wood panelling might be controversial for some, but even while house hunting, the homeowners knew a coat of white on the wainscotting would brighten up the dark house.  Two tufted chairs were custom made to fit the cosy bay window nook in the living area. Low arms keep sightlines clear, while pale neutral colour upholstery maintains a light look.

New built-ins transformed the small space. To the left of the fireplace, screened doors hide electronic equipment yet allow the wireless remotes to be used. To the right a big-screen TV is concealed behind identical doors. By converting the wood burning fireplace to gas, the couple can up the comfort factor at the touch of a button.

The dining room embodies the transitional spirit that both the designers and the homeowners were striving for – definitely more traditional than Robyn and Jason’s old place and respectful of the Arts and Crafts pedigree of the architecture but also of today. Robyn and Jason love the small, bright sunroom off the kitchen. “We have a bird feeder right outside the the window, so on weekends we have long breakfasts, read the paper and watch birds” says Robyn. Her collection of yellowware bowls made the move from the old house. they fit well with the golden colour scheme and look great behind glass doors on the side of the kitchen. On the sink wall, the upper cabinets were purposely left off. “It really opens up the space.” says Liz.

Liz and Susan’s 5 tricks for living large in a small space.
1) Incorporate storage: built ins reduce the number of separate pieces of furniture you need and multi-purpose items save space.
2) Use monochromatic colour to some degree or at least use soft shades.
3) Carefully select accessories: you need only a few
4) Install good lighting to eliminate dark corners and ensure there’s a wash of light on the walls, use dimmers everywhere.
5)Simplify window treatments, keep them plain and light, like sheers; forgo them altogether were privacy isn’t an issue.

5th Business Associates has been providing interior design services in Toronto since 1997.

Different Decorating Styles For The Nursery

Decorating the nursery can be a daunting yet fun experience and as long as you have done plenty of planning you should be fine. You can find everything you need pretty easily and even your local flea market might be able to help!

Most parents to be love decorating the nursery as it really does bring the reality that a new arrival is on its way. There are lots of different decorating styles that you could choose from that sometimes it can often be a hard decision to actually choose one! There are so many things to think about when planning the nursery so just what exactly should you be aware of?

Planning the Décor and Furniture

It is extremely important to plan first before you actually set off designing what you want. You need to plan the furniture, the color scheme and also the little extras that you may want within the room.

Furniture wise you are going to need a cot or a cot bed, a changing table and a wardrobe. Then there are extras such as a mobile to hang over the cot and a nightlight to soothe the baby at night as well as a playpen for when the baby needs to be left alone for a few minutes. However, before all of that you need to decide a color scheme.

Many parents to be choose a color scheme based on the sex of the baby. However, if you do not want to know the sex of your baby then you may wish to choose a neutral color. If you wanted to be completely different you could always decorate with a mural on the wall. Obviously you will need to be artistic to do this or you could buy wallpaper which has baby animals on it. Usually there is a wide selection of nursery wallpaper so if you do get stuck you can always go back to that.

Where to Find Nursery Equipment

If you are decorating the nursery with paint then your local hardware store should be able to help you. However, if you are using wallpaper then a DIY or craft shop may be able to help. As for the furniture, that can be found in all kinds of places.

Either you can choose the furniture and extras at a department store, or if you are on a budget you could always try the discount stores or even a flea market. You never know what you will find at a flea market and some parents do find some good bargains there. So, you have to be prepared to look everywhere and you should definitely find something to suit you.

Overall planning and decorating the nursery should be fun and it should be given at least a little planning beforehand!

About The Author: Andrew Caxton use to write on nursery and similar subjects for http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com . For additional information on interior design have a look at his web http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com/styles-guide.html

Cherry Dining Room Furniture – Traditional Or Contemporary Adds Style To Your Home

In the ever changing world of home décor every individual at some point is always looking for an added touch of elegance to their homes. There is nothing more enticing than a cherry dining room set to add a lush decorative feeling of warmth to your household. Cherry wood furniture is durable as well as highly attractive making it an ideal choice to incorporate into your home. Whether it be colonial or modern artistic a cherry dining room will not only inspire your will to decorate your beautiful home but also embellish your house guests with a quaint, docile decadence that will make anyone feel welcome whether it be family or friends.

Cherry wood has been used in furniture creations since approximately 400 B.C. The Greeks and Romans realized the beauty and durability that Cherry wood possess, therefore begun to create some wondrous pieces. Cherry wood furniture today is primarily utilized in the styles of Shaker, Mission and Colonial fashions of furniture. Due to the aspect that this type of wood tends to become darker when exposed to sunlight as well as with age. With the rich reddish brown color, subdued wood grains, and satiny finish this hard wood is perfect for creating works of art. This is none more apparent than with Cherry dining room furniture which possesses a striking and rich beauty that few other woods can reproduce. Many of these dining room sets will more than likely be passed down from generation to generation, becoming a prized possession for one to have. These cherry dining room furniture sets offer a beautiful finish that is in the tradition of cherry wood.

There are several themes one can choose from when you are revamping your aging dining area. A cherry dining room with a refined colonial approach is a fine way to impress just about anyone. Start your backdrop by painting your color pallet in a soft gray so that it flows in a gentile manner throughout the room. You can decorate this backdrop with some black and white pictures that might entail either a family portrait or a landscape painting from another country, such as England. A foxtrot picture showing the countryside hills of Britain will definitely add a sense of yearning for the young and adventurous. Then one can trickle in some silver plated chargers and crystal glasses into their cherry dining room china cabinet to add a touch charm and beauty and emphasizing the overall English Manor theme. Do be sure to include your beloved china into your display. Overlap your windows with golden age silk curtains preferably in a light creamy yellow to resurrect the taciturn backdrop of our calm family countryside. In addition, you can hang an ornate gold chandelier above our cherry dining room table so that it will sparkle briskly in the cool morning light. You can take this theme even further by installing an ocean blue carpet with gray backwash to add a crisp, clean feeling that is not only invigorating to your guests but also breathtaking in our old world colonial theme that you are gearing up to show off for. Display a couple of candles with a gold stand on top of your cherry dining room table and you have the perfect moonlight dinner if you and your spouse just want to spend a quiet night in with each other.

If you are in the mood for a more modern artistic type of feel then a contemporary cherry dining room furniture set will add a splash of extroverted décor along with a calm feeling of inspiration and livelihood. This set is ideal for any type of décor that you have chosen to incorporate into your home. Your home should be viewed as a piece of you and your family and should exhibit just as many faucets as the occupants. Display your personality and allow your guests to be enveloped into yourselves as well as your home.

About The Author: Read more about cherry dining room furniture http://www.colemanfurniture.com/cherry-dining-room-furniture.htm Or see the different styles of cherry dining room furniture at http://www.colemanfurniture.com/store/cherry-dining-room-furniture-products.htm

How To Decorate Your Home When Money Is Tight

Just because you don’t have a celebrity checkbook doesn’t mean that you can’t have celebrity style!  Anyone can decorate their home or apartment – even with limited funds!  Consider the following:

• Decide ahead of time on a budget or payment plan, pace your decorating. Include money for accessories.
• Decide on one room at a time and designate a priority within your room. That’s where you should begin.
• Have a plan, color scheme, style, & atmosphere. Have a target date for completion.
• Your confidence level in tackling your decorating project makes a big difference. If you are the least bit unsure, contact a professional designer. He or she will save you time, energy, money, and frustration. Select a designer that you are comfortable with and trust. He/she should know your likes and dislikes. Whatever is done needs to suit you and your family.
• Measure your room to scale. Show windows and doors. Decide on a focal point. Measure furniture, rugs, etc. before purchase. Draw your furniture to scale and cut out the drawings. Place these on your floor plan, moving them around until you get an arrangement that you like. This is very easy on your back. This procedure will also help you decide if the items are proportionately correct for your room. Think too about ceiling height and traffic flow.
• Repeat each color in your scheme at eye level, mid level, and floor level to achieve good visual balance. Repeat any pattern and/or textures at least twice in the room.
• Paint and wallpaper/borders go a long way in updating and freshening a room and usually cost very little.
• View colors and patterns in your home during daylight hours before making a purchase.
• If you do not plan to be in your home for a long time, invest in accessories (artwork, area rugs, decorator pillows) that could easily be used in another home.

Interior Decorating – Some Things You Should Not Do

Decorating “rules” are made to be broken. Not every project will lend itself to every so-called rule.  However, following the rules can help give your project a focus that a more haphazard approach may not. Here are some of the decorating “don’ts”.

• Don’t paint your walls then go out looking for fabrics to match. Paint can be mixed in any of a thousand colors, so select the final shades after upholstery, carpeting, and curtain fabrics are chosen.
• Don’t paint a room without trying a sample of the color in the room. Tiny paint chips can be deceiving as to tone and depth of color, so always paint a test board to confirm your choices.
• Don’t line up the furniture around the walls except in the smallest of rooms. Pulling furniture into attractive groupings in the center of the room will add warmth and be inviting to guests as well.
• Don’t turn your back on the focal point of the room by arranging furniture away from this important feature.
• Don’t place furniture where it will interfere with doorways, cabinet doors, natural traffic patterns, or other everyday activities.
• Don’t clutter up a room with a million little collectibles unless you’re in love with that look. Most of us will feel it is too crowded.
• Don’t try to construct a color scheme from wildly disparate objects. First find a print fabric or rug with all of the colors you want to use, then edit out, repaint, or recover items that don’t fit with the plan.
• Don’t keep something you hate. Do you have a hideous orange sofa from Aunt Zelda? Either slipcover it, recover, or remove it. You’ll be happier.
• Don’t decorate around an item that just isn’t “you”. If your new home came with gold shag carpeting when you love roses and lace, believe me, you’ll never love that carpet. Get rid of it.
• Don’t forget the details. If your theme is Mediterranean, look for iron lamp bases, weathered iron drawer pulls, and tile tables. If you love Cottage then use painted white accessories, floral accents, and lace.
• Don’t fall in love with cheap furniture just because it has an appealing color or exciting fabric. Look for good lines, quality construction, and elegant details first. Then have those pieces covered in a fabric or finish that you love.
• Don’t choose colors standing in a store. Try to take samples (of paint, fabrics, and floor coverings) back to your home and look at them in daylight and at night.
• Don’t spend a lot of money on expensive items that are “trendy”. Try out trends that truly appeal to you by experimenting first with inexpensive accessories.
• Don’t live with a lot of mismatched furniture orphans. Unite pieces with color — either by painting everything one color (white, pale gold, or black for example) or by recovering everything using identical or a mix of coordinating fabrics.
• Don’t always choose backgrounds in your favorite color. Sometimes providing a softer background will make your favorite color stand out as the brightest accent color in the room.
• Don’t choose everything beige if you really love color. Remember, color doesn’t cost more than white. Wouldn’t a pretty mango, soft coral, or lovely green wall make a terrific backdrop for your white sofa?
• Don’t ignore the mood effects of color — red is exciting, pale blue soothing, green calming, and yellow is happy — so choose color schemes that underscore the feeling you want to create in your home.
• Don’t disregard the undertones of a color. Every color can be either light or dark, cool or warm, clear or muddy. Look for these color cues when choosing color.
• Don’t blow your entire budget on something that isn’t functional, classic, or long-lasting, unless you’re completely smitten and can’t live without it. In general it’s best to start with the basics and build from there.