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From the Design Files of Heather B – Home Decorating

Monday, October 18th, 2010

Design Question

I need your help. I have a coffee coloured settee and cream coloured walls. The ceiling is white. What colour of curtains will suit the living room to give it a beautiful vibe? Thanks

Design Answer

I would match the color of the curtains with the sofa. But choose a patterned fabric that will include cream and white, as well as another color like red, blue or green. When selecting additional colors for the patterned fabric, tie them in whatever other predominate color is in the room. The predominate color doesn’t have to be a substantial piece of furniture such as a club chair or a recliner; you could also pick up on a particularly bold shade in a painting or piece of wall art, throw cushions, a vase, etc. that is already in the room. Choose a patterned fabric for your window treatments, especially if it’s geometric or striped, as this will also add both texture and visual interest to the living room’s décor.

I hope this helps. Thanks for writing in. Don’t forget to come back next week when we’ll tackle another design question.\




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From the Design Files of Heather B – Looking for Design Ideas

Monday, October 11th, 2010

Design Question

 Hi there, I am wondering what some better ways to set up my living room are? Also do you have any ideas about how to make the space more dramatic? I have put up some red sheers and am hoping to finish my window treatment soon. Thank you.

Design Answer

Many times you can improve the look of a room by simply rearranging the furniture. There are some simple things you can do to increase the aesthetic appeal of the room and to make the space more dramatic. 

  • It looks like there is just a plant in the left-hand corner of the living room on the other side of the entertainment center. If it’s possible, I would trade places; put the desk on the other side of the television. This will give the work area a sense of privacy, simply because it won’t be the first thing someone sees when they enter the room.
  • Once the entertainment and floor lamp have shifted down the wall toward the “entrance” of the living space, move the armchair in the far right corner to the left side of the room by the lamp. Then center the sofa and coffee table on the right-hand wall and position the dark-colored armchair accordingly. By placing the armchairs opposite each other, it creates another conversational group.
  • If the bookcase on which the aquarium is sitting has a finished back, perhaps you can turn it sideways; not only would it act as a focal point but it would function as a “divider,” defining the living room from the other areas of your home.
  • Adding red sheers is certainly a good start to making the living room more dramatic. If painting is not an option, you could give the walls some color with bright or bold colored prints or artwork. Try replacing the two smaller pictures on the sofa wall with one big colorful framed print. See how the two smaller pictures look on either side of the entertainment center. You might also consider placing an area rug that will work with the red sheers underneath the coffee table.

 Don’t forget to take measurements, both of the furniture piece you would like to move and the space to which you like to move it to. Assuming that you can shift a chair or table from one place in the living room to the opposite wall and have it fit is not always a good thing (and I speak from personal experience).

Thanks for writing in. Don’t forget to come back next week when we’ll tackle another design question.

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Posted in From the Design Files of Heather B, Home Decor and Design Ideas, Home Decor Design Ideas, How To & DIY Furniture, Living Room Furniture & Design | No Comments »

Travel Theme Decorating Ideas

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

It’s not bad, but when you look around your living room it feels as though there’s something missing. Whether you decorated your living room in a hurry; didn’t know what you didn’t know about decorating; or just didn’t care then but you do now, using a travel theme to add a little spice to your décor might be just the ticket. A global or travel theme will add a sense of adventure to the room that is the place where you relax, entertain friends and hang out with family. If it’s a little sophistication you’re after, travel theme decorating ideas can also give your living space an international flair.

Inspiration for a travel theme décor can be found in the places you have visited, places you would like to visit or tropical locales that you would like to explore when funds and/or vacation time allow. Since you will be adding your travel theme to an already furnished living room, there are still a variety of living room furniture ideas that you can explore to give your living space the feel of a world traveler. Accent furniture that has a globe or trunk design creates visual interest.

If a travel theme appeals to you, you don’t have to be a jetsetter or a world traveler to incorporate memorabilia from exotic places when accessorizing your living room. Use stacked vintage suitcases or steamer trunks as plant stands or conversation pieces. Framed prints of famous places like the Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower or the Venice Opera House are great choices for wall art. Media storage cabinets, home bars, console tables and decorative items such as clocks and wall sculptures fashioned after cultural icons like a British telephone booth and the Eiffel Tower appeal to our sense of adventure and curiosity about the world around us.

A travel theme provides a wealth of inspiration that will turn a bland or uninspired space into a fun and focused living room that can reflect a trip to the four corners of the world without leaving the comfort of your home.

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From the Design Files of Heather B – Furniture Arranging

Monday, October 4th, 2010

Design Question

Hi there, I’m moving into a 282 sq. ft. open efficiency apartment and am having much trouble trying to figure out what will fit where. I have a twin bed, dresser, armoire, teakwood chest to put my TV on, filing cabinet, my chair and ottoman with table beside it and lamp, small desk and chair for laptop computer and perhaps a bookcase.

Bearing in mind that there is a kitchenette, bathroom and small closet…do you think this is going to fit with out being cluttered???…in that small 20 x 10 space???? Should I delete the bookcase or anything else? Your suggestions would be MOST APPRECIATED!!!!

Design Answer

Smaller living spaces do provide their own unique decorating challenges. But with a little creative thinking, there are ways to decorate an efficiency (also known as a studio) apartment that will transform it into as comfortable home as possible for you.

The first thing you should do before making the actual move is to measure each piece of furniture. Not only will this give you exact measurements to work with when arranging your furniture, it will also help to ensure that you will get your furniture both through the door of the apartment building and the doorway of your new home.

As when arranging any small or awkwardly shaped living space, start with the largest pieces first. You’re list of furniture pieces with their corresponding measurements will come in handy now.

In such a small space, you definitely don’t want to sacrifice any pieces of furniture that provide storage such as your chest or armoire. Find a corner for the armoire; this will free up floor space in the center of the room.

Map out zones and then plan to arrange the furniture accordingly. Two zones, the kitchenette and the bathroom, have already been “marked” out for you. You will most likely want your sleeping area directly opposite from the TV/chest so that you have the luxury of watching television in bed. See if the desk and chair will go on the same wall as your twin bed; if it does, it can also do double time as your nightstand.

Don’t forget the walls. Of course, you should first check that you can drive nails into them, but if you can, they are a great way to increase a small apartment’s usable space. For example, rather than have a freestanding bookcase take up valuable floor space, choose a wall-mounted hutch or display cabinet that will hold a small, select collection of items.

Thanks for writing in. Let me know how it turns out. Good luck with the move!

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From the Design Files of Heather B – Organizing a Small Closet

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Design Question

My husband and I live in a small two-bedroom house. Both bedrooms are approximately the same size; the bedroom we share is only marginally bigger than the second bedroom which is used as a home office. There is also a futon in the second room for guests. In each bedroom there is one small closet and we have reached critical mass in terms of having adequate space for our clothes, shoes and other personal items. The other closet is filled with seasonal items, including Christmas decorations. Ideally I would like to be able to store more things in both these closets, without having to work my way through a jumbled, disorganized mess. Do you have any tips on organizing a small closet?

Design Answer

Unless we’re talking about living spaces with walk-in closets, most of us never seem to have enough storage space. But there are some easy ways to pump up the storage volume of even a small bedroom closet. Because you will be storing a variety of items, when considering how to organize a small closet space, think general or multipurpose storage such as utility shelving, storage cubes, and multi-use hangers. Follow these simple steps to a new and better bedroom closet.

Step #1: Spring Clean (no matter what the season)

No matter if you’re a pack rat or not, we all have things in our closet that we no longer need, use or want. Before investing in closet organizers, a utility shelving system or storage bins, decide what stays and what goes. The best way to do this is to get medium sized cardboard boxes (you don’t want them to be too heavy when they are full) and label them Keep, Donate and Trash.

Pull everything out of the closet and sort it into like with like – belts with belts; Christmas decorations with other Christmas decorations, etc. As your sorting them into their categories, separate them again into Keep, Donate and Trash piles. Once everything has sorted, remove the Donate items and throw away the Trash. What’s left is what needs to go back into the closet. This is also a good opportunity to wipe down the walls and vacuum/wash the floor.

Step #2: Map out a Storage Solutions Plan

Inventory what you currently have in the space in terms of available shelving, etc. Especially if you have top shelves, plan on reserving them for items you won’t be using everyday, like your Christmas decorations, for example, in the second bedroom closet. If the space between the top of the shelf and the ceiling is substantial, you might consider adding cubbies, the top of which would act as a shelf while giving you more storage options.

Take measurements. Particularly if you’ve decided to purchase some kind of closet organization system, knowing exactly how much space you have will come in handy.

If you are not going the closet organization system route, decide what storage solutions would be most useful to you such as a shoe rack, storage cubes or thigh or hip height utility shelving that will leave room for hanging blouses, suit jackets, etc.

Plan on using the door. A row of hooks on the inside of your closet doors instantly increases your storage options. If hooks don’t appeal to you, how about an accessory bag, shoe bag or tie or belt rack?

Step #3: Multiple Garment and Accessory Hangers

You can maximize your closet space by using multiple pant, multiple skirt and/or multiple blouse hangers. Simply put, this means that you can technically hang seven pairs of pants on one hanger instead of seven hangers which takes up more room. Accessory hangers follow the same concept as multiple garment hangers, but are designed specifically for belts, ties and/or scarves.

Thanks for writing in. Come back next Monday when I answer another interior design question. Keep sending me those emails and don’t forget to include pictures if you can.

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Posted in Bedroom Furniture & Design Ideas, From the Design Files of Heather B, Home Decor and Design Ideas, Home Decor Design Ideas, How To & DIY Furniture | No Comments »

From the Design Files of Heather B – Daughter’s Bedroom Paint Color

Monday, September 20th, 2010

Design Question

We are remodeling our home and are building a bedroom (11′ by 15′) for our 8 year old daughter upstairs. The room gets somewhat low natural light from a fairly big window on the north wall. The ceiling is flat, but then slants down on two sides and has a natural (somewhat lighter) pine (wood) on it (pine looks a bit darker in photo). We put a forest wallpaper mural (all trees-lots of different greens) on one wall. Some of the greens in the mural are very bright green, which doesn’t exactly show in photo (a bit more yellowish in photo than what it actually looks like).

We are trying to decide on a color to paint the other walls. We are thinking green, only because green would be best with the mural (I think?), although I’ve gotten suggestions of beige instead of green. I would like it to be something more “grown up”, and not look like a little girl’s room. I’d like something that will not need to be changed as she gets older, yet she will like. We are going for a “nature” or “forest” feel for her room. I don’t want it to be too dark or too bright and I want to be careful that it is not too dull of a color. My daughter wants either green, or the color in our living room which is a brown called “County Cork” by Ralph Lauren. I think that brown is too dark for her room (especially since the trim is kind of dark – no white in the room) and I don’t know if it goes with the mural.

If green is not the way to go, I would be open to consider another color. I’ve looked at lots of greens and some beiges and none of them seem right. I’d like it to work with the mural and the pine ceiling. If I go with beige, I don’t want it to be too close to the color of the pine, as I’d like the pine to stand out somewhat from the wall color. I don’t know if green or beige is better or if I should do one wall green and the others beige? The focus is the mural, so I don’t know if it would look right to have 2 wall colors?

I have gotten samples, put on big poster board and held it up on different areas and nothing I’ve gotten seems right. I have also gone to the Sherwin Williams and Behr websites and put in a photo of the room and tried different colors on the wall, but again cannot find anything. If you could give me any suggestions, I would appreciate it. Thanks!

Design Answer

What a great space! Many parents choose themes and colors for a child’s room that will “grow” with their children so that they do not have to constantly redecorate. A forest theme is a good choice. The room is such a beautiful shape and where you’ve chosen to put the mural provides the perfect accent.

That is the tricky thing about trying to look at colors in photos or in online color visualization programs; other factors come into play, including your computer monitor, settings, etc. Speaking of colors in photographs, I am curious about the green that is on the vents in the first picture. In the photo, it appears like it would be a good candidate for your daughter’s bedroom.

I don’t know which specific greens you were looking at but I selected four that I thought would go well with the forest mural. This palette I created uses greens from Sherwin Williams. You most certainly can use two wall colors in a room. The darker colors like the “festival green” or “pickle” would make great accent wall colors.

Depending on the intensity of the color, if you would like to use beige I would go more brownish than grayish. I would have to see how it works in the room, but I would tend to use cream instead of beige. Again, I selected some creams from Behr you might consider for your daughter’s room. I personally love the “pumpkin cream” because since green is a cool color, I thought that the orange (warm color) hue would provide balance. You’ll have to do your poster board test to see, but the orange cream might make the pine appear too orange. It might work as an accent color, though.

Thanks for writing in. Let me know how it turns out. Come back next Monday when I answer another interior design question. Keep sending me those emails and don’t forget to include pictures if you can.

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Posted in Bedroom Furniture & Design Ideas, From the Design Files of Heather B, Home Decor and Design Ideas, Home Decor Design Ideas, How To & DIY Furniture | 6 Comments »

Playing the Decorator’s version of Hide and Seek

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

If you’re like most of us, especially if you live in a smaller sized home, condo or apartment, you are constantly looking for ways to make the most of what little storage space you have. Particularly at this time of year when we’re on the cusp of summer and fall, soon it will be time to put away summer clothes, beach stuff and other miscellaneous items we probably won’t need from another year. But where are you going to put it all? And how can turn inadequate storage into storage solutions that will work for you and your living space? Even if it’s not possible to tear down a wall or two to make more room, there are still things you can do to get more mileage out of your current storage situation.

Storage Solutions for the Living Room

Take inventory of any units in the room like an entertainment center, end tables, coffee tables or cabinets with open or enclosed shelves. Wherever possible, add baskets, drawer organizers, organizational caddies or pull-out trays.

If you’re in the process of or you are about to buy new living room furniture look for pieces that are dual-purpose like a hallway bench with hidden storage or a coffee table with drawers or shelves.

Add extra seating to your living room in the form of a storage ottoman or a coffee table ottoman.

Storage Solutions for the Bedroom

Bedroom benches are typically placed at the foot of the bed, providing somewhere to temporarily put clothes or laundry or as a place to sit when putting on shoes. Choose one like the Somerton Enchantment Bedroom Bench that has drawers and a small cabinet. Other types of benches have a lift-top or removable lid.

To increase your storage options in your bedroom closet, sometimes it’s a simple matter of freeing up floor space by eliminating the clutter with a shoe rack or stackable shoe cabinet. Especially if you‘re sharing a small-sized bedroom, and by default, a less-than-ideal closet, consider configuring the space to both your requirements with some type of closet organizer.

Utilize the space under the bed with some kind of underbed storage. There are several types of under-bed storage, including storage boxes, storages bins, a rolling box or a set of drawers on casters designed specifically for storing items under the bed.

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From the Design Files of Heather B – Paint Color Choice for Oak Furniture

Monday, September 6th, 2010

Design Question

Hello Heather, I have quite a dilemma in choosing appropriate colors for a house we recently bought and are moving into, so I need some help!!

My furniture is mostly oak wood. The kitchen has oak cabinets, white Corian countertops, the white and gray floor, and white appliances. It is a pretty good size room but is in the center of the house and doesn’t have a window. It is currently painted a dark green and looks very dark. This room adjoins the family room which does have some but not a lot of light and vaulted ceilings. That room is currently painted a very pale bright yellow.

The dining room and living room are also open to the kitchen and living room. They also have the white and gray tile floors. In those rooms, there is small white dentil crown molding and an oak top on a half wall at the entry. These rooms are painted in gray and tan combination where my son started to paint gray over the existing tan and quit. At least the top of the 1/2 wall is oak and will go with my furniture. The tan is just too much brown with my oak furniture, but I am questioning the tone of the gray.

I need to know what color or tone and color I can paint all these rooms that will be a light neutral backdrop. I have been pulling out my hair trying to figure this out. I don’t want any red or bright primary colors. More understated, simple elegance is my style. I was thinking something like a gray, putty, taupe or stone color. My biggest problem is trying to get the right tone since the oak is so orange. I do like light shades of blue, green, yellow, neutrals and soft muted tones. I am just STUMPED. I don’t want to do this twice! ANY help would be most graciously accepted!

Design Answer

You’re right; the oak is definitely orange rather than tan or golden. But it is beautiful; the cabinetry in the kitchen is simply stunning. However, I do think that because the oak/orange is a warm color and is such a commanding element in the room, it should be balanced by neutrals like gray and cool colors like blue and green.

Color Choices

I also agree that the gray currently in the space doesn’t work with the ceiling – it is my feeling that it doesn’t provide enough of a contrast, making them both blend into one another. Based on the colors you said that you preferred, except for yellow because it is a “warm” color, I picked some shades and hues that I thought would work in all four rooms – the living room, dining room, kitchen and family room. The palettes are loosely divided into gray, green and blue.

Once you’ve narrowed down the color or colors you think you would like to use, don’t forget to test it out by seeing how it looks in the room, either by applying paint samples or using the online tools many paint companies offer through their websites.

Hopefully you won’t have to paint it twice! Let me know how it turns out. Thanks for writing in. Come back next Monday when we’ll answer another reader’s design question.

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Posted in From the Design Files of Heather B, How To & DIY Furniture, Kitchen Furniture & Design, Living Room Furniture & Design | No Comments »

Skip the Reno: Ways to improve your Bathroom on a Budget

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Maybe you were in the middle of planning a spa bathroom make-over when your second eldest child announced that she was accepted into law school. Perhaps the décor has been fine in the past, but now you feel that your bathroom could do with more color and new decorations. And especially if you have a small bathroom and fantasize about knocking down a wall or two to accommodate a whirlpool bathtub, but can’t go that route for whatever reason, you might think it’s a lost cause. However, with a little creative thinking, elbow grease and some serious bargain hunting, you can give your bathroom a new look without it have to be a costly or time-consuming venture.

 Take Inventory then Spring Clean

Of course you clean your bathroom on a regular basis, but if you’re like many of us, stuff tends to accumulate in the bathroom vanity drawers and our bathroom cupboards can become cluttered with old medicine prescriptions, abandoned beauty products and multiple bottles of the same brand of shampoo (because we thought we were running out and we weren’t). Sort through all of your bathroom storage space and throw out or recycle everything that you no longer need or use.

Once you’ve finished spring cleaning your bathroom, take a few minutes just to look around and assess the room as it is now. What jumps out at you? Do the towels look a little shabby? Has the shower curtain had its day? Are the lighting fixtures the original ones from the 70s? Make a list of all the things you would like to change; then prioritize the list in terms of what you can do in the near future and what will have to wait. 

Refresh and Renew

Since most bathrooms are typically smaller in size in comparison to the other rooms in your home, one of the easiest and cheapest ways to give your bathroom a new look is to paints. Particularly if the walls haven’t been repainted in seven to 10 years, it will be worth your while.

Re-accessorize. Buy several sets of new towels that you can change with the seasons; replace the worn-out shower curtain and bath mat; add decorative lotion bottles, a soap dish or a new bathroom mirror. You’d be amazed at how any one of these little changes can make a big difference.

Has the caulking around the shower or tub turned gray and dingy and/or become cracked and unsightly? Remove it and replace it with new caulking.

Purchase a new vanity and install a new sink. If that’s not in your budget right now, replace the sink and/faucet. For a stylish, cohesive look buy matching taps and shower head for the tub/shower.

Giving your bathroom a new look doesn’t have to involve an expensive renovation. Pick one or more of these simple ways to give your bathroom a new look while on a budget.

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Posted in Bathroom Furniture & Design Ideas, Home Decor and Design Ideas, Home Decor Design Ideas, How To & DIY Furniture | 1 Comment »

From the Design File of Heather B – Accent Color Paint Choice

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Design Question

I need advice on interior paints. Currently I have Fresh cut Grass (~ cream from Benjamin Moore) colour in my living room. I also have lot of Cherry wood furniture on dotted gum (Brown) wood floor. I like to paint one wall with a different colour. Could you please advise me which colour goes with this setup?

Design Answer

You’re definitely starting off on the right foot. When choosing an accent color for a living room, you want to take several elements into consideration: the main paint color choice (fresh cut grass); the predominant color of the furniture whether it’s construction material of the furniture or the fabric of the sofa/chairs; and the mood you would like to create with your paint choice. Another thing to remember about choosing an accent color is that many people think that it must be bolder or darker than the main color that has been chosen, but it all depends on your personal taste and the effect you would like to achieve.

Warm Colors

Warm colors are red, orange and yellow. They, of course, include any shades, tints and hues in the red, orange and yellow color families. Warm colors have specific characteristics that contribute to the overall mood of the living room and how it interacts with the rest of the living room furniture. A warm color has the appearance of “moving toward you” which is why bright reds, yellows and oranges have a tendency to make a room look smaller in the cozy sense (not the cramped sense). Because warm colors are closely associated with fire, they energize a room. 

Cool Colors

Cool colors don’t mean “cold,” but they do have the opposite effect of warm colors. Cool colors include blue, green and violet. A cool color looks like it is “moving away from you.” This will make the room seem larger; contributing a sense of distance or space in the living room’s décor. Cool colors have a comfortable soothing and tranquil vibe to them.

Even if we are conscious of the affect that color has on us, the color choices in a room does contribute to the overall mood. So, it really is a personal preference, depending on whether you would like your living room to energize (warm accent colors) you or to soothe (cool accent colors) you. However, from the description that you gave me of your living room, but without seeing any photographs, I would be drawn to warm color choices.

I hope this has been helpful. I answer your design questions every Monday, so keep sending them in! I love to hear from all of you.

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