Design Tips

Fire pits are a great feature when you are looking to add warmth and entertainment value to your backyard. Here is how you can make one yourself.

http://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/how-to-make-a-backyard-fire-pit/index.html

Decorating Dialogue

Making it yourself is what http://www.Curbly.com and its founder, Bornsztein is all about. The core idea of Curbly is that your home should be a beautiful expression of your personality, he said. A lot of design sites are about purchasing things. It’s pretty expensive, and it’s about one predetermined style. Your home should be an expression of who YOU are.

On Curbly, you won’t find many products; instead, you’ll find blogs, articles and videos about how to make an ottoman, citronella candles or a mid-century modern bird house. It’s an opportunity to interact and contribute ideas, Bornsztein said. There are a lot of crafty DIY people out there, but now you hear from them — they post stuff. I think it’s really cool, like peeking into people’s homes.

Decorating Dialogue

What a whirl wind month it’s been… Starting the Blog Challenge on July 1st and committing to post every day for 31 days!  It comes with great pleasure to share with you all that as of this writing I have successfully completed the challenge! My hope is that you enjoyed reading the design tips and decorating dialog and found the topics interesting and engaging.

Even though the challenge is over, the design ideas and tips will continue.

As a fun way to celebrate this special day,  please feel free to comment back with your specific design dilemma or situation. Provide as much detail as possible so your questions can be addressed and your dilemmas solved.

Looking forward to helping you!

Design Tips

Okay, let’s shine some light on this situation! One of the most over-looked steps in pulling together a well designed space is lighting placement. Effective lighting is the single most important factor in the overall look of your space. Without it, your room will look flat, dull and uninteresting. Great lighting comes in 3’s. Remember to include ambient (general) lighting, task lighting (for reading, etc)  and accent lighting for drama.  Ambient lighting usually comes from above in the form of recessed cans, ceiling fans,  single light fixture, etc. Task lights are table or floor lamps that bring the lighting down to your eye level. Accent lights can be wall sconces, spot lights, or up lights that sit on the floor and point towards the ceiling (usually placed behind a plant or piece of furniture).  All of these light sources combine to give your space a sense of  warmth and dimension.

For more information on One-day Room Makeovers visit: http://www.ReStyleInteriors.net

accent lighting
accent lighting
Design Tips

Now that the furniture is in place, you can start layering in all the details. This includes deciding what artwork to bring back, what accessories to use, and what color scheme you will follow for accents such as pillows and throws. If you have wood or tile floors an area rug is highly recommended to anchor the main seating area. This would be placed first along with your main seating area, and your other color choices would be pulled in from the rug. Don’t forget to look for those hidden treasures from around the house as they will give your space that special custom feel that is unique to you and reflects your personality. In this room the fireplace was the most prominent feature and was given special attention.

For more information on One-day Room Makeovers visit: http://www.ReStyleInteriors.net

Before fireplace felt cluttered
Before fireplace felt cluttered
After fireplace is a true focal point
After fireplace is a true focal point
Design Tips

Now that the space is clear, identify the focal point of your room. This is usually a fireplace, a picture window with a great view, or perhaps a large entertainment center. Place the biggest piece of furniture opposite the focal point, creating a primary conversation area.  If you have a large room, you can select a secondary conversation area to balance off the size of the room. For example, with architectural styles utilizing a “great room” layout, you will have a primary living area, a secondary seating area, and a dining area arranged in one large open space.  In this example our focal point is the fireplace.

For more information on One-day Room Makeovers visit: http://www.ReStyleInteriors.net

furniture arranged opposite the fireplace
furniture arranged opposite the fireplace
console table placed to anchor artwork
console table placed to anchor artwork
Design Tips

Over the course of the next several days you will receive tips on how to give any room in your home a professional looking makeover that will be sure to impress your friends! Our example is a living room since most folks see this space first when they walk in the door.

Before Pictures

start with open space
start with open space

LR 1 before

The first step is to clear out the space as much as possible giving yourself a clean slate to re-create the room.  Then decide what you want to keep in the room in order for it to function properly for you. Keep in mind you will re-build the space starting with the largest furniture pieces, placing them in such a way to provide for traffic flow, conversation, access to a view (possibly) and room balance. Tomorrow we will start pulling together this cleared out space!

For more information on One-day Room Makeovers visit:  http://www.ReStyleInteriors.net

Decorating Dialogue

Perennials are the plants that keep coming back year after year and are a great way to spruce up your landscape for long-term enjoyment. HGTV has some great suggestions for using perennials in your own garden.

daylilies

http://www.hgtv.com/perennial-power/package/index.html

Decorating Dialogue

Is extra space a premium for you? Check out these miniature living wall gardens that fit into almost any room.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/agrarian-garden/garden-vertical-gardening/?page=viewall&bnrid=3152501&cm_ven=NonBrandSearch&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=RaisedBedsPlantersVerticalGardening&cm_ite=vertical+wall+planter&OVMTC=b&OVKEY=vertical%20wall%20planter&timestamp={msimpts}&url_id=183642307&creative=2562683&adcid=8682261

Vertical Gardening

Decorating Dialogue

Succulents are nearly indestructible and come in a wide range of leaf shapes, sizes and colors. Combined together, they create living arrangements that are both beautiful and beneficial — succulents are among the hardest-working plants when it comes to purifying the air in your home too.