Decorator Secret #1

How to Create “Personal Flair” on a Budget

If you enjoy looking at pretty things and find a sense of accomplishment from turning that yard sale find into a fabulous decorating item in your home, then read on…..

First, consider keeping your backgrounds simple, to allow for a plain canvas that can be arranged and rearranged all you want, with the treasures you can find. You must develop your imagination, and think outside of the typical box of what an object used for.

1. Look for items that are comfortable and make you happy.

2. Visit antique fairs and markets, junk and consignment shops, and yard sales to get familiar with what is out there. Look for interesting pieces that may need work, not fine antiques. 

3. If you like something, buy it. You will always find a place for it. Buy only what you really like and what makes you smile.

4. Make a collection. Nothing looks better than a grouping. Buy prints, plates, architectural fragments, garden elements, decorative objects, glassware, nik- naks etc. Group three or four at a time, mixing sizes and textures. 

5. Greenery and baskets fill void areas for a minimal expense and will soften hard edges. 

6. Look at the bones of upholstered furniture, not the finish or the fabric. Slipcovers will work wonders!

7. Think about new uses for what you find. Old needlepoint makes wonderful pillows, and old chest can make a beautiful focal point in a room, old church pews provide charming seating at a table or entrance, almost anything can be made into a lamp etc.

Hopefully you’re beginning to get the idea. This type of decorating can be the most fun and the end result can be just as beautiful and charming as any other expensively decorated room or home.

Decorator Secret #2

Versatile Cornices Save you Money!!!

Cornices are a very versatile and economical style of valance that can work extremely well with everything from contemporary to traditional.  The fabric requirements are very minimal, thus keeping the cost way down.  A very large cornice will require no more than two to three yards of fabric, including an allowance for a repeat.  Quite often this treatment is a good candidate for the railroading technique (described in the Sept. newsletter).  Also, inexpensive solids and remnants of more expensive patterned fabric can be combined to create a custom look that is fabulous!!

As a decorator this is one trick I have used often in models as well as with customer to help ease the constraints of a budget.  A simple solid cornice with decorative braid trim makes a classic and stunning treatment.  Again your imagination needs to kick in!!  Once you have the basic cornice built and covered, so many things can be draped or attached to complete the custom treatment.  Available in home improvement stores are cornice forms ready for padding and fabric application.  This can be done with a staple gun for the do-it-yourselfer. 

Here are a few examples of ways to decorate the cornice: Fish netting can be draped over a canvas cornice for a nautical theme.  Lace or tulle can be swaged over and under for a soft, feminine look.  Cane fishing poles can be attached along with fishing lures to complete a charming theme room.  Silk flowers such as white and yellow daisies could be glued to the face of a solid blue cornice to produce personality and charm.  Hopefully, you are beginning to get the idea!  Have fun!  Do not worry, it will be great!!

Decorator Secret #3

A Graceful Balance

If you like things organized and balanced, you will probably prefer a balanced composition to your home decorating. This is called “Symmetry.” There’s an inherent serenity in a balanced décor, along with a sense of order and calm.

There are many different ways to create this look, but I’ll share a few that will hopefully inspire you. 

1. Identical sofas or loveseats upholstered in the same fabric, facing off in the room. 

2. A pair of slipper or accent chairs covered in a complementary fabric, placed near each other in the room, and balancing the seating arrangement. 

3. Repeating some the same fabrics for draperies. 

4. Matching end tables with matching lamps will anchor the grouping. 

5. Fireplace mantels with matching topiaries, candle sticks, vases etc. on each end, with a center arrangement if space allows. 

Successful symmetry decorating can be achieved by taking into consideration the following suggestions.

1. Respect the room’s formal plan without being predictable.

2. Consider scale and proportion. Don’t attempt to create mirror images on opposite sides of the room. For example: An antique Chippendale highboy can anchor one corner of a living room. In its place on the facing wall can be a simple composition of framed pictures, tree, reading corner etc.

3. Balance the visual weight of architectural details with appropriate styles of furniture and accessories.

4. Soften the room of an absolutely symmetrical arrangement by introducing a few surprises. Such as: varied occasional tables, additional plants and foliage, an ottoman for one chair etc. You get the idea!

With a little thought and planning you can achieve a marvelous, symmetrical look to your decorating. It just may be the look your after!

In my many years of working with new homebuyers and clients, this question would always seem to pop up. Usually we would be at the stage of choosing kitchen cabinets for their new home, and the concern would be over the existing breakfast table and chairs they owned. Seldom was there a cabinet finish available that matched their breakfast or dining set. Many of you have lost sleep over this one! Don't worry, it's really not a big deal! Decorators like to mix woods and finishes in a home! It creates style and interest, although it needs to be thought through carefully.

I'm sure decorators will have many varied opinions about this, but here is mine. If a wood grain and color are not similar enough to be a good match, then I like to choose something different enough to create a contrast. To me it looks better to have a totally different wood, than to look like we tried to match, but missed. This philosophy will remove most of the stress from this situation. However, this does not mean we want 5 different finishes in a room.

It is also desirable to add iron/metal/glass as accents to your wood furniture. I like to use as a general rule of thumb, at least 2 of a certain style or finish, so it establishes a purpose in the room. One favorite trick is to use an iron dining table base with glass and a coordinating coffee table. All other pieces would be matching woods, or possibly one other finish. You can also mix painted finishes with wood very successfully. Don’t think you have to go into a furniture store and buy the whole matching set. Use a little imagination and have fun!