Creating a Home Library You’ll Want to Visit: 5 Inspirations

If you’re lucky enough to have an in-home library, you may find it difficult to create a space that maximizes storage without sacrificing appeal. Celebrate your home library by creating an inspiring space.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Go classic museum. Give your space an art-museum feel by adding classic pieces. This museum bench is an awesome piece that would nicely complement stone flooring. As seen in the Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA) 2005 Biennial Exhibition, the Case Study Museum Bench was designed and developed at the Modernica Studio in Los Angeles. The Museum Bench is extremely substantial and appropriate for high traffic and commercial use.
2. Bring the world home. Brainstorm creative ways to bring your world travels home. Use your library as a place to display collected art pieces or a push-pinned map. Consider adding to that cultured feel by including a trunk for extra storage. It’s perfect for a small throw blanket or two.
3. Decorate with light. Warm overhead lighting will provide a comforting feel. Lights directed toward shelves or artwork draw the eye to the most inspiring elements of the room. Don’t forget to highlight your favorite hanging art pieces or statues. It’s generally pretty easy to find lights that can be fixed to the top of the shelves, angling over to display shelf contents. Consider LEDs for a bright, targeted, energy-friendly solution. Visit your local library to see how they lit their shelves.
4. Don’t skip art.
   Paintings don’t have to be confined to walls. You can mount these pieces right onto bookshelves. This is a great way to break up the continuous pattern the shelves provide. I suggest using contrasting colors to give it an extra “pop.”
   That look can also be achieved by placing art on the shelves themselves. This is a great way to mix up your collection. My favorite way to place art is in accordance to the way books are organized. For example, the popular “A” and “Z” shelf ends can indicate where author last names begin and end. For a fun option, consider choosing art pieces that describe the content of the books (such as: business, art, fun, reference, etc). If you have kids, consider using their pictures to indicate their growing collection on the shelf. Make it fun for them to interact with reading! Bottom line: Be creative in a way that makes sense for you and your family.
5. Stay alive with plants. Libraries are notorious for feeling dusty, their shelves stacked with titles from countless authors. Add a little life with plants. Large, leafy plants are good options. Of course, ensure the plant you choose has sufficient lighting.
   Unless you’re seriously disadvantaged at keeping plants alive, opt for live plants over their fake counterparts. This will side step the dust and provide a much more vibrant feel.

What have you done to make your home library – of office – more inspiring? Feel free to link to photos to share your space and inspire others!

Headboard Makeover: Fun While Saving Money

Just because you are looking for ways to save money doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a new look in your bedroom this spring. If you have a little creativity and some extra time you can make some exciting and inexpensive changes in the bedroom. By making a few dramatic changes to your headboard, you change the focus of your bedroom to the bed. Add a personal touch by doing it yourself.

Here are two ideas to get you inspired – start here and let your imagination run wild.

Door to Door
This is a great way to make use of that extra door, or 3 narrow closet doors, that have been cluttering your garage, basement, attic or storage. The idea here is to create a work of art that is a practical piece of furniture. This is why, for this particular project, I prefer three narrow panel-style closet doors. Measure  your bed to decide what is going to work best for you.

• Look around your bedroom and choose one color that will complement what you already have. This color is your center. From here, you will also choose a tone and a shade.
• Tape off unequal horizontal blocks then feel free to start painting. Paint all the stripes of one color before moving on to the next tone or shade.
• Once they are painted and dried, attach the doors to each other with brackets and secure to your bed frame and/or wall.

Satin Lattice
This is a very simple yet elegant do-it-yourself project.

• Begin by measuring the width and height of your bed.
• Add about 3’ to the height measurement – it may seem like a lot now but we are going for drama.
• Select a sturdy wood about 1” thick that fits the dimensions that you measured earlier.
• Lay your board on a secure surface. Use a mild adhesive on the board and apply ample stuffing to the board.
• Completely cover the board with satin.
• Fold a small hem on the back of the board then use a staple gun on the hem ensuring that the slack is taken out.
• Turn the board over and with satin ribbon create a lattice pattern over the front securing the ribbon to the back with your trusty staple gun.
• Where the ribbon crosses on the front, place a fabric-covered button or pin.
• Once completed, secure to your bed frame or wall.

And there you have it – a new focus in a new space for a low cost. Enjoy!

Complementing Stone Floors: 5 Favorite Elements

Stone floors can be a gorgeous way to achieve a contemporary, earthy look but they often also have a “cold” feel. Warming up the floors with complementary pieces can take some creativity, but the work is well worth it. Here are my five favorite additions that are sure to warm up your home:

Eco-Smart Non-Vented Fireplaces: This is the most streamlined  fireplace I’ve come across that maintains the earthy feel of a stone floor. These fireplaces burn denatured ethanol alcohol and are naturally clean burning. Not only that, but the government offers incentives: Up to 30 percent or $1,500 in tax credits for the purchase of these fireplaces!

 

 

Chester Grommet Curtain: The Chester Grommet Curtain is a great option for softening the rigidity of stone floors, but maintaining a contemporary style. Grommets are in brushed silver or iron, to coordinate with the color of the linen.

 

 

 

Dover Artist Studio Rug: This contemporary rug comes from India and is made from 100 percent New Zealand wool. The stone-like circles are a nice contrast to the rigid lines of caulk stone floors sometimes have.

If this rug doesn’t match your style, consider how you can pull the subtle colors from your stone into a rug with contrasting colors. Many stone floors are darker, so lighter colors can both soften and better define areas of the room.

 

Cornice LEDs: LEDs are not only energy efficient, but they add the right amount of soft light to lift the textures of your stone floors. LEDs on top of a cornice gives the room a comforting, even romantic lighting effect. If you already have cornices, consider adding LEDs.

 

French chandelier: This chandelier dates back to 1920’s France. This total splurge (priced at $2,400) is a dream lighting piece. The ambient lighting is an earthier-feeling option than the contemporary style of the cornice LEDs.

Tablescape: What are the Secrets to a Great Looking Table?

I was watching the Food Network, one of my favorite weekend activities, and was listening to this one show when all of the sudden the host said a word that I flinched at in bewilderment. Tablescape… no, not landscape but tablescape.

The best way I can explain this is, it’s a made-up term that gives identity to the act of making your dining room table look pretty for an occasion. Think about wedding receptions, the act of designing the elements to work cohesively: silverware, centerpieces, plates, chargers, glasses, accessories, napkins…the whole kit and caboodle.

So tablescapes would be a way to enhance a space and complete the design package when company arrives.

Here are a few things I gathered as ideas for a successful tablescape:

1. There are two major routes – a single focal point or multiple points of interest for each individual. This means either you can design the table with one large centerpiece that acts as a focus with surrounding details – or you can make a focal point for each individual – adding a fancy napkin ring or something like that.
2. With the first point in mind, you have to think about height and what you want the emphasis to be. Using multiple heights can add variety to the table. Think about a city skyline and how the beauty lies in the changing shapes, their varying height and the change in materials.
3. Like any good combination, you have to think about texture. The plates are most likely smooth – and the glasses may follow that route. So what are you going to do in order to add variety in texture to add interest? One idea is the napkin texture, perhaps a unique candlestick holder, or even individual unique chargers beneath the plates.
4. Color and sheen is the last component. This is absolutely important and sets the mood of the space (along with the lighting). For instance, if I want a summer table, I am not going to put down a black table cloth. If we are celebrating the holidays, candy red and evergreen may be the way to go, or maybe not. Try a path of mixed metallics that emphasize the reflection of the materials and will reflect candlelight.
5. To theme or not to theme…I can just leave that one there. If you are looking to be very literal, go for it with your accessories. If you just want a “pretty” table, keep it simple and classy.

In the end, a tablescape will have all the same basic design principles as if you are designing an interior. Do you do anything special to dress your table?

How Do I Make that Oriental Rug Work in my Home?!

Often we have a love-hate relationship with oriental rugs. They are comfortable, add an eclectic pattern to dull areas, but can remind us of our Grandmother’s house. So, should you go with the oriental rug or not?

First of all, look at the color. Many antique rugs are in fashionable colors we can still use today – black, burgundy, green, navy, gold, plum, etc.  I would recommend getting rid of the light blue, mauve, and pinks from the 80’s and early 90’s. Most often, the areas in the home where oriental rugs work best include the foyer and hallways, dining room, living room or study.

Foyers and hallways are often simply decorated. Naturally colored walls or grasscloth are most commonly used in today’s homes. If any furniture is placed in these areas, they are often large casegoods and decorative chairs. There isn’t much of a chance to bring in pattern and color, so oriental rugs are a great pairing in these environments. They add interest, color and cover up the bare hard surface flooring beneath our feet. Florals, artwork and accessories are a great ways to repeat the colors found in the oriental rug throughout the space.

Another perfect spot for oriental rugs would be the dining room. Large wood or glass tables are the focus of this room. Secondary to the table would be the dining chairs, which may have upholstered backs and seats; this is a perfect opportunity to repeat the colors in the rug. If a buffet or china cabinet is found in this room, placing dishes, glassware or linens in or on these pieces with colors from the rug will move the guest’s eye throughout the space. To add the finishing touches, repeat the colors on the table centerpiece, in the artwork and draperies.

We often find oriental rugs in living rooms and studies. If you would like a more masculine feel to this space, I would recommend pairing the oriental rug with leather sofas and heavy, dark wood furniture. What better way to pop the solid leather color and wood than with a busy rug? Repeating these colors in the artwork, pillows, accessories and lamps can tie the room together with a dramatic effect.

Do you like the look of oriental rugs? How have you added them into your home?

Fake It! Bring the Spring Season Indoors With Fake Flowers and Save Some Green!

Tulips, allergies, cleaning out the winter cobwebs, washing the last salt off you car, birds… all things that come to mind when thinking Spring. So as we all complete Spring cleaning, put away our winter coats and boots, this becomes the perfect time to step back and do a little interior “perk up”. Here is a great way to bring the Spring indoors while not breaking the Summer vacation budget.

Invest in some good flowers – I always thought my mom was old fashioned and crazy when it came to her fake flowers in the house. Every season she will dust off another set of false buds and place the proper arrangements around the house. Now that I am an adult, and understand how much fresh flowers can cost every week, this is actually a good idea.

• Invest in some “good” silk flowers, the ones that look real – so avoid the plastic water drops, glitter and added fake lady bugs.

• You want to look for the sheen of the petals so that they are not too shiny. Are the real flowers shiny or matte?

• Also be sure to check the color of the stems. You do not want to purchase fake flowers with stems that are too green or too yellow.

• Research the leaves as well – make sure the leaf matches the flower

• Be sure to do the research on what the real flower looks like and use that as a measure for the fake.

• Pick the right vase – to save you money you can get one vase and change the beads in the bottom. Clear glass is always a good basic vase that can change with the seasons

• Pick your 4 seasonal flowers around the same size. This way the other elements (picture frames, etc.) on your table will fit with the vase.

• Buy quality so you only have to buy once. The better fake you get, the more years of use you will get out of it.

• Be sure not to place your good fakes in direct sunlight. You do not want the vibrant colors to fade!

• Be sure to dust often. Dust can make your flowers look dull and also trap allergens – so take them outside to shake them clean or use a damp cloth to remove dust from the individual petals.

So bring in a little Spring – good luck in your fake flower shopping! Have you ever come across good fakes before?

Wow, Look at that Sink!

Are you thinking about redoing the sink or vanity in your bathroom? What about your powder room or half bath? This is typically the bathroom that all of your guests use when visiting your home. Selecting a decorative vanity or sink is a great way to impress guests. 

Artwork

When walking into a half bathroom, the first thing you typically see after the wall in front of you is the sink. Start by selecting a beautiful piece of artwork to hang on that wall and then concentrate on what you can do with the vanity or sink.

Pedestal Sink

A typical powder room or half bathroom may have the sink of the side of the door swing and a toilet located behind the door, when it is open. If you focus on the sink, the answer is easy – select a decorative pedestal sink! I recommend choosing one with just a little bit of room on the sides of the bowl? There is nothing harder than trying to put your makeup on or doing your hair without a place to put items down on. Some pedestal sinks today have built-in decorative towel bars.

Pedestal Bowl

But maybe you would like more of a vanity. Wood is a great choice here, but make sure there are cabinets or drawers built in. If there is not, you will have to find creative ways to store toilet paper, tissues, soap, etc. Today the majority of people select a vanity where the bowl is recessed inside the cabinet. Consider a pedestal bowl. They look really trendy, but beware when trying to get ready in the bathroom that those high sides of the sink could get in the way. If you are simply going to be washing your hands in there, it is one of the most fashionable choices available!

Cabinet

When selecting a recessed bowl, I suggest an antique wood cabinet base. The decorative details on the sides or doors will provide an impressive effect from the moment guests walk in. Often the counter and bowl will be a slate, tile, or granite material to offset the decorative details in the base cabinet.

How have you spiffied up your bathroom sink?

Art and Environmentally Conscious – Lumicor

Design solutions come about in unexpected ways. That was the case when I discovered Lumicor. The company creates innovative translucent materials encapsulating textiles, metals, papers, foliage, and imagination. I became aware of Lumicor when choosing wall scones for a client’s office. Lumicor products blend handmade paper with two sheets of resin to creat what the client described as “glowing art.”

They create from what we discard. The elements in architectural resin panels are made from recycled glass, organic and recycled fabrics, and botanicals harvested from sustainable crops.

The Lumiclear product has the same translucency as glass but is half the weight as the same size panel and has 10 times the impact strength. It can be formed into unique and complex shapes. So instead of using the same old 2 x 4 lighting fixtures, consider a luminous ceiling with the color and textures that reflect your style.

Or perhaps you can use panels between areas in your facility that allow the light to meander through the panels, creating subtle divisions that also have texture and color. By adding decorative elements, you can create a phenomenal countertop for a kitchen that is durable, non-porous and resistant to UV damage.

In their creation of architectural resin panels, Lumicor has also established a reuse protocol that saves more than 21 million gallons of fresh water each year by using a closed loop system. They also reuse the heat created in the manufacturing of their products to heat their facility.

Beyond all of this, Lumicor has developed a network of recycling facilities around the United States. When I look for companies that push the envelope of innovative products, it is nice to know that some care about our resources and are as innovative in their manufacturing processes as they are with their materials.

Would you consider using this product as a countertop? Have you found a company that is innovative in design and regarding resources?

Creative and Inexpensive Recycling Projects for Interiors

I think one of the healthiest things you can do to better the environment is using what you have to create something new. Why recreate the entire wheel when you can simply patch it? As garage sale season is around the corner, it’s about time we discuss a few recreation techniques. These are just a few ways to turn a recycling project into a critical part of an interior.

One of the greatest “finds” can be old paintings. These could come from a garage sale, but why not your grandma’s basement? Anywhere you can pick up there are multiple parts that can be used from one find. The actual canvas can always be repainted, but if you are not a Picasso, there are other solutions for reinventing the canvas.

You can always try strip pasting on for size. You could use newspapers, old wrapping paper, paint samples – anything that you can cut into strips and has color. After cutting strips that vary in size you then layer them on the canvas and use simple glue that dries clear. You brush it on in layers until the entire canvas is covered in the desired material. You can either reframe this masterpiece or hang it with no frame.

The frame can always be reused as well. An easy repaint job can make a world of difference. If you are lucky enough to find multiple frames that have different sizes, shapes and textures, you can make them more uniform by painting them the same color. A neutral in a metallic, black or white would work best.

So, now from one “found” piece, you can create many inexpensive new art pieces for your space. Maybe even an entire accent wall! Old mirrors with frames could be used as part of this collage as well. It all depends on what kinds of garage sale finds are available this season.

Another neat piece to keep your eyes peeled for are old records (LPs). Old records, I think, can make the coolest accent wall. You will need many of them, and make sure you are not just going to hang a Beatles White Album on your wall without a frame like I am proposing. Depending on the size of your wall you will need quite a few albums, so if you can find them for five cents a piece you are in good shape. Use goop off or another sticky remover to take off the label.

Pick out some nice looking screws or nails, meaning the head is a good size and attractive shape. From there just arrange them on the wall and make sure all the edges touch. The neatest part about this design is the negative space versus the positive space. Meaning the space between the albums can become the focus, the skewed diamond shape.

Depending on who holds the garage sale, you should be able to take recycled objects and make them something worth while. How have you used recycled objects in your interior?

Ways to Impress Your Guests From the Start

First impressions can be extremely important throughout your lives. This includes you home! The entrance into our home is the first place your guest sees when they arrive. If its family, friends, your boss, or you are trying to sell your house, this is a key area!

Always keep this area picked up! Nothing says “Hello” like a pile of papers, shoes, or clothes that are waiting to be taken upstairs and put away.

Rugs: If you have a grand foyer, there are several options that might work for you. Most importantly, select a nice entrance rug. This is the very first thing that someone will see upon entering your home. Make it a nice. I would recommend darker colors so the dirt doesn’t show.

Seating: Give your guests a place to sit down and take off their coats and shoes when they arrive. Appropriate seating in a foyer will vary according to your space. If it’s a large open area, try fully upholstered armless chairs – this allows for comfort and flexibility. If the space is smaller and tighter, try a wooden dining chair and add an upholstered seat to soften up the space.

Console: I highly recommend a console. This is a great location for dropping your keys, mail, and other misc items you may have in your hands when first arriving home.

Artwork/Mirrors: Hanging a large picture or mirror over the console can make a grand impression. Make sure the picture or mirror doesn’t hang over the edges of the console – this will make the weight of the room seem uneven and top heavy! I personally prefer the mirror for last minute hair and make-up checks before leaving the house.

Lighting and Foliage: A lamp on the console would be great in the evenings when you may not want the chandelier on but would still like to be able to light the space.

Accessories: Try offsetting the lamp with a floral – for some reason they look really good in an entrance. Maybe it’s because flowers are often brought as a sign of appreciation for loved one. Offset the remaining space on the console with a small mint dish, picture frames, a book, or figurines. For the finishing touch, try a decorative coat rack so your guests do not have to search around in the closet.

How have you decorated your foyer? What do you think is the most important room in the house for impressing guests?

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