Exciting Room Themes for Little Girls

Looking for a fun and imaginative room theme for your daughter? Little girls are our princesses. Aren’t some of the themes getting old, redundant and boring? How about trying something different for your little girl, something she will love and be excited to show her friends? The trick to having a themed room? Don’t overdo the theme. It’s actually very simple – just mix up the theme with corresponding patterns and colors.

Butterflies

Does your little girl love visiting butterfly gardens? If so, why not give her a butterfly room of her dreams? Try finding butterfly patterns in “girly” colors such as purple, green and even light blue. If you choose to reflect the theme in the bedding, I recommend adding pillows in solid colors or simple prints.

To select a color for the walls, pick your little girl’s favorite color from the pattern on the bedding and hang a couple of corresponding prints on the walls. Try painting the furniture in the room white or use purple, green or blue shades found in the bedding. Painted wood furniture is always a great look for little girls. This is an opportunity for you to refinish some old furniture you might have laying around.

Finally, keep the lamps, accessories and stuff animals away from the butterfly theme. This will actually help add emphasis on what pieces in the bedroom are displaying the theme.

Flowers

How about flowers? If your little girl loves shades of pink, purple, yellow or green, this just might be the perfect theme! The best thing about flowers is that they come in different colors. Try to keep the color scheme to three colors and utilizing them in different shades.

Finding flower print bedding is usually quite easy so you may want to start there. Chose one color from the bedding and paint the walls the same color. Did you choose a dark color? If so, outline a couple of flowers in white. They will stand out nicely against the dark walls. If you chose a lighter color for the walls, I suggest a dark color from the bedding for the outlined flowers. This is a great and inexpensive way to carry out the theme throughout the room.

Hawaii

If you are looking for less of a “girly” theme, consider a Hawaiian look. A Hawaiian theme leaves plenty of room for creativity!

Start by choosing bright pink, blue and yellow for your color scheme. Paint the walls a light color and choose one wall for a bright, bold accent color! Try mounting a surf board to the wall to add an unique touch. Bring in the grass skirt, bamboo shades and chair for a fun addition to the space. Choose a Hawaiian flower pattern for the bedding. Pair this with solid colored pillows and use light stained wood furniture throughout the space.

Do you have another creative theme for your daughter’s room? Share your ideas and pictures!

Are Faux Finishes the Right Choice for You?

Is it time to think about painting a room in your home? Are you trying to decide between painting a solid color and applying a decorative faux finish? Go ahead, take a little more time and spend a little more money to make your room look great.

Faux finishes are still popular today. In fact, many professionals would consider them more popular than wallpaper. Professional artistic painters are available and can do a wonderful job applying a certain look to the walls of your home.

There are several do-it yourself faux finishes available. My personal favorite would be Ralph Lauren Paints and you can stop by your local Home Depot to find out how and what materials you will need. Personally I have never done this myself, so use caution when making the decision. I imagine it’s not easy.

Many faux finishes we have seen in the past would be sponging, ragging, dragging, and crackle. But there are several more updated techniques available to give you an amazing looking room!

My personal favorite is faux antique leather finish. It looks exactly like leather and adds a sophisticated upscale look to any room. I recommend trying this look in a grand foyer, library, or living room. When paired with cherry or mahogany traditional wood furniture, the look can be dramatic and inspiring.

Do you live on the water or down south? Ralph Lauren Paints have fresh, light, colors. Does your family room back up to the water with lots of windows? If you select a light spring green or blue linen faux, pair it with white woodwork and linen drapes. This can provide a relaxing coastal feel to your home. Add some painted white casegoods and you may never want to leave.

What are your favorite faux styles? Share your ideas and photos!

New Life for Leftover Paint

What should you do with your leftover paint after you finish a project? We’ve seen it a thousand times. You want to save it for touch ups but soon enough those old paint cans clutter your basement. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 10 percent of all household paints get discarded, which is equivalent to 65-69 MILLION GALLONS!!

We could really paint the town, couldn’t we?

Paint has a tendency to be high in Volatile Organic Compounds. Fungicides are often found in very old paint, along with their friends lead and mercury.

If you do want to keep your paint for touch ups I recommend the following:

Remove the lids and tightly place two, if not three, secure pieces of saran wrap over the top of the can and then place the lid on TIGHTLY! Funny as this sounds, store your paint cans upside down, like you would with a wine bottle. This will keep a tight seal and the paint inside will stay fresher for longer.

Other thoughts on what to do with those half used cans:

• Consider donating the paint to a local charity for reuse. For example: The Park District in my city will accept SOME used paint, depending on it’s age, for art classes in the summer and the students paint murals under the viaducts.
• Recycle it! If you choose a water base or latex paint it can be recycled, but please check with your local environmental agency and/or visit earth911.com for other recycling options.

Remember that older paints are oil or lead based and are extremely flammable! These older paint cans are actually considered hazardous waste. Be careful and make sure that you know what you are doing with these. Be aware of your local laws for proper disposal of hazardous waste. I would advise taking the old cans into your local paint store for help if you are not sure how to dispose of them properly.

Best of Luck! Be good to the environment!

Fashion Trends to Home Interior Trends

How many of you watched the Oscar’s last Sunday evening? Did you watch the stars stroll down the red carpet? What colors did you see the famous actresses wearing?

Did you know that trends tend to start in the street and percolate up through fashion into home furnishings? In fact, the experts say that it takes less than 1 year for fashion trends to move into our market! That is very fast and not easy for all of us to keep up with. Here are my predictions for next spring based upon what I saw on the red carpet….

Purple was everywhere! Mostly the tones were in the lighter purple to lilac range. It’s been a long time since we saw this color was in the trends; it’s about time it cycles back in. Purple is one of those colors many associate with little girls, so let’s keep it simple here. Possibly paint the walls a light purple – my suggestion would be Benjamin Moore’s Inspired AF-595 color. Pair the walls with a white or a beige sofa, pop the color again on the accent pillows and maybe bring in some greenery with purple lilacs on the cocktail table. Another great suggestion would be to have a beautiful bed frame with a white duvet cover, some purple accent pillows and then accentuate it in the rug and artwork! This will be enough to make you feel at home in a purple room without the overkill!

My next prediction is navy. Navy is a classic that we see coming back again and again. It’s hard to go wrong with this color. Navy is often associated with a coastal décor. Navy can be very powerful so I’m not so sure you want to paint your walls that color. May I suggest a beige instead? Navy looks beautiful on pillows with light colored sofas, try repeating the color on the fabrics that go on the corresponding chairs. Bringing navy in through artwork is fairly easy to do, such as with lighthouse paintings. Try repeating the color on the rug and in large picture books on the cocktail table.

While these are two colors that were seen on many dresses that night, I would watch for a couple other colors that I believe are trying to sneak in to become a trend. Several actresses had on light yellow, light pink, and red (going almost to a fuchsia/purple). Chocolate brown and gray were seen on many and I believe they are here to stay for a while. Although only time will really give us the answers to how long these colors will stick around!

What do you like to see be the next fashion/home interior trend?

Coastal Design

Coastal design can bring the feeling of summer home all year – even when you’re miles from a beach. The light and airy look creates a peaceful environment, perfect for both relaxation or comfortable productivity. Coastal design has been around for many years. While the trend evolves and changes slightly over time, for the most part it stays along the same idea. One color scheme many of us are familiar with is the typical blues and whites. But lately there has been many other color schemes coming into fashion!

One of these color schemes might be light greens and yellows. A great way to start with this is to use floral artwork prints. For an ocean feeling interior, you may want to bring in the colors on your upholstery and add pops of color to the throw pillows, such as palm leaves.

Painting your walls a light green or yellow can be a very relaxing and pleasant feeling. Might I suggest Sherwin Williams SW 6415, Hearts of Palms? For those who are going for a cottage theme because they live on the lake, may I suggest light green painted wood? Pair that with a beige linen sofa, colored throw pillows, some lakeside prints and you are on the right track!

Coral is another great option. Coral is well-paired with white, light blue or light green. A beautiful white or beige linen sofa will pop any coral used on the throw pillows nicely. Finding some actual artwork prints with coral on them would be a great way to incorporate the color throughout the room.

Complete the look with accessories. Taking a glass bowl or ceramic charger and filling it with sea shells you find on the beach is one inexpensive way to personalize the theme! For the all of the northerner’s out there, the same could be used with stones.

Remember to keep the windows light and airy; we do not want to distract from that beautiful view you are paying for! Plantation shutters, white painted wood blinds, or light linen shades might be the perfect solution for your windows.

Finally add the sail boat accessories, rope accessory balls, and a light summer floral for all the perfect finishing touches on your new coastal room!

How do you feel about coastal design – love or hate? Send in photos of your own designs!

Simple Ways to Spruce Up Your Bathroom

Often the bathroom is a room in our home that gets forgotten about. But why? We are actually in there for a decent portion of our morning routine…well, at least us women are! Bathrooms can easily become one of the most gorgeous rooms in the home without a ton of thought.

Color: The majority of our bathroom fixtures are white – they just come standard that way. So the easiest solution would be to paint the bathroom a color! Color pops great against the stark white fixtures. I might suggest a green, purple, or a blue.

Shower Curtains: For a more upscale look, purchase a fabric shower curtain verses the plastic ones. They won’t show the mildew that can form overtime and you can wash it. What could be better than that? Did you know there are also fabric curtain liners? These can be washed, are more environmentally friendly and don’t stink like plastic when you take them out of the package for the next month of your life.

Towels: To really make the color pop on the walls, buy a striped towel that has your paint color in it. This is the easiest way to bring in multiple colors and the towel designer has already figured out what color coordinates with yours!

Accessories: If there is room on your vanity, try placing a floral or candle arrangement on the counter to give a relaxing feel.

Storage: Placing baskets on the floor is an easy and fashionable way to store toilet paper, rolled-up fresh towels, shampoo and soaps that will impress your guests.

Artwork: Artwork that pops your color scheme can really make an impact in this small room. Just be careful to select one that will not be damaged by moisture. Try hanging it above the toilet to fill the open space that usually exists.

Light Fixtures: Many new construction homes have simple strip lighting fixtures with bare bulbs above the sink. I don’t know about you, but they really hurt my eyes if I look at them first thing in the morning. Go to your local Home Depot, Lowe’s or lighting store and find a new lighting fixture. This can usually be found for under $100 and if you are at all handy when it comes to electricity, it can be easily replaced. Buy one in brushed silver or bronze with frosted glass shades to give your bathroom an updated look and be easy on your eyes in the morning. Don’t forget to use compact fluorescents in your new fixture, now you can save money on your electric bill too!

I bet the start of your day will seem a little brighter when you start it off in a great looking bathroom!  How have you designed your bathroom to give it a softer feel?

Are Stripes the Answer for Your Plain Room?

Are you feeling like your wall needs a pop for little cost? Painted stripes might just be the perfect answer for you! Stripes can fulfill a need for a subtle or dramatic look depending on the colors you use. First of all, decide on a color scheme for your room. Next, do you want to have stripes throughout the entire room or just on an accent wall? How many colors do you want? Do you want all the stripes the same size or varying sizes? Is horizontal (used to make your room look larger) or vertical stripes (make your ceiling seem higher) more appropriate for your space? These are all questions to ask yourself before delving into this adventure!

When painting stripes throughout the entire room, I might recommend keeping the contrast subtle. First pick the main color you would like the walls to be in your room. Then take your paint fan deck and go up one or two colors on the page from your main color choice, or down one or two colors. This will ensure you have kept the colors in the same “family” because colors can play tricks on us when they get onto our walls, appearing to have an undertone that wasn’t quite expected such as a green or pink/peach. My other recommendation would be to pick the color you would like to use and paint one stripe in a matte finish and the other stripe in a semi-gloss or gloss finish. This will give you just enough effect to make an impact without overwhelming the space with lots of colors.

Are you looking for a more dramatic contrast? This can be achieved by combining coordinating colors to make a powerful impact in your room. Might I suggest choosing one wall or a focal point to achieve this look? Possibly even using the stripes as a focal point for a headboard, staircase, or fireplace. Finally, pick one of the more subtle colors in the stripes, such as a beige or gray for the remaining walls.

By now you are probably asking yourself how to do this? One way is to paint the entire wall the main color. Let this area dry for 24 to 48 hours. Then decide how thick of strips you would like to use, anywhere from 4” to 12” is standard. Don’t be afraid to mix widths, might I suggest 3”, 6” and 9”? Next, measure and tape the area you will paint in for your stripes. Allow yourself wide enough tape to be able to paint over the edge to guarantee that crisp line. Once finished, remove the tape and enjoy the pop your stripes have brought to your room!

How do you feel about stripes on your walls? Yay or nay? Thick or thin? Dramatic or subtle?

Breaking the Rules…Modern Mix

The challenges that a lot of my clients experience today is finding a style that they like. Whether it is a modern Le Corbusier chair or a hand carved Queen Anne table, you may like both items and find yourself puzzled with how to make them work in the same environment. We live in a world of “change.” With modern day technology we see constant changes taking place all around us, which sometimes makes us want that to take place in our homes as well. For every time you’ve walked into your home and thought to yourself that a particular room needs something new or different there is a simple way to finally take action and start taking steps toward making that change. Whether you want to furnish that part of the house with classic furniture or modern furniture, with a few simple steps you can have the look you want and surprisingly they can both co-exist! The key is to decide what the room needs and what you want.

Let’s say, for example, you want to redo your master bedroom. The most common elements that you are dealing with are the paint, the furniture and the general design of the room itself. So maybe its as simple as finding an old vintage trunk at the foot of your sleek modern bed. How will these choices affect the rest of the room?

Well, to add balance and make it look deliberate, I would suggest pairing either of the two styles with perhaps a third piece like a modern Ghost chair in front of your grandmother’s vanity table in a corner. When it comes to lighting, perhaps the bedside lamps are mismatched, one being a sleek chrome modern style, paired with a vintage Victorian mirrored table lamp. Check out AllModern.com for some great ideas on modern furniture.

There is a big difference between redecorating the entire room and replacing a single piece and generally there are no rules when it comes to selecting the style of a piece of furniture, just so long as you can determine BALANCE. A few smaller items can really help define the room and make it your own.

Classic versus Modern Classic furniture has an appeal that is easy to understand. For instance, an antique curved end console has an intrinsic appeal that you find immediately attractive. And you think that there is no possible way you could place that behind your Florence Knoll sofa. Truth be told – you can! Break the rules, but follow through accordingly. Make sure that you add a vintage painting above the fireplace with an ornate frame to balance the console. Maybe find a modern Womb chair and a pair of traditional rolled arm club chairs. Go ahead and find a traditional vintage rug. A crystal chandelier could be accompanied with a modern tolomeo reading lamp. A sleek glass top coffee table and the room has achieved a modern mix! And I bet it will make you feel right at home. Please share your thoughts and feelings about the modern mix design…do you think you can do it?

Why a Cornice to Spice Up Your Window?

Cornices can add an architectural element to a room that would otherwise be plain. If you have a fabric covered cornice, it can be simple and slightly padded or it can have a swag curtain. You can have wood cornices that are painted to add color or stained to match built-ins. Cornices can stand-alone over a window or they can cover the curtain hardware of sheers and drapes. They are a wonderful way to soften the hard rectangular lines of your windows.

Wood cornices create an image of sophistication and classic elegance to a room whether they are painted or stained. When considering decorative elements, you can purchase prefabricated decorative moldings to be added to the cornice. Simple 1” rope molding can be added to the base or a 3” piece of crown molding with dentil details at the top of the cornice. There are singular motifs that can be placed in the center or carved wood appliqués that can be placed across the face. Cornices allow you to match details in existing furniture pieces to create harmony. The cornice can transform your space from simple to dramatic.

Upholstered cornices provide added color and texture to a room. They can add rhythm and movement as the eye travels across the space. The selection of fabric and trim can add a period feeling to a room. For instance, a brocade or floral print with tassel trim would be perfect in an elegant period townhouse. A simple cotton, small print fabric would be a great addition to a farmhouse. Fabric cornices add warmth, charm and character to a space.

Cornices can also add symmetry to a room. The cornice can be placed the same amount of inches from the ceiling around your space and camouflage the fact that your windows are not uniform in their placement. In a room that is short in length, they can also add a sense of length in the room.

Have you ever used a cornice to hide a defect in your space? Do have a preference on using them as architectural details or padded for additional color in a space?

Bring a Little Summer to the Remaining Months of Winter

We are all aware of the changes to the economy in the past few years. So a lot of us have cut back on vacations and this means it is much harder to fight the winter blues. I know that an inside project is a good way to distract yourself from what might be brewing outside. So why not inject a good winter project with a little summer. Here are a few ways to bring a some sunshine to your interior projects:

Winter can feel heavy, so lighten it up! If you currently have heavy drapes, a good place to start are your windows. Get yourself some inexpensive yardage of lightweight fabric. You can even layer some cotton with lightweight chiffon over the top. The key is to use something light in weight and in color. If you do like the layered look, be sure to use colors that are similar but have enough contrast to offer a little depth. For instance, a few tones in sands and light blues is nice.

Spring is also a time for renewal. So by changing a few accessories around your house, it can start to feel renewed and full of life. After a few months of staring out the window and only seeing cold, it is nice to focus on small changes. Sort of like the first signs of spring – slowly the warm days begin to replace the cold and when you leave work at 5 o’clock, it’s not dark outside! So in your space, start by changing out some photos in frames, get a new piece of artwork and maybe change up the arrangement on your mantle.

Change out your linens - meaning the sheets, bedding, towels… nothing beats a great white interior. This can feel fresh, open and clean. Why not open up your space by biting the bullet, switching to your lighter blankets and just layering them up. As the weather warms up you can remove one by one, but in the meantime at least you will feel a little reassured that spring is coming!

Be looking to that first day very soon, to open the windows and let the fresh air in! In the meantime, little changes to your interior can make all the difference… and if that does not work, you can always bust out your spring shoes early and look adoringly into your closet until the snow melts!

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