What Makes A Dining Room More Comfortable to Eat In?

What elements of design make some dining rooms more inviting than others? When having dinner with friends, the majority of your time is spent in the dining room or kitchen, so let’s talk about how to make an eating area more comfortable.

Table Shape

The dining room is often one of the first rooms your guests will see when walking into your home. For this reason alone, it is important to make a great impression. Figuring out if a round or rectangle table is right for your space is a great place to start. If your room is more of a square shape, a round table is usually the right fit while a rectangle table will obviously fit well in a rectangular room.

Furniture Size

Make sure you buy the right size table for the room that will allow for a nice walking space behind all chairs. I recommend leaving at least two feet. This gives your guests one foot to pull out the chair and one foot for those walking behind.

Upholstery or Wood?

When deciding on upholstered or non-upholstered chairs, first think about the majority of your guests. Will there be many kids? If so, you may want to go with a wooden seat for easy clean up. But upholstered chairs add an element of comfort that lasts long after dinner is served.

Keep the Eye Moving

Rooms that can accommodate buffets or china cabinets offer a stunning effect. Having items for your guests to look at while spending time in your dining room will make their eyes move throughout the space, keeping them focused and awake after a big delicious meal. I recommend placing colored glass, intricate china or vibrant accessories on top of the buffet or inside your china cabinet.

Window treatments

Window treatments can be helpful in more formal dining spaces by adding splashes of color that can be repeated in the china cabinet, buffet, artwork or rug. When walking into the space, the window treatments will soften the look against the hard wood table and give off a comfortable feeling.

Flooring and Walls

It is a smart idea to keep the walls a neutral shade with colorful artwork. Rugs always look great under dining room tables. However, if you have a beautiful floor underneath, rugs may not be necessary. A rug can make sliding chairs in and out difficult and could collect stains. On a positive note, rugs will absorb sound that may carry out of the space and disturb others in the home.

How have you created a comfortable space to dine in?

Transforming Your Room to Include a Home Office

Today’s employees are more mobile than ever, often working from home. When you consider master’s classes, children’s homework, social media networking, and keeping current with changes in business, a home office is a necessity in today’s households. You may wonder how to fit a small office into your home, when space is at a premium.

Nowadays desks come smaller, suitable for our laptops and wireless networks. Your printer doesn’t have to be on the desk anymore. It can be in a centralized location for the entire family to use. Manufacturers are beginning to offer 40 to 48 inch desk work surfaces that are only 24 to 30 inches deep. This is the perfect size for a laptop user!

There are many places suitable for a small desk, aside from a home office. How about your bedroom? Do you have extra room in front of a window so you can look outside while you work? Pair the desk with a nice upholstered chair that corresponds with your bedding and the space can look amazing.

Find a spot in the laundry room. Or perhaps you have a small loft space upstairs? A desk might work perfectly there. A dead end hallway can allow for even more opportunities. Try fitting a small desk there and it will accommodate the entire family.

How about your family or living room? What a great way to keep an eye on your kids while they are surfing the Web or doing their homework. It can also be great way for you to work while watching your favorite television program.

Speaking of the television, did you know that your computer can hook up to your set and allow for larger viewing during conference calls or Webinars? Now that’s what I call functionality!

Whatever fits in your home, you can’t go wrong with a small home office. How have you turned your room into a work space?

Sectionals Are Back!

Do you remember the days when sectionals were really popular? I remember thinking it was the neatest thing that so many people could fit on one sofa.

Sectionals are coming back in a big way. They are not the sofas we remember from our past.

In today’s economy and housing market, many people are downsizing their living spaces. This doesn’t necessarily change the number of people using the room.

Sectionals can be a great solution to this problem. They’re all about functionality. Many manufacturers have the ability work with you to design the perfect sectional for your room. Sectionals are convertible. You can remove a piece if the sofa no longer fits your space.

A chaise lounge on the end of a sofa or sectionals have also become popular. They allow for one person to lie down while someone else sits on the sofa. Many companies even make the chaise base removable. If an extra sofa cushion or cushion for the chaise base is sold with your sectional you can transform them into an ottoman. Now that’s impressive!

Sectionals can make your life a little bit more comfortable. For example, some of the seats have reclining footrests, movable headrests, even drawers to store remotes, magazines or blankets. Some sectionals even include a corner piece that connects two regular-sized sofas together. It can be removed to leave you have two separate sofas.

Sectionals come in almost any style, from modern to country to traditional. If you go to the right furniture store you can customize your fabric.

Will you be spending a lot of time in this room? Don’t forget to ask about performance fabric options.

Are you excited about the comeback of sectionals? I sure am!

Wow, Look at the Mural!

Do you have a large wall in your home and just don’t know what to do with it? Maybe it’s in your entrance foyer, or a curved wall that aligns itself with your staircase? Do you find yourself wondering how in the world you are going to hang wall art on that? Or is it a wall in your bedroom, living room, or dining room?

A large span of wall can cause us frustration and can leave us confused. In order to fill the large space with artwork, you will need to come up with a theme, find all the items to purchase and then finally hang everything up. Is it really worth it? It may not be. And if this is the case, my recommendation would be to think about having a mural painted in your home.

Murals today aren’t like the murals we used to see 10 or 15 years ago. They can be creative, simple, complex, vibrant in color or black and white. That’s right! Today’s murals might be as simple as a favorite quote painted on the walls of a long hallway with small illustrations.

Possibly your child’s room needs some added pop and you don’t want to hang artwork in there for various safety reasons. What about an animal mural on the wall above your baby’s crib? Or do you have a little boy who loves sports? Illustrating their favorite team’s stadium on the wall behind their bed is sure to bring a smile to their face! If this doesn’t fit your child, maybe you happen to have a little girl lost in the world of fairies and princesses, what about painting a fairytale forest theme on the wall across from their bed? This way they can fall asleep dreaming of becoming a princess or having a fairy godmother that grants all of their wishes!

Is the children’s bedroom not what you are looking for? How about a mural of a favorite vacation spot, such as the ocean, a village or a building? Large entrance foyers can be a perfect place to have a mural such as this painted because we typically find a large span of wall in a foyer and do not have enough artwork to fill it up!

One final place you may be looking for something on your wall would be in a large family or living room. Why not try a simple modern mural of a tree, building, or an abstract in black and white.

Murals are a creative, one-of-a-kind way to express yourself in your homes. Find a local artist to help illustrate your dream for many years to come.

Do you have a mural in your home? Did you paint it yourself? Where did you place it? Share your stories and ideas here!

Key Elements of Green Space Planning

Space planning is the act of deciphering solutions for a space based on client criteria and needs. During space planning, a designer will determine needed spaces, arrange the spaces as necessary to address flow of the space and also verify building codes – all at the same time!

Space planning is one of the most important rolls a designer can play – it is the basic step and most time intensive (can be at least) in order to finish selection and furniture planning of the space. When a designer is addressing space planning, they sometimes get to start from scratch. Other times they have to begin from an existing space that has obstacles like existing walls. But what are the challenges and added criteria when trying to plan green??

1. Use your walls – One of the greatest elements of green design is to use what you have. So if there are dividing walls in a space then why not use them to their greatest potential. When thinking green, you want to avoid using new materials when not needed. By using rooms and walls that are in existance you are not using any more virgin materials. And that is the key – what you are NOT using from scratch to make new.
2. Think about daylighting – Natural daylight needs to travel throughout a positive green interior. The use of daylighting does not only reduce the dependence on artificial light, and therefore reduce energy consumption, but it also saves money, increases employee productivity and allows space inhabitants to have a connection with the outdoor environment. All this from something that is free. You just have to plan for it.
3. Plan the height – 42” is a general standard of measure that is used in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and at this measurement, the inhabitants of a space can have clear view (meaning a view to the outdoors). If you can plan for this height you can once again increase productivity and make the office a more friendly work environment. Keep in mind that for LEED purposes you can have a clear line of site, including through levels of glazing or interior glass partitions.
4. Plan away from the windows – Be sure to save the aisle for next to the exterior – if you can place the offices and conference rooms toward the interior and the individual work stations on the exterior, all the planning for the above elements will be easier!

So these are just a few ways to plan smart and plan green! How is your office set up? Does it fit in with green design?

Let’s Get Organized!

Organization is the key to any household that runs smoothly. Now, you may be wondering what you can do to become organized in your home. There are many opportunities out there.

First of all, locate a centralized area in your home – somewhere that everyone goes to on a daily basis. This might be in the kitchen next to the refrigerator. How about the entrance by the front door or garage door? Wherever the perfect spot might be, make sure there is enough wall space to hang several items up.

Calendar

For starters, let’s establish that almost any family today needs a calendar. This way you can know where everyone is with a simple glance. As many of us know, things change on a day-to-day basis, so I would suggest getting a wipe board calendar. Speaking of the wipe board, how about having a blank one for quick notes, the chores list that week, or dinner menu?

Hooks and Mail Slots

Next, every good home needs a key hook. Without the key hook it seems like no one can ever find their keys! Every family gets mail, so what about having separate holders with your names on each slot?

There are also smaller versions of these holders where you can store pencils and pens, scissors, notepads and tape. This will be very convenient when you need something quick before running out the door!

What does every family have multiple of these days? If you guessed iPods and cell phones, you are right! There are even separate holders that you can personalize for each family member.

Bulletin Boards

Finally, you may want a place to put up photographs, to-do lists, notes or friendly reminders. Cork bulletin boards are perfect for this and can be built into these home organization centers. For an added personalized touch, try lining over the cork with a fashionable fabric! Or tack on ribbons that you can tuck the photo’s or notes behind.

The majority of home organization centers come in painted white or black wood. But you may be able to find them in a cherry or maple finish. If you have light painted walls, I would recommend going with one of the darker finishes for an added pop!

How has your home become more organized? Do you have anymore helpful tips? Please share here!

Home Gym Inspiration

Now that the weather is nice it may actually seem like a chore to get yourself to your gym. You may opt instead for a bike ride or a jog in the park.

So what are you paying for? I’ll keep my membership going to access the pool. When it comes to lifting, stretching and cardio, it may just be easier to accomplish fitness goals outdoors, or at home.

If you’ve consider creating a space in your home dedicated to a gym, consider my list of do’s and dont’s when designing your space:

Design

1. Think of what you use at your current gym (if you don’t use a gym, think of what exercises you will plan to do).
2. Plan a space. Choose a space in your home that will be inspiring. Do not select a dark dingy basement; it probably won’t do the trick. Perhaps the patio or deck would work. You can put your equipment in a storage bin and take it out as needed.
3. Think of lighting and mirrors. Consider low lights, maybe halogens on dimmers. Make sure that the lighting is warm and inviting. Purchase some inexpensive rope lighting and backlight a cabinet that you store your gym towels or clothing in. Use a mirror from an old bedroom set and lean it against a wall. Make this space feel like a gym. You will be more inclined to use the space if it feels good!
4. Pamper yourself. Set up a tabletop with accessories like hair ties, bobbie pins, water bottles, maybe a spray can of deodorant and some small towels. Give yourself a club experience.
5. Turn up the music! Consider a speaker set to plug in your iPod or mount a small television on the wall that has an XM radio feed. Studies show that the proper music at hand can really pump up your mood!
6. Hang something on the walls! Find some sports related inspiration. Grab a wheaties box and cut the cover off, throw it into an inexpensive frame and viola! Instant inspiration art! The same would apply to a Sports Illustrated cover or a Gatorade ad. Get a group of images together and consider Word Art too! Words that have meaning: Strength, Endurance, Power, Energy, Strive, to name a few. Print them in HUGE varying fonts and hang them with your images.

Equipment

Here’s a tip – it doesn’t take a lot of equipment to make a good gym. It is all about incorporating a lot of creative exercises on a small amount of equipment. Use mine for example:

• I have a bike trainer for my road bike (for those of you who don’t know, it is basically a portable hamster wheel that hooks up to any bike and keeps you moving inside).
• We have a series of varying strength rubber bands attached to a heavy duty hook on the wall (make sure the hook is secure to a wall stud) for arm exercises (sort of like a makeshift bow flex) or leg lifts.
• I have a couple of yoga mats for floor exercises.
• I also have a bosu ball for ab workouts, push-ups and a few other core exercises.
• I have a balancing bar for “dead lifts” and something called a “wedge” for stretching my hamstrings

THAT’S IT! Most of these items can be stowed away. The bosu and the bike are the only exceptions.

What equipment do you have in your home gym? How have you created an inspiring space to workout in?

Lighting as Art

With the use of LED’s, lighting designers are able to create using many more types of materials than before.

Architectural Lighting Works is using handmade paper encased within laminated glass to create sconces that seem more like glowing works of art than wall sconces of old. Because of LED’s (light emitting diodes), these elegant lighting devices can backlight the laminated glass. The variety of options for the laminated glass is seemingly endless, as any handmade paper can be encased within the laminated glass to create the style, color and pattern that you desire.

The recessed lighting fixtures come in 12” squares, 12” x 24” rectangles and 6” x 18” rectangles and only protrude 3 ½” from a wall. The surface mounted fixtures flat glass units also only protrude 3 ¼” and their rounded glass units only protrude 4” from the wall.

This is an important element when designing for public spaces. Designers for public spaces need to consider people who are visually impaired or those with walking impairments who may need a wall for stability.

Why have LED’s made this possible? LED’s produce less heat than an incandescent or MR16 lamp. When an incandescent lamp is on, approximately 90% of the power consumed by an incandescent lamp is emitted as heat versus visible light. The laminated glass would become too hot to touch if you accidentally bumped into the fixture to this design to work with incandescent lamps.

The other issue is size. Imagine how large a sconce of this type would have to be to allow for an incandescent lamp to be located within the housing of the fixture.

MR16 lamps are much smaller than an incandescent, but put out a great deal of heat. They were originally designed for use in slide projectors. The other issue for MR16 lamps is the need for a transformer to convert 120 or 240 voltages to 12 volts or low operating voltage. The requirements for placing a transformer with the area of small, very narrow boxes set in walls have not allowed for designers to be able to utilize some of the more decorative elements that we are now seeing.

As technology has developed we are now able to have elegant, stylistic lighting elements in our homes and workspaces that produce less heat, allow the lamps to last much longer and have lower energy consumption. As technology develops, this new LED lighting should become more affordable for all.

How to Setup an Attractive Recycling Area

Are you into the sustainable movement at home? Recycling is a big part of the future; many items are made from recycled products already, such as fabrics, bottles, outdoor furniture, even some clothes! Imagine what the inventors and designers will think of next!

Honestly, I believe that the only way to make sure that we have a future with more “stuff” is to recycle. I know this involves time and storage space, but I promise we can make it as mindless and as attractive as possible.

First of all, find out if your waste management company allows single stream recycling. If so, this is great news because you don’t have to sort any of your recycled products! But sometimes we aren’t lucky enough to live in these areas.

So, maybe you live in a nice big house in the suburbs with a three car garage. This is perfect – you have all the room in the world (just kidding)! But at least you may be able to find room for attractive plastic bins to separate recycling into. I suggest getting containers that are similar to garbage cans and have lids; you may even be able to get color coded lids that have slots made for each item. Imagine how much this helps take the thinking part away from the process!

Now, maybe you aren’t fortunate enough to have this as your living situation, which may require a little bit more space inside your home. But don’t worry, we can make this work. Several suggestions would be to head up to your local home store and purchase a “recycling” can that has two separate plastic containers that can easily be removed. If you buy two of these cans, you will be able to separate the main recycling groups; plastic, paper, glass and cardboard.

But maybe this isn’t quite what you are looking for; did you know you can buy units to mount onto your wall? The doors can be pulled forward and reveal separate plastic color coded containers to sort recycling into. Wow! I guarantee that with this one, you will have everyone asking you what this item is on your wall. Imagine all the people you can get to join the recycling movement with a container like this!

Do you recycle? What other things do you do to save the earth?

Celebrating the Negative: Using Negative Space to Your Advantage

If you have ever taken an art class, at any level, there will always be the lesson of positive space versus negative space. When you look at a painting, the positive space is represented by the actual object or people – in other words, the subject matter of the piece. The negative space is the area in between objects. A good, every day example of positive versus negative space is that infamous image of the candlestick…or is it two people kissing? The question seems to revolve around your mindset, but really it is a study of contrast and positive versus negative space.

When applying this concept to interior design, because it is an art form that is three dimensional, all the negative space relates to air. When talking about just a flat surface like a wall or ceiling, a plane (since we are using art terminology today), it is a little more like the positive and negative we see in two dimensional art.

So how, as an interior designer, can we celebrate and make the most of the negative space?

The answer, in my opinion, is not to fill it. But rather the question can be answered by what type of interior you are creating.

In regards to three dimensional, think of the space between a hand rail, all the beautiful vertical space that is created. The negative and positive play off one another here by the size, width and shape of the vertical lines. Or maybe the stairwell is treated with non-vertical like the image to the right. The space between become just as interesting as the actual wood outline.

If you are working on an ultra-sheik modern interior, maybe the best thing to do is emphasize the negative space by creating as much as possible. Tone down the furnishings and fixtures to create more negative to compete with the positive. I like to think of an art gallery for this scenario. Because the interior is so minimal, the space feels more expansive, room to grow and breathe.

By switching your mindset to the negative, I think this can only assist you in looking at space from a different perspective and enhance your design work. How do you celebrate the negative?

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