Archive for the ‘Re-Design’ Category

Miss Muffet would be jealous of this fabulous chair!

I have had this great little bistro style chair hanging in my shed since last fall.  I should say my husband’s shed.  I get the house and he gets the shed.  He doesn’t touch my “stuff” and I don’t mess with anything in his 4500 square foot garage.  It’s the perfect trade off!  I do all the interior design at inside and he does all the outside work!   I do, however, store a few items in there once in a while.

A cut little bistro style chair in it's original yellow paint and vinyl seat

This chair for instance.  It was a great find for $9.99 at Goodwill.  I wanted to do something very girly in hot pink, so my 7 year old niece Kayla became the inspiration and recipient.  I knew it would be perfect for a child’s bedroom.

The glitter really sold me on this tulle!

I was very excited when I found this glittered fuchsia tulle and a floral fabric and embroidered trim to go with it.

Green paint really updates the look of the chair

A little sand paper to rough up the finish and a can of neon green spray paint updated the chair from the 1970’s.

The old seat batting was in good shape.

The black and white vinyl seat was stapled on and easy to remove.  Then I cut a piece of the fabric 2” wider than the seat and attached it with a staple gun.

A staple gun is the handiest tool when covering chair seats

I gathered a double layer of tulle by hand and stapled it to the seat making the gathers even all the way around.

Never cut off the excess fabric until you are satisfied with the fullness.

Instead of cutting off the excess netting, I folded it up for extra fullness and sewed it in place.  You could glue the trim to the fabric, but hand stitching is neater (no mess) and you have greater control.

The floral trim is the finishing touch

Miss Muffet would have loved this chair

I happened to find the lime green pom-poms in my stash that were a perfect match.  It turned out so cute and just right for a girly little seven year old.

A chair fit for a little princess (or even a Queen)

Adding  style and design to any room can be as simple as a trip to a resale shop and fabric store.  Go ahead, brighten your home with color!

A quick way to update an existing lamp shade is to add trim.  The addition of gold cord and tassels to this simple red shade makes it more formal and stately.  Have fun; there are lots of fabulous, colorful trims you can add to any shade.  A hot glue gun is the only tool you need to go from plain to regal or funky!

Dress up a lamp shade with trim and cord

Everybody’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.  I don’t have to pretend, I’ve got Irish ancestors and strawberry blonde hair to prove it!  Because of my hair color,  I was always told that redheads should dress in Kelly green but never did until lime became fashionable (I was such a rebel!).   So I decided to create a St. Patty’s Day table using the non-traditional chartreuse.

Create an updated Irish table with lime green

Monochromatic color schemes (everything one color only) can work in interior design and on the table if you incorporate different shades, hues and lots of texture.  I wanted to set my table with what I already had around the house and didn’t have any trouble finding enough for a table for 4!

Place mats are a good alternative to a table cloth

I pulled out an antique side table with drop leaves from my living room for an intimate dinner.  The woven and embroidered placemats cover most of the top when overlapped.  No need to worry about spills or hot food.

Classic white dinner plates can be the foundation for any table

If you don’t have a set of white dinner plates, start looking for some.  I bought these on sale from Pottery Barn a few years ago and have two other sets from Goodwill.  You can never have too many white dishes.

The clear salad plates with a cut vine design came from an antique store. The label said Heisey, but I haven’t been able to verify that claim.  If you know one way or the other, please leave me a comment below.  They are very pretty and delicate and sold as a set of 8.

"Paint" your own dinnerware

No need to purchase special dinnerware for a once a year meal.  Create your own by placing a little design under a clear plate.  I cut out shamrocks from some left over green craft foam I had.   I drew mine free hand, but you can look for clip art to copy.

Napkins are tied with a matching green plastic wire.

Tie a cord around fan folded napkins

My sister gave me some battery-light candles.  No dripping wax or fear of fire (she knows about my passion for lime green).  I scattered some polished glass stones and craft ribbon on the table.

I added a little drawing to the centerpiece. Looks like an Irish village.

I love this little drawing of an antique village.  Could it be Ireland?.

Beer is the beverage of choice to go with corned beef and cabbage and will look great in the cut glass pilsners.  Add a postcard to each placesetting and the conversation will be off to a great start.

Toast to good health and friendship.

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And my God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
~Irish Blessing

Anna Quindlen said, “I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consist of mostly building enough bookshelves.”

Although I love books, read every day and collect various works, book shelves aren’t just for holding books.  In fact built-in or free standing shelving can solve all sorts of display and storage issues.

An old store shelving unit is perfect for display

The patina of worn paint gives the piece character

It even has wheels in case I need to move it.

It took me a lot of hunting to find the right shelf to fill an empty corner in my family room.  Fortunately I’m very patient when it comes to furniture.  I would rather do without than to settle for something I don’t love.  This white shelving unit probably came from a store of some sort.  It’s sturdy, has wheels and with just enough chipped paint to give it some charm.  The size is perfect for my empty space.

Displaying collections can be a challenge.  Remember the rule that things have a greater impact when grouped together instead of spread around the room.  So, throughout the year I will re-do my shelf to give you tips and ideas on how to display your own collections.

I had not idea I had this many wood boxes!

The simplest display is to group like items.  I didn’t start out collecting wood boxes, but when I pulled them all together, I realized I had enough to show-off.  I rearranged and played around with them until I found an arrangement that looked good.

• I placed the heavier trunk on the bottom.  Had I put it on the top shelf, the whole unit would have felt top-heavy.

Put the heavier items on the bottom shelves

• Stagger pieces; pull some forward and others behind.  Overlapping items gives depth and dimension.

Stagger the boxes for depth and dimension.

• Pay attention to height.  None of the items should be the same height on a shelf.  Stack them up to create height or use risers (like books!).   I placed the painted box on its side so the design is visible.

Separately, each box has its own shape, color and texture, but together they tell a story.  The collection makes an impact.

The shelf becomes a focal point with a single collection.

I can't pass up cute little doll house chairs.

I also have some miniature chairs.  Anything this tiny is much more difficult to display.  They would get lost if I set them on a shelf all alone.  But when paired with a couple of boxes, they stand out.

Use the same display principles for the chairs.

Pair of traditional dining chairs in miniature

Even little items have a big impact when grouped together

Voila! In no time I created an interesting display.

Go hunting in your own house.  You might be amazed at what you’ll find.

The question I am asked most often by clients, friends and in general conversation is “What color is ‘In’?  It’s a simple question with a difficult answer.

The Color Marketing Group (CMG) is an organization that forecasts color trends two to three years in advance for  industry and manufactured goods.  Paint companies will create their annual color palette for the upcoming year and fabric weavers will chose shades and hues based on CMG directions and predictions.

Ever get frustrated when shopping  for bath towels to match those you purchased a few years ago?  Chances are you were disappointed to discover that the current shade is not quite the same as what you already own.  Instead of ‘silky moss’, for example, it’s now ‘pine needle’.  Out with the old and in with the new.

The good news is interior trends and colors don’t change as fast as fashion and paint stores have the ability to reproduce any color under the sun.

In December, Pantone, a company that provides color standards for the design industries, chose turquoise as the hottest color for 2010.  That’s right, turquoise.

Pantone chose turquoise as the 2010 color of the year

My advice is to look at the latest color fads and trends but stick with colors that fit your Signature Style.  Just because someone says turquoise is the color of the year, is no reason to change your own color palette.  Remember fads come and go quickly.  If it’s a color you truly love, by all means, introduce it into your home.  Buy some new throw pillows or bath towels.  You shouldn’t have any trouble finding turquoise  towels this year!

Pittsburgh Paint and Glass Color 2010 Color Trends:

Home Harmony Collection

Canvas Collection: beige, browns, gray

Grace Collection: pale butter to sea-foam green

Zest Collection: bright yellow, pure white, sleek black

Pink City Collection: Indian pink and spicy rusty orange

Sherwin Williams created their own color palette for 2010:

Sherwin Williams Treasured Collection: Aging, layers, artisan

Sherwin Williams Refreshed Collection: Exuberant, fresh, optimistic

Sherwin Williams Simplified Collection: Translucent, structure, sophisticated

Sherwin Williams Rooted Collection: Mystery, enduring, natural

Patrick’s bedroom was finished just in time for his party.  (We were hanging his posters as guests were arriving!  Who doesn’t work best under pressure?)

Pat's new bedroom has more color and personality.

My husband wasn’t sure about the gold paint on the walls, but will admit it was a good choice.  The color is in the bedskirt fabric and makes the red chair and navy bedspread really pop.  Everything doesn’t have to be matchy-matchy.  Get a little daring when picking paint.

The red chair, a quilted throw and another movie poster make this corner very cozy.

But the walls needed something more than posters, so horizontal stripes turned out to be the perfect solution.  I taped off random widths and bought small paint samples in navy, red and green (also found in the fabric).  Painting stripes is a putzy job, but the results are worth it.

Horizontal stripes add dimension and color to the room.

It took me a while to come up with an idea for the valances.  I ordered cellular shades for the windows, so privacy and sunlight weren’t a concern.  They needed to be masculine and simple.  I used the red quilted fabric and added a strip of the paisley at the top.

Masculine window treatments were in order.

Instead of the usual drapery hardware, I went to a big box hardware store and bought two 40” lengths of galvanized pipe.  Instead of the usual drapery rings or a shirred header, I went with grommets for something different.  I poked around the electrical section of the store until I found some fittings that worked as finials.  Pat has a unique drapery treatment and that cost only a few dollars.

Grommets and galvanized pipes are inexpensive and manly!

Who says drapery and hardware has to be the usual poles and balls? The hardware store has all kinds of fun things you can use.

His bed and desk/TV swapped places in the room.  We had to buy a new desk since the old one sort of fell apart as we moved it.  We chose a desk instead of a TV stand because a desk is taller.

We originaly had the TV on the right side of the desk, but Pat preferred it this way (less glare).

A few coordinating throw pillows, his movie posters and closet door handles and the room is complete.

I found rugged industrial handles for the closet doors.

These Indiana Jones posters and the red chair started the whole redecorating project.

Pat bought this poster during a trip to San Francisco with the band.

Pat's Grandma made him this quilt several years ago and it's very special to him.

The quilt was made by his Grandma a few years ago.  The colors are perfect for the new room.

I wouldn’t have put his two DVD shelves next to each other, but it’s Pat’s room and that’s where he wanted them.

Pat wanted both DVD stands next to each other. I would have put one behind the chair, but it's his room...

I think I will  look for a floor lamp and give it to him for Christmas.  Also a bulletin board for his calendars and notes.  A room is never really done, it’s a work in progress and that’s OK.  Rooms should evolve and change as people and seasons do.  But it will be sometime before we make any changes (quite sometime!).

The room turned out just as we wanted and Pat is very happy.

Patrick is really comfortable in his new room.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is buying furniture that’s too big for the space.  Perhaps you forgot to measure the room or the door way or the space between the windows, etc.  I’ve also heard this one, “it didn’t look that big in the store”!  Furniture stores should have a disclaimer posted at the front door “objects in this store are much larger than they appear”!

The safest way to ensure you are purchasing the right size is to do a floor/furniture plan before you proceed.  That’s what professional interior designers do, come up with as many arrangements as possible for a room.  You will know the exact size of each piece that will fit in the space.  It’s an investment that will save you dollars.

The floor plan

Patrick’s bedroom is roughly 13’ 7” x 12’ 8”.  We added this bedroom when we remodeled and added square footage to our house.  The closet is wood instead of drywall to mimic the closet in our master bedroom.  Our house was built in the late 1890s, but the closet would have been added some years later.

We chose wood instead of drywall for this closet to resemble another one that could be 80 years old.

The new red chair was the only big item we planned to buy.  The bed and desk have been in the same spot for a long time.  We placed the new chair next to the bed.  It’s a bit awkward since it’s a recliner and cannot be too close to the wall.

This is how the furniture was placed when we started the project

Since all the furniture in the room is heavy, it’s easier to rearrange on paper than actually moving everything around.

Option 3

Pat has his TV on the desk and likes to sit on his bed facing the TV so this option won’t work.

Option 4

This arrangement has the bed facing the TV, but doesn’t allow much room to get into the closet.  Patrick has the biggest closet in the house and he can walk right in.

Option 5

He would probably be OK with this option.    I just don’t like a TV in front of a window even if it’s on the second floor.

This option is almost a mirror image of the orginal and should be perfect for Pat.

Although this arrangement isn’t much different from the original, it is really the best plan.  I moved the dresser next to the empty spot near the door.  The chair will fit nicely in the vacated corner and have access to the view outside.  The bed and desk have simply swapped places.  The bed is no longer next to the window and if he ever decides to sit at his desk, he has another view of the back yard.

You will save a lot of frustration and back aches by planning before moving furniture.

Our next step in redecorating Patrick’s room is to look for bedding and fabric.  He is a typical guy who really doesn’t like to shop, but it’s his room, so I insisted he choose the chair and bedspread.  I know I won’t have time to make a bedspread, but I can manage valances for the window and a bedskirt.

We headed for the bedding section at the local department store.  Red is just not a hot color now, so our choices were limited.  I pulled out 5 bedspreads that would go with his chair:  denim, a black/red bold stripe, a navy matelasse, a grey/red hip and trendy print and black graphic print.  He chose (drum roll, please…) the navy matelasse!  A matelasse is two pieces of fabric that have been quilted together by hand or machine with matching thread.  It’s beautiful coverlet, but it doesn’t offer any other colors to use in the room.

Pat chose a navy matelasse for his bedspread

Next, I went to area fabric stores to look for a coordinating fabrics for the drapery and bedskirt.  That was a challenge too since we didn’t want a patriotic red, white and blue room.  I also didn’t want to show him too many choices.   Like most clients, too many options are simply overwhelming.  A good designer knows her client and can narrow down the choices before making a presentation.

This stripe fabric would have been perfect had it not been sold out!

Pat liked the navy, green, red and beige stripe, but it was already sold out by the time I returned.  He also liked a solid red quilted fabric and I talked him into a dark, navy, red, green paisley.

I think we will use this for window valances

This paisley fabric is very grown-up and a little sophisticated!

• The bedspread was regularly priced at $150.00, but on sale and with a coupon, I got it for half price!
  
• The red quilted fabric was also on sale, marked down from $14.00 a yard to $11.19.  Unfortunately, the store had less than 2 1/2 yards.   There won’t be enough for the bedskirt, but I can make a simple drapery valance out of the piece.
• I also had a 50% off coupon for the paisley fabric (see a trend here?).  I paid $12.50 a yard instead of $25.00.  I bought the end of the bolt so I’m hoping 5 yards of fabric will be sufficient.

At least we have some colors to choose from when we pick paint.  Fortunately, I have lots of paint chips at my office and we can pick one out before we head out the store again.

Patrick and I went shopping for a red chair.  What you should know about us is I like to shop and he doesn’t (unless of course it’s for movies and electronics). The other thing is Patrick figures when you say you are going to do something you mean right now.  I have a little more patience (meaning I can wait a long time for just the right thing, however when I make up my mind I want it right now too).  As a designer, thousands of fabrics are available to me so are hundreds of chair frames.  Custom furniture can take 12- 16 weeks.  Neither one of us wanted to wait that long to complete his room so we checked out the local retail furniture stores.

Doc Brown has a great red arm chair in Back to the Future.

Our mission was to find a similar chair to the one Doc Brown had in Back to the Future.  We found a couple red chairs in micro fiber (not a big fan of micro fiber).  Although they were quite inexpensive, they were also too big.

Doc's chair is in red moire fabric, has a loose back cusion and rolled arms. Looks comfy.

Two mistakes people make when shopping:
1.    You get what you pay for!  Cheap never lasts as long as a good quality     piece.  Buy the best you can afford.
2.    Measure your doorways and stair ways before buying.  No sense in hauling something home if you can’t get it in the house.  Custom furniture is not returnable!

The stariway in our old farm house is narrow. Be sure to measure before you buy!

There isn’t a 36” wide opening on any door in my house interior or exterior.  Pat’s room is on the second floor.  Not only did we have to get it into the house, we had to get it up stairs.

Pat watched as his dad and brother Tyler delivered the chair.

We bought a very nice recliner in red leather!  The size was perfect (it did take a little maneuvering, but we were successful).  It was on sale for under $800.00.  Not a bad price for leather.  Knowing Pat, he will take very good care of it.  He will want to change color schemes before it shows any wear!

It's not an exact copy, but pretty close and maybe better than the Doc Brown chair!

Our next step will be finding fabric for bedding and window treatments so we can choose paint colors.  Paint can be mixed in an endless number of colors, shades or hues.  A good paint company can match anything.  So even though picking a color is difficult for most people, select your fabrics first, then mix a paint to coordinate with your soft goods.

Doesn't Patrick look comfortable and relaxed in his new recliner?

Patrick’s Room–Before

Welcome to Re-Decorating™!  Our first project is my son Patrick’s bedroom.  He moved into this room after his older brother, Tyler graduated from college and before we had a chance to make any changes and update the finishes!  Pat told me this summer he wanted a red chair like the one Doc Brown had in Back to the Future.   If we are purchasing a new chair it’s time to re-decorate the entire room.

Patrick needs a grown-up room!

As with all my design clients, I assess which furniture pieces  we will keep and what needs to be replaced.  Same with accessories and artwork.  With teenagers and young adults, personality and interests play a big part in designing bedrooms.

Patrick's bedroom "before"

We built the wood closet to look like an original closet in the master bedroom circa 1890's.

Patrick is a big movie fan.  He collects DVDs and posters.   He has an antique wood shelf that is perfect for movies (it’s already full) and a narrow, tall shelf (half full).  He has several movie posters and just purchased three Indiana Jones posters this month.  The new ones are very large, so we will have to determine if there will be wall space to hang everything.

This antique wood shelf folds flat. It's the perfect size for DVDs!

The tall DVD shelf is new (and almost full) and the bedside table is part of an old bachelor's dresser.

The vintage iron bed frame belonged to my Grandparents, so that will stay.  I remember sleeping on it when I was a kid.  It brings back great memories of times spent on the farm with my sister and cousins.  It will need to be painted.

The old iron bed isn't fancy, but has tremendous sentimental value!

...but it does need new paint.

The purple bedspread is only a couple of years old, but may not “go” with the red chair.  Same with the bedskirt.

I made this bedskirt several years ago. It's still in great shape and has red in it. Maybe it will still work?

The little bedside table is from an old bachelor’s dresser.  Someone took it apart years ago and sold the pieces separately.  It’s a bit low, but it works for Patrick.  He likes having the drawer and storage.

The bird's eye maple dresser is a lovely antique.

His dresser is an antique and in very nice condition.  The desk is nothing special, but serves its purpose so it will stay until we find something better.  As with everyone who owns electronics, cord control is an issue.  We will have to tackle that problem.

The desk is noting special, but has room for electronics and remotes!

Do cords multiply when we aren't looking? This will be the biggest challenge on this project.

One of the things I do as a designer is ask my clients how they use the space.  Pat is almost 21, so spends time on his computer and watching TV or movies.  He sits on the bed with his laptop facing the desk/TV.  He has a desk chair, but never sits on it, so it’s hidden away in his closet for now.  I know we can rearrange the furniture to make better use of the space.  If he decides he has no need for the chair, it will go.

Desk chair is practically brand new,

The window valances and painted borders are left over from Tyler’s teenage years.  They are history along with the blue mini blinds.

I painted the border to match the stripes on the fabric. It still looks good, but the room needs a fresh approach.

Old mini blinds have got to go!

The ceiling fan is too big for the room, but we will keep it for now.  Pat can probably use a lamp on the desk or dresser.  I will figure out lighting needs after the room is rearranged.

The grey carpeting is in good condition, just needs to be cleaned.

So we have our work cut out for us.  Since he is set on getting a red chair that will be our inspiration and the first thing we buy.  This will be a do-it-ourselves project.  I need to set a date for completion to stay on track.  I will plan on Halloween, but be happy if we are finished by Thanksgiving!  We definitely have to be done before his birthday on December 3.  One thing experience has taught me, everything takes longer than you planned!