Lessons Learned by Reading Design Magazines

 Every month I've been finding myself looking forward to the day that the latest issue of Coastal Living arrives in my mailbox.  I started receiving it because of my ASID membership, but I had never really paid much attention to it before that.  I am finding that I really enjoy checking out the Idea Houses in each issue.  I also like that not everyone on the internet is blogging and talking about the latest issue before I can get my hands on a copy.  Each issue is still a new surprise, unlike House Beautiful (which I love) that is written about so frequently that I've seen all the photos online before the issue even arrives in the mail.  So hopefully I am not ruining the surprise for any of you that have yet to read the latest issue of Coastal Living, but I was excited to show some fun photos of the Seawatch Idea House from the November issue.  I'll start by showing you the floorplans of the house.  I love looking at the floor plans so I can understand the flow of the home.  It's like putting together the puzzle pieces and seeing how everything flows together.

 I like the upholstered walls in this room.  It adds a layer of texture and coziness to the space.  I also like the uniqueness of the limed oak fireplace with no mantel.  Such a clean look.  I also am really drawn towards the bird prints on either side of the fireplace creating symmetry.

An interesting feature of this room is the matching fabric and drapery.  The designer, Phillip Sides, had the fabric backed with paper or latex so that it could be applied to the walls.  Probably not my favorite look, but innovative nonetheless.

What I am loving about this kitchen is the light fixture over the island and the fact that the island is a different wood than the black and white cabinets.  What a fresh way to mix it up and add interest to a kitchen.  The shades really tie in the medium stain on the island for a cohesive look.  Also, notice the back of the stools with the handles on the back.   Unexpected touches like that keep things interesting.

Seriously love the mix of patterns here.  I want to get better at this.  This is a playful space.  I am especially loving the fabric on the chair.   Here is a close-up shot of the fabric. 

I think it looks great on the chair, bench at the foot of the bed and as pillows.  Something to take note of is the repetition of fabrics in this room.  Even if this room is not your favorite, you can learn the value of repetition by studying this photo.  It really helps move your eye around the room and creates harmony in the space.

 

This kid area is so cute with the reading light cubby holes.  They are covered in raffia and embellished with nailheads.

This room grabs my attention for so many reasons.  I love the botanical coverlet which acts as the color source for this bedroom.  The blue walls and green draperies are colors pulled directly from the coverlet.  The bamboo bed adds a great natural, textural element that goes with the botanical coverlet.  Also I love the unexpected table at the foot of the bed and the striped rug.

Every room you see in a magazine is an opportunity to study and learn from.  You may not like the design or the colors, the design may be good or really bad, but as a designer I learn from both the good and bad points in every room.  As a client you can study these rooms to learn more about what you like or dislike in any given room, thus helping you and your designer out.  I encourage you to pick up a few design magazines and pay attention to what appeals to you in different rooms.  Tear the pages out and take them shopping with you or save them for when you are ready to work with a designer.  It will make the overall process easier for everyone involved.

Find more images of the Coastal Living 2009 Seawatch Idea House here.

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Creating an Inviting Entry to your Home

 Today I was searching for ideas for entryways and came across some great examples that I thought I'd share with you.  Since the entry is the first area of your home that guests see, it is important to set the tone for the rest of your house there.  Entry's should be welcoming and organized.   It is likely that most of us throw down handfuls of stuff there when we are walking in the door from our busy days and I'd say it's safe to assume that we don't want our guests tripping over all our piled up stuff when they come to visit us.  Entryways are also a great place to get creative and add some fun color.  They are usually small spaces to don't be afraid to make this a "wow" space.  So here are a few examples of entryways that are both welcoming, colorful and organized:

This is probably a larger foyer than most of us have, but I love the symmetry of this space.  Some ideas that we can take from this example are:  Using two console tables, matching mirrors, plant and lamp all add to the cohesive look to this area.  Including a unique set of doors and a fun light fixture will add interest to the first room in your home.

 Bright and airy walls and door add to the open feeling of this entry.  A simple furniture piece covers what looks like to be an unsightly radiator.  Simple artwork and some fresh flowers are welcoming.  Notice only one pair of boots are here, not ten pairs.  The patterned rug adds some subtle texture and interest here.

 

 This is one of those "wow" entryways for people who love color.  For those of you that think this is too much color, don't be afraid to paint one wall or use bright colors in the accessories and furniture with neutral walls for this small space.  If you are someone who wants a completely separate entry space from the rest of your house, adding seamless glass doors like this that are un-framed will visually separate the space without looking heavy.

 

 Using some standout pieces in any entryway is really fun.  Take a look at that beautiful ghost chair.  Usually seating in this area is a must to aid people in putting on their shoes, so an extra garden stool shown here under the table is great.  A beautiful container for storing umbrellas is a wonderful way to keep the entry neat and organized.  The table in the space allows enough room to throw down mail, keys and other items that you might need in this area.

 

 This entry screams real life to me.  Families have a lot of "stuff" and it all needs a place to be.  Take ideas from this entry by hanging wire baskets to store mail and other items that pile up in this area.  Large baskets on the floor can encourage your children to toss in their mittens and scarves and keep this area organized.  Hooks for jackets, umbrellas, watering cans and brooms can make it easy to keep the entry clean and accessible to grab items on your way out the door.  A bench with built-in storage will allow you to keep unsightly items hidden away.

 

Another way to keep your kids stuff organized is by adding cute cubbies like these to encourage each child to take care of their own space.  If  you don't like to look at all of your jackets and boots, adding doors to this shelving unit will hide everything away.

 

Add some drama to your entry by painting the walls a dark, rich color and adding a small, comfy sofa to sit on.  Some fun artwork and lighting will finish off your welcoming and cozy entry.

 

Adding subtle stripes to your walls with paint can make the entry area interesting without going over the top.  A mirror is nice to check yourself before you walk out the door and plant life is always a good idea here.  Adding two chairs on either side of a console table adds to the formality of an entry, where a bench will be more casual.

Hopefully these ideas will help you get going on creating a welcoming, organized and interesting entryway that you will be proud to invite your guests into your home to see!

Images from House Beautiful and Canadian House and Home 

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Thrift Store Revamp

My recent project was painting and reupholstering two chairs that I found at the Goodwill for $4 a piece.  What I liked about these chairs was the backs.  I immediately pictured them painted in a creamy white color to really make the criss-cross design of the backs pop.

So, I took them home and began the revamping process by unscrewing the bottoms of the chairs and pulling out the old staples.  It turns out these chairs had been reupholstered three times!

Underneath all that fabric was a nasty pile of dust and foam so I scrapped it all and layed down a new layer of foam and batting.

 

The easiest thing to do is place the plywood seat on top of the foam and trim around the edges with a scissors.  I ended up having to use two pieces of foam because of the shape of the chair.  I used a glue gun to glue down the foam pieces to the chair so they won't slip around when sat upon.  I then wrapped a layer of batting around the foam and stapled that down.  Finally I took my fabric and cut it to the size of the seat by laying the seat on top of the fabric and trimming  around the edges leaving about 2 inches of extra fabric. Then I stapled that down on top of the batting.  The key to getting a smooth fit is to pull the fabric tight as you staple your way around the perimeter of the seat.  When it comes to the corners, wrap them as you would a present and staple the overlapping fabric.  You can go back later and trim the excess fabric off if you wish.

 

 

Once I had the seats upholstered I prepped the chairs for painting by sanding them down to create a rough surface for the paint to adhere to.  I then used a spray paint primer, let that dry and did three coats of Rustoleum Heirloom White spray paint.

 

Because this chair had a lot of detail, I went back with a very small brush, sprayed some spray paint into a small container and used that to go through the tight grooves of the chair.

 

  

 

The last step is to attach the seat back to the frame by screwing it back on tightly with a screwdriver.  

Here are the final results!

 

  

{fabric close up}

 

Hope you enjoyed reading this as part of Metamorphosis Monday!

DIY Plywood Art

Hello readers!  Today I want to share with you a super simple piece of art that I created last week.  I promise that anyone can do it.  It is so simple and fun!  All you need is a cut-to-size (whatever size you'd like) piece of plywood, some leftover paint, and letter stencils.  I picked up my plywood at Home Depot, used the leftover paint colors that I had from when we painted our living room, kitchen and dining room 2 years ago and picked up the stencils at Michael's.  Total cost: $14.  Here's how I did it:

1. Take your piece of plywood and whitewash it with paint color of your choice.  I used white paint, mixed with some water to achieve the whitewash look.

 

2. Once the whitewash is dried, take out your letter stencils and arrange how you would like your quote to layout on the board.  Start painting stencil with a stencil brush, making sure to dab the paint on, don't brush it, to achieve a smooth look.

 

3. After I was finished with the stenciling, I decided to add some more interest by taking the paint stir sticks from each of the colors I used and drizzled the paint all over the board in a random way.

 

 

After this step, all you have to do is let the paint dry and figure out where you will put your new art!  See, I told you it was easy.  If you want to hang your new painting, buy a picture hanging kit found at almost any store and attach it to the back to hang on the wall.  If you don't want to hang it, you can easily lean it against the wall on a shelf or bookcase.  I chose to temporarily lean it above my kitchen cabinets since I have 12' ceilings.  I love the interest it adds to my otherwise still bare walls up there.

It would also be fun and easy to add graphic objects to your board as well such as a bird stencil or the outline of a city skyline or circles and squares for a geometric look.  The easiest way to do this is to find an image you like online and print it out and cut out the inside of the image to create your own stencil.  You could also add texture to your art by layering on images cut out of balsa wood or some other thin wood veneer which can be painted or left as is.  Have fun being creative and come up with your own ways to make your piece stand out!

Happy creating!

Why don't you...

Switch it up and try a painted floor in your house? I love this look in the following images because most likely your neighbor is not going to have these kind of floors and painting floors is a simple way to change up your flooring in a snap! Make sure to add a few coats of polyurethane though so they are protected and also know that part of this look is loving the little scratches and inevitable wear and tear that will come with them. But that's part of the greatness in my opinion.

Most images from House Beautiful

What's that thing called, again?

One thing I always had a tough time memorizing in my History of Art and Architecture class was furniture styles. I tend to get bored trying to memorize things and instead focus more on the way a piece looks and I learn to distinguish furniture by certain features, rather than by their proper names. Am I the only one who does this? Or does memorizing furniture types come naturally to you? In order for the names to really sink in, I made myself a handy little chart to study or take a glance at when I forget. :) Usually "doing" is one of the best ways for me to learn. So I thought you might like to see my chart and maybe it will help those of you that have the same problem as me!

{Click on picture to enlarge the furniture goodness}

A few of the pieces are always especially difficult for me to distinguish because they look very similar to other pieces that we all know and love. Here are the distinctions:

Channel Back Wing Chair- this chair is exactly the same as a typical wing chair that we all know and recognize except for the back of the chair has "channels" or large ridges in the way it is upholstered.

Breakfront-this piece is extremely similar to a china cabinet, but you'll see that the difference lies in the detail on the top of the piece.

Tuxedo Sofa-this sofa is characterized by the tall, straight lines of the arms and a high back.

Pembroke Table-similar to a Butterfly table but the difference is in the legs. A Pembroke has long, skinny, tapered legs.

Studio Couch-this is a half-sofa, half-bed type piece that reminds me of a classy futon.

Spoon back Chair-this chair is a larger chair that has a deep curved scoop to it's shape, similar to a spoon.

So there you have it! Hopefully this will help some of you out if you are studying for a quiz, furniture shopping or just trying to figure out what style of furniture you like and just want to know what to call it!