Inspiration and where to find it

Here you are wanting to make changes to your home interiors, but the perfect idea hasn't come to you yet. It leaves you wondering where to find that inspiration needed for your space. Finding a creative starting point can be the hardest part of designing a room, but man once you do, the idea takes off at lightning speed.

One place I like to look is my favorite piece of furniture, accessory, or art piece that is in the space and use it as a jumping point. Recently I was helping a client with accessories for her living room. I asked if she had an idea of what accessorizes she was in the market for, to get an idea of size and scale. She wasn't sure, but there were two pieces of décor my client was partial to. A picture of magnolias and a statue of a giraffe that sat on her mantel. We used this as a inspirational place to start and were able to find some awesome accessories for her living room. Never underestimate where one small piece of décor can take you.

The other place I like to look for is in the small or big details I fall in love with. A while back I was in Europe visiting the Eiffel Tower. While standing very close to it I looked up and saw how awesome the small details of the construction were and that sparked my creative juices.

But, don't think you have to be far away from home to get inspired. For me the color of leaves in the fall help inspire a color palette for projects. So, always be prepared for that design spark, you never know when it could hit you.

When looking for inspiration don't think to hard you will just give yourself a headache. Instead think of the décor and details that you love and go from there.

If you have any questions about finding inspiration for a project or design topics you are interested in email questions@yourharmonydesign.com.

What is your style?

Over the last while we have talked about color, accessories, and more. But, you might be wondering how to make decisions in any of those areas if you don't know your style. So, this week is all about what the different design styles are.


Start by taking this quiz at the Your Harmony Design Forms site. Included with the quiz is a key, so that you can determine which design style most fits you.  But, as always if you have questions don't hesitate to contact me.  Also, after you determine your style take the poll at the right so we can see what the most popular style is. 

Four major design styles:

 

Contemporary: Is a transitional style between modern and traditional. It is when one doesn't want all of the curves of classical design, but also doesn't want everything to be straight lines. To the left is a great example of a contemporary or transitional bedding set. For another example of contemporary design check out this HGTV link.



Traditional: Is a more formal or classical style. Furniture has curved elements to it and at times has a more antique look. This Thomasville dining chair, at the left, is a prime example of traditional furniture. Here is another link to an example of good traditional design, at HGTV.



Country: Is a more relaxed style or sometimes the word rustic comes to mind. Though rustic is not always the case.  One might think of large sunflowers and bright cheery colors, such as red and yellow. To the left is a perfect example of a country style bedroom.  For another example of a country style room check out this HGTV link.






Eclectic: Is a style that is a combination of two of the above design styles. Pictured at the left is a Pottery Barn console table, which is more traditional, but has contemporary décor accessorizing and is a wonderful example of eclectic design. For another example of great eclectic design check out this HGTV link.


Now that you have a better understadning of what your style is, don't be afraid to embrace it. Don't worry if at times you are all one style and another time you are more ecletic. As long as your furniture, colors, accessories, etc. harmonize then your space will have a professional look with a personal touch.

Please let me know if you have any questions or topics you are interested in by emailing me at questions@yourharmonydesign.com.

Where to find accessories

                          Contemporary                       Country

        

                                    Eclectic                              Traditional

                      

                                              
A couple of weeks ago I posted an entry about accessory arrangement. To go along with that, this weeks entry is about websites and stores you can find accessories at.

Some of the well known places to find home décor are Target, Ikea, and Ross Dress for Less. But, lets look at some of the other places that designers shop.




Click Here

Those of you looking for specialty containers with either a utilitarian or decorative look, either Crate and Barrel or The Container Store are awesome sites to peruse. They have everything from kitchen containers and hooks to closet organizers. Also, Crate and Barrel has some furniture and accessories available on their website.









Click Here

For everything from tabletop accessories to furniture Pottery Barn and Pier 1 Imports are good sites to find items that fit all styles (traditional, contemporary, country, eclectic). Not only do they both have websites, but they also have stores in many states.







Click Here

 If you are looking for an even more designer look, check out these sites: Design Public and 2modern. They have a wide variety of accessories to choose from. Design Public has some wonderful wall art that I wouldn't hesitate to hang in my or a client's homes. One of my favorites is there contemporary piece: Wallter Teardrops Wall Applications (pictured at left).



          
Click Here

Then 2modern has an awesome selection of vases. To add to the contemporary look check-out their Alex Marshall Studios - Mini Ripple Vase (pictured at left).






There are a wide variety of sites and stores to find your home décor at. So, if you don't find just the right accessory the first place you look continue searching, because the décor you are looking for is out there waiting for.



To aid you in you journey, here is a larger list of websites to check out.
http://www.thecontainerstore.com/
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/
http://www.potterybarn.com/http://www.pier1.com/
http://www.designpublic.com/
http://www.2modern.com/
http://www.zgallerie.com/
http://www.overstock.com/
http://www.pillowsandthrows.com/
http://www.burkedecor.com/
http://www.nambe.com/
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/
http://www.target.com/
http://www.ikea.com/
http://www.rossstores.com/
http://www.tjmaxx.com/
http://www.michaels.com/
http://www.joanns.com/


If you have questions or topics you are interested in email me at questions@yourharmonydesign.com.

Organization...Key to good design!

Ruzicka, Carol.  House Beautiful Magazine, housebeautiful.com. 02 February 2010 http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/organize/organized-kitchen.

A piece of design that often gets neglected is organization. It can effect all design aspects of your home. If things looked cluttered and not put together you will continually be frustrated with the look of your space and wonder why it doesn't feel harmonious.

 

To remedy this problem you will want to start by looking at your available space.  For many that do not have an abundance of closets and storage rooms, decorative containers and shelving are the solution.

 

Another solutions is to let some items you would normally store in a cupboard show. In a bathroom, putting your towels on an open shelf makes it a functional accessory. Or in a kitchen, displaying your pasta in glass containers when no cupboard space is free, makes food, décor.

A third remedy is using decorative boxes and chests. This is a great way to accessorize shelves and hide the clutter. All of those photos that need to be stored, but you don't have free cupboard space, organize them in a stylish box and display on a shelf. Or those pesky keys and miscellaneous items that get left on the kitchen counter, hide them in a designer bowl.

 As you are organizing remember to use the right solution for the job. Not everything is display worthy, so only choose your best items to display in open containers.  Don't let yourself get carried away and end up with the cluttered look.

Organization is so key to good design House Beautiful magazine has many articles dedicated to it. My favorite is the article Organizing Your Living Room. Click on this link to check it and others out: http://www.housebeautiful.com/archive/decorating/organize/.

 If you have any questions or have topics you are interested in email me at questions@yourharmonydesign.com. 

Accessory Arrangement

Now that the room is painted you have all of the accessories waiting to be placed, but where to begin.

First, decide if all of the existing accessories will be used and if any new ones will be added. Then start preliminary groupings of the accessories to be sure that it is going to work the way you want. This keeps nail whole repair to a minimum. Make sure when grouping your items they are in odd numbers (one's, three's, five's, etc). This gives your décor that finishing touch and professional finish.


Now that your accessory arrangements have been grouped, think about placement. There are four ways in which arrangements are done: symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial, and stepped.


A quick example of each grouping style. Symmetrical: A sofa with the same lamp and end table flanking each side. Asymmetrical: A mantel with a tall item on one side and shorter item on the other. Radial: Wall grouping with objects stemming from a central point and coming out in a circular fashion. Stepped: A group of pictures as you head up a staircase.


If you can't decide on one arrangement style no worries, you can mix and match. But, don't get carried away. I suggest only doing two in a space, especially to start with.


Last, keep in mind visual weight. Even though objects may not weigh a lot on a scale, they may look like they do. If you had a large picture hung it would look heavy compared to a smaller picture. In order to balance these pieces out you would need to hang the large picture with a grouping of smaller ones next to it.


When arranging your accessories remember odd numbers of objects in a group and to have the visual weight balanced, for harmony to be achieved throughout your space.


If you have any questions or topics you are interested in please feel free to email me at questions@yourharmonydesign.com.

Here is a great Better Homes and Garden article I found that has some expanded information on accessory arrangement: http://www.bhg.com/decorating/home-accessories/collectibles/tips-on-arranging-accessories/

Affordable interior design changes....Are there any?

In light of the current economic environment many of us have asked ourselves, are there affordable design changes for my home? The answer is yes; painting. A new coat of paint can give a space a whole new look, for a minimal cost. A little work is required, but the rewards are well worth it.


First decide what walls to paint. Are multiple rooms being painted or just one room. If the room being painted can be seen from another space, such as seeing the living room from the kitchen, you want them to be unified. This will probably take painting both spaces if you want a color different than the existing one. Personally if you are painting the one room, you should paint the other, so that they all have the same fresh look.

Next decide if all of the walls are going to be the same color or if there is going to be an accent wall. If you choose to do an accent wall realize that you have created a focal point in the space. Be sure to organize your furniture and other décor around this focal point for the most unified space. Accents walls enhance a room by offering the space a point of orgin.

Before you choose your paint colors you need to consider the following:

1. What kind of mood do I want my space to have?

Deciding on the mood will go a long ways to avoiding “painters remorse”. The color green is very calming, so painting a room this color would offer a more relaxing atmosphere in your space. Where red can have the opposite effect. I recommend to my clients that they go in the middle. Using burnt orange or a deep red has a dramatic feel without being aggressive.

There is so much information on colors and the moods they invoke that I can't cover it all in this short entry so check out this website for more information: http://freshome.com/2007/04/17/room-color-and-how-it-affects-your-mood/

2. Do I have enough light in the space for the color I have chosen?


Many of us prefer dark paint colors. But, if your room has little light, using a dark color, such as chocolate brown, can absorb a lot of it. If you want to use a dark color, use it on an accent wall. Then have all of the other walls a lighter, more neutral color.


I recently did this in a bedroom. There was only a small, single light source, making the corners shadowy. By white washing three of the four walls, and having a dark accent color only on the focal wall, the bedroom is much brighter. Brightening the room makes the space feel larger than it did before.


To summarize, be sure to choose your colors based on the end objective. Choose the right mood for the room and be sure your other décor items can be arranged around the new focal point.

If you have any questions about painting please email me at questions@yourharmonydesign.com