Grand Openning-Your Harmony Design

You have been following the blog and learning about design options for your space, though at times not sure exactly what your space needs.  That is where Your Harmony Design Website can help

Your Harmony Design is "Providing Professional Interior Design Services at an Exceptional Price".  The services range from full service design to aiding in paint and color selection.  Check us out at http://www.yourharmonydesign.com/.

Give your mom a great Mother's Day gift.  Now through May 9, 2010 it is 10% off any service ordered.  Including Face to Face consultations.  For online services at check out use code mothersday2010.

Spring and Design

"Photo". Flowers. Better Homes and Gardens 2010. 15 April 2010 <http://www.bhg.com>

Hooray ! Spring is finally here. For most of us this means opening the windows to let in the spring air, spring cleaning, and watching flowerbeds come alive. For design it means a fresh new look with a few simple additions to our space with spring inspired ideas.

Start with adding a fresh vase of flowers to your table, shelf, or mantle. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate, some fresh cut stems from your garden add that perfect touch. A tablecloth in a spring a color; spring green, lavender, pink, white, to cover your table with will brighten your space. Giving it that fresh spring feel.

Check out these ideas from Better Homes and Gardens for brightening your space for spring. First, replace heavy draperies with lighter window treatments and second, place spring colored throw pillows on your furniture.

"Photo". Room. Better Homes and Gardens 2010. 15 April 2010 <http://www.bhg.com/>

 

Don’t forget to take advantage of spring and all of the wonderful décor opportunities it offers. Adding spring touches to your space makes your home feel fresh and alive. You will be amazed at how wonderful it makes your rooms feel.
 
 
Questions or topics you are interested in email questions@yourharmonydesign.com.

Customizable Shelf

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Have you been looking for decorative ledge shelving? But, just can't find the style you want. The solution is here.


Here is a customizable ledge shelf. You use a piece of crown moulding from the hardware store. The wider the better. This is quick and simple project if you want to do-it-yourself.



-Go to the hardware store and choose your crown molding.


-Have it cut the length you desire.


-Then choose the finish you want. A couple of finish options include paint (gloss, semi-gloss, flat, metallic) or staining.


-Pick-up the appropriate hardware and hang it on the wall. Make sure to purchase hardware that will hold the right amount of weight. You don't want to get your project done and then have it fall down.



Now if you want a pre-made ledge shelf there are a variety of places to purchase them. Pottery Barn, Pier 1 Imports, Ikea, and Target just to name a few.



This is a great idea for any space. It allows you to get a shelf that fits your style perfectly.



Have questions or topics you are interested in email questions@yourharmonydesign.com.

Tile Backsplash

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Have you ever wanted to make a design change to your kitchen, but a full remodel was out of the question. Good news, you don't have to do a full remodel to make a great looking design change to your kitchen. A new tile backsplash can do the trick at a much lower cost.

One wonderful thing about tile backsplashes is you can custom design it to fit your style. The only limitation is your budget. The other great part is you can hire a third party to install it or your can do-it-yourself.

When deciding on your backsplash design:

-First, decide how high you want the backsplash to go. Majority of the time they go from top of counter to bottom of cupboard, but they don't have to.

-If doing it yourself take thorough measurements of the backsplash area and calculate amount of tile needed before going to purchase it. This way you don't get home and realize you didn't purchase enough. To calculate the amount of tile you will need take length (in inches) times height (in inches), divide by 12, and then divide by 12 again. This gives you the area in square feet.

-Third, draw the design of your backsplash to scale. Decide what tiles you are going to use. Square, rectangle, rhombus, or circular. This way you know the amount of each tile type you need and if the tiles you want to use will fit in the space available.

-Last, look at your design and take into consideration the color and style of the tiles and be sure they fit the style of you kitchen. You don't want to complete the project and then realize it clashes with the rest of the space.

-For some more basic tile backsplash information check out this do-it-yourself website.

Here are some backsplash examples from a variety of design websites.

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Remember when deciding on a tile backsplash the skies the limits. You can either hire a third party to install it or you can do-it-yourself. If you decide to install it you can pick up a book on installing tile at your local hardware or bookstore. When your done don't forget to sit back and enjoy the finished project. I promise it will be worth all of the work.

Have questions or topics you are interested in email questions@yourharmonydesign.com.

Headboards...A crucial element for the design of your bedroom

Headboards are a key element to giving your bedroom that finished look. But, where to find that perfect one and what to do if you can't find that ideal headboard.

There are many resources where you can start your search for your headboard. Listed below are a few places to begin.


http://www.potterybarn.com/


http://www.overstock.com/


http://www.headboardsource.com/


http://www.pier1.com/


When looking for that perfect headboard make sure you don't end up with buyers remorse by asking yourself these question.


What is the headboard made out of?


Is it a quality material?
The type of material you want is determined by how long you want the headboard to last. If you only want it to last a year or two than a lesser quality product would fit your needs. Where if you are wanting to last for a longer period of time a higher quality material would be best.

Will the headboard fit your bed and in the available space?
It is always best to check this before purchasing, otherwise you could be disappointed when you get it home.

Is it the perfect headboard (or sometimes, as close as you can come to perfect)?
When asking yourself this question think about whether it fits the style of the room and if it harmonizes with the other colors and finishes in space.

For more hints on choosing a headboard look at this Southern Accents article. It discusses what size your headboard should be and benefits of headboard slipcovers.

After going through all of your headboard resources if you still can't find a headboard that fits your style or price point, or both you can have one custom made. Or if you are looking for a project you can create one yourself. It does take a little time, but you can get exactly what you want.


Here are a few of my favorite do-it-yourself headboard ideas:

Better Homes and Garden shows this idea where they took two windows, spiced them up, and used them as a headboard.

This Better Homes and Garden headboard offers a more romantic style.

Then this  Better Homes and Garden headboard idea discusses how to make your own upholstered headboard.

HGTV.com also offers tips on how to create a three-sided upholstered headboard.  







Remember when are looking for a headboard to ask the right questions so you don't have buyers remorse.  Also, if you can't find it in stores or online there are many options to have one specially made (by a third party or yourself) to get that ideal headboard.

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

Adding life to your space

So, you have gotten a start on the interior design changes around your home. Found the accessories you love. Arranged the furniture so it is perfect, but it still feels as if something is missing.


For many spaces that missing element is a plant. Having either a real or fake plant, whether it been cut flowers in a vase or a small indoor tree, it can be the finishing touch that a room needs. A plant adds a little bit of life to a space and makes it more inviting.


Now there is a fine balance when accessorizing with plants. First, choose the right plant and container for the space. If your space is contemporary in style and you choose a more country flower, such as a sunflower, it will take away from the harmony of the space. Second, don't over do it. Make sure not to put to many plants in your space, otherwise it will have the opposite effect that you want.


If you are wanting ideas of what plants and containers to use, a place to start is by looking at design magazines and websites. Many of the pictures I have posted in past entries give some great examples of kinds of plants and containers you can use to accessorize.

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Also check out these other design magazines. Southern Accents, Country Living, and House Beautiful. Many of there home pages have pictures that plant accessories in a designer space. Also, check out other articles on the sites and you will find a plethora of examples.

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

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.