Designer Tricks of The Trade | Ideas To Inspire

April 27, 2017

Have you ever wanted to know what tricks designers use to create unique rooms? Well, today is your lucky day. I’m sharing TEN designer tricks that you can easily incorporate into your own home to get a custom look with your decor.

Some of the ideas require a little DIY, the others are quick, easy and affordable decorating ideas.

♦♦♦

DESIGNER TRICKS OF THE TRADE

♦♦♦

No. 1 REVERSING RUGS

Did you know that some rugs are designed with a defined pattern on each side? That’s like getting two rugs for the price of one. Rugs with two usable sides are great because with a quick flip of the rug you can change the look of your decor. The next time you’re rug shopping check the back side and see if it has a usable pattern.

tip: pay attention to the weave and feel of the back side to make sure you like it

source

The same ‘reverse’ trick works with some fabrics too. Designer Jamie Meares used the reverse side of this dot fabric as the welt providing the perfect contrast to give the chair a real designer touch.

source

No. 2 CHANGING OUT or UpSTYLING LAMPSHADES

Have you ever come across the perfect lamp but it has an awful shade? It happens all the time. It might be that the shade is the wrong shape or color, or maybe the lamp needs a shade with more style. The trick here is to buy the lamp and change or UpStyle the shade!

One of my favorite sources for lampshades online is Lux Lampshades. Lux has a quick ship program with in-stock shades of all shapes, sizes and fabrics. And their custom program allows you to design a custom shade from a range of fabrics and frames they have available.

source

No. 3 USING OUTDOOR LIGHTING INDOORS

Did you know that the only major difference between outdoor lighting and indoor lighting is that the finishes on outdoor lighting are created to withstand weather elements? Beyond that outdoor lighting is suitable for indoor use. Some of my favorite outdoor lighting styles to use inside are scones and lanterns. Check out this chic outdoor light used in a bathroom by A Beautiful Mess.

source

No. 4 MOUNTING A FRAME WITHIN A FRAME

I’m always taking about how important layering is when decorating and that concept even applies to wall decor. If you have a framed art piece that’ to small, think about hanging it inside of a larger frame. The two pieces combined will provide the impact you’re desiring and also give your wall decor statement a custom look.

tip: don’t overlook ugly artwork at a thrift store because the frame might be of value

source

No. 5 CREATING A LARGE RUG FROM TWO

Did you know that designers sometimes create one rug from two? Let’s say you find the perfect rug but it doesn’t come in a large enough size. If the pattern works, you can actually use rug tape to create a larger size from two smaller rugs. And if you want a more permanent fix, some rug companies can actually glue the rugs together.

source

No. 6 A TOUCH OF BLACK IN EVERY ROOM

This is one of my tried and true design rules. Black adds a touch of drama to a room and helps to ground the decor. Don’t think that it has to be a piece of black furniture or a wall painted black, all it takes is a touch. A lamp base, a decorative object or a textile with black in it. If you have a room in your home with no black, add the color and see the impact it makes.

source

No.7 MIX HIGH END WITH LOW END

Because I’m an avid vintage shopper, I love mixing high with low. A high-quality sofa paired with inexpensive pillows or a budget friendly rug paired with a statement coffee table are just two ways to mix it up. Mixing high and low will give your decor distinct flair, add personality and save you money.

My favorite budget friendly pieces are side tables, pillows and decorative objects.

source

N0. 8 MIX OLD & NEW

Just like mixing high and low, mixing old and new is a great way to customize your decor. Pair a vintage coffee table with a new sofa or a new lamp with a thrifted cabinet. The days of shopping at one store for all your decor needs are gone so have fun mixing it up.

source

No. 9 PATTERN MIXING

Ask any designer and they will tell you that pattern-work is key to any design statement. You don’t have to go bright and bold because subtle colors and patterns can have just as much impact as bright colors and bold prints. The key to pattern mixing is to pair patterns of different scales and styles. You can read more of my tips on pattern mixing here.

source

No. 10 EMBELLISHING OFF THE SHELF FABRICS

I love designer fabrics but they aren’t always in the budget. One of the tricks designers use to UpStyle off-the-shelf textiles is to add trim. There are some many affordable trims that can be applied to curtains, pillows or just about anything. Check out that seat cushion below that has been transformed with some greek key trim. #brilliant

tip: my favorite trim source are this, this and this

source

via

source

So there you have it friends. A few of the tricks designers use when creating and decorating a space.

A little creativity goes a long way so get crafty, think outside the box and give your decor a unique spin.

Color Crush: Blue and Green

April 20, 2016

via

I’ve been working with a new client and their design project is really exciting because it involves one of my favorite color crushes…blue and green.

While navy has always been a much-used color in home decor, it has been resurfacing as a hot color trend over the last couple of years. And ever since Pantone named Emerald Green as their color of the year in 2013, shades of green have been making a comeback as one of the top home decor fashion colors.

What I like about the combination of blue and green is the sophisticated yet modern feel that pairing has.

On a recent fabric shopping trip, I spotted some really beautiful blue and green fabrics I wanted to share with you. I’ve grouped the designs together in workable sets that can easily be combined within a single room design. Here’s how I’d use each of the fabrics within the groupings:

…

Read the Post

Shopping Ikea–New decor and fabrics!

February 22, 2016

Hello friends. I hope you all had a great weekend.

Since I hadn’t been shopping at IKEA in a while, I decided to stop by the store on Saturday to see what was new. Whenever I plan a trip to Ikea, I try to go early in the morning or an hour or so before they close because the crowds are usually at a low point during those times. Well, I must have missed the email announcement that Saturday night was ‘kids night’ because the store was packed with families and there were kids running around everywhere. What usually takes me an hour to get through the store took me a lot longer because I was constantly dogging little ones.

Despite the crowd and super long check-out lines, we made it out in one piece but did have to stop and get ice-cream on the way home to calm our nerves:)

Anyway, back to my shopping trip. I spotted several new items I wanted to share with you including some of the new fabrics Ikea is selling.

♦♦♦

One of the first things I spotted were these glass jars. I love the cork tops and the simple shape. These would be great on a kitchen counter to hold snacks and staples and I can even see them being used as a terrarium or to hold seasonal decor like the photo below. If I remember correctly, the largest size was $24.00 and the medium was $14.99.

via

When I spotted these wood boxes I immediately thought of a thousand different ways to use them. And they are the perfect piece for a DIY project. Unfortunately the store was out of this size but did have a larger/longer size available. It think the price was $5.99.

Another great piece I saw was this woven side table. The top is a metal tray and it comes off to reveal storage space inside. I didn’t much care of the white stripe around the center but that could be fixed in a flash with spray paint or stain. Just image this in a bold, bright color for summer. $79.99

I loved this black planter and will probably go back and get one. The textured pattern on the outside is really nice and the inside is painted gold which you can see in the website photo below.

I never pass up the pillow aisle at Ikea and it never fails that they have something I want. This blue and cream striped pillow cover was really nice and I loved the watercolor effect the stripes had. Like most of the pillow covers, this one was a great deal at just $8.00.

Next up was the fabric department at Ikea. If you’ve never looked at the fabrics that Ikea sells, I suggest you do. Their fabric department is set up with a cut-it-yourself station so you cut the yardage you need and take it to the register to be rung up. You won’t find designer patterns or designer quality but many of the fabrics are great for decor like pillows, table linens or even drapes. And you can’t beat the price with most of the fabrics under $10 a year.

Here are a few favorites…

♦♦♦

Berta Ruta–a classic red and white plaid $8.99/yd Also comes in other classic colors.
Emmie Ros–this is a vintage inspired floral design and would be great in with shabby chic decor–$6.99/yd.
Sofia–a classic black and white stripe for only $7.99/yd. I used this fabric to make a skirt for the file cabinet in my office and love the weight and quality of it. Also available in other colors.
Pilorf–I love, love, love the floral design on this fabric and think it would make a really pretty table runner because of the way the pattern runs. $5.99/yd.

Blue and white products are a big trend at Ikea and they have some great blue and white fabrics for sale. This Sommar pattern is modern and classic and is only $5.99/yd.
At first I didn’t know if I like this abstract foliage fabric and then I remembered that Sherry Hart used it to make pillows for one of her projects and I was sold. It’s a great design that in the right application can look high-end. $9.99/yd.
This Sommar blue and white grid pattern is another classic design they sell. I can envision this as drapes with a beautiful trim detail or made into a duvet cover. $5.99/yd
Classic black and white floral design with an antique washed look. $7.99/yd.

And another new item I spotted in the fabric department was a bundle of fabric swatches that were on sale for $4.99. Each swatch measures 8″ x 8″ and there are 50 pieces in the bundle, 10 each of 5 designs. I immediately thought of making dinner napkins from these or using them in craft projects. I might be going back to get these as well.

So there you have it…a few of my favorite things at Ikea.