Design Magazines–Not Just Pretty Pictures

January 14, 2016

I admit I have an addiction (a healthy one on my book) to magazines. My addiction is not with just any magazine but with design magazines. Despite the fact that it’s my business to look through magazines, I love holding a glossy in my hands, flipping through the pages and getting caught up in the stories the images tell.

Design magazines are meant to educate and inspire, and for someone who’s decorating their home there are lots of lessons you can learn from the pages of your favorite magazines.

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If you are trying to define your design style, magazine images can help you flush out what you like and don’t like. As you go through the pages, flag rooms that appeal to you, circle design elements that you like and identify color combinations that speak to you. Once you gathered up a handful of images, review them and look for the common threads and consistent elements within each photo. The images will point you towards your style and create a clear picture that will help yo decorate your home.
Magazine images depict the latest style, color and design trends and will keep you up-to date on what products you’ll be seeing on store shelves and give you ideas for incorporating those trends into your decor.

You can learn how to style and accessorize your home from the pages of magazines. As you look at room images, take note of how items are placed on tabletops, grouped on bookshelves or how artwork collections are hung on the wall. Most design magazines take an artistic approach with their room layouts so you’re bound to see some really creative accessorizing ideas that just might inspire you to try something new in your own home.
If you’re struggling with the layout of furniture in your home, look at magazines to gather ideas on space planning and how furniture groupings are laid out. Take note of how different furniture styles are used together and how rugs and textiles are used of the room layout.

If you’re not comfortable with pattern mixing, magazine images are a great way to hone your skill. Take not of how different pattern styles that are combined, the scale of patterns and the color combinations. The more you study room designs that include multiple patterns, the more you’ll begin to see the art of pattern mixing come to life.
Look through magazine pages for lighting ideas and take note of how different styles of lighting are used to enhance the decor of a room.

Home decor magazines are one of your best resources for picking paint colors. While you might not find the perfect paint color, you’ll be able to focus in on the family of colors you like for the different room images you see. Once you have a clear color direction, you can narrow down to more specific colors choices to look at for your home.

If you’re lucky enough to have a woodworker in the family, magazines can supply you (and them) with amazing DIY project ideas.
And finally, magazines can make shopping easier or at least make it easy for you to outline a shopping list when you’re ready to decorate your home.

The next time you pick up a design magazine, enjoy the pretty pictures but also spend a little more time studying the images and see how they inspire you.

p.s. All of the magazines shown above are my go to publications and all of these can be found at your local Barnes and Noble.

Winter Inspiration {plus links you’ll love}

January 9, 2016

house beautiful UK

Well, folks we made it thought the first full week of 2016. I must say it has been nice to ease into the new year. On my agenda this weekend is garage organizing part 1, preparing my blog post for next week and down time catching up on my magazine stack. I’ll be at the Atlanta Gift and Home Furnishings show all next week so not much is going to get done at my desk.

As you continue to ease into the new year, I hope you enjoy these links I rounded up for you.

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Home Organizing Tips That Really Work! Really!

If health and fitness is a goal this year like the rest of America, you’ll want to check out the best fitness apps for 2016.

Black and white continue to be a popular color palette and these design tips will help you create black and white rooms that work.

This information on the business of blogging is worth reading if you’re new to blogging or even if you’ve been blogging for some time.

Sit and savor this beautiful home renovation.

Washingtonian

See you back here Monday where I’ll be sharing my blog goals for 2016!

Design Guide: Key Measurements You Need to Know When Decorating Your Home

January 8, 2016

On Monday I’ll be outlining my full list of blog goals for 2016 and one of them is to develop a series called Design Guide. I wrote the first Design Guide series last year, all about sectional sofas. I’ve been so surprised at the response this blog post and pin has gotten and just how many people are struggling with sectional sofa decorating. I receive emails weekly (4 this week alone) from people who’ve found the blog post and want additional decorating tips for their sectional.

The Design Guide series will fulfill my desire to share my design knowledge with you so that you can decorate your home with confidence. If there is a design topic you’d like me to write about just leave me a comment below.

Today’s post is the first installment of the Design Guide series for 2016 and it’s all about the key measurements you need to know when decorating. Before you jump into the guide, let me say that while these measurements are ideal in most situations, they won’t work in others. Every home is different and every design layout and plan requires some adjustments so keep that in mind as you read through the guide. Your home needs to work for you and your family so make adjustments where they are needed, so they will work for your decor.

FURNITURE PLACEMENT

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DINING ROOM FURNITURE:

♦ Allow 36″ – 48″ of space between the back of each dining chair and the wall or furniture behind it to so chairs can be pulled in and out with ease.

♦ The distance between the top of the table and the chair seat should be about 12″. To determine the best seat height for your table, take the height of your table and subtract 12 inches. Example: A 30″ high dining table (standard height) works best with chairs with a seat height of 18″ (30″-12=18″).

♦ For comfortable dining chairs, look for chairs with a seat depth of between 16″ and 18″.

♦ For rectangular dining tables, allow a minimum of 24″-28″ of table length per person and keep in mind the width of the chair seat may impact the space needed for each place setting at a table.

LIVING ROOM FURNITURE:

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♦ 18″ is the ideal distance you want between the couch and the coffee table.

♦ Walkways between furniture and walls should be at minimum 36″ to allow for easy movement in all directions.

♦ The ideal amount of space you should allow between two chairs placed side by side in the living room is 42″. A standard size side table will easily fit between the two chair.

♦ The height difference between an end of table and the top of a sofa arm should be 1-2″.

ARTWORK

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♦ When hanging artwork over a sofa or another piece of furniture, leave 5″- 9″ of space between the top of the sofa/furniture and the bottom of the art. You want to have some separation between the two elements.

♦ When hanging an art grouping above a sofa or piece of furniture, the grouping should be approximately 2/3 the width of the furniture below it. Your goal is for the artwork to be balanced (not too large or too small) with the element below it.

♦ For a single piece of art, the center of the image should be at 56″ – 60″ from the floor, which places the middle of art at eye level. Naturally if the entire family is extra tall or short, you can and should adjust the art so it feels comfortable for viewing.

♦ When hanging multiple pieces of artwork in a stacked layout above a piece of furniture, handle the art as if it was a single, larger piece. The space between the top and bottom piece of artwork should fall at 56″ to 60″.

♦ For symmetrical gallery wall displays, hang wall decor pieces about 2-3″ apart. For asymmetrical and artistic layouts, arrange the wall decor so it’s pleasing to you. Keep in mind you want the overall arrangement to feel balanced top to bottom and left to right.

WINDOW TREATMENTS

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♦ It’s always a good idea to hang drapery rods as high as possible above window casing/trim which will make your room and windows feel taller and more expansive. A good rule of thumb for the average window is to mount the rods 5″ to 10″ above the trim.

♦ The trend today is for window treatments to skim the floor. Letting your drapes puddle on the floor is matter of preference and tends to look best in more formal environments.

♦ To give the impression of wider windows extend the drapery rod 6″ to 12″ beyond the window casing not counting the length of a finial is you are using one.

♦ Many people hang curtain panels for decorative purposes only. If you want your drapes to be functional, your panels should be 2 to 3 times the width of the window. You can have custom drapes made in the appropriate width or you can hang multiple off the shelf panels together to achieve your desired width.

LIGHTING & CEILING FANS

LIGHTING OVER A TABLE:

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♦ The bottom of the chandelier should hang between 30″ – 34″ above the surface of the table for ceilings that are between 8′ and 9′ high. Higher ceilings will require the light fixture to be hung higher, approximately 3″ for every additional foot of ceiling height.

♦ Height–the higher the ceiling, the taller the chandelier. The rule of thumb is 2.5-3 inches for each foot of ceiling height. A standard 8-foot ceiling will accommodate a chandelier that is 20-24 inches in height.

♦ Diameter–add the height and the width of the room space together. Treat that sum as inches, and you have the suggested diameter of the chandelier for that room. For example, if the room is 20-feet by 18-feet, the sum is 38 feet. The approximate diameter of the chandelier should be 38 inches.

LIGHTING IN AN OPEN AREA:

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♦A chandelier should be hung in the center of a foyer or entryway.

♦If your foyer has a window above the door, the chandelier should be centered in the window so that it can be seen from the outside of the home.

♦If an entryway is two stories tall, the chandelier shouldn’t hang below the second floor.

♦ A fixture hung in an open space like a foyer should hang approximately 7′ above the floor.

LIGHTING IN THE KITCHEN:

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♦ The standard distance between a kitchen island and a pendant light (top of counter to bottom of light fixture) is 30 to 36 inches. Adjust the height to ensure the view across the island is not obstructed.

CEILING FANS:

♦ To determine the fan size that’s most appropriate for your space (fans are sized by the number of inches that their blades span), first determine the square feet of your room by multiplying the room’s length by its width. Then use these suggested guidelines:

For rooms up to 75 sq ft, choose a 29″ – 36″ fan
For room 76 to 144 sq ft, choose a 36″ – 42″ fan
For rooms 145 to 225 sq ft, choose a 44″- 48″ fan
For rooms 225 to 400 sq ft, choose a 48″- 54″ fan
For rooms over 400 sq ft, choose a fan that is 54″ or larger
For large great rooms, a fan as large as 72″ may be appropriate
If the room is over 400 sq ft, consider using two fans

RUGS

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♦ Rugs under a dining room table should be at least 24-30″ wider and longer than the table, allowing the back legs of the chairs to stay on the rug even when the chairs are pushed out.

Here’s an easy guide to follow:

♦ Area rugs under a bed should extend at least 18-24″ beyond each side of the bed. Also note you can place runners at each side of the bed as an alternative to a full area rug and runners can be placed along the side or at the foot of the bed.

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♦ For standard size living, family there should be between 12″ – 24″ of bare floor between the edges of the area rug and the walls of the room. Smaller rooms should have between 6″-10″ of bare floor exposed.

♦ In living and family rooms, the rug should be larger enough so that the front legs of furniture sit on the rug.

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OTHER MEASUREMENTS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

♦ Allow 20″ to 28″ inches for leg clearance below a desk and the seat height of the chair should be 14″-18″ with your feet flat on the floor.

♦ Bookshelves that are used to hold books, including oversized art books should have depth of at least 15″.

♦ For optimal viewing, size your TV based on its distance from the sofa. To get the minimum screen size in inches, divide the viewing distance by 3; for the maximum, divide by 1.5. Already have a TV? Use these guidelines to position your couch. Aim for a 15- to 20-degree viewing angle to the center of the screen.

♦ Always measure your rooms, ceiling height and doorways before you go shopping for furniture to ensure pieces will fit through doors and in their planned space.

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These measurements will get your started on a solid design plan for your home.

Best Of: Top 10 Blog Post of 2015

January 5, 2016

Over the weekend I did a little review of the blog to see which post were your favorites in 2015. While some of the top post surprised me, others didn’t. As I looked at the top 10 post, I was happy to see that the things you love most are the things I love sharing most with you on the blog…design tips and decorating how-to’s, product inspiration, easy craft day’s and unique gift wrap ideas.

All of the blog topics you enjoyed most last year will continue here on the blog with even more impact. I plan to share lots more design information in my Design Guide, Product + Inspiration and Design Chat series and have some fun and easy gift wrap and DIY projects for you as well. I so appreciate the time you spend here on the blog and if there is anything new you’d like to see in 2016, just leave me a comment below.

I’m excited for what 2016 will bring but for now let’s take a look back at the Top 10 Blog Post of 2015!

{click on the photo captions to read the full post}

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How to Style a Sectional Sofa {my most popular PIN on pinterest}

Decorative Tops of Bookcases and Armoires

Barn Lights–A Uniques Indoor Decorating Option

DIY Mug Wraps (2014) {one of my most popular Pins too!}

Decorating With Things You Love

Product + Inspiration: Hemnes Shoe Cabinet

My Christmas Theme 2015

{p.s. There’s a sneak peek of my 2016 Christmas theme over on the ConfettiStyle Instagram page}

Product + Inspiration: Gamleby Plate Shelf

Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour–Part 1

Gift Wrap Inspiration: A New Way To Add Ribbon

What’s Trending in 2016–10 Picks For The New Year

January 2, 2016

I spent some time on Pinterest over the holidays and while surfing, I stumbled across the board Pinterest 100 for 2016. The board highlights 100 trending lifestyle, fashion, food and style pins from the most influential Pinners on Pinterest. Today I’m sharing 10 of these trending pins to give you a glimpse at what will be red-hot in the new year.

The Pinterest 100: Style; Game-changing throwback sneaks like the Stan Smith gold toe by Adidas are all the rage.

{I love an old school sneaker especially when it’s been updated with a touch of glam. p.s. After some searching, it seems like this sneaker is sold out everywhere}

The Pinterest 100: Tech; Bridge the gap between music, design and technology with chic speakers in warm metallic hues.

{ We got the Amazon Echo as a Christmas gift and I must say it’s a pretty slick gadget}

The Pinterest 100: Fitness & health; “No excuses” workouts that you can fit into any schedule.

{I’ve already started making this a morning routine}

The Pinterest 100: Home; Add a touch of warmth and richness with gilded metallic wallpaper.

{Wallpaper continues to make a strong comeback}

The Pinterest 100: Art & design; “Who knew coloring for grown-ups would make a resurgence? I love the idea of getting creative and all of the health benefits that coloring provides. It’s so relaxing!” – Pinner Amy Anderson

{I’m got to coloring books I’m working on and not only is it really relaxing, but it’s a great source for inexpensive artwork too}

The Pinterest 100: Style; Modern “mom jeans” making a comeback. “The skinny jean has ruled denim for the last five years, but this year, all kinds of fresh shapes are gaining ground,” said Pinpolyee and Stylist Larkin Brown. “One of the most popular styles is the Mom jean, a high-rise straight leg with a relaxed fit. While you may think the last thing you need is another pair jeans, changing up your denim style can make a go-to outfit feel brand new.”

{I’m not a fan of the high waist but I’m loving the look of these more relaxed jeans}

The Pinterest 100: Fitness & health; Brain hacks to improve your mental fitness.

{What you think you achieve}

The Pinterest 100: Style; Hands free bags. Belt bag is the new fanny pack.

{A fashion trend I’m loving, especially for flea market days}

The Pinterest 100: Fitness & health; Healing your hair with DIY masks.

{Good for your hair and money saving–double win}

The Pinterest 100: Style; “The new richness with no rules… This trend is all about mixing patterns, embroideries, colors and fabrics,” said Pinner Paul Lowe. “It looks so effortless and fresh.”

{this is one trend that’s not for everyone–pattern mix responsibly my friends}

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You can check out all 100 of the 2016 trending Pins here.

DIY Holiday Mug Wraps–2015 Edition

December 22, 2015

Last year one of my favorite holiday DIY projects was the mug wraps I created. It was so simple to make these chic cup coozies with just some plush tartan plaid ribbon and velcro.

2014 Holiday Mug Wraps

I wanted to update the look this year to fit my holiday decor so a new version of my Holiday Mug Wraps was in order.

2015 Holiday Mug Wraps

My 2015 Mug Wraps were made with printed burlap ribbon (from Hobby Lobby) and instead of velcro, I attached red eyelets to the edges and used red suede cording to lace up the ends of the wrap.

Just like last year, these wraps are easy to remove when I don’t want to use them or want to change the look.

I love this years version of my mug wraps just as much as last years and from the looks of things, mug wraps are going to be a yearly project for me.

Only 3 more days until Christmas, are you doing any last minute holiday crafting?

Christmas Decorating Ideas For Those Of You Who Haven’t Started Decorating Yet

December 19, 2015

I know several people who haven’t gotten into the holiday spirit yet or are just beginning to decorate their homes for Christmas so this post is for them (and for you if you haven’t started decorating yet).

Decorating for Christmas doesn’t have to be a labor intensive job (I keep telling myself less is more). There are lots of easy ways to decorate your home in a flash and have it look like you’ve spent hours making it merry.

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Read the Post

Holiday Decorating Ideas From The Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour

December 17, 2015

Whew! The Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour is a wrap! I’ve loved getting to snoop around the holiday homes of my talented blogging friends and hope you all have too. Not only was the decor inspiring but I picked up several new holiday decorating ideas and tips along the way. I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorites with you!

I love this simple yet bold mantel decor from Yuni @ LoveYourAbode. The large hand scripted sign really makes a statement and the black and white color theme is so refreshing.

Kellie from Design Asylum really showed me how beautiful pattern mixing can be in a tablescape. I love the tartan plaid mixed with a traditional scroll pattern and those malachite print napkins. Now I’m on the hunt for plaid plate and next year I’m definitely going to go all out with the pattern mixing on my table.

I’ve always loved decorating with fresh greens and Elaine from OMG Lifestyle showed me how beautiful natural greens can look in a vase. A great alternative to fresh flowers.

I have a lot of glass cloches but have never showcased ornaments in them. After seeing this (and others) from Kate @ Chic On A Shoestring Decorating, I’ll definitely be stealing this idea in the future. Such an easy way to create a holiday vignette.

Tamyra from Positively Southern provided lots of inspiration on how to dress the newel post at the end of the staircase with this beautiful ornament cluster. Definitely another inspiring idea.

Even little touches like these lamp ties can make a big impact when decorating. I’m inspired to drape all the lamps in my house thanks to Marsha at M.Jones Style.

Debbie from Refresh ReStyle has so many beautiful holiday touches thought here home but her front porch urns were really impressive. An all it took was a few clippings from mother nature and an artful arrangement.