Interior Design Archives | Page 21 of 56

Design Chat–Space Planning & Decorating a Narrow Room–Vol. 5

November 12, 2015

Hello. I’m back with the 5th installment of Design Chat. This time I’m addressing a question from another reader named Cassandra regarding her long, narrow living room.

Here’s what Cassandra asked…

“I have a long and narrow room. Fireplace on one end where I plan to put the TV above. And the entry hall directly across from the fireplace. I hate the look of over crowding but need extra seats for company. Tips?”

Well, since I don’t have a picture of Cassandra’s actually space, I’m imagining it to look a little something like the image below.

via

Before I get into decorating tips for long, narrow rooms, let’s look at two of the most common issues with a space like this.

The first issue is how to maximize the floor space with the furniture layout while keeping traffic lanes open and creating an inviting space. The other issue that’s common is how to create seating that works for 2 as easily as it does for 20.

Let’s look at solutions…

BREAK UP THE SPACE. Sometimes the best way to deal with a long, narrow space is to divide it into two seating groups. That will allow you to fill the space without giving up normal-size furniture. It also will give you the opportunity to customize each area for a different activity or level of intimacy.

via design by Carrera and Fauquié

DOUBLE UP ON SEATING. A long living room often demands more than one sofa. The scheme works because the two opposing sofas are placed against the walls/windows which keeps the room open and accessible. Side chairs placed at an angle provide additional seating without closing off the entrance to the room.

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Another option when using two sofas is to place them back to back within the room and use accent seating to create separate sitting areas arranged around each sofa.

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ADD ACCENT PIECES. An easy way to supplement seating in a long, narrow living room is with ottomans and benches which can be pulled up when guests want to join the conversation. These occasional pieces can also serve as accent tables with the addition of books or trays to create a level surface area.

Style At Home

FIND PIECES THAT CAN SERVE TWO PURPOSES. Think about replacing a traditional coffee table with oversized upholstered ottomans that can be separated and used as additional seating when needed.

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STORE EXTRA SEATING IN OPEN AREAS. If your coffee table will support it, store a couple of small stools underneath it. The stools add to the decorative look of the room but can be pulled out quickly and easily when you need more seating for guests.

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Decorating a long, narrow living room takes some creativity and many times it’s looking beyond a traditional furniture layout and maximizing the space with two areas and decorating with pieces that will work for you in multiple ways.

More design tips for long, narrow rooms:

♦ pay attention to the scale of furniture in the room. Furniture that is too large will make the room feel overcrowded and furniture that is too small will make the room feel even more narrow.

♦ take the focus on the length of the room by maximizing the height with tall bookcases, bold wall decor and curtains hung high up.

♦ paint the room a neutral color so they eye move effortlessly around the space

♦ or paint one of the side walls in an accent color which will create a feeling of expansiveness within the room

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If you have a design challenge and need some suggestions on how to solve it, just leave a comment and I’ll address it in a future installment of Design Chat.

Design Inspiration that will blow your mind!

November 10, 2015

This post requires that you grab and cup of coffee or tea and plop yourself in a cushy chair because you’re going to want to spend some time checking out every detail of these amazing home tours and photos! When you’re done, leave me a comment and let me know which was your favorite.

KariAnne shared this home tour on her blog and it stopped me in my tracks. It just might be one of the most beautiful homes in the history of forever.

via Thistlewood Farms

I could live in a mostly white house if it looked like this.

via Style Me Pretty photography by Tracy Ayton

This chic and elegant living room has a $99 rug— the perfect example of a high, low mix!

via AD

Just one more example of the power of paint, this time on the ceiling.

Country Living via my domaine

Now this is how you decorate a small space!

via house beautiful

The next time you want to redesign your pantry, take inspiration from this amazing set up.

via residencestyle

I hope you’re as inspired as I am!

Product + Inspiration: Oversized Clocks

November 4, 2015

I have always been a fan of clocks when it comes to decor for the home. I love clocks of all sizes but over the last few years I’ve seen the trend of larger clocks growing. Clocks like this Howard Miller Postema Gallery Wall Clock which measures 49 inches in diameter is not only unique but it is a great way to make a bold statement with your decor.

Larger clocks are a fun accent in a foyer with expansive ceilings and ample wall space.

Beckwith Interiors via Jennifer Rizzo

Ballard Design

Many of the larger clock made of metal can be use in an outdoor covered setting which can give your lots more options for your outdoor decor.

New Canaan Design by Town and Country Living

Large clocks are the perfect solution for that always hard to decorate wall space in a kitchen.

Found Design via looks like white

I love the idea of a wall clock anchoring a console table vignette.

via Horchow

For an uncomplicated and bold look, hang a large wall clock in the living room instead of artwork.

the painted cottage

Kylie M Interiors

And hanging over a sofa, a large wall clock adds a unique style statement and punch to a room.

Vintage Chic

If you love the look of a large wall clock, there are many different styles on the market so you can easily find a look that fits your decor.

Here’s my round-up of favorite super-sized wall clocks…

Harrington 36″ Wall Clock / Romanian Style Antique Wall Clock / 39″ Oversized Wall Clock
Pierre Wall Clock / Moment In Time Wall Clock / Chatham Wall Clock

When it comes to large wall clocks, the saying Go Big or Go Home definitely fits.

Dressing the back of the toilet!

October 29, 2015

I was looking around one of my bathrooms the other day and noticed that I didn’t have anything on the back of the toilet. The vanity was decorated, there was art on the walls and I had decorative towels, rugs and a shower curtain. The empty space on the back of the toilet sat empty so I decided to change that. I searched Pinterest for some inspiration and noticed a few tried and true decorating solutions for the back of a toilet.

Decorative Accessory Combo: Artwork + Pretty Tray + Faux Flowers + Decorative Containers

A grouping of decorating accessories adds a lot of charm to such a functional space

apartment therapy

Functional Accessory Combo: Wire Basket + TP Rolls

Displaying everyday items in a fun way can add personality to a bathroom

country living

Simple Accessory Combo: Flowers In A Vase

A simple pop of color and texture can soften a functional space

cape 27

Fragrant Accessory Combo: Fresh Flowers + Scented Candles

Even a bathroom can feel special when you accessorize with decor like flowers and candles that enhance the atmosphere

curbly

Practical Accessory Combo: Plant + Toiletries In A Jar + Candle & Matches

Organizing in the bathroom should be practical and pretty and greenery bring energy to any space

design sponge

I decided to keep the accessorizing on the back of my toilet simple and came up with three options. Here’s a look a glimpse at the decor in the bathroom…

Here are the decor options:

Option 1

Option 2:

Option 3

So tell me, have you decorated the back of your toilet? And which of my decorative options do you like best? I think I’m leaning towards option #2.

Holiday Decorating with ConfettiStyle Interiors

October 28, 2015

This holiday, let ConfettiStyle Interiors do all the hard work decorating your home!

Our services include custom holiday home decor, Christmas tree decorating, custom wreaths and garland, decor of parties and events and custom gift wrapping.

(click image above to enlarge)

We’ve got years of experience with holiday decor and will work with you to create a design plan for your home or event, including Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years.

The holidays are a special time, so let us help you celebrate in style!

For more information about the holiday decorating services or to schedule your appointment, email me at shelly.confettistyle@gmail.com. Appointments are limited!

Design Details: FIVE Rooms I Love and the reasons why

October 23, 2015

It’s my job to dissect the details of a room to evaluate why the design, layout, furnishing or even the details work. To give you a little insight into my design thought process, today I’m sharing 5 rooms that caught my attention and the reasons why I love each space.

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Creating a comfortable and stylish living space directly off the kitchen can pose some challenges. You want the two spaces to feel connected yet have their own identity. And you also want there to be some common threads with the color palettes between the two spaces.

I love this living space below because it shares the same wall color as the kitchen which creates that sense of unity. And I also love how the wall facing into the living space was painted a soft accent color which helps define where one room starts and the other ends.

Design details to love: layered rugs, potted plants on the mantle, a mix of pillows and that wood covered oven hook!

LilyPadCottage

Even though you can’t see this entire room in this photo, you definitely know that it’s a fantastic space. What gives most rooms its personality is the mix of decor, textiles and finishes used to decorate it. This living space feels right, warm, personal, collected and inviting because of the design details used throughout.

Design details to love: Animal prints (every room needs one), collected grouping of objects on the table, neutral background with pops of color and a gallery wall that’s interesting!

Driven By Decor

Even the smallest spaces in your home can have a powerful design statement. Foyer spaces should draw guests into the home while setting the tone for the homes design style. This foyer space feels so personal because of the collection of framed photos and treasures on the table. Don’t be afraid to use lots of items to make an impact–repeating shapes and materials will tie it all together.

Design details to love: Glass cloches (a great way to display collectibles), wood on wood (different wood tones make it work), gallery wall frames in the same color story but in different shapes and sizes (harmonious but interesting)

CasaSugar

Colorful rooms have been trending for a few years now and they are most successful when the room has a neutral or white base like this one. The room also works because colors are repeated which creates the common thread within the decor.

Design details to love: Two coffee tables (glass keeps the space visually uncluttered), books arranged by color and touches of black (another thing every room needs)! Oh, that sofa color is pretty amazing too.

DecorPad

Bedrooms don’t have to be bland or even cost a fortune to decorate. I love this room because of the soft color palette which in my opinion doesn’t feel too masculine or feminine. I also love the layers that have been created with the furniture, textiles, rug and accessories.

Design details to love: Desk lamps on the nightstand (use what works), a cowhide rug layered over an area rug (cowhides feel elegant), console tables instead of traditional night stands (use baskets underneath if you need storage), a dynamic accent wall (this one was created with tape) and pop of pink.

The Nester

When it comes to dissecting the design details in your home, look for the elements that bring you joy and that make your home feel good.

Happy Friday!

Decorative Ingredients for Styling a Console Table

October 20, 2015

Shelterness

There are countless ways you can approach styling a console table. You can keep it simple and classic or you can create an eclectic decorative statement with multiple decorative accessory items. Whatever the approach, there are a few tried and true components that every console table should have.

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LAMPS–a pair of lamps is one of the most popular design ingredients for styling a console table. Matching lamps provide symmetry as well as ambient lighting within a room and will give a larger console table the visual weight it needs up top.

tip: for a more eclectic look, use a single lamp on one side of the table and a grouping of accessories to balance it on the other side.

Best of Both Worlds–Fun and Frugality

PERSONAL TOUCHES–console tables give you the perfect platform for displaying personal items in your home. Assemble a grouping of collectibles, display family photos and decorate with pieces that have meaning to you and your family.

tip: place accessories in groups of three for a more harmonious feel (i.e.: orchid+books+clock and bird+two bowling pins)

Apartment Therapy

MIRRORS–in place of traditional artwork, try a mirror or two over the console table. Mirrors will enhance any natural light coming into the space and is an ideal wall decor solution in a foyer or hallway.

tip: in most cases, the size of the mirror should allow it to hang within the dimensions of the table, not extend beyond the edge of the table

Lonny

BASKETS–baskets are one of the best accessories you can use when styling your console table. Baskets add texture, fill the void under the table and help keep clutter under control.

Style Me Pretty–Emily Gilbert Photography

OTTOMANS–I love placing ottomans or stools under an open-bottom console table. Ottomans add visual weight and impact in addition softening the lines of the table.

Linda Benson Interiors

DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES–it’s a given that your console table should have accessories on it but which accessories you choose can make or break the overall design impact of you console. My top three accessories items for console tables are VASES, FLORALS & FRAMES. Don’t be shy with your accessory statement and mix and match colors, finishes and styles to give your table that personal touch.

tip: create a color theme with the furnishings and decorative elements you use to style your table

Decorpad

BOOKS–you can never go wrong with books when styling a console table. Use books to fill shelves, elevate decorative objects and add color.

Domaine Home

ARTWORK–the artwork you hang over a console table can really help define the space and the overall look for the table vignette. A collection of art can be just as dynamic as a single large piece and decorative objects added into the arrangement can provide added visual interest.

tip: use uniform spacing between the art pieces so the arrangement reads as a single grouping versus individual elements

Pottery Barn

Are you inspired? I know I am.

I’ve got a beautiful wood console table that I’m considering painting black so I decided to pull together an inspiration board to help me visualize the look. If you see something you like, you can shop the board below.

SHOP THIS BOARD:

Crystal Column Lamp–Lamps Plus / Faceted Metal Vase–West Elm / Rosewood Porcelain Ceramic Vase–Ballard Design

Nate Berkus Metal Feather Ball–Target / Rossington Console Table–Wayfair / Silk Orchid–Overstock

Kelsey Umbrella Stand–Wayfair / Safavieh Heritage Black and Ivory Rug–Wayfair

You don’t have to use all of these elements when styling your table but a combination of 2 or 3 will definitely help you create a table with style.

Design Chat: Styling Super Sized Sectional Sofas

October 12, 2015

Happy Monday friends!

I’m back with another Design Chat session. We’re talking sectional sofas again (they appear to be a design challenge for many folks) but this time it’s all about the most ideal way to arrange pillows and what style of coffee is best for an extra large sofa.

via

Here’s what Casandra asked…

“Shelly, I have a leather sectional that is 12′ on one side and 8′ on the other. It is perfect dimension for our room, but I am struggling with the accessories. Placing the pillows as suggested looks off balance and no coffee table is nearly as long as the long side of the sofa. Any tips?”

The pillow placement that Casandra is referencing in her question came from the styling suggestions I shared in the Design Guide below. The design guide post, which has been pinned over 2500 times outlines the do’s and don’t to styling a traditional sectional. I didn’t go into styling an oversized sofa like the one that Casandra has so we’ll talk about that today.

Design Guide: Styling A Sectional Sofa

Sectional sofas come in many different sizes and can even be custom-made to fit your room dimensions. The most important tip I would share when it some to dealing with an extra-large sectional is to pay attention to the proportions of the accessories and furniture that surround it. Accessories and furniture that are too small will make the room and sitting arrangement feel off balanced and if all the pieces in the room are too large, the room will be overpowering and uncomfortable.

DON’T: Don’t place to many pillows on the sofa and definitely don’t line them up like soldiers. The pillows should accent the sectional and provide additional visual interest, color and/or texture.

via

DO: The living room below shows the ideal way pillows should be placed on a large sectional. Pillows are grouped in clusters to accent/frame the sofa at the ends and in the middle.

Lillian August for the 2012 Hampton Designer Showhouse via Blulabel Bungalow

DO: Use pillows in a mx of patterns and colors to play off accent colors used throughout the room–the pillows should become part of the overall design of the room and not stand out like a sore thumb.

House Beautiful

DO: Pillows don’t have to all be the same size or shape–in fact a mix of sizes and shapes will add even more visual interest. Because a sectional sofa is a large rectangular shape and sits in a rectangular or square room, I’d suggest mixing in a round and/or oblong shaped pillow for visual contrast or even trying a larger size pillows mixed with smaller sizes on the ends of the sofa.

The yellow pillow in the center of the sofa below draws attention there and takes it off the ends of the sofa.

Bassett

DO: You might also want to group more pillows in the center verses on the ends which will add visual weight to the center of the sofa and help balance each arm of the sofa.

Bassett

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Now let’s talk coffee tables…

DO: I’d suggest a square coffee table. Trying to find a rectangular table that fits the dimensions of a large sectional sofa probably won’t happen and in many cases it could give the sofa an unbalanced feel. The bulk and girth of a square coffee table is a better balance against a large sectional and its overall dimensions.

Decor Pad

DO: When placing a square table in front of the sofa, don’t try to make it a perfect balance to both arms of the sofa. Place it where it’s a comfortable fit in front of the longest section of the sofa or place it so that it sits in the middle.

HouseBeauty

DO: Another option is a round coffee table. Just like with pillows, introducing a round shape into the room provides a contract to the straight lines of the sofa and takes the focus off the table being a different scale than the sectional.

Georgianadesign

Balance and scale are two of the most important design principles when it comes to decorating your home. When working with furniture that is oversized, those elements become even more important to achieving a look that not only feels good but that looks good too.

Casandra, I hope these tips help!