Here’s something to pick you up out of the end-of-winter blues: soft rose.
This shade — paler than a true pink, but with enough red to stand out against an eggshell or off-white — has the delicacy and gentility that we find in any of the pinks, but it isn’t just for frills and bows. In fact, soft rose can often be best used by pairing it with heavier, more masculine furnishings, as we see here. Read More …
One of the coolest colors in the palette is a pale green, a green so pale that it’s safer probably to say it’s white with just a hint of green, rather than green watered down with white.
Often we look to nature for clues about colors. Keep a couple of cukes in the crisper, slice them and arrange on a blue plate, and you’ll start feeling cooler even before you take a bite.
So it is too with using cucumber green in your home decor. Here, we’re talking about the color of the inside of the cuke, the palest shade of green. For now, peel away that rich, dark green shade of the cucumber skin – it’s too dark for the summer months, and would work better sometime in February, when you want to brighten things up while keeping them warm.
If you do choose to color the walls of a porch or sunroom cucumber green, consider furnishing the room in a summery style, by using wicker, floral prints, and potted plants. A sisal carpet with a deeper green border can pull it all together.
Even your interior rooms could benefit from being re-painted with cucumber green. A room in the back of the house that doesn’t get much light is a good candidate, as is a room with dark furniture that needs to be brightened up with lighter walls. Good choices for trim would be a slightly darker shade of the cucumber, or something from the other side of the color wheel, such as a deep pink.
The pale of cucumber can cool things off, even as the use of it fires up your passion for interior design.
Decorating and furnishing a small apartment or studio can be challenging, but when done correctly your small spaces will look and feel more spacious..Try these suggestions for creating space.
Furnishings
When selecting furniture for your small space choose smaller pieces that have a more open design
Arrangements and Traffic Flow
When arranging your furniture be aware of traffic patterns, all traffic should flow uninterrupted through your room. In a living room start with the sofa or love seat. When arranging your furniture start with the largest piece on the largest wall and facing your focal point. Then create a conversation area. Place a side chair on each side of the Love seat and place your coffee table where it can be reached from all three sitting places.
Accessories and Patterns
In small spaces be careful not to over use accessories. Remember, less is more if you want to create that open feeling. Mirrors and shiny reflective accessories help create the illusion of more space. Larger patterns should be limited to pillows and smaller accessories rather than a large sofa or love seat.
Color
When choosing color schemes, select soft and monochromatic colors. Use the same or similar colors for your large pieces of furniture and your walls and keep your ceiling lighter than the rest of the room.
Lighting
Use a soft even light and eliminate shadows which tend to slice a room up into smaller spaces. Incandescent lighting will also soften a room. Avoid ceiling lighting this will visually lower your ceiling.
Tips
Keep your apartment simple and clean. If you don’t need it throw it out! Clutter free - Stress-free!
Mirrors are great for creating an illusion of space and are an affordable and easy way to open up a room or hallway.
In the grand and splashy world of color, what place does white have? Is it even thinkable to address white as a color, here in The Magic of Color or anywhere else? To the eye and mind, white isn’t a “color”; technically, it’s the absence of a unique spectral reflection. But, when you’re using it in decorating, white’s more than nothing, more than the lack of specific shading, because in the presence of white, you can feel the presence of light itself. It’s more than a fresh blank canvas waiting for a brush stroke.
We know that the meaning of color varies from one culture to another, and a color can take on a new shade depending on where you are. For example, brides in China are married in red for luck, but in America red means stop, warning you to stay away.
White is no exception to this. In many other cultures, white is a traditional color of mourning, and this rings true, because white gives you room; you can stretch out and think in white. You can contemplate things. You can, perhaps, rest in peace without having to leave this world.
How can you make use of the properties white offers in your home? White was, for a long time, used as a neutral, and it still is. Landlords insist on a tenant re-painting in white, and white’s the default for many people when it comes to walls or sheets or even dishes.
But you can take control of white, and use it to your interior’s advantage.
Look at this room that’s all done up in white. It may seem sterile, or more appropriate for a hospital than a home, but imagine how you could play with color in there: a cluster of orange pillows and a pitcher of sunflowers on a nightstand, or a blue coverlet and blue alarm clock. Each color that you place in this room of white will not only stand out, but it will also change the mood of the room.
White isn’t just the absence of color; it’s a backdrop against which color is free to play and reflect, soothing our hearts and calming our minds.
All of us are really small space lovers.
Why? Because we are drawn to the warmth and buzz of urban life.
But because perches are short on space we are all — both high and low — forced to be creative when building our nests. Here then, is our starter list for our fellow cliff dwellers. Feel free to add your own.
1. Remove your interior doors (use curtains instead on closets and doors).
2. Replace your big refrigerator with a smaller, undercounter model. It’s more than enough room.
3. Treat yourself to a really good, sturdy small vacuum (we love Meile).
4. Use track lighting aimed at walls to free up floor space and create an expansive feeling.
5. Install lighting inside closets so you can see what’s in there. They will be easier to maintain and you will gain the feeling of more space.
6. Clean your windows often so that more light comes in and your view is not blocked.
7. Buy quality cookware, tableware, and linens. Small luxuries, such as table top fountains, go a long way.
8. Go wireless, transfer all your music to your computer and sell your CDs!
9. Use full spectrum light bulbs to energize and enliven your home.
10. Have lots of dinner parties. People actually socialize better in small spaces. And, as an added bonus, apartment dwellers who entertain take better care of their homes.
Choosing the Right Color, Choosing the Right Type of Paint Can Make All the Difference
1. What is the best way to decide which color is best for my room?
The first step is determining your color scheme by examining your existing furniture, window treatments, and other accessories (or shop for these items first). Choose your favorite colors in these items and visit your paint dealer to get coordinating color chips. Look at the color chips in the daylight and at night so you will see how lighting will affect your color choices. As a last resort, you might want to buy a quart of your chosen color and test it on one of your walls.
2. My room has a chair rail and I am using two colors. Which one goes where?
If you want an open, airy look, always paint the portion of the wall below the chair rail with the darker color. This allows the lighter color to dominate.
3. Should trim work be painted the same color as the walls, or a different shade?
The answer to this question depends on what you are trying to achieve with your room. Use the same color on the trim if you are trying to disguise ordinary or unattractive trim work, or if you are trying to create a uniform, monochromatic look. Use a lighter or darker color to accentuate trim work or to add subtle hints or bold flashes of color to your room.
4. Will the paint I chose look lighter or darker on the wall?
Over a larger surface area, most colors appear darker. It’s a good idea to choose colors a shade or two lighter than what you want. Clean, bright colors can appear either lighter or darker depending on the surrounding colors and lighting in the room.
5. I’ve just finished painting my room and the color is bolder than I expected. How can I soften the look?
Try applying a lighter or more muted color over the original color using a design technique such as rag rolling, sponging, or color washing.
6. How do colors affect a room’s size?
Generally, strong, warm colors like reds, oranges and yellows tend to close a space. These colors are known as advancing colors because they jump out and meet the eye. Conversely, receding colors like blue, green and violet tend to make a room look larger because they “stand back” visually. However, the darkest values of the receding colors, like navy blue or hunter green, also tend to have a diminishing effect on a room’s size. Small rooms are best made to appear larger by painting them white or a light neutral color.
7. What color should I paint my ceiling?
It is customary to paint ceilings white or off-white. This creates the illusion of higher ceilings and a more open space. Medium to dark colors will create the illusion of lowering the ceiling, which can create a cozy look if the ceiling is higher than usual. With normal height ceilings, medium and dark colors could close in the area too much creating a cave-like appearance.
8. What’s the difference between different types of paint finishes and which finish works best where?
· Flat finishes have no shine, making them ideal for hiding minor surface imperfections. Eggshell or velvet finishes work in just about any room. They are easier to clean than flat finishes and offer a soft glow that warms up any room.
· Satin or semi-gloss finishes are easy to clean and are good for highlighting architectural details. They work well in kitchens, baths, and on doors and trim.
· Gloss finishes are shiny and scrubable, so they are perfect for doors, trim and specialty uses.
· Sheen terminologies vary by manufacturer. Please see your Pratt & Lambert dealer to view actual sheens.
9. What is the difference between oil-based and water-based paint, and what are the advantages of each?
Alkyd, or oil-based paint penetrates wood better than latex (water-based) paint and won’t stick when you keep your doors and windows shut for the winter. For the bulk of most jobs, latex (water-based) paint is the better choice. It dries faster, doesn’t yellow and can be cleaned up with soap and water when you break for the day.
10. How do I determine the amount of paint I’ll need for a particular job?
The first step is to add the width of all walls in the room together. Multiply this sum by the height of one wall from floor to ceiling. Take this total number and subtract the total area of your doors, windows, archways, etc. to get the exact area of wall space you will paint. A flat surface usually requires one gallon for every 400 square feet. Take into account the number of coats you will need to do the job right. Blue and yellow are hard colors to cover up with just one coat.
It’s easy to see your windows in a whole new light with insights from a professional designer. With just a little bit of thought about the look you are trying to achieve, combined with the design savvy of window treatment experts, windows like those seen in the top design magazines are just days away.
To get you started, Smith+Noble, America’s leading catalog and online retailer of custom window treatments, rugs and fabric décor, suggests following these five tips from top interior designer Michael Payne. Payne is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers whose weekly show, “Designing for the Sexes,” can be seen on HGTV.
* Don’t be afraid of color. Many people play it safe and select neutral window treatments. Yet, mixing two colorful window treatments is a simple way to inject energy and excitement into a room. Select tones from opposite sides of the color wheel — for example, pair a golden honeycomb shade with deep aubergine velvet panels — to brighten and add punch to your windows.
* Vary textures when mixing neutrals. If bright colors aren’t what you are after, mixing subtle colors in wonderful textures can instantly bring elegance and ease to your rooms. For example, combining rich silk in an earthy bronze with delicate, sheer georgette in a creamy color results in a beautiful effect that goes with any décor. Woven reeds, grasses and bamboos used in Smith+Noble’s Natural Roman shades perfectly complement tailored herringbone edge bindings.
* Use a corner to your advantage. In homes with wall space between two corner windows, use panels or draperies with one side stacking to the left, the other to the right. Panels meet in the corner for the dramatic look of one continuous window. In contemporary homes where windows meet without wall space in between, honeycomb shades are a wonderful solution. When closed, the windows appear as bold bands of color; when open, shades virtually disappear for an unobstructed view.
* Give small windows big impact. Don’t be stumped by small or unattractive windows. One terrific way to make small windows appear larger and more dramatic is by using light-colored panels that start well above the window and puddle onto the floor. To enhance the width of a narrow window, specify panels significantly wider than the window and hold them open with tiebacks-the effect draws the eye outward. Then, build on the visual impact with details like ring tops, prominent wood poles, finials and brackets.
* Design in stages. If your dream windows are a little out of reach right now budget-wise, don’t fret. Designing windows is an evolving process that doesn’t have to be finished all at once. When you move into a home, privacy and light control are most important, so focus on installing functional blinds and shades that will be the foundation for your window treatment masterpieces later. Then, when time and budget allow, layer luxurious panels and draperies or add architectural details like cornices and sconces.
Powered by WordPress | Blue Weed by Blog Oh! Blog | Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS).