(New) Fall Colors.

Isn't it funny how a change in season seems exciting and new each year?
When I finally get around to putting all the Christmas decorations away (beginning of February, usually), I say to myself, "Next year I'm going light on holiday decor!" But...10 months later, there I am again, searching for the latest and greatest in holiday collections and accessories.  Somehow, it just happens...

We had a (mostly) lovely, hot and wet summer here in Iowa.  As one can imagine, I welcome the approaching season, and I'm ready to pull out the first sweater, go pick apples, pumpkins, spice....create a whole new scene.

When it comes to color,  fall is the perfect time to change up your 'look', as we prepare to spend LOTS and lots of time indoors during the winter months.  Typically, we think of maple red, green, brown, and orange this time of year.  However, the colors I'm noticing (and loving) this year are far more creative! There seems to be a new color consciousness, breaking away from the norm with unexpected combinations.

Here are 4 of our color favorites for this season. Hope you enjoy them, too!

Try one of these soft dark colors in a bedroom, using light colors (white, light gray, etc) in accent pieces, such as bedside tables, a desk, or bedding.  Colors like Benjamin Moore Galaxy, Deep Space, and Deep Caviar are great choices for a bold, fresh look.

 

 

 

 

Benjamin Moore Hasbrouck Brown and Branchport Brown are also great options for a bedroom (or any other room in your home, for that matter!).  Pair a deep chocolaty brown with a bold brick red for a winning color combination!

Our third color family for this fall works great in any room, and with just about any decorating style.  Taupe, taupe, taupe. We've been hearing many a mention of this color in the design community.  For one, it pairs wonderfully with all the violet shades we're starting to see.  Benjamin Moore Lighthouse Landing, Sierra Hills, and Mohair are excellent choices this fall.

And last, but certainly not least....ethereal grays/blues.  Pair one of these spa-inspired colors with white trim for a soft, clean look. Check out Benjamin Moore Sabre Gray, La Paloma Gray and Stone Harbor if this is the look you're trying to achieve.  

Have fun this season experimenting with these *new* fall colors!  Let us know if you've discovered a winning color combination for your favorite season!

A Tasteful Teen Room Makeover

One of the most fun, albeit most challenging decorating projects, is doing a room makeover for a teenager.  As a parent, it’s often difficult enough to find mutually agreeable middle ground on small everyday issues, so tackling an entire room makeover can be a real adventure.
 
However, if executed with careful planning, strategic decision-making and good consensus-building, it really can be a fun and rewarding undertaking for all parties involved.  This week we take a look at one such project.

In general, creating a plan for decorating a teen’s room usually presents three major challenges: pleasing the tastes and desires of both teen and parent’s, making decisions which will stand the test of time (or at least until the teen ‘leaves the nest’), and doing so without breaking the bank.  This project was no exception. 

The bedroom pictured here was actually at one time a second-story sun porch, with windows and /or French doors on three of its four walls.  Having been transformed to a year-round bedroom many years ago, it still boasts wonderful natural light from all those openings, however was in desperate need of a decorative update and transformation to accommodate the needs and tastes of its new, fifteen-year-old female resident.
 

Before

We began with the selection of a layered neutral color scheme, which works well with the existing carpet that was still in good shape.  A fresh coat of paint on woodwork, walls and ceilings utilized Sherwin Williams’ Utterly Beige, Realist Beige and Everyday White colors and created a soft warm canvas for the room.
 
Addressing the budget issue, the existing furniture needed to stay.  A pine pencil post bed was a good foundation piece for the room, and presented the opportunity for some fun, dramatic bedding treatments.
 
Again keeping in mind our needs for economical and age-enduring decision, we dressed the bed in a solid cream-colored duvet and tailored black bed skirt.
The pizzazz factor is, of course, pretty important to teens, and was added in the form of animal print pillows and bed scarf, against a backdrop of deep chocolate brown Euro shams at the head of the bed.
 

After

Crowning the bed and making it a true focal point is a creatively designed tailored canopy.  Simple fabrics keep it practical, while color, texture and some funky tassels at the corners give it personality.  In addition to its unmistakable drama, the canopy adds softness to the room without appearing fussy or too juvenile.
 
Windows were all dressed in simple pinch pleated draperies, in a fabric matching the bed’s canopy.  Decorative rods, finials and drapery rings painted a crisp white help to draw the eye upward, and insure that these won’t be mistaken for your grandma’s pinch pleateds. For now, they offer sleek sophistication to our teenage girl, and will still work well with almost any style this room takes on in the future.
 
With all the window and door openings in the room, furniture arrangement can be tricky.  We repositioned the bed to one of the outside walls, where it is framed perfectly between two sets of windows.
 
Wall-mounted swing arm lamps were placed strategically for reading and studying, and create a wonderful warm glow within the canopied space.  A funky round mirror completes the bed’s tableau.
 
Situated underneath the adjacent window is a blanket chest that can double as a new bedside surface for the alarm clock, tissues, books or other necessities.  A small, newly reupholstered chair and table in the opposite corner were rescued from another underused room in the house, and provide a cozy spot for reading or talking with friends.
 

All in all, we ended up with a space that pleases both teen and parents, and should continue to serve both well for many years to come.  That, they both agree, deserves the label of “Mission Accomplished!”.

Creating a Cozy Country Kitchen

This week, we look at what can happen when imagination, courage and commitment combine to transform a dreary country kitchen into a space that is crisp, inviting, and worthy of being considered the heart of the house.

Confined for many years to a small, boxy farmhouse kitchen, these clients were ready for a major makeover.  And, realizing that such a project would dramatically increase the time and enjoyment that they spend there, as well as the resale value of their home, they expressed that they were open to consideration of changing just about everything in the room.

We began, as always, by identifying these clients' functional needs and their decorating tastes.  It was determined that they wanted the kitchen to become more family friendly, able to accommodate casual dining for up to six people, and with plenty of space for everyone to gather and socialize while meal preparation takes place.

Furthermore, we settled on creating a casually elegant atmosphere in a European Country style.  Our clients commented that what they were hoping for a look that would be "very classy, but never stuffy".  Once we had identified the overall look and function that was desired, it became easy to select the elements that this room needed.

The biggest piece of this remodeling puzzle was replacement of all the old cabinets.  Traditional styling, a crisp white finish, and furniture-like detailing, as well as generously scaled crown and surface moldings provided the basis for new cabinetry which really sets the tone for this new kitchen.  As you can see, they absolutely provide a huge 'bang for the buck'.

Note that we also chose to combine painted and stained finishes, by wrapping the new island in a beautifully rich dark cherry finish, and then repeating that finish in the dining table and chairs.  This is a very strong trend in interior decorating today, and when done carefully is extremely effective.

After

Once the cabinets were selected, we focused on the surfaces of the kitchen.  A beautiful granite in tones of warm neutrals was chosen for countertops.  The floor was distressed in ceramic tile, which repeats lighter shades of the mottled tones found in the granite.

Sherwin Williams' Hopsack was the perfect color for the walls, and plays well off of some of the darker tones in the granite and floor tile.  Finally, crisp white tile adorns the backsplash and visually unites the wall and base cabinets.

The new dining furniture is traditionally styled, but not too formal, in keeping with the clients' tastes and lifestyle.  Sage green seat cushions add visual softness and comfort to the space.

In accessorizing this room, we wanted to keep the look uncluttered, but a few key pieces really finish it off.  The island pendants and chandelier over the table exude elegance without appearing too fussy, and the oversized clock above the cooking area is both functional and attractive.  A few fresh flowers, a few cookbooks, and some stainless steel culinary equipment were all that was needed to complete this homey atmosphere.

Before

Although hard to believe when you look at the before and after shots of this room, there were no structural changes required for the remodeling project.  At 13' x 18' the room is not enormous, but with a careful design plan we were able to increase its function and create a much more spacious feeling without moving any walls.

By taking part of the cabinetry all the way to the ceiling and creating varying heights for the eye to rest on, the room takes on a more expansive feeling than it previously had.  In addition, installing the ceramic floor tile on the diagonal makes the room feel less boxy.  And finally, careful planning of the cabinet components enabled us to create very efficient storage in the space we were given, which there white finish also visually opens the room up.

Re-Defining Spaces in Your Home

It's that time of year when our thoughts return to the indoors in a big way.  We're marking those "last time of the summer" events, as we recognize the end of the grilling, mowing, and camping seasons, and anticipate the beginning of the cocooning season.  This is also the time of year when many of us are facing a nest that is emptier than it has been in the past.  With all of these factors in mind, it's a good time to re-evaluate the space usage in your home.
For empty nesters, finding yourself with a recently vacated bedroom presents the opportunity to make use of that space in ways that were, up until now, a luxury.  Perhaps you'd love to have a charming room created just for overnight guests, a home office, a quiet library area, or a room that will accommodate your special hobbies. For many of us, we'd like all of those!
In converting an old bedroom to new uses, start by making a list of what you'd like it to do for you.  Keep in mind that, although it may no longer need to be a full-time bedroom, your children will likely return for overnight visits, bringing others as well when they have families of their own.
Consider appointing this room with furniture which will multi-task.  A day bed or futon, which can function as both sofa and bed, is very handy.  Daybeds will even accommodate a trundle underneath, to increase sleeping capacity in the room.  A well-planned home office united can also double as hobby and storage space, and segues well into a small, quiet reading area.

If you are passionate about one thing in particular like reading or music, or have multiple hobbies such as scrapbooking, stamping, and sewing, here is your chance to dedicate a space just for that.  In such a case, you might even consider decorating your room in that theme utilizing novelty fabrics, wall coverings and accessories which highlight that favorite activity.  Really tap into your imagination and creativity, and have fun with it!

Those who don't have newly available space in the home would still do well to use this time of year to critique how the current space is working.
Does the onset of cooler weather call for rearranging your furniture, orienting it away from the outdoors and more towards a fireplace?  Might you need to bring the rocking chair in off of the porch and add some cozy cushions for additional wintertime seating?
Or, are you attracted to the idea of bringing a warm outdoor feeling inside for the winter?  If so, think about finding a previously under-utilized space which could be transformed into al fresco-style dining with an outdoor table and chairs.  Finish it off with floor plants, bright cheery fabrics and accessories, and you'll have a little corner of 'summer' to see yourself through the cold winter months.
The harried lifestyles of our society today often lead us to yearn for a peaceful space to unwind.  Although you may not have an entire room that you can claim as such, look around your home for even a small nook which could be transformed into a quiet corner.  Almost all of us have a spot in our homes that has become more of a forgotten catchall than anything else, and herein lies potential!
In your mind's eye, empty this space of all of its current contents, and imagine re-furnishing it with a soft area rug, fresh color, and just enough furnishings for an inviting little retreat that will beckon you to relax and refresh at the end of your day.
Taking a fresh approach to the space usage in our homes is a great way to prepare for the cold months ahead, and can actually make us excited about spending them indoors!