Category Archives: Rooms

Decorating specific spaces.

Suzy’s Dilemma

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Posted by Denise Smith on February 8, 2010 – 3:59 pm
Filed under Color, Design Principles, Individualized Advice, Kitchens, Rooms

I received a series of emails from Suzy in Maryland yesterday. I will copy the first here:

Denise –

I came across your website looking for ideas for my kitchen/family room.

We are in the process of redoing the kitchen.  The layout of the area is very open and includes the kitchen, a nook for the table, the family room (with a reddish brick fireplace – brick to the ceiling) and a hallway area that connects the kitchen to the ½ bath and foyer.  This hallway area isn’t really a hallway, it is more an extension of the kitchen. The family room is one step down.  The family room has a vaulted ceiling on the fireplace side.

The whole area is southern exposure with lots of windows and tons of light.  The family also has 2 skylights.

The space before had very little color.  White walls with a stenciled design around the top.  Cream sofas with small colored pin stripes. Cream tile floor in the kitchen, light oak cabinets…you get the picture.  BLAH.

My goal was to add lots of color.

The new kitchen cabinets are a medium-maple shade.  The counters are “verde butterfly” granite – a grey/green/blue with black, gold, cream and specs of deep red.  The deep red you really only can see when the light hits it right.  The floor will be a 13 x 13 porcelain tile – colors vary from deep grey to light grey and various shades of beige (i.e. LOTS of variation in the tiles).  The backsplash will be fully tiled with a natural stone tile that is creamy colored.

Now I am trying to decide what to paint the walls.  I have already added a lot of color just with the cabinets, granite and floor.  So perhaps I no longer need to worry about putting lots of color on the walls.  I don’t know whether to paint each distinct area its own color – (1) nook (2) kitchen/hall (3) family room, or if 3 colors is too many, given all the color in the new kitchen.

The colors I am drawn to are earthy reds, greens, tans/browns and golds.  Although the granite has a lot of grey/blue in it, I really do not want grey or blue on the walls.

I would like a bold color in the nook – 3 sides of the nook are all windows (the 4th side being open to the kitchen)…I was thinking of something in the deep red family.  But then I am lost as to what to put in the family room (which has LOTS of wall space) and the “hallway”.

Any advice or ideas?  I can send pictures of the space if that helps.

Thanks-

Suzy in Maryland

Ok, deep breath. This is not as hard as it seems. First off, I want to congratulate you on your Kitchen remodel. You have made some wonderful choices. I am especially delighted in the backsplash. Using a darker tile as a border and then rotating the creamier remainder will be unusual and interesting. And your choice for a variegated tile floor will be very dynamic. 

Your biggest challenge is finding a way to blend the older but still pristine wallpaper with your more current choices. Since the Dining Room wallpaper is so visible from many angles in the Kitchen, it would be a mistake to just ignore it. The good news is the teal tone below the chair rail, though dated, coordinates well with the new granite. The bad news is….the very 90′s burgundy in the stripes make using red virtually impossible. Today’s reds are very “earthen”. In other words, they have a lot of orange in them. Plus, you already have a lot of tones of red: in the brick fireplace, in the cabinets and, of course, in the wall paper.

 My solution would be to paint the Eat-in Nook, which butts to the exigent wallpaper, Waterbury Green. (HC-136 from Benjamin Moore). This tone is bluer than the sage green choices you already tried, but it will act as a perfect connector to from the old to the new. Plus, it is really beautiful. I believe it will draw some color out of the granite and will harmonize perfectly with the orange undertone in the cabinet and the teal in the wallpaper.

The Kitchen proper, and the hallway containing the Mudroom and Half Bath should be a soft but strong gold. Try Henderson Buff (Benjamin Moore HC-15). A soft gold that is not too yellow or bright will set a perfect note that allows the cabinets to sing. The cabinets should steal the show here, not the wall color. (Ok, enough with the theatre metaphors.) You should also sample Summerdale Gold (Benjamin Moore HC-17) since there is a lot of light entering the room. Repaint all the trim and doors and ceilings white. My favorite is Cloud White OC-130.

Now for the finale. Oh no, I said I was done with the metaphors…I want you to paint the Family Room a deep rich brown. Don’t be scared! This will be stunning. You have all the elements to make it work— A tall vault in the ceiling, skylights, and a pair of glass doors. Use Middlebury Brown (HC-68, also Ben Moore). This brown has enough red it in to make it lively, and will bridge the three colors of tile and the accent stain in the ridges on the cabinets with the reds in the brick on the fireplace. If facing the fireplace, paint the wall to the right brown all the way to where it ends on the short wall to the left of the refrigerator. All sides of this short wall will be gold. You can decide which of the three colors you would like on the half wall on the back of the second island.

Bold reds aren’t forever gone. They can be added back in on furnishings and in accessories. I would love to see a huge piece of art on the long Family Room wall with brighter, bolder tones of all the colors we used.

Thanks for writing, Suzy! Remember to send pictures of the “After”!

Eggplant or Aubergine?

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Posted by Denise Smith on February 6, 2010 – 8:04 pm
Filed under Current Projects, Living Rooms, Rooms

We are snowed in.  And may be for days.  Another 4 to 6 inches is coming on Tuesday!! What in the world did people do before they had the world in front of them on their computer screens?  The internet is the reason I am (semi) sane right now.  There is so much to learn out there in cyberspace.  Today, for instance, I found out that Aubergine is the British phrase for Eggplant. 

So in honor of my newly found knowledge, here is a room I designed for a client that is crazy about purple. 

Sofa  Chair  Rug  Ottoman  Endtable  Drapery Panels  Lamp  Pillow  Pillows

One Room Two Options

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Posted by Denise Smith on February 5, 2010 – 6:09 pm
Filed under Accessorizing, Color, Current Projects, Design Principles, Living Rooms, Rooms

Cinde and I have worked together for many years.  She originally hired me immediately upon our meeting  at a Chamber of Commerce function. Only a few days prior, she had closed on a beach house still under construction and  she had some pressing decisions to make regarding the cabinets and counters.  So our meeting was fortuitous.  Since then, we have done many projects together. 

Her family room is the latest.  We chose the paint colors at least a year ago.  A deep sage covers three walls, and the far, fireplace wall is a russet. 

I gave her these two options.   

 

Option 1: Sofa  Chair  Rug  Drapery Panel   Media Stand  Coffee Table  Console  Pillow  Vases

Option 2:  Sectional  Chair  Rug  Ottoman  Side Table  Media Center  Pillow  Pillows  Vases

Ranch Dressing

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Posted by Denise Smith on January 13, 2010 – 5:52 pm
Filed under Current Projects, Design Principles, Foyers and Entryways, Rooms, Texture

I met again with JoDee and Jonathan a few weeks ago, and they have been finishing projects faster than I can assign them. This is our second home together, and this time the vision is RANCH. JoDee wants the house to look modern, yet timeless. Cozy but Clean-like a vacation property out west, without the requisite kitsch.

Working beyond the usual triumvirate of furniture, wall color and window treatments, we are adding some unique touches to the structure of their new home. Texture is a key element in creating a warm and cozy space, especially in homes with larger square footage. Their home has upgraded elements such as picture frame molding in the Second Floor Hall and in the Dining Room, and while these are beautiful on their own, we decided to kick it up a notch.

The upper section of the Hall, above the chair rail, was painted Tavern Taupe from Sherwin Williams. Normally I am a fan of leaving the entire lower area, moldings and all, high gloss white, and we did this in the more formal Dining Room. But the Upstairs Hall needed that all important texture. Unconventionally, I chose a lighter shade, Stone Lion, for the bottom beneath the chair rail. And here comes the fun part: JoDee, at my suggestion, upholstered the framed area with batting wrapped in burlap.

Although I have yet to see it, here is what she said as she sent these photos from her iPhone. “Perfect!” “AMAZING!!!” “You have GOT to see this!” Yea, I think she likes it.

Burlap upholstered and added inside picture frame molding.

You can see the darker upper paint, Tavern Taupe, better here.

The corner.

And a smaller section.

Bamboo in the Kitchen

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Posted by Denise Smith on May 5, 2009 – 3:55 pm
Filed under Current Projects, Kitchens, Rooms

Bamboo is a medium not often seen on Kitchen Cabinets.  After viewing only a few photos, I am surprised that using this ecologically correct material in the Kitchen isn’t more popular.

Here are just a few stunning examples:

Image from AlterECO Bamboo Cabinets

Image of Bamboo cabinet constructed of Vertical Grain, Carbonized bamboo from Bamboo Hardwoods www.bamboohardwoods.com

Image from Laguna Bamboo

Bamboo cabinet constructed of Vertical Grain, Carbonized bamboo from Bamboo Hardwoods www.bamboohardwoods.com

Framed

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Posted by Denise Smith on April 28, 2009 – 12:46 pm
Filed under Accessorizing, Current Projects, Design Principles, Living Rooms, Rooms

A layered collection of empty frames.

Many sizes and colors of frames create an abstract design.

*tap tap* Hello?  Anyone out there? 

I know, it ’s been me that has vanished.  Sorry for the unexplained absence.  I got so tied up with the musical production that I couldn’t even lift my fingers to type.  When it  all finally ended, aside from sinking into a mini depression, I realized that I had been writing quite religiously for an entire year.  A blog vacation was in order.

So today I will begin with baby steps.  I don’t want my fingers to cramp from lack of use. 

Here are some fuzzy pictures my client put on my Facebook.  (Obviously taken with a phone…sorry.)  Somehow we were inspired by the vast collection of pictures stacked from the move in her basement and we determined that a collection of empty frames would fill a blank wall space without closing it in.

These frames were purchased on a family trip in South Carolina.  JoDee texted me during the process, so the transcript is gone, but I believe they came from a flea market.  Looks wonderful, doesn’t it?

Decorate Your Space on the Road: Part Four

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Posted by Denise Smith on March 16, 2009 – 12:53 pm
Filed under Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Current Projects, Rooms

My final installation of Decorate Your Space on the Road features perfect finds and another less than unanimous decision. 

I have mentioned Pottery Barn a lot in these four posts because it is the only major mid line chain in Myrtle Beach.  It stands without its usual competition in a very nice mixed-use-New Concept-Town Centre-format-outdoor Mall.  Being the only people in the store on all three occasions, we had excellent service.  But the best part about shopping here was the deals:  I selected drapery panels for all three bedrooms at 75% off!  Silk Panels for $45! And the complete hardware set  for $35!!! This is cheaper than Wal-Mart.  I was positively gleeful about this.  Like a doctor scanning MRI film showing no cancer or Senator whose pork has passed, these are the moments that make my job. 

We were not able to complete a room with the stock available, but at such crazily low prices, we decided to buy larger panels than we needed and have them altered.  Out of 8 windows, we needed to alter only one panel in length for the Master Bedroom, split two 105″ width panels into four 50″ width panels for the room with the full bed, and split one 105″ panel into two for the room with the pair of twin beds.  The alterations expense came to $180, which is less than the original price from only one panel. 

We had more perfect finds.  Two lamps, exactly right for the Master Bedroom, were just sitting on a shelf and waiting for us at HomeGoods.  A solitary picture containing all the proper colors for the Guest Room hung on a peg right under an ideal black lamp with a green leaf shade at Target.  A pair of prints framed in an exact complement to the pair of twin bed frames was found on clearance for only $30 each. We loaded the van again and again, happy with our purchases, our bellies full of fresh seafood. 

I created a plan for the half bath rather late in my trip because I just couldn’t grab a vision for this space.  Since wallpaper was off limits, I felt tapped out.  Until I saw it.  A pretty little chandelier, coral and green and white, of painted iron with tiny flowers.  This was it.  I instantly saw a more feminine space, true to the color story in the Great Room.  In the showroom, wordlessly, I pointed up.  Jim’s face lit up.  He, too, received a vision of it hanging in the half bath. 

The perfect little chandelier for a vision-less bathroom.

This time Roseann was the holdout.  “No way!”  “Too grandma!”  “Not my taste at all!!” 

It was the last day.  I was flying home in a few hours.  I had to get tough.  “WRAP IT UP”, I said to the salesman (all along knowing that today the credit card was in JIM’S wallet…)

Silk Panels for under $50?? Unheard of!!

The cutest lamp from Target, and a pair of pillows from HomeGoods

I called this MY bedroom!

Master. We got the drapery panels and the chair from Pottery Barn, the table was the second attempt, purchased at Pier 1. The first was returned to Target.

Lamps were waiting to come home with us.

Decorate Your Space on the Road: Part Three

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Posted by Denise Smith on March 12, 2009 – 2:00 pm
Filed under Current Projects, Kitchens, Rooms

Kitchen

Let me start by saying: Jim and Roseann know the Myrtle Beach area restaurants better than Tom Sietsema knows DC.  I heard much about which has the nicest staff, the best view, the freshest catch, the fluffiest omelet, the best grouper sandwich…and of course, Jim and Roseann do not agree as to who is the winner in each of the said categories.  (Read my post from Tuesday to experience a little of my culinary tour.)  So it was a bit obvious that the Kitchen in their new home will never be properly loved.  Still, I had amazing spa-like breakfasts of precisely sliced grapefruits, juicy blueberries, plump sweet strawberries and moist zucchini bread. 

The Kitchen allows plenty of options for relaxing with a cup of coffee.  A tall bar divides it from the Great Room.  My clients had this area wired for pendant lights, but have not been able to find something they both like.  Lots of Venetian Gold granite counter space, tall warm cabinetry and bay windows leave little wall space to inject personality, but a pair of Banana Leaf Mini Pendants will do the trick. 

Banana Leaf Mini Pendant Image from Bellacor

And a nice grass green, Benjamin Moore’s Ivy Lane, will complement the bit of wall there is.  They chose-without my help!-a wonderful glass and wicker dinette set.  When it arrived, two pairs of different chair backs were mistakenly shipped.  But both Roseann and Jim thought it contributed to the interest and decided to keep them.  Do I need to explain how proud of that I am?!?  I am still working on finding just the right drum shade pendant to hang over it.  I need pattern and color here…

There was some discussion about decorating the space at the top of the upper cabinets.  This is one of those areas where I have a strong opinion.  I say NO WAY.  Just a repository for nasty grimy kitchen dust, if you really want to know how I feel.    Roseann wanted to collect some large colorful platters and display them there, so when we found a large metal art piece at Pier 1 she was very pleased.  This would satisfy her wishes nicely except…

Hand-Painted Plates Wall Decor Image from Pier 1

Jim hated it.  A few times more around the store we went, debating various shelving units for the half bath.  Roseann slips into the conversation admirations of the piece with unwavering commitment.  Jim meets them with a steadily increasing agitated “NO” until it crescendos into, “THAT IS THE UGLIEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!”

So as we began to collect our purchases at the register, Jim tells the clerk, “Don’t ring it up.”  But since the van was already packed, and we had just bought two more substantially large items and a bevy of littler things, he had to go to parking lot and rearrange.  Roseann took the opportunity of his absence to return the art to the pile.  Seconds later, the manager walks to the register, on a mission from Jim to see if Roseann had done just that.  The poor girl, forced to choose between satisfying her best customer all week and actually INCREASING the sale.  This is why the couple has been so loyal to me: I know when to step in and make the final decision before any feathers fly. 

The piece has found a perfect home nailed horizontally above the pantry doors.  Jim hung it where I asked him and I ignored the mutterings under his breath.

Den

Still some work to do here, but is that the biggest monitor you've ever seen?

This is Jim’s domain.  He has a large desk, a credenza, and a file chest and hutch.  A console is still on backorder.  Jim displayed his collection of old cameras on the hutch, so when he expressed an interest in the Photographer’s Tripod Floor Lamp from Pottery Barn, I agreed.  We picked up the Adeline Rug as well, since if you remember from yesterday, finding rugs was such a challenge. 

Adeline Rug Image from Pottery Barn

This room has wide, dark cherry planked wood floors.  Crisp white beadboard would really add architectural detail.  And Jim agreed.  I imagined a richly textured green grasscloth to grace the upper portion of the walls.  And Jim disagreed.  Again and again.  I worked on him over three days and many meals, and as often as I thought I could get away with it.   I flew back home understanding my place as the employed one and before I left I chose Benjamin Moore’s Chopped Dill.  But insisted it be done in the Matte finish.  Maybe I will come back and faux finish it…

Decorate Your Space on the Road: Part Two

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Posted by Denise Smith on March 11, 2009 – 3:00 pm
Filed under Current Projects, Dining Rooms, Foyers and Entryways, Living Rooms, Rooms

Here is a break down of some of the things I accomplished with homeowners Jim and Roseann during my trip to South Carolina. Today I will highlight the most public spaces, the Great Room and Dining Room.  (Remember- we ordered the furniture last summer before they moved.)

Great Room

The Great Room was designed to showcase a view.  We discussed treatment options for large bank of windows looking out the screen room viewing the pond and the new landscaping with gorgeous lighted palms.  Neighbors have fabric covered verticals which Roseann really likes.  My recommendation was to have window film professionally installed and then address if treatments are still needed.

Just finished built in unit houses a stereo for calypso music and family memorabilia.

A new shelving unit had been designed and recently installed.    I accessorized with family photos and added orange pieces with intention to collect more.  I decided not to accessorize the fireplace as the speakers and television are already crowding the space. New accessories were purchased for the sofa table.  Two huge ceramic spheres and a long row of tea lights in the same two colors follow the horizontal line of the table with texture, color and drama.  We purchased four large metal platters with hammered designs to hang on the siding in the screened room.

Long, low and graphic ensure unbroken sightlines.

Concerning the large empty area to left of fireplace, Roseann loved a photo of a basket display in Pottery Barn catalogue.  We used this as inspiration and purchased a wonderful array of highly textured woven trays and shallow bowls and hung them in a pleasing, random pattern.  The arrangement will look less harsh once the walls are painted Ralph Lauren Crab Apple, a very complex taupe.  We still need to procure a long low bench for this area to ground the basket display and to hide the sub-woofer.  The bench will be easily moved to the conversation group when Jim and Roseann fill the house with neighbors and margaritas.

A basket display will be capped at the bottom by a still-to-be-purchased bench.

I designed a tile pattern to be installed on the wall area under the bar using colorful glass tiles and matte ceramic squares.  I tried to convince Jim that tiling the entire 70 square feet of an angled and awkward wall visible upon entry with glass tiles would be completely amazing.  My rough-estimated cost of 3K combined with the permanence of it seems to have overshadowed my enthusiasm.  (Trust me–IT WILL REALLY ROCK!!)

Not a good shot of the wall, which is calling out for drama!

Dining Room

After much searching, we decided to purchase a colorful, graphic wool rug at Pottery Barn.  Roseann was very unsure, as her taste is more traditional, but loved it once it was in place with the Dining set.  (The Dining table, chairs and buffet were some of the only pieces to come from the Woodbridge house.) 

The chairs have been reupholstered in the sofa fabric, but this group came as is from the old house. The wall is marked with tape where I want the canvas to hang.

The rug set the tone for the accessories.  We found a wonderful squat glass vase in a gorgeous orange.  I filled it with oversized tropical fronds.  The perfect giclee canvas presented itself in our shopping frenzy for a crazily discounted price of $15.  We found a small wool rug in a perfect mustard for the Foyer on clearance.

We took this picture at the Ferguson showroom. Instant crush.

We ordered a beautiful new chandelier from Ferguson sight unseen.  It’s partner, a carriage light, was on display and we all immediately fell in love with it and decided it would be exactly right for the foyer.  We felt a bit of economic desperation at the store and received both at a fantastic price.

I chose silk striped panels at Pottery Barn for the pair of windows.  I advised them to wait for an inevitable sale.  The colors in the stripes are lighter, slightly off versions of the paint I chose. 

Jim has an irrational phobia to wallpaper.  (…Which has absolutely nothing to do with the miles and miles of square feet I forced him to remove in the old house…)  Texture is necessary in this space so I chose Ralph Lauren River Rock in Sandstone Cliff for under the chair rail.  The rest of the Dining Room and shared wall in the Foyer will be Benjamin Moore Adams Gold.

Tomorrow:  the Den and the Kitchen.  And Drama over Plates!!

Wall o Words

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Posted by Denise Smith on February 10, 2009 – 11:34 am
Filed under Current Projects, Living Rooms, Rooms

JoDee and I are working hard on her new house. Walls are getting painted, furniture is being delivered.

I envision a wall of quotes in her Living Room. If you remember, we are creating an unconventional space by rejecting the normal sofa and two chairs. Televisionless and focused on the conversation circle, this space is for connections. A table of family photos and this mural will reinforce the theme.

The difficulty has been deciding if we are going to use readily available vinyl lettering or actual paint. I am leaning toward having the quotes hand painted for many reasons.
1) I like the organic look of paint. The variation in pressure and color will make the total image dynamic rather than static.
2) Overlapping the words will add dimension (a good thing) and I am unsure if vinyl can be layered (a bad thing).
3) Paint can be changed. How often can you move the vinyl before it looks bad?
4) I would love to support a local artist if I can find one.

I have begun to layout some of the quotes JoDee wants included.

A rough draft

It all started with this mural at the Starbucks on Hoadly in Woodbridge.  The principal of the high school pointed it out to me.  He wanted it in the Teacher’s Lounge.  It still hasn’t been done, but it has not yet been deleted from the Windows Files of my brain.  When JoDee mentioned a family quote mural, this file opened first.  I really like the dimension and all the quotation marks.

I took this photo at a local Starbucks.

She found this online.  Nice, but too small and rather expensive.

From Wonderful Grafitti

Looking for inspiration, I found these on Flickr:

A tribute to Warhole from narcotic.glitter

From Flickr

Interesting and cleanly framed with Pink from Flumpster

From Flickr

Smalbloc gives us a wall from a vegan restaurant in Phoenix

From Flickr

Samuel Mann’s photo from the Queensland Museum

From Flickr

This photo appears to be one huge quote.  Maybe a few pages from a favorite book? 

From Flickr

I need to find an artist that is willing to work in Fredericksburg and is very good at lettering.  (Which I am not.  Have you seen my handwriting?!?!)