With an overwhelming response to last weeks blog….here are some more “affordable” tips to revitalize your home for Spring & Summer.
Give your windows a temporary face-lift:
If you have “layers” on your windows (panels and sheers), take the panels off and give an airy feel to your space with simple sheers, allowing light to flood in and give a beachy feel to your home.
from heavy…
to breezy.
Lighten up your bedding by removing the heavy comforter and adding a light weight blanket or coverlet that highlights a brighter or “sunnier” color from the comforter. If it’s a solid, find something with a pattern or floral with bright “Juicey” colors to change things up.
Change out the pillows on your sofa….
Remove these dark wintery pillows….
and add these bold, beautiful Summer pillows.
Accessorize with clear glass bowls with floating candles, white vases with a single brightly colored flower and bring the outdoors…in. Flowers, reeds of grass, cattails, single bud flowers, floating magnolia’s and potted Gerber daisy’s. Anything will work as long as it doesn’t give the feel of being too heavy.
For the kitchen:
Change out dish towels, soap containers, table linens, centerpieces, chair pads and wall display to something light and lively.
hang these on the wall for a summery change.
For additional ideas email pcdesign@mac.com or visit www.affordableinteriordesigners.com
Tags: Advice, Budget Design, Decorate on a budget, Do's & Don'ts, Home, Home Improvements, Home makeover, inexpensive tips, interior, Interior Design, Interior design style, Interior Design Tips, modern design
Ideas for “Affordable” Spring Home Makeovers…..
“Juicey” Spring Colors
Spring Color ideas to paint the walls, or the floor, windows, pillows, vases, furniture, etc….
The Blue Hues
- Palace Blue— a favorite amongst designers which takes a navy undertone and makes it sparkle. A cross between a sky blue and strong navy. This is a color which works with almost any other, pink, yellow, lavender or green.
- Lavender— the regal purple of fall has been adapted to a softer lighter lilac, feminine and romantic, and slightly mystical.
- Rose Dust— a pale pinkie blue, which is a welcome break from traditional neutrals. Almost a white-washed lavender, this is one of the coolest colors.
- Slate Gray— a cool and calming nuanced neutral which provides a backdrop to any of Pantone’s 9 other colors and is a perfect pairing to lavender hues.
The Red Hues
- Fuchsia Red–—Vibrant yet seductive, powerful and robust. Fresh and dazzling, fuchsia features heavily in nail polish and lipsticks too.
- Salmon Rose— Mixing a soft salmon pink with the subtleness of oranges which is flattering to most complexions and gives a warm healthy glow.
The Green Hues
- Vibrant Green— a mossy mid-green which is bright but not harsh
- Dark Citron— a calm, almost olive color which blends perfectly with this season’s lemon tones.
- Lucite Green— a clean, subtle, soft green which adds a slight shimmer
Yellow
- Super Lemon— brings a fun, optimistic outlook to the Palette,” states the Pantone Spring 2009 report. “Its luminosity is determined to evoke a smile and attract the roving consumer’s eyes.”
Under $100……unique “Artography” at an “Affordable” price.
Upload your own photo’s for a unique visual “Artography” session.
Find a photo of something you love…You, your spouse, family, pet, building, place, etc….
Decide on the effect you would like it to have and let the world of computer magic takeover.
Check out www.photofiddle.com to learn how to create your own “Artography” collection.
Are you afraid to make a comittment to your walls?
Check out www.whatisblik.com. They have whole wall size graphics, lettering, patterns, decals, kids & adult designs for you to choose from.
Grandfather clock graphics Graphic lettering
Sphere design graphics
Looking for something on a larger scale than peel & stick decals?
Try whole wall mural sheets for under $100.
Babies nursery Dinner in Paris
Vegas... Bamboo forest (View of whole wall in room)
You might just feel like you are actually on vacation with these life like murals.
Visit www.decorplace.com for a huge selection of ideas or a few to create your own.
And finally….to add a few accessories here and there to and a punch into your spring and summer decor…check out Target.com for great priced accessories like the one’s shown below.
$9.99 for the set of votive holders Set of 4 Damask porcelain plates $27.99
$19.99 for the base…add a bold shade! Bright and bold picture frame $6.99.
Coordinate these items together or create your own palette to work from.
For these and many more ideas……visit www.affordableinteriordesigners.com/blog.
Tags: accessories, Advice, affordable decorating, Budget Design, colors, Decorate on a budget, Home Improvements, Home makeover, inexpensive tips, Interior Design, Interior Design Tips, modern design, shop at target, Target, under $50
Posted by PC Design on Mar 9, 2009 in
Interior Design Tips What is your Interior Design Style? Would you know if asked?
Probably not! Many of my clients can’t.
They tell me they love that “Pottery Barn” style. Did Pottery Barn know they created their own individual style? Probably! Not only do they flood your mailbox with tons of catalogs (and many…variations of the same catalog just in a different order), they have stores located in most populated cities in the U.S.
When I have initial Client Consultations and have asked them to pull magazine pages of what they like…90% of the time, a Pottery Barn catalog is in the mix.
There are so many options out there, you shouldn’t limit yourself to what EVERYONE has access to. The first key to any purchase is to have a plan. Within that plan, you must have a “Style” to guide you so that you don’t have a mishmash of items that don’t flow together and serve no purpose to you, other than as dust collectors.
If you can’t define your “Style”, don’t worry, that’s what we, Interior Designer’s, are for. They should be able to tell you right away after you describe, show or tell them about the look you are trying to achieve.
In this next series, you are going to gain insight into the many different styles out there AND, see examples of items that coordinate, flow, create, beautify and enhance the overall appeal of your home.
Today’s “Interior Style”…..
MODERN.
The Modern style, “Modern Movement” in proper terms, was developed back in the 1920’s. Frank Lloyd Wright is probably the most famous example, for his “Modern” Style of Architecture.
Back in the 1920’s, people thought the “Modern Movement” was too bold in style and found it uncomfortable and too sparse. Clean, bold lines dominated the style and were carried through from the design and detailing of the room to the upholstered pieces that were used for seating. White, one of the most common “Colors” associated with this style, emphasizing it’s clean, clutter-free look; has broaden these days incorporating many more colors into the palette beyond that traditional choice.
The best way to add the drama into a Modern Design today, is by incorporating Paint, the most changeable and cost efficient element. Some popular Modern color choices today are; Lime, Tangarine, Zinc, Taupe and Camel. These colors, when placed next to a nicely painted white semi-gloss trim and ceiling, POP! They are sharp, pleasing to the eye and coordinate with almost anything you put with them. The one thing you need to be careful with in a Modern design, is making these colors work into the color scheme without overpowering the overall design.
For example, when you paint your walls Tangarine, everything else in the room might be various shades of a “Chocolate” color and the only other place you will see that tangerine, may be in that glass bowl on your Cocktail Table, or as an accent in a painting above your Chenille sofa. Everything else in the area will be subtle, solid in color and clean lined with very little, if any, curves.
Metal accents, Glass, plain Fabrics, minimal Accessories and large Artwork, also describe design aspects you will find in any Modern Design.
The Architecture of the home within a “Modern” Style finds:
Flush Shelving, giving you an “Incorporated into the Wall” look.
Barely there Fireplace mantels (if any at all).
Recessed lighting (eliminating the needs for additional lighting while reducing clutter).
Minimal Trim/Woodwork. You may find the only wood trim work you have, at all, are the baseboards that run throughout the home.
Most windows, large in scale, will be naked (no casement and most likely undecorated) incorporating that sleek, unadorned look into that Modern Design, creating a sweeping, uninterrupted view.
Metal railings for sweeping staircases.
Stone, wood or concrete flooring are also widely used in the Modern Style.
Next “Style” revealed…………”Eclectic”.
Tags: decorating styles, Design Styles, Interior design style, Interior Styles, modern, modern design, modern style, styles
