Great Decoration

What kind of holiday decorator are you?

Walking through stores this time of year certainly sends the message that there are many people who love  a holiday  glam look with glitter, shine, and layers of finery.   If you've read this blog for awhile you know this won't be that kind of post.  I like my seasonal decor as simple as possible.  When visitors come to my home I  want them to feel in the mood for the season without being burdened by sensory overload.

In honour of the upcoming  holiday season I created a style board to illustrate some of my top tips for for decorating without going over the top.  I started with this stunning chair from Chairish, a US based online marketplace for vintage furniture.  There are so many beautiful accent chairs to choose from, in addition to other great finds for your home.



I would love to own this chair! It references warm and cosy, but still has a quiet elegance.  It can be yours for a great price.  Check out the link above.

Now for a little creative play, let's give it a new home using 5 simple decorating moves.



Tip #1

Add a fur throw to furniture for instant warmth 

But if  a purchase isn't in the cards for you, don't fret.  You can satisfy  your urge by creating the same look using a faux fur throw or  natural sheepskin.   While you can use fur on any chair,  a framed chair in  black can't be beaten when it comes to impact.  Remember the power of spray paint!  Of course this one with its gold tips is extra special.  Hint, hint,  tape off and spray  the tips  of your stand -in piece gold.

Tip #2

Reference nature 

A quick look around this style board shows nature repeated throughout the space with birds, trees, deer, as well as twigs and berries. They are all easily added and removed for another creative use next year.  What I like about this more minimal approach is it's longevity.  Many of the additions can be left up all winter so you don't have that bare look after the holiday season is over.

Tip #3

Integrate seasonal objects among every day arrangements 

Add candles 

Such a simple addition and so much ambiance when lit.  If you are concerned about safety,  purchase a set of battery operated candles.  They are so realistic now with some even having a subtle scent and flickering light.  I especially like  the  remote control function on the ones I have. One flick and instant mood is created. 

Use pillows for pattern and comfort

For something different this season, I've separated my two buffets and changed the art.

artist Mike Gough, The Island 2014

 I've been looking for the perfect place for my new piece of art by local artist Mike Gough.  It seems to be comfortable in the dining room. This painting has a  fall feel that made me think of my moose antler at my summer place.  Let's see if it can be integrated into a more sophisticated environment.  My candles are in place and ....   It needs more than that.  I'm thinking a conversation will happen between what's on the buffets and the table.  Stay tuned.

As our lives become busier and more frantic there seems to be more interest in decor styles that are calm and comfortable.  As a result coastal influences are popping up everywhere.  Perhaps coastal decor is for you.

 In 2014 I wrote a post about the popularity of antlers in home design:  I had reservations about their overuse.  Whenever anything becomes too popular I am automatically reticent about employing the trend in my own home or  the homes of clients.  I decided there was a middle ground when it  comes to using antlers in an interesting way  as described in my initial post.

My antler gift finally moved indoors this summer once I decided it was suitably bleached.  The other one  was left in the flower bed.   Once moved inside it took up a  nomadic existence as you can see from the photos below.  You never knew where it would turn up.


On the trunk in the living room for an evening of company when you want some ambiance.  The antler served as a place holder for the remote start candles.  I love this invention;  they flicker like real candles, smell like real candles and you don't have to worry about fire.  Thanks Costco!

Do you like a little nature inside your home?

Do you love to find something that looks good and costs little or nothing?

Do you like quick  pops of texture and colour ?

Barnacle vessel by Anita Singh

Then think ferns.  Wild ones, the ones you see growing in the woods or other damp places.  They are  a constant in my summer decor mostly because I don't have ready access to cultivated options and also because I love to create interest and a homey, nature inspired look without spending money.


Living on the edge of the ocean, in a meadow with thick woods behind me is the perfect spot for foraging for bargain accents.   I often combine sea related objects, some found and others hand crafted.




 Then an old oil lamp replaced the candle.  So three objects different heights, different textures and different shapes is a simple formula for display.  Another trick is to mimic the shape of the table in one or more of the objects.  The circle is repeated a number of times in this vignette.



As the ferns started to wilt,  I removed them and cut some grasses and alder leaves to flesh out the display and moved it to another spot.  Leading the viewer's eye is another great trick to use for simple displays.  Your eye pops from the rope ball, to the bouy and then through to the ferns and lamp.  Again I have different textures, heights and shapes.  The added texture of the lamp base and the table creates a very inviting vignette.  

If you don't have a meadow or woods near you buying several ferns at the florist has the same effect.
Do you have a favourite go to wild plant to use in your  arrangements?

 I have a love hate relationship with louvered doors.   I like the free flow of air into closets,  but I dislike all the vertical lines and fussiness.   Many houses built in the eighties sport this type of door.  We have removed some of ours and replaced them with a contemporary looking slab door more in keeping with the streamlined look I like, and we decided to update others.  


And here's the last remaining set we have just waiting for a facelift.....

How to update louvered doors

Designing Home: Updated louvered doors

All you need is 1/8 inch MDF or plywood  (some doors may have enough room for 1/4 in. ) and construction adhesive, (PL Premium is my favourite). 

 Lay the doors on a table or bench and measure the size of each panel area.  Cut the wood  to cover each  louvered panel section,  add a dot of adhesive every third slat next to the border and press the wood panel in place.  It should fit snugly, if not you can always caulk any seams before painting.

Use clamps or add something heavy to hold each panel in place and let it dry overnight.  Add new handles of your choice.

Reusing louvered doors for new projects 

Designing Home: Louvered bathroom cabinet

Here's the cabinet my husband made for our summer house  from the top half of two closet doors.  It nestles nicely into a small alcove in the main bath and holds things you don't want on display. It also gives you a great surface for changing vignettes.  We decided against hardware because you can easily open by using a louver as a pull.  It also gives it a more contemporary feel. And now what to make from the bottoms???

There are so many creative ideas for louvers on Pinterest.  I admit that many of them have a very country or beach feel to them,  but if you crave a more contemporary look there are ways to achieve it.

These are my top three faves:

Headboard 

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Painting the louvers  black  the headboard  a very contemporary feel that I quite like.




This treatment is much more country, but could be updated  if they were painted charcoal and the bedding was adjusted accordingly.


Sofa table 


The straight lines of this table make it suitable for any decor. Colour and what you put on it can automatically update the look.


Standing Shelves 


Jessica Monroe

If you wanted this to have a more contemporary feel you could paint shelves and sides the same colour and add plain crown to the top and bottom.

So many creative uses for louvers.  I love to see materials getting a new life!

Have you ever gone into someone's home  and it was so perfect in every way that you were almost afraid to sit down or move?

When everything looks new, co-ordinated and just so, you end up with an unwelcoming and often boring home.   Such spaces can make visitors feel confined and uncomfortable.  Nothing invites you in because when  everything is  perfectly matched objects become a blur.

 Is there a middle road?

What makes an interesting  and inviting space? Do you need a large budget to have a great home?

Fortunately you can have a very interesting space on a modest budget.  It just takes a little ingenuity.  As with most things in home decor what someone finds interesting  or inviting is dependent on their likes and dislikes;  I can only write about what I find interesting in a space.  Here are some of the characteristics I think   create interesting spaces.

It has a collected feel

That simply means that the home has objects that have been acquired over time and in different ways.   It could be objects collected from travels, antiques, personal items,  family heirlooms, original art etc.  The space does not look like you went out to several stores on one day and outfitted the place. It definitely does not look like a model home!

The rooms are arranged for conversation

Nothing is as bad as going to someone's home and not feeling like you are meant to be there.  You can have that feeling for many reasons, but  it often boils down to not feeling part of the conversation or not having a comfortable place to sit or lay down a beverage.

 

There's a mix of old and new

Pristine is not that interesting.  Often when everything is new you don't appreciate any of it.  You need a yardstick against which you can appreciate the newness, and that means having some things that are older.  Another great thing about  old pieces is the sense of history and intrigue they create.  Visitors are left wondering why the pieces are so important that you've decided to keep them.  If you like very contemporary or modern decor, there is still a place to add interesting objects with a history.

There's a mix of hand crafted and manufactured products 

In our world of mass production, it is so easy to forget the importance of the marks left by the hands of an artist and the presence of ideas in objects.  Having  art, fine craft and the hand made is like having a whole pile of interesting people over at one time.  There is a merging of ideas and various takes on the natural and man made world. Then there's the one of a kind aspect.

 Accessories are moved/changed 

Designing Home/Margaret Ryall Another week and a different  wild flower arrangement  and vessel by Anita Singh on the little  hand painted table.  The objects and flowers add colour, texture and variety in forms to the vignette.  A painting by a local artist peeks out behind the chair, something new to be discovered.  Candles are always inviting.

Thought has been given to space planning 

The room is arranged as well as it can be given the space available.  The layout is conducive to flow through the space.  There is an obvious visual flow as well as  defined traffic lanes.  There's variety in heights of objects and  textures. Even a monochromatic colour scheme needs contrast.

There are surprises to be discovered

I love a bit of the unexpected.   There are all kinds of ways to achieve this.  It could be a colour that you might not think about pairing with your colour scheme.  It could be an a family heirloom, some of your child's artwork scanned and made into a book, a vase you made in high school art, the work of a friend,  a display of framed post cards from trips you've taken arranged in a grid, a piece of furniture in a place where you wouldn't expect to see it, etc.  The sky is the limit.


How pleasant these doilies look backed with blue and enclosed with white frames .  Such a great way to display family heirlooms.


 I am intrigued by the chain hanging from the candlestick.  Does it have significance to the homeowner? Did a visitor drop it and it's placed here to keep it safe?  Did the homeowner change her mind just before going out?

So you have an armoire and you are eying that space between the top of it and the ceiling.  Do you or don't you put anything on top of it?   You might want to consider the following:

How much space do you have to work with?
If you have less than 24 inches  I suggest forgetting about adding something above it. Here's why:


BUT sometimes you can make it work.  There's always an exception to every  rule.


Even though these baskets touch the ceiling in places, their colour, scale and random/exciting arrangement  make them appear as if they are an extension of the armoire. The armoire is also at the end of a hall and will always be viewed from a distance allowing  you to see what's on top of it.



Do you want your eye to go to the top of the armoire?
If your armoire is a centre of interest in your space you may want to add other elements to enhance that position and make it even more commanding.   You might also want to add something if you have other tall elements in the space or you want to create some height variations among the various verticals in the space.

If you have enough space and you want to draw attention to the armoire here are some tips to consider:

If the armoire has glass doors, consider using the same type of objects stored within it on the top.


This arrangement of bottles and bedding is a natural addition to what is already stored inside the armoire.  The light colours make the whole unit look very cohesive.



  In this child's room the top of the armoire seems to be the perfect place to store these large toys.  Because they are the same colour as the room and the armoire, they don't seem too big.  That leads me to the next tip:



If you don't want to draw too much attention to the objects, but you want to fill in the space consider using objects that are the same or similar colour of the armoire or the wall or use clear glass. 








If you are going to add a piece of art that high make sure it is a bold image that it can be read from a distance and lean it against the wall , if you are considering using a photograph the same guidelines apply.

 Are you challenged when it comes to arranging  accessories? Do you look at details in  decorating magazines and marvel at how everything  looks just right? Many people think the final touches are the most difficult part of home decor, but they don't have to be.  There are all kinds of tips and tricks of the trade. 

One of the simplest design tips I can offer is the use  of  letter formations to organize interesting accessory vignettes. I'm calling on my background in visual art and floral arrangement to offer you this advice.  Other decorators may have different ways of describing their approach. 

The most useful letters for designing vignettes are ....  A, V,  O, C, L, and M.  

Here goes...

A




This is a very tight A line of design.  The visual height is always through the middle and the base is wider, but the bottom width can vary.  My eye wants to see something slightly taller than the dish - a sphere  would be lovely here. Perhaps the owner is like me,  always looking for just the right object to finish a room.




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