A Design Plan is Essential to your Decorating Success

Have you ever been lost? I know I have.  I thought I knew where I was going. I set out, without a map, because, you know, I know where I’m headed. Right until I got myself lost…


 Why didn't I get a map? Oh yeah. I was smart enough to get there. What kind of idiot doesn't know the way to _____? Or, more likely, I was in a hurry and too busy to prepare with a map. I was anxious to get there and skipped my preparation. You can bet that the next time I set out to a new area I got myself some directions, both from the cell phone and a printed version, in case I had no cell coverage. Smarter the second time around.
 
 Decorating without a plan is a lot like setting out without directions. You stop into a furniture store or on a website, maybe just to browse or get ideas. Then you start purchasing blindly. Like going without directions, you’ll end up lost, and with a hodge-podge of stuff that kind-of, sort-of works together. And probably a side helping of disappointment.
 

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We all make mistakes. The key is to learn from them. That’s why you will do better next time you decorate. You need a plan… a map. And the map starts with an honest inventory of your life. Decide what you need and want. Determine your {real} budget and if you can accomplish what you need and want within that budget. It seems so simple, doesn't it? It is. The key is having the patience to do it right the first time.
 

I’ll teach you to be your own client. Listen to yourself and your family and be honest about what works. What’s all this about honesty? Here is an example: I love velvet. It’s rich and luxurious. I have a penchant for glam design in my own home and velvet fits right in. I also have an adorable 60 lb dog, who is allowed all over the furniture. Velvet is an absolute magnet for fur. So, will I change the rules for the dog? No. Do I want to battle the fur on velvet? No. Is a velvet sofa a good choice for me? No. I’ll have to consider another option. Perhaps a velvet ottoman or pillows will be a more practical solution.
 

Not planning and assessing your life and needs results in spending money on things that don’t work for you, or that you’ll have to replace sooner than you anticipated.

Let’s get started with your own design plan.  Below is a mini version of the design questionnaire I use with my clients before I start designing or decorating their homes.

• How long do you plan to stay in this home? This helps you determine how much time and money you really want to put into a redesign. Will you be focused on your long-term comfort or resale value?
• Who lives in your home and what are their ages? Do you have children that will be off to school soon or an elderly parent living with you and need to incorporate Ageing-in-Place principals?
• Do you have pets? Think about the finishes you want to install in your home and whether they are adequate for those furry friends in your life.
• Do you entertain quite a bit? Is your home functional for your entertaining needs?

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• Write a list of your family’s regular activities. Does Bobby like to do puzzles in the living room, or does Missy like to paint in the kitchen? Defining where you need to make rooms dual purpose or where to relocate these activities help you determine how to best use your space.
•  Is there enough storage space in your home?
• What colors do you like? What colors do you dislike? What colors do your family members love and hate?
• Does everyone in the house have the same design taste? If they are different, have you figured out how you are going to reconcile the differences?

• What style do you want for furniture and accessories? Modern, traditional, formal, casual… the list goes on.
• What is the style of your current home? If your house is very Traditional, but you like Modern styles, how will you bridge the gap?
• Do you have a favorite piece of furniture or artwork you absolutely love? This could be the perfect starting point for your design.
• How much are you going to invest in this project? Add an extra 20% to that number to cover the incidentals that always pop up. Is this based on real prices or total guesswork? If you haven’t done the homework to see what items really cost, you may be unable to complete this project once you start or you may have to downgrade your selections.
• Is anyone in your home a handy person? If so, you may be able to save yourself money if you can do things like painting yourself.

This list is not exhaustive. In fact, I have a 7 page questionnaire that I review with new clients. However, it will get you thinking honestly about your needs and wants in your home. This is the important first step before you make a single purchase.Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Spring Cleaning to Spring Decorating | Changing Your Energy

I started this post before Spring was officially upon us. Now that Spring is here, it's all the more relevant. Enjoy! I've been feeling the pull of spring... and of spring cleaning. I've recently cleaned out my closet and the basement. I've started a new to do list with the many areas I'd like to tackle around the new home.
 
This all got me thinking. What is it about spring that sparks this in us? Why do we feel called to "spring clean"? It's all about changing our energy. Decluttering, cleaning, organizing, refreshing; it all breathes new energy into our homes and we feel better for it. So dive into your spring cleaning and boost the energy level around your home. You may even be inspired to take your spring cleaning a step further with some spring decorating. Here are quick and easy ways to add spring to your decorating and change your home's energy.

Add a New Color of Accessories

The two bedrooms below would've looked fine before, but the addition of a pillow in a bright complimentary color (yellow and orange respectively) works to change the energy of the spaces.
 

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In living rooms designs , you can make a new color work by adding it in at least 3 places. In the room below, we see emerald green evenly added throughout the room. To make your space look really polished, find a coordinating item the pulls in the old color and new color.

Transitional Living Room by Minneapolis Interior Designers & Decorators Martha O'Hara Interiors

Move Things Around

Try a piece that you bought for the bedroom in the dining room or living room. Sometimes we are too stuck in a rut. Just moving things around can spruce up a space. If that item  doesn't work in a different room, the change should at least get your creative juice flowing; changing your energy.

Try a New Lamp Shade

And if you really want to boost the energy, paint the lamp a new color inspired by bright spring tones.

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Those are easy an inexpensive tips to help add a Spring Time Energy to your home this month. If you are ready to change the energy more permanently, Beautiful Habitat can help you create a design plan. Contact Us today.

For more Spring Design and Decorating inspiration, check out the following posts:

• Happy Colors
• Spring is in This Home
• Spring Inspired Rooms
• Fashion & Interiors Look-a-Likes
• Mary's Fresh Bedroom Makeover

Happy Spring!!!

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Prepare Your Dining Room for Entertaining

The Holidays are coming, the Holidays are coming! That's right. It's Dining Room season in the world of Interior Designers. It's time to think about that new dining room design if you want to have it ready to go for your holiday dinners, parties and lots of entertaining. Whether you are in need of a full blown make-over, or just a little refresh, I've got some tips for you to consider for your Dining Room Design.

via Pinterest

Table

The foundation of your dining room is the table. I prefer a pedestal table to a traditional table with four legs. The pedestal provides more flexibility when entertaining larger parties.

via New England Home

Don't forget to top your table with a fabulous table setting to welcome guests and set the mood.  

Upholstery

Notice, I said "upholstery", not just "chairs". Dining chairs should be upholstered, whether just the seat, or the whole chair. Dining chairs should be comfortable and invite guest to linger long after dinner has been served.

via House of Turquoise

  

via Pinterest

Lighting

Dining Rooms deserve fabulous lighting and it must be on a dimmer! If you've got a larger dining room or table, don't do a round chandelier in the center or your host and hostess will be in the dark. Take a cue from this Red dining room below - two lights are better than one.

via Colorado Homes & Lifestyles

via aesthetically-thinking

Display/Serving

Do you have a large dining room? Lucky you. This is a great opportunity to beautifully display your pieces, or to set up additional surfaces for meal serving.
 

via Beautiful Habitat

Drapery

If you are fortunate enough to have a window in your dining room, dress it up!

via Pinterest

Wall Treatments

Create a stunning focal point with dramatic wall treatments or artwork.

via Pinterest

via Houzz

 

Don't forget the Ceiling

I love a ceiling with something other than white paint. (see previous posts) Your Dining Room is a great room to add pizazz on the ceiling.

via Marcus Design

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Beach Bathroom Quick Makeover

Fun beach theme bathroom
 As I mentioned last week in How Do You Spa?, for many years my friend and I would frequent a spa with a coastal/beach theme. In many ways I associate a beach theme with relaxation and pampering. When there was an opportunity to create a beach theme in one of my bathrooms, I did, but I added more fun than spa.
 
This is a bonus 3-piece bathroom in our home. It's a bonus in that we don't need the extra shower on this floor, but we do use it more as a powder room.

 

Beautiful Habitat

The beach theme all started with the things we inherited in the house - a simple vanity and shower tiled in travertine.

 

Beautiful Habitat

The jumping off point for a beach theme came from the Travertine tiles, which reminded me of sand.

The builder-basic mirror and lights were beyond boring and there was nothing beachy, relaxing, or fun in them.

 

My first order of business was to add interest to the lighting. I painted the basic fixture silver with a can of spray paint and creatively engineered the galvanized buckets over the glass. TaDa - Beach lighting! I added colorful accessories which, together with the fun new lighting, take the focus off of the boring, frameless mirror.

 

Beautiful Habitat

The toilet has it's only little nook, which also needed a little something beach-inspired. My vision was to build a mini beach hut in the nook out of corrugated metal. I envisioned the corrugated metal behind the toilet and wrapping around the 2 sides, with a sloped roof and a marine-inspired light. These photos are a bit of the inspiration.

 

While I was getting the toilet-nook-beach-hut design in order, I did install one piece of corrugated metal wall treatment behind the toilet as a place holder, along with a beach print we picked up on a trip to St. Thomas. (Now just envision the metal wrapping around and above - so much fun)

You'll notice that I refer to the toilet plan in past-tense. It "was" because we are now moving. I'm a little sad that my toilet beach hut will never be realized. it was going to be adorable. However, I've enjoyed the beach bathroom for the last 5 years. it was a quick and easy makeover to an otherwise bland space. Have you done anything fun in your space? Share your fun rooms with us here or on Facebook.

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Things You Should Know About Architectural Salvage

I am currently working on a very fun and interesting project that involves both Architectural Salvage and Commissioning Custom Furniture. Before embarking on both aspects of this project, I came across two wonderful articles from Colorado Homes and Lifestyles Magazine. Here are 10 Things You Should Know About Architectural Salvage, as printed in Colorado Homes & Lifestyles.

 
10 Things you Should Know About Architectural Salvage: (via Colorado Homes & Lifestyles, with a few additional notes and photos from Beautiful Habitat)

1. It’s a fun way to go green. When you buy salvaged building materials you’re not only scoring conversation-worthy accents for your home; you’re also diverting materials from the landfill and minimizing the use of raw materials.
2. Don’t expect perfection. “The reason these pieces are charming and interesting is that they’re obviously recycled—meaning they’re not perfect,” says Eron Johnson, owner of Denver’s Eron Johnson Antiques. Tip: Have a furniture restorer coat any pieces of peeling paint with clear paste wax, which maintains the antiquity of the piece but gives it a smooth finish, Johnson says.
3. Beware of “too good to be true.” There are a lot of architectural salvage knockoffs out there, warns Johnson—particularly when it comes to marble fireplaces, stained glass and iron work. If the price is too good to be true (as in, considerably less than every other piece you find), it probably isn’t the real thing.
4. Know what you need. If you’re shopping for pieces that need to serve a function (doors that operate, etc.), bring along a notepad filled with the measurements and quantities you need and pictures of items you want to match, says Tom Sundheim, owner of Queen City Architectural Salvage in Denver.
5. Find new uses for old items. “The beauty of architectural salvage is it frees an antique from its former use,” says Johnson. Iron garden gates can become decorative headboards; wooden window frames act as room dividers; and an old weathervane emerges as the perfect accent for your mantel. (or lamp bases as seen below, BH)
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7. Be open to doors. Shopping for antique doors means having an eye for “quality beneath the paint,” says Sundheim. “Know which woods are heaviest. A pine door will weigh far less than a comparable oak door.” If you need the door to function, pony up for a heavier door. Also, for newer homes, understand that you may have to reframe openings to accommodate taller antique doors, Johnson says.
8. Hit up the hardware section. You might have a hard time finding enough matching knobs and drawer pulls to outfit, say, a whole kitchen. But unearth a few antique pulls (they can even be mismatched) for the right dresser or accent table, and you’ve got a statement piece.
9. Let there be light. If you live in a historic home, says interior designer Beth Armijo of Armijo Design Group, one of the best ways to honor the architecture is to install period-appropriate light fixtures. But, adds Johnson, remember two important safety tips: have an electrician update the wiring and, for pendants, reinforce the ceiling box. (Most antique fixtures are solid brass and heavier than modern fixtures.)
10. Dig around for your garden. A trip to the salvage yard can yield curios perfect for your outdoor living spaces, too. Look for stone statues or pillars, cast-iron park benches, weathered farm tables, or even vintage bathtubs (great for birdbaths).
11. Try DIY salvage. Someone just might love that pale-pink tub you’re tearing out of your master bathroom. Before you haul it off to the landfill, consider selling your relics online, or, even better, donating them to ReSource Yard (resourceyard.org), a nonprofit with salvage yards in Boulder and Fort Collins. Sale proceeds benefit waste-reduction programs and donations are tax deductible.
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My adventures in Architectural Salvage took me to the ReSource Yard in Boulder and Queen City Salvage in Denver. I also perused the Eron Johnson website (which is a great site and user-friendly). Ultimately, I am repurposing some wood that used to be a kitchen floor and I purchased dining chairs on 1stDibs. My adventures continue as I am planning another visit to Queen City for a new art idea I have. Stay tuned for more stories on this interior design project, coming soon.

For additional inspiration in salvage and recycling, check out the post on 23rd Ave Sculpture in Denver. This is scrapyard meets art studio, where old metal is turned into art, furniture and more for your home and garden.

To read the full post, or other "10 Things You Should Know... articles, visit Colorado Homes & Lifestyles.

Do you have treasures that you've salvaged or recycled? Share with us here or on Facebook.

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Banquettes

As I've mentioned before - I love banquettes. There is something inherently glamorous about a banquette. Or perhaps it's because I imagine a dinner party of my friends piling onto a big banquette in my dining room. I can't quite put my finger on the source of this love, but it's there. Oh, it's there.

Banquettes are often thought of as built-in, such as this dramatic gem of a dining room via Toby Fairly. These built-ins can be a great solution to a tricky area.

However, the look and feel of a banquette can be easily achieved by pulling a sofa, loveseat, settee or bench up to your table, without the expense and construction mess of a custom built-in. Allow me to explain... visually.

 

A sofa fits perfectly between cabinets in a kitchen nook. via House Beautiful, February 2012 issue.

 

Another perfectly sized sofa. This one features a beautifully shaped back and another favorite: nailheads. Source unknown.

 

A very simple sofa becomes more interesting as a banquette. Source unknown.

 

This dramatic settee makes a big statement in this otherwise understated dining room. source unknown.

 

A punch of pink pattern brightens up this kitchen with the sofa turned banquette. Source unknown.

 

This clever Kitchen design features an armless sofa as banquette with a table where many others would have used bar stools. I love the originality and out of the box thinking! Source unknown.

 

An elegant sofa creates a contrast to the more rustic dining table in this interior design. The effect is stunning. via Four Walls and a Roof.

 

The Interior Designer of this hotel went big and bold. This space features a large, curvy hot pink sofa as banquette. Wow. via Ohmygosh! Design.

 

A beautiful curved sofa in a glamorous dining room, via Elle Decor

I wanted to add a built-in banquette to my dining room. However, the location of light switches and the air-intake vent make that project well beyond my budget. No problem - I now have my eye on a settee that I want to include. Stay tuned for more!

Do you love banquettes? Check out my collection of banquette inspiration on Pinterest. Do you have a banquette? I'm jealous and would love to see it! Please share photos with us on Facebook.
Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Modern Take on the Barn Door Look

 

I recently completed this project and am so pleased with the results. It's unlike most Beautiful Habitat projects that I feature here in that it is a design for my own home. This makes it part Beautiful Habitat "work" and part DIY project. To be fair, The design was all me, the build was all my husband. I'm so happy that he's handy!

First, let's define the goals of the project.

1. We are incredibly blessed to live with dedicated open space behind our home. Privacy is not an issue, and we also have great views. Therefore, we want something that can provide some privacy, light and heat control, but still provide some visibility.
2. We have a more modern or urban aesthetic, yet lifestyle of the suburbs. We enjoy creating ways to urbanize our suburban home.
3. Both as an Interior Designer, but also as an individual, I am drawn to unique things and I especially wanted an original and creative way to treat the standard sliding glass door.

The Project:
The first and most important step is always a good design plan. This included a number of sketches to work out the design and the measurements. The door had to be large enough to completely cover the sliding door and window above, 6' W x 8' H.

One of the longest parts of the process was staining the boards, particularly because a bitter cold front moved through Colorado, forcing me to move the staining into the basement... We also went with a 2 step staining to get the warmth and aged-look we wanted.

Next came the layout and actual build.

The door is done! Now time to get it hung...

Hardware

We chose hardware from a company called Real Sliding Door Hardware.

We made the door handle from pieces of plumbing pipe found at any hardware store.

1. It followed the urban and industrial aesthetic that we wanted
2. Because the door is 6'x8', the handle needed to be substantial to feel balanced with the door size. Finding a substantial handle is difficult. Finding one that doesn't cost a fortune is nearly impossible.

On to hanging... This was the most stressful part of the project!

 

Once the hardware was up, it was time to stain again. Why didn't I stain this with the other boards? The cold Colorado weather prevented me from staining in the garage. The 12' L of this board prevented it from going down to the basement. Therefore, staining in place was the best option.

Modern Barn Door Is Complete and hung!!

 

Above, the door is closed.

 

And a view with the door open.

 

And partially open. Maximum functionality here!

I hope you've been inspired to think out of the box in your home! What project would you like to try?

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com