Worst Trends of 2011

I may be a little late on this discussion...but I thought it would be worth a quick blogpost.  In January, Elle Decor magazine asked 5 designers to talk about the 5 worst trends of 2011 that have overstayed their welcome.  You can read the article here.

One designer, Sheila Bridges, said that DIY was one of them.  Just because a piece of furniture could be reclaimed doesn't mean it has to be.  I think that if something is about to fall apart, or if it's an ugly piece to begin with - without any shape or style - then I think that it should be left at the garage sale, thrift shop or curbside.  But, with all of the people who are writing DIY blogs and their countless readers - I think that DIY has never been stronger, more creative - and wonderful.  Sheila may be the designer to the stars - and, most notably, Bill Clinton, but I think she may be a bit mistaken in her assessment of a trend that has really taken hold and I don't think it's going to go away quietly. 

DIY has probably grown in recent years due to the recession.  People cannot afford very pricey furniture and they looking for budget-friendly ways to decorate their homes. I have always been a fan of re-doing furniture and will probably keep doing it even after the economy rebounds.  It's a beautiful craft and, if I must say so modestly, it's something I do well.  It also saves a ton of money for all of my clients and in this day of ever-increasing squeezes on our pocketbooks - I am glad that I can give them a beautiful home without them spending a fortune.

A $20 bamboo vanity/desk that I found in a Port Jefferson NY thrift shop!

Here it is in another staged home I did

Some of the bamboo wrungs were missing but my husband found a few "look-a-likes" around our house (stem supports from faux orchid pots) and replaced them.  When I found the piece it was sitting right outside the basement of the shop in a natural but very grayish state.  I cleaned it up and I spray painted it with gloss white - and voila - a lovely little accent piece. I use this a lot when I'm staging because it's very light and transportable and I think it looks beautiful.  In the future, I'd like to do an etched design on the glass - I think that that will really be lovely.

A $25 Craigslist find revamped with Annie Sloan Chalk paint and Royal Design Studio stencils

Our JC Penney entertainment unit - revamped. You can read about how I did this here

A garage sale find - quickly revamped with Annie Sloan Chalk paint and stencils

These are just a few things that I have done that I have some photos of. I have to begin photographing the many things I've done over the years. 

Using Books in Interior Design is on the List of the Worst Trends (but not on my List!)

The other design trend that's supposedly due to die out is the use of books in interior design.  I agree that it should not be done willy nilly but if you have lovely books just collecting dust in a bookcase - I think they should be stacked on a coffee table or placed on a console behind a sofa...or even stacked next to a chair in a reading area.  I do this all the time in my own house and guess what?  People pick the books up and start reading them!  Just yesterday two of my friends picked up design Mary MacDonald's recent book and said they would probably buy it!  If it was just sitting in my bookcase - it wouldn't have had any attention!  If you'd like to read my blog post on using books in interior design, go here.

Would love to hear and read your comments on this!  Thanks

A New Way of Looking at My Blog

Hi everyone.  I am sorry that I have been a bit tardy in writing.  I was busy with some last minute client projects - some window treatments to install...a faux finishing project and a home staging project.  Then - over the weekend, I took a wonderful Blogging Class (Road Trip, Blogging Your Way NYC) with the delightful Holly Becker, the wunder-blogger (did I just coin a new word?) behind the successful decor8 and Leslie Shewring of A Creative Mint.  There was so much to learn but I know that I came away with a lot of very important ideas.  I also learned how to operate my Nikon 3100D Digital SLR camera much better - and I learned some new tricks on PhotoShop Elements. Here are some of the pictures I took at the workshop.

One of the other delightful things about taking the class was finally meeting one of the first people who ever commented on my blog - Shawn Byles of the blog Jamaica Byles.  Shawn is an awesome textile designer and I encourage you to check out her blog. She will be revamping her blog as well though, after attending this wonderful workshop.

The Big Aha Moment: I think that the one critical thing that I learned was that I needed to share my creative process on my blog.  What inspires me to create such and such a faux finish or to concoct a particular color scheme in a room. My inspirations come from many, varied places - it could be a photo of an old house in Provence, the colors in a painting, an advertisement in a magazine.  Inspiration is everywhere.  But, as a creative person - I usually just show the final product. 

So, not many people really understand the process that brought that particular look together.  I now know that I need to "tell the story" behind a room, a color scheme...a finish.  I know that I have done that at times (especially when I am giving some of steps in the recipe) but I am not "showing" the whole story.  Not only the reason behind the look, but the process: Show the tools, the bottles of tints that comprise the color, the bucket of plaster and me applying it.  Or when it comes to using fabrics in a room - perhaps I should show the fabric showroom and how I come to choose several fabrics amid a sea of possibilities. 

To compose those shots, it takes another skill that I am only beginning to develop - styling.   It's one thing to pull some colors, finishes and accessories together in a room...but to pull it together for a photo shoot is another thing. I have to exercise this muscle and better my eye for this. I know that I will be taking a ton of photographs until I am happy with the result.  For the above photos I must have taken hundreds of less of than beautiful shots before I loved the result.  Learning to work the camera (changing the fstop and the shutter speed...the ISO) plus styling the photos is new to me so it will take a while to really get the hang of it.  But, I know that it will make my blog more useful as well as beautiful to my readers.

Holly Becker from decor8 blog...and me

Thank you Holly and Leslie for a great class.  Looking forward to implementing everything I learned!
And...thank you for reading!

Someone Stole My Lucky Charm!!

I am always amazed at people's generosity and, conversely, their propensity for stealing things!  For the most part, I've only experienced the good side of people...but every once in awhile - I see the ugly underside of humankind.

My company, besides doing decorative painting and design, also does home staging. Yesterday, I had to de-stage a home that sold very quickly despite it being the dead of winter.  In the home, I had placed the first item I ever bought for my staging business...the Coco lamp.

The surviving twin!

This lamp has always been my lucky charm.  Whenever I've placed it in a home for sale - the home sold quickly. I'm sure that there were many other reasons why the homes sold fast...but I do know that most people coming into homes I've staged have wanted to buy everything in the home.  Maybe that should have given me an idea that people coveted my staging inventory - but I never thought someone would actually steal a fairly large item like this!! How does somone walk out of a house with this tucked under their arm? Someone must have noticed, don't you think?

Back in 2008, I had an inkling that I wanted to enter the staging business, so I started to buy things for this new enterprise.  This was the first thing I purchased.  It sat for a while in my garage...but soon I was staging vacant homes - bringing in my other purchases from Ebay, craigslist and some high end estate sales.  I had to do everything on a budget - but I think that my purchases were very wise and so in a few short years, I had enough inventory to furnish 6 or 7 homes. 

In a $3.5 million home, the Coco lamps helped sell it in 3 1/2 weeks

Many home staging companies rotate their inventory every year or so and buy new - but I tend to keep my pieces around for as long as I can (especially when the pieces help to sell the home quickly). I would rather revamp them with paint, different fabrics - pile on different pillows and throws - rather than sell the items and purchase new.

Here they are in a more modest home - that sold in less than 7 weeks

What I loved about these lamps was that I could place them in an expensive home, a little cottage or a mid-priced property.  I could put them in a living room, sitting room, Master Bedroom or an entryway on a console.  That's what I look for in an accessory - how many places can I use it?

If anyone knows where I might be able to purchase this lamp, I would love to know.  I have looked on Ebay countless times (because I've wanted to buy several pairs of these lamps) - but to no avail. I don't think it's being made anymore.  There are some numbers on the bottom - it says
Cat# CL2148. Date May, 2008. It was made in China. There's also a bar code - and maybe if I go to my lighting store, they can look it up.  The homeseller, a real estate investor, has offered to pay me for my loss. So - I hope that I can replace it!

But - the blogosphere is an amazing place...so I am asking my blog readers if they know how/where I can buy another one, I would appreciate hearing from you!  I have a wonderful designer friend here on Long Island looking for me as well.  She's a fantastic researcher...so hopefully she will come through for me.

I would also love to hear from some other home stagers and realtors on how they make sure that the contents of their listings are not stolen.  I have insurance - so I am safe there. But when something meaningful is stolen...there's no insurance that will help you with that!

Glazed Burlap Inserts in Faux Woodgrained Wainscoting

Just a quick post today.  I did a really beautiful project awhile back that helped amp up the beauty of this home. The homeowner wanted something different yet rich and more classicially traditional.  Her entryway, especially her stairway to the second floor, was quite tall - and there was very little architecture.  To help ameliorate (sorry for the high-end vacab...I was an English major!!) this "tallness," I suggested that she add some wainscoting with panels and some crown molding.  Once that was done, we went to work doing a faux mahogany finish (with a dollop of eggplant in the glaze mix).

Once white and plain...

The Recipe...

The base color was a brownish red (Leather Red from Aqua Finishing Solutions).  Then I floated Dutch Metal Gold - also from Aqua Finishing Solutions - on the edges for a little sophistication.  It's not quite visible in the photo...but that's because it's suffused under a glaze of Antique Mahogany plus some Eggplant Stain and Seal and a dash of Ebony (also from Aqua Finishing Solutions).

The finishing touch came by adding the burlap to the inserts.  I purchased the burlap online - but you can buy it anywhere as long as it's a burlap that has more of an open weave.  If it's tight, it won't work - well, maybe it will but I don't recommend it.  I put it on with carpenters glue (Elmer's).  You need to try to get the edges as clean as possible.  Mine were not perfect - so I added the cording to neaten it up.  After the glue was dry, I gave the burlap a clear topcoat. The client wanted to retain the light color of the burlap but I darkened it a bit with some dark brown glaze.

I've done this finish on furniture as well.  You can put it on just about anything that has an insert (it would look beautiful as an insert in a ceiling panel!) Come to think of it, I have an end table with a raised molding around the top (sort of like a tray table top) that could use this finish!

Above is a sample I did for a client where I painted and glazed the burlap in the same color. I just added some black accents to the sides of the insert.  Here you can see the burlap weave better - it's more open.  And you can see the edges. If you don't get it down close to the edge - it will look unfinished.  In the darker sample you don't see the edges quite so much...but on the lighter wainscoting inserts that I did for my client - the edges were more noticeable.  But, no big deal - that's what they make cording for!

It's a beautiful finish.  So - give this burlap finish a try in your own home!!

Linking this project up with Between Naps on the Porch

and some of my blog friends HERE

Designing the Perfect Nursery, Part 1

Maybe it's because my youngest daughter, Jessica, is pregnant and due in April...but I thought it would be good to do a post on how to create the perfect nursery. 

A sonogram of my soon-to-be-born granddaughter, Peyton. 8 more weeks to go!

I started to write this post more than a month ago and then one of my readers asked me to do a blogpost on it as well.  The post got pretty long, so I decided to break it up into a Part 1 and Part 2.  I know that some blog readers will stay with a long post, but most will skim!  So to avoid that - I broke it up!

Fun, colorful and practical design from Sarah Richardson via decorpad

The fun part of designing your nursery is picking the colors and the accessories that will go in the room.  But function is so important when you are designing that I had to include that in the discussion.  So whether you are expecting a baby or know someone who is, hopefully you'll learn some useful tips and advice that will not only make your nursery a beautiful one - but a safe place as well.

The Basics:

Where Should the Nursery Be: If possible, have the nursery as close to your bedroom as possible, so that you can attend to your baby quickly during the night. If you would like to have the baby in your room in the early months, you may want to purchase a bassinet.

A beautiful crib for the nursery, via Lucas Studio

 Furniture: The crib – make sure that it is highly rated for safety so that you and your baby can sleep soundly. Check for any recalls and read consumer reviews of the product you select. Many cribs now change into youth beds, so think of the crib as an investment that will last quite a long time. Make sure that you place the crib away from the window to avoid drafts and excess noise. Also...avoid having the crib near any heat or AC vents.

The Changing Table etc: Purchase one with ample open storage underneath so that you can quickly and easily change your baby safely. If you have the room, add an additional dresser to store more clothing, linens and other necessities. If space is really at a minimum, forego the changing table and add a soft pad and cover and place on top of the dresser to change your baby. Whether you use the changing table or the top of the dresser, a diaper stacker on the wall nearby will help make changing your baby much easier. A diaper disposal unit not too far away will also help you! The Diaper Genie II by Platex is very highly rated by users.

Source

Have a Sitting Area: You want to sit down and nurse or read to your baby so make sure you have a comfortable chair to sit in. A rocker would be ideal. A small table or basket to hold books and some small toys would also be ideal.

Images via Finnian's Moon

Bedding: There are so many options in this category but, in general, if you keep the color scheme one that blends with the other items in the room – you will have an easier decision to make! First off, you’ll need a mattress cover – preferably two, so that when one gets soiled you have a backup. Hypoallergenic ones are available and I think they are a great choice.

Bedding from Carousel Designs

You’ll need a snug fitting crib sheet. Ones made of flannel are great for the cooler months – and cotton for the spring and summer. You will not need any blankets. Today’s parents keep their babies’ airway passages clear by not having a blanket covering them. Also, bumper guards – while they add color and style to the nursery – are not being recommended because they could contribute to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Pillows and stuffed animals should also be avoided in the crib.

This is one of my favorite images.  Design by Lisa Mortensen; Photography by Stephen Karlisch

You can opt for a nursery rhyme theme – but before you know it, your child will have outgrown it! In the nursery below, designed by Carolyn Roehm, the handpainted Chinoiserie mural is unexpected, beautiful - and a very imaginative flourish for the youngest of eyes. 

Babies are never too young for Chinoiserie!

You can also stencil something colorful on the walls. The sky is the limit for stencils.  Choose something that you love and chances are your baby will too. Another option is to use appliqués. These vinyl pieces come in many styles and colors, can be changed in an instant and they won’t ruin your walls. Check Blik and Etsy for an assortment of style options.

A modern girl's nursery via Spearmint Baby

Paint Colors: Color is of course very personal. But I think that a soothing color is best for a nursery. A soft pastel blue, pale green or soft pink would work the best though. Make sure to paint several months before the baby arrives and use a zero or low VOC paint. For some visual candy for your baby, you can embellish your walls with a beautiful hand painted mural with a landscape theme – which can serve as a beautiful backdrop for many years to come.

More ideas to come...next post!

My Latest Project: Fixing Faux Finishes in a Home for Sale

The Entry before...

Sometimes I am called on to fix a faux finish, instead of only just doing one.  This beautiful home is currently for sale in Southampton NY for $6,975,000. There were numerous changes done (adding light fixtures etc) and of course some cracks that resulted over the years and needed to be fixed - and so the owners wanted the faux, that had been done many years ago, fixed rather than go through the expense of painting the entire house.

During...

Entry...After

Before...

Living room before...

After...

After...

Living room...after

Living room

If you have never tried to fix a faux finish (especially when you didn't do the finish in the first place as in this case), it's one of the hardest things to do well. What happens is that you can't just dot in the color into the patched and primed spot.  It doesn't work.  If you try to do that, it just creates a halo effect and you can see where the "join" is.  You have to create a color that is the closest to the base color and then you swish the color in...blending it in without following the outline of the patch. Then add a little darker glaze and feather that in - as in the drifts that are part of this finish.  Sounds easy but it wasn't at all. 

The Den Wallpaper Fix

I also had to fix many areas in the den.  Oh boy - this was a job.  I had to match a wallpaper of all things.  First, the ceiling above the window seat...

Before...

Before...

After...

After...

Since the home sellers did not have the paper that was used, I had to improvise.  I primed the areas, then used gift tissue, slightly wrinkled (like I did on my Bookcase Project) then painted it.  I created a glaze color that matched the color of the paper and then glazed the whole ceiling.

By the other window in the room there was more damage...

Before...

After...

Blending it in without it looking like a different paper/finish was a bit difficult - but it came out better than even I thought it would!  Sometimes - I surprise myself. The room is really a beautiful one - so it was worth the extra effort.

After...

There were some other areas throughout the room that were discolored and we had to devise a color that would blend in best to disguise it. But - the room looks really great now.

The only full faux finishing that we did in the home was in the dining room.  I just created a very soft, mottled finish that warmed up the space.

The home looks really wonderful and warm so I hope that all of the effort nets the owners a sale. It took us all week to get the work done - so I apologize for not blogging as much last week.  Hopefully this long post will satisfy!

Some knowledge of color theory and faux finishing techniques can really help save time and money.  In this case, the home sellers would have had to have most of their walls re-painted and the den walls would have had to have been stripped of the wall paper, primed and re-painted.  That would have been costly - time and money-wise.  As they were having an open house over the weekend, there wasn't the time to do all that.  So...once again...Faux to the Rescue!

If you are interesting in seeing this beautiful home, please call the realtor, Tim Davis of Corcoran at 631 283-7300.  The website for the listing can be found HERE

You may be interested in another project -  a $3.5 Million home that we staged that sold in 3 1/2 weeks.  Click Here 

Linking this project up to these blogs...

Stuff and Nonsense

Domesblissity

A Late Valentine's Post: The Best Present I Ever Received!

How Much Do I Love My Husband!!

This post is almost a week late, but I just had to write it and share with everyone. Last Tuesday morning, at around 6:40 AM I was about to leave for an early meeting and surprisingly my husband was downstairs waiting for me by the kitchen table. Unusual for him, now that he’s retired, to be up that early but – I saw the card, the candy box, the roses and another package wrapped in pink and I knew why he was up! I hadn’t even wrapped his gift or signed his card yet – I thought I had ‘til the night time when we were going out to dinner to exchange gifts. He had that slight smirk on his face, so I knew that I had to open the gifts right away instead of later. So, I opened the card (which was lovely) and thanked him for the roses and the candy and then I tried to guess what was in the other package – but it had such a hard feel and a weird shape that I couldn’t guess by feel. When I opened it – I was so surprised…and happy beyond belief. It was the best present I ever got!

My husband took what was left of a trophy I received for being Queen of the Prom (hate to say it - but the year was 1969!). I only had the female figurine left after all these years and not the base with the plaque because my ex-husband broke it (don't remember why he did that either). But I carried this little token of my beautiful past around with me maybe out of vanity – but more for just remembering some nice things that have happened to me in the past, I kept it in a junk drawer in my bedroom because I didn’t know where else to put it.

Well for Valentine's Day my wonderful husband found the figurine and went online to order a base for it and the plaque and he affixed the figurine on top. What a surprise! It was definitely the best Valentine's present I ever got. He took me to a wonderful restaurant that night – and although I was tired from working all day…I was the happiest woman in the place, still beaming about my lovely, thoughtful gift from my husband!

Just a quick note about my ex-husband who broke the darn thing - we are still friends to this day and, in fact, his wife works with me and I consider her to be one of my best friends. She is a great person and she is one of my biggest cheerleaders. Unusual – yes I know…and, thankfully for her, my ex grew up and became a wonderful husband and father and he stopped breaking things!