Tag Archives: home decor tips

Build your Dream Room, One Piece at a Time – Accessories

Posted on by

The fourth and last piece of this series on building your dream room focuses on the smaller elements. Now that you have your main pieces of furniture in place, it’s time to add the extras that make a space truly yours.

Think about the larger accessories such as lamps and side tables first. These require attention to function as well as aesthetics. Make sure every seat has a table nearby and that your lamps light up any darker corners. Create a comfortable place for reading with a floor lamp behind an easy chair.

Now, consider the pure design elements. This may include a few books on one corner of your coffee table, candlesticks and photos on a mantel or just a simple glass bowl on a side table. If you have accumulated unique pieces on your travels, they can make a room more intriguing. Or if you have a collection of small objects, they can gain new importance by grouping them on a table or shelf. Vary size, color and height where you can to add interest and personality.

If space and accessories are limited, you can display one or more of your serving bowls or platters. Combine with a vase for flowers or a few candles and you have an appealing look using things that you can borrow from when you have guests.

Accessories are the best opportunity to showcase your personal taste and interests in your home. They give your guests a chance to get to know you better. Take advantage of your choices to represent ideas, places and choices that you love. Once your accessories are in place, your dream room is finished.

Build your Dream Room, One Piece at a Time – Accent Chair(s)

Posted on by

In this series of blogs we’re providing a step-by-step process for decorating your living or family room. With an empty room in front of you it can seem overwhelming to turn it into a comfortable and welcoming space. You can find your feet if you take it one step at a time.

In our last blog we selected a sofa. Now we’re going to add one or more accent chairs. These are the next-largest upholstered pieces in the room. If you selected a sectional, you may want only one accent chair. A more straightforward sofa may require two or more chairs to finish the space. Position your sofa in the room and determine how much space is left for additional seating.

Your chairs open the opportunity to add accent fabric. As a smaller piece, chairs can carry patterns better than a sofa. Take a chance on a floral or stripe. Don’t hesitate to bring some color into the room with your fabric choice. It can easily be echoed later in accessories or window treatments.

Choose chairs that are comfortable and sturdy, and include an ottoman if you have space. You may have your main furniture pieces facing a television or fireplace, but make sure they also create a comfortable space for conversation.

You may already own a nice chair or two. If the upholstery doesn’t work in your new home, consider reupholstering or a slipcover to dress it appropriately. You can use the money you save on other furnishings and accessories as you continue to decorate.

In our next blog we’ll talk about coffee table choices.

Brighten up a Room with Splashes of Color

Posted on by

We’re lucky here in Arizona to get so much sunshine. Grey days are the exception here. But it’s easy to let our homes go grey or beige inside because of the fear of committing to colors. If you have neutral walls, sofas, flooring and chairs, you can still add bold color to your home. Here are some ideas for brightening up any room.

Rugs: No matter what your flooring choice, a rug can add color, warmth and focus. Look for color that you love that will work with your furnishings. Since rugs are not permanently attached to your home, take the opportunity to be more daring with colors.

Art: A large painting or print in vivid tones can light up a wall. You can find options at one of the art shows around town, or in a shop that sells posters and prints. If you love good photography, visit the National Geographic website and you can select a photo to enlarge among their rich collection that is ready to purchase. Or maybe you’re a good photographer yourself. Warehouse stores will enlarge any print you have and even create a version on canvas for very reasonable prices.

Throw Pillows: This simple update can connect other color splashes in your home with your furniture. They’re also easy to change out if you get tired of them. If you’re still nervous about color, buying a bright throw pillow is a great non-threatening start.

Accessories: A red glass vase or blue pottery bowl can add a colorful element to any room. Consider textiles such as a table runner or placemats in your dining room. Pick things you like but watch your tendency to go with more neutrals. Neutral accessories in a neutral room will disappear into your space.

So take a chance with color. Start with one piece, then two, and before you know it your home may be colorful as well as inviting!

Blend Antique and Contemporary Looks

Posted on by

Do you have a couple of lovely older pieces of furniture you inherited from a great grandmother or received from a great aunt? Or maybe you enjoy hunting down a few unusual antique elements at shops or antique fairs. Here are a few suggestions for integrating them with your more standard pieces so that they add interest while still fitting well in your home.

Look for points of commonality. Do you have newer pieces in the same type of wood? What about the metal finishes? If an old chest has handles in antique brass, look for accessories in the same tones, or art or a mirror framed in a similar finish. Place the art above the piece, and scatter a few of the accessories on nearby pieces of furniture.

The other important factor is proportion. Make sure your antiques and contemporary furniture pieces have a similar scale wherever you place them in your home.

In this photo, the unusual antique table is paired with a very contemporary mirror. This works because it plays on several elements of commonality. The antique brass/bronze finish on the mirror coordinates well with the old brass lions heads on each corner of the table and the eagle claws clutching balls that make up its feet.

The accessories also link pieces together. The pitcher’s dry grasses create a vertical link between the table and the mirror. The turned wood bowls have a contemporary look while the three small bronze birds bring back an older feeling. Notice that the quilt, a classic older accessory, has a more contemporary feel, working well with the long glass dish sitting on it.

Another important feature is the handmade aspect of many of the accessories. The pottery pitcher, wood bowls and quilt all have an artisan feel, which complements the fine detailing on the table.

Don’t hesitate to connect your antiques with other newer pieces in your home. With just a little effort, you can create an interesting, eclectic look.

Cool Colors for Hot Days

Posted on by

We’re halfway through the summer and as our utility bills rise and the sun never seems to set, there are things you can do with your home’s decor to help you and your family beat the heat. Here are a few suggestions.

Bring cool colors into your home. Cool colors include blue, green, purple and pink. These colors help us perceive a space as cooler in temperature. Most rooms have a combination of warm and cool tones. Consider removing some of the warmer color accessories, pillows or linens – red, yellow and orange – and replacing them with cool colors for the summer. A few small changes can make a big difference in the color balance of a room.

Add more white. White is a cool tone, and the more white you have in a room, the cooler it feels. How about covering your sofa or upholstered chairs with white canvas slipcovers? These can be washable, making summer spills less of a problem. Take a look at the room below to see an example of how fresh and cool white can be.

Eliminate clutter. What looks warm and cozy in the winter can feel stifling in the summer’s heat. The less your eyes have to rest on, the more open and cool a room feels. You may also want to remove a few accessories or even small furniture pieces.

Add fresh elements. Flowers, plants or even fruit in a bowl can help a home feel cooler. You may also want to put those fresh items in vases, pots or bowls made of cool materials such as crystal or silver to double-up on cool images.

With just a few design changes, you can help your home feel cooler all summer long. Look for opportunities to bring a cool feeling into every room of your home.

Master Bedroom Lighting Creates Relaxed Environment

Posted on by

While this master bedroom is spacious and inviting, the feature that makes it stand out is the lighting. This is an area that is often ignored when decorating, but its impact is significant.

This room, the master bedroom from Fulton Home’s Tehama model at Victoria Estates, actually has four lighting options available, along with a number of variations. The first choice is natural light. With plenty of windows, daylight would find this room cheerful and appealing.

In the evening, the ceiling fan provides a broad base of overall lighting with one flip of the switch. For a cozier look, keep that light off and take advantage of the spots on the ceiling. This type of lighting is softer and can be used to or provide a little minimal light. Dimmers on these lights give the owner even more options for light levels.

Finally, lamps on either side of the bed offer task lighting for a reader and add personality with the light patterns on the walls. Thanks to the variety of lighting options, this room can be brightly lit to make it easy to clean out drawers or make the bed. But it can also set a mood or just provide a comfortable space to watch television or read for a while before going to sleep.

Whatever room you work with, giving yourself a choice of lighting options makes the space more versatile. For example, spotlights can highlight artwork or just provide a little more light to brighten up a dark corner. Lamps can make a large room cozy by keeping the focus on one area. They also add a decorative touch. Lighting is as important to your décor as furniture and accessories. Like this bedroom, the more lighting options you create the more control you have over a room’s look and mood.

Family Room with Forest Flair

Posted on by

Do you love the look of trees and leaves? With just a few touches you can create a hint of woodland style in your home. Let’s take a look at how this was accomplished in this family room, found in the Harmonique model at Fulton Home’s Ashcreek Community.

You might want to start with a hand scraped wood floor such as the one shown in this room. The rich mid-tone brown and the interesting surface bring a woodsy feel right into the space. The colors of the room also create the right mood, with numerous browns, rusty oranges and lighter tones calling to mind a forest with a hint of fall and plenty of sunshine.

Notice the preponderance of leaves throughout the patterns selected for this room’s décor. From the traditional acanthus leaves bordering the rug to the more daring selection of curtains with a variety of stylized leaves on a very dark brown background, the more leaves the better.

The art also echoes the forest with embossed leaf images hanging between the windows and the framed vines to the left of the fireplace. Lots of greenery wraps up the image, providing a sensation of being among the plants found on an outdoor hike through the trees.

Some people may feel that this much emphasis on leaves may make too much of a statement. But for those who love the woods with its engaging look, style, and mood, this room creates a sense of comfort. If you feel you may be part dryad, indulge your love of trees and leaves with a room like this. It will be a constant source of pleasure.

A Dining Room that is Functional and Appealing

Posted on by

Some smart decisions help make this dining room work particularly well.

When you have the space, a buffet is always an asset. Depending upon the event, it’s nice to have the top of the buffet available for appetizers or self-help desserts. With a larger party, the chairs can be pulled toward the walls, enabling you to use both the buffet and the table for food presentation.

It’s convenient to have the dining room accessible to the backyard for indoor-outdoor entertaining. Because this dining room, from Fulton Home’s Harmonique model at Ashcreek, has access to the back patio, it can be used during a barbeque as a place to stage cold food. Or you can set it up for people who prefer to eat inside and they will still feel like part of the group.

The dramatic chandelier is hung perfectly – at 30-34 inches above the dining table. Notice that the table, chandelier and lamp on the buffet all have similar metal elements. This helps keep the room in balance given the amount of wood present.

When it comes to draperies, adding a wide border of contrasting or patterned fabric to either the top or bottom of each panel creates a striking look. This drapery length is smart. It provides some of the luxurious feeling of pooling at the floor while staying short enough to make it easy to get in and out of the sliding glass doors. The weight of the fabric is also important. A lighter panel would be difficult to manage on windy days.

Choosing wood rather than carpeting for the flooring is also a smart decision. With people coming in from outside, wood is easier to keep clean. With the right finish, once-over with a dust mop will pick up most dirt quickly.

Altogether, this room was designed for entertaining, whether you’re talking about a formal dinner for eight, or a casual pot-luck supper for several families.

Luxurious Master Suite Made for Relaxing

Posted on by

Today, many master bedrooms & baths are designed to be much more than functional. This roomy master suite, part of the Shoreline model in the Santa Monica community, provides extra space, extra comfort and extra style in every area.

The master bedroom itself is roomy, but not at the expense of the rest of the suite. The long vanity in the bathroom provides his and her areas with individual sinks and plenty of cabinetry to hold personal items without crowding. The center provides a place to sit for applying makeup or just relaxing. The generous glass block window is a rich source of natural light.

Another plus possible because of this spacious bath is a combination of a comfortable soaking tub and a spacious stand-up shower.

Choosing a diagonal angle for the floor tile makes the aisle between the cabinetry and the shower and tub feel wider and more spacious.

The entire space is designed and decorated to reproduce the comfort and luxury of a personal spa. By choosing flooring, countertops and wallpaper that coordinate without matching, the bathroom feels more interconnected. Dark cabinetry provides a nice contrast, and the framing around the mirror brings the darker tone up toward the ceiling.

Notice the large closet at the back of the bath, complete with built-ins to handle all of your clothes. Once again, the closet has plenty of room for two wardrobes. The full-length mirrors on the sliding closet doors help you make sure you look your best without taking away valuable floor or wall space.

With the demands of today’s life and the responsibilities of family and work, a master bedroom suite like this one – with space in every area – creates the opportunity to get away from your tensions without leaving your home.

Create a Welcoming Guest Room

Posted on by

This guest room is simple yet striking thanks to the combination of dark furniture and rich fabrics.

Let’s consider what makes this room so inviting and ready for your guests.

The matching nightstands provide space for a book or a glass of water. Notice the decorative box at the nightstand to the left. It contains snacks and personal needs such as a toothbrush or shampoo. Both nightstands have lamps, which create the opportunity to read before going to sleep.

A guest room doesn’t need the decorating details you might put in the rest of your home. Lots of furniture, art or accessories may make a guest room feel cluttered or like a guest is borrowing someone’s room for the night. Instead, think of it as a particularly nice and comfortable hotel room, with just enough furniture to be functional and one or two simple accessories.

The chest of drawers at the right side of the image gives the room a great space for guests to unpack and place their things if they will be staying for a while. The top of the chest could hold a flat-screen television or anything else that will make your guests feel at home.

The window treatment is simple, with blinds giving the room privacy when needed. The big splash is reserved for the bed, with a striking rich red patterned duvet and coordinating dust ruffle and smaller pillows.

The final features a guest room should have aren’t visible from this photo, but a smile of welcome and directions to the rest room down the hall are all that’s needed to complete the picture. With just a little effort and a small budget, you can make your guest room as appealing as this one.