Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from 2012

Tips for Decorating your Christmas Tree!

Happy Holidays to all! If you're ready to start decorating your holiday tree, here are some hopefully useful tips: Beginning the task: When decorating your Christmas tree, put lights on first, then the garland, and finally the ornaments. I think of my tree as a three-dimensional painting. Do you have a color scheme or theme that you want to follow? Sometimes having a plan for your tree makes it more fun to decorate – at least in my opinion. You can spend all year collecting items for your tree – but a good time of year to find bargains is, of course, the post-holiday sales. Ornaments: Begin by hanging "filler ornaments" and evenly space them around the tree. They could be basic solid color balls that are easily found at discount stores in a wide range of colors to coordinate and enhance your decorating scheme. You'll need about 20 "filler ornaments" for every two feet of Christmas tree. Don't hang all your ornaments on the tips of the branches

Get Your Home Ready for the Holidays!

Are you dreading the holidays because you are bored with your living room and dining room? Want to add some new life to your   rooms before the holidays?   If   your answer to both questions is “yes,” I have some budget-wise decorating ideas to transform your sofa and chairs and   make you feel proud to welcome family and friends for the holidays!   - If your budget doesn’t include buying a new sofa or chairs, consider slipcovering them instead. You can buy stretchable slipcovers at departments stores, such as Walmart, Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond. For even wider selection, check out Surefit, J.C. Penney or Pottery Barn slipcovers online.   -Can’t find a ready-made slipcover to fit your sofa?   A new, colorful throw draped over your sofa can hide some of those worn out or stained spots.   -If you want to add some punch to your “new” sofa, buy some new accent pillows . Believe it or not, adding some colorful throw pillows can really change the appearance of your

Maryland Green Designer Show House

I recently had the priviledge of being one of the few interior designers chosen to design a room in Baldwin Home's Maryland Green Designer Show Home, located in Gambrills, Md., just outside of D.C. and Baltimore. Since this is the first show house I ever designed, I was a little nervous.  But as soon as I heard that 100% of the proceeds will go to charities - Hospice of the Chesapeake and Make a Wish Foundation -I knew I was doing the right thing.  I bid on the guest bedroom, but they asked me to also decorate and design the adjoining guest bathroom.  Designers purchase all the furniture and accesories for their room as well as design any special features, such as wall and window treatments. There were nine local interior designers who were chosen by Baldwin Homes to design the interior of their beautiful, environmentally friendly home. It was a wonderful experience, and I met some great people while working on my rooms.  This team effort culminated in the grand opening on Satu

Mixing Patterns in Decorating

It is common nowdays to see interior designers mix patterns and designs in decorating a room - just check out the decorating magazines and websites online.  It's fun to be adventurous, but as a decorator for more than 25 years, I would keep these things in mind: stick to the color scheme in the room; limit the types of prints or patterns to three or five at the most (in decorating “three” is a magic number); and keep proportion and scale in mind. So here are some tips to remember for the beginner: 1. First, visual your room as a large picture on canvas. Key colors in the room should be repeated throughout the room, in your upholstery, your throw pillows, your window treatments, in your artwork, on the walls and on the floor. Select a dominant color, a secondary color and up to two accent colors to anchor the palette. 2. Choose one multicolored pattern as your primary print and pull different colors and textures to compliment it. All the colors in the patterns/prints s

Decorating Ideas for College Dorm Rooms

It's August already!  And it's that time of year again when the kids will be going back to school! For a lot parents, you're breathing a sigh of relief that the kids will be back in school again. But if you have a son or daughter who is going away to college for the first time, you may be feeling some trepidation. Most teenagers are anxious for a new adventure and to be free from their parent's watchful eye. However, they may also be feeling a little uneasy about being away from home for the first time. If this is the case and your teenager wants to make his/her dorm room more cozy, here are a few tips on making their new abode feel more like home: 1. Purchase a twin-sized comforter in their favorite color or design -- most dorm room beds are extra-long twin beds; 2. Buy rod pocket curtains for the windows (of course, color-coordinated with the bed comforter!); 3. Buy a spring curtain rod (it fits inside the window frame - no need to drill holes in the window frame

Enjoying your outdoor space - in the heat!

This summmer has been so very hot ... actually, too hot to enjoy the great outdoors unless you're in the water! When it's this hot outstide, it's hard to even think about decorating your outdoor spaces. You have to consider things like... what can help us keep cool in this heat? What plants can endure this kind of heat? When considering plants for your outdoor spaces, I'm a big fan of geraniums and succulents. They seem to be able to withstand the heat and sun better than other plants. Geraniums can add a lot of color to an outdoor space - especially bright red, coral or pink. While succulents can add the touch of green and a tropical feel to your space. To keep things cool, consider running an extension cord and put a fan on your deck or patio. When designing your space, remember to include some shade, such as an umbrella, pergola or awning. For a bit of ambience, remember you can add string lights or paper (battery powered) lanterns to your outdoor space too.

Bargin Ideas for Decorating Outdoor Living Spaces!

Summer is almost upon us, and most of us want to spend more and more time outdoors. If you love relaxing on your deck or porch like I do, here are some ideas for decorating your outdoor space. Since outdoor rooms are very popular now, there are many more options to the homeowner. Your outdoor room can be an extension of your home and you can personalize it with some exterior decorating ideas. Selecting outdoor furniture which suits your personal taste and style may be challenging. Prices range from the inexpensive (resin or aluminum) to the more expensive (wrought iron or wooden) – for example. You can choose from many different styles and colors to meet your needs. And there are many bright new colored accessories (pillows, cushions, umbrellas) featured this year! If you’re on a budget, discount stores usually have less expensive outdoor furniture available or you can pick up a white Adirondack resin chair for a very reasonable cost. This year, you can even choose some brightly colore

Decorating Ideas for Outdoor LIving - On a Budget!

Summer is almost upon us, and most of us want to spend more and more time outdoors. If you love relaxing on your deck or porch like I do, here are some ideas for decorating your outdoor space. Since outdoor rooms are very popular now, there are many more options to the homeowner. Your outdoor room can be an extension of your home and you can personalize it with some exterior decorating ideas. Selecting outdoor furniture which suits your personal taste and style may be challenging. Prices range from the inexpensive (resin or aluminum) to the more expensive (wrought iron or wooden) – for example. You can choose from many different styles and colors to meet your needs. And there are many bright new colored accessories (pillows, cushions, umbrellas) featured this year! If you’re on a budget, discount stores usually have less expensive outdoor furniture available or you can pick up a white Adirondack resin chair for a very reasonable cost. This year, you can even choose some brightly colore

Window Treatments - Customer Service Needed!!!

Choosing window treatments can be easier said than done. As an interior decorator, I can suggest the fabric and style of a window treatment to coordinate with the room's decorations. However, I would consult a window treatment specialist whenever it concerns the actual fabrication of the curtain/blind. There are a lot of factors that need to be considered when you choose the RIGHT window treatment. This does not mean throwing up a sheet in front of your window and you’re done. If you want your windows to look BEAUTIFUL , I’d like to suggest that you enlist the help of a professional window treatment specialist. But finding the RIGHT specialist is the key to a happy client/consumer. Unfortunately, I’ve had second-hand experience with a poorly made window treatment. My decorating client decided purchase her window treatments through a well-known window treatment company, who will remain anonymous, and one that she had used before with great satisfaction. As her decora

Bright New Colors Leap into Spring!

Spring is finally here, and I feel a resurgence of energy in anticipation of beautiful weather ahead! In decorating this spring, the color palette is filled with bright, vivid hues that reflect bright, luminous tones. Hot colors such as vivid orange, peppy yellow and brilliant red are popular this spring in decorating. Also included in the spring color selection are verdant green, bright pink, zingy turquoise and teal, and rich plums and indigo. Wow – what a selection! I love these colors when used as accents against neutral backgrounds - such as white, black, grey and beige. They make a bold statement in decorating, especially when used with contemporary or mid-century furniture. I feel like I’m back in the '70s! On my blog last November, I had predicted that Hot Pink would be hot in 2012 – but I may have to retract that prediction. My crystal ball was off a little - I now believe that Vibrant Orange is the HOT color for decorating in 2012 (but of course, you can always

Giving Your Home a Lift for Spring!

Spring is just around the corner -- so are you in the mood for some spring cleaning? If you have some stubborn areas that need attention, here are some tips that you may be able to do quickly and easily to be ready for spring. Grimy bathroom walls? If you have surface mold on your bathroom walls, mix a spray bottle with one part water and one part bleach. Spray it on the wall and watch the mold disappear. Wipe down the walls and you’ll see the color of the paint again! Of course, if you want to make your bathroom feel even more refreshed, repaint the walls for a new look. Don't replace a yucky shower door. Try this instead. Glass shower doors can show dirt and grime quickly. Instead of replacing the door, take the door off the track so that you can clean if more easily. Then, scrub it with steel wool and a mixture of one part muriatic acid and about 10 parts water. After wiping it down, reinstall the door and you’ll think you have a new shower door! Do you have an over

Staging Can Help You Sell Your Home

It’s almost spring and the time of year that you may be considering whether or not to put your home on the market. If you’re one of those homeowners, I’m sure you’ve been thinking about your options. Unless homes in your area are selling fast and furious, home sellers today need to seriously consider staging their home to get a quick sale and a high return on your investment. Today’s real estate market is uncertain, so you want your home to stand out from the rest! Hiring a professional home stager would be a very good investment to ensure that your home will show well and appeal to a prospective buyers. So, unless you have some training in real estate property staging, I encourage hiring a professional home stager. What’s the difference between a home stager and interior decorator? Interior decorators decorate to please the home owner’s taste; home stager’s decorate to please a prospective buyer’s taste. Decorating to sell your home will help and selling vacant homes will need