Georgia Interior Design

Sunroom decorating ideas-before and after

Here’s a fun before and after.  I want to show you how fun and easy it is to take a blah space and make it a vibrant part of the home.

One of our favorite clients had this mostly empty sunroom that was adjacent to the breakfast area and kitchen.  She wanted to furnish it in a way that allowed the room to be used on its own but also be able to accommodate an overflow crowd when entertaining.  She found a magazine photo that she liked which we used as a reference.  The photo had antique style occasional pieces surrounded by fresh and bright upholstery that kept the room from looking dated.  The client likes greens and golds with pops of red and these colors flow throughout the house.  Given the open nature of the floor plan, we had to select fabrics that would blend nicely with the nearby living spaces.

Suzanne, our design consultant on the project, suggested the bench seat in order to accomplish the goal of seating in the room that also allowed seating facing the kitchen during parties.  The paprika bench with barley twist legs is fun, functional, and does not block the view of the open room.  You can’t see the doors on either side, but the bench can be moved against the wall on the right, between the drapery and the door, if the client wants to open up the room.  Click here for a full size photo.

The rug is a banded grass cloth, which keeps the room casual and is consistent with a sunroom theme.  The lamps on the rich walnut console table are shabby chic, with distressed bases and contemporary brown shades.  The side tables are available for drinks or books and complete the desired eclectic look.  The client didn’t want the room to look “matchy matchy” (a designer term!).  The nonfunctional drapery panels are intended to add color and frame the windows without heaviness or blocking the view of the outdoors.  They are hung on wrought iron poles that bring in a touch of black but do not draw the eye up or conflict with the molding.  The chairs are covered with a large scale apple green contemporary botanical which also reinforces the sunroom theme.  Notice the little leaves?

The client is thrilled with the fun and casual yet elegant results, and come to think of it, the room really reflects her personality.

To learn more about Suzanne, click here.

Annie Selke bed

Here’s another shot of the Annie Selke bed I mentioned in another post called “What’s Hot!”.  This bed just became available to ship this month and comes in your choice of a gold or silver finish.  We just received one to install in a clients home next week.  She will be one of the first in Atlanta to have this bed!

Design Sleuth-Home office furniture

“People spend more money on upgrades on a car than they do on home office furnishings,” Alan, the owner of DOTI at John’s Creek said when I mentioned home offices.  “It seems kind of strange when you compare the time that the average person spends driving a car every day versus the amount of time he or she spends working in their home office.”  I laughed out loud when he said that – ain’t that the truth!  Those  who have dedicated home office spaces often wish the spaces were more comfortable, functional, or stylish.  Those without a separate room for their home office often carve a workspace out of another room and then make excuses for the messiness.

“One of the most common mistakes that people make,” Alan said, “is that they buy office furniture based on price without seriously considering utility, comfort, and style.  People make do with something less than ideal even when they don’t have to.  A good designer can work with a client to find pieces that really work for them.”

According to Alan, a second mistake that people make is purchasing furniture that doesn’t fit the scale of the room.  People will buy a desk or a chair and once it’s installed they discover that the piece is either too big or too small for the space, or that it doesn’t marry well with the other pieces in the room.  “Mix and match is great, but if the pieces don’t work well together and make it easy for you to do your job, you’re going to feel uncomfortable spending time in the space.  That’s when you have people roaming the house with a laptop looking for a better place to perch.”

Not surprisingly, Alan said, a designer would prefer to be consulted before you design your home office, but a good designer would also be happy to design around your existing furnishings. 

According to Alan, Hekman http://www.hekman.com/ is a good company to check out for home office furniture with selections in a variety of price ranges.   Nathan mentioned Stanley http://www.stanleyfurniture.com/ as another option, especially for youth furnishings.
 
On Tuesday I’ll share some great ideas about how you can add a little whimsey and fun to your home decor.  Until then!

Deborah
A.k.a. Design Sleuth

Design Sleuth-more $1,000 budget ideas

When a client approaches designer Nathan with a budget of $1000 or less and desires to update his or her kitchen, Nathan usually starts with paint.  “I’d probably go with a shade of green,” he says.  “It’s a popular color and always looks fresh and matches everything so you wouldn’t have to change your basic furnishings.”  For a clean contemporary look he suggested using a green with some yellow, almost a lime green.  While moss green would be a better color for a kitchen with more traditional decor.  For the ceiling, he’d use antique white, or white with a little color added, and then would paint the trim a shade or so darker.  Check out the 2009 yellow-greens here: http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pro/paint_colors/paint_color_trends/2009/yellow-green-family/index.jsp.

Next, Nathan would look at accessories.  Those of you that have display space above your kitchen cabinets might  want to consider purchasing some new display items.  Nathan likes blown glass ornaments in various shapes and sizes and silk florals such as orchids to add pizzazz to a modern interior.  For a more traditional look, he’d go with Italian vases, silk magnolias, and lots of ceramics and pottery.  Sometimes, he said, just buying a new light fixture or replacing the shade of an existing fixture can make a big difference.

Another simple but more expensive change, would be to replace your under-counter bar stools.  Should you decide to go that route, DOTI at John’s Creek has a nice selection.  If that is more money than you want to spend, consider re-covering your current stools with a durable, stain-resistant fabric as an easy do-it-yourself project.  Adding rugs and floor mats in today’s new colors is another low-cost way to make a room more exciting. 

On Thursday, I’ll talk with you about some common mistakes people make with their home offices.  After talking with Nathan and Alan, I know I’m guilty.  In today’s world, even those who don’t work at home need a place to set up at least one computer!  Talk with you then.
    
Deborah
A.k.a. Design Sleuth