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.

Not Your Grandma’s Faux Finishes

A couple of weeks ago I had a chance to talk with Kass Wilson, a local faux finish artist. She works with a lot of designers in the area, including the designers at DOTI at John’s Creek. Some of you may be familiar with her artistry.  If not, I encourage you to visit her website at http://www.kasswilson.com/ and browse the gallery.  She views her job as one where she takes the ordinary and expected and creates the extraordinary.  She does this by enhancing the existing features of a home and creating that “wow” factor.

“When people first view her work,” Kass says, “the first thing they want to do is touch it, because it seems so dimensional. And then they want to know how it was done.”  Because Kass creates original works based upon every other element in the room, 99.9% of the time she works with designers.  Designers think about her in advance and bring her in as part of the team. The solutions she offers for design problems or enhancements are an integral part of the design, not afterthoughts. This is why it is so critical that all of the core design elements have already been decided.

“Often the designer will email me a photo of a room, a ceiling or a cabinet to get a ballpark figure on the costs,” Kass said, “and I can offer finishes at all price points. If a client looks through my portfolio and sees a finish they’d love for their mantel or built-in bookcases but it costs more money than they want to spend, I’ll ask them to identify what element of the more expensive finish appeals to them and then I’ll work hard to offer them a modified, equally beautiful version of that finish without the huge price.  Another option would be to put the more expensive finish on the mantel, for example, and then do something simpler on the bookcases.”

Kass and DOTI at John’s Creek designer Suzanne recently worked together on a kitchen redesign.  Suzanne was familiar with Kass’s work, and had talked with her client in the early planning meetings about working with Kass to find a way to add excitement to the old kitchen cabinets without incurring the cost of replacing them. The cabinets were in good shape and the client was happy with the layout. Together, Suzanne and Kass came up with a design solution that worked within the client’s budget, using a teal finish on the upper cabinets and leaving the lower cabinets the original wood.

“Clients are always amazed.  I open their eyes to possibilities they had never even dreamed of.”  To view some of the work Kass has done in kitchens, visit her blog at http://www.kasswilson.com/blog/walls/wake-up-call-kitchen-design-details .

See you next week!

Deborah
A.k.a. Design Sleuth

Design Sleuth-Family Rooms

Family rooms are usually one of the more popular rooms in most people’s homes.  For those without separate home theatre or game rooms, it is often where you’d put the television set, the gaming equipment, and in some cases, the family computer or home office.  In many families, both kids and adults entertain their friends in the family room.  I know at our house, we’ve always tried to make the family room appealing to our kids (often to the detriment of its style!) because we wanted it to be a comfortable place for them to hang out with their friends—and it sure beats having them spend all of their free time in their bedrooms.

According to designer Nathan, there is no reason for families to sacrifice style in their family rooms, even when they have kids and/or pets.  The key, he says, is to focus first on where the kids and the pets are going to be in the room, and then buy comfortable, dual-purpose furniture.  According to Nathan, family rooms are often one of the rooms that can really benefit from de-cluttering.  “Because the room serves so many different purposes for different family members, it’s easy for this room in particular to end up with too many furnishings.”  For that reason, he believes that it is important to keep the family room furniture classic, durable, and simple.  He suggests buying furniture with tough fabrics, such as polyester and blends, and keeping the colors neutral.  Instead of using occasional tables consider using cocktail ottomans that will double as extra seating for parties, a place for snacks, or an additional work surface when needed.

Nathan recommends replacing any loveseats with two or three chairs.  “In a casual setting, love seats are often only used by one person at a time, so it’s more practical to replace them with separate chairs.  And when you have chairs, it also makes it much easier to re-decorate and move them around when you’re ready for a new look.”  Sofa and chair pillows should also be purchased with a dual-purpose in mind. “If you know your kids will be spending a lot of time on the floor,” Nathan says, “it’s a good idea to buy sofa and chair pillows that can be tossed on the floor and sat upon or used as armrests.”

Next Tuesday I’ll be sharing some tips with you on how to furnish a smaller home.  Nathan has some great ideas.  Talk with you then!

Deborah
A.k.a. Design Sleuth

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

Design Sleuth-freshen your home on a budget

With spring right around the corner—in Georgia the spring daffodils are blooming!—it seemed like a wonderful time to talk with the designers at DOTI John’s Creek about easy ways to update or freshen your home interior for $1000 or less.

Alan, the owner, said that de-cluttering is a simple way to freshen a space.  “In many homes we find that most of the rooms contain way too much stuff.”  Once a room has been de-cluttered, re-arranging the existing furniture often results in a whole new look.  He also suggested adding greenery.  “High quality greenery used effectively makes a big difference.  Many people put greenery and florals in the wrong places, or consider price before design.  When you look at professionally decorated rooms in homes or magazines, more often than not they contain more greenery than what is used by the average homeowner.”  Because of their collective purchasing power, DOTI at John’s Creek is able to offer a variety of high quality greenery and florals at competitive prices.  When I was there, they had some beautiful silk orchids as well as some big dramatic floral arrangements that would make a grand statement in large rooms.

“Replacing pillows is another easy way to update or change the look of a room,” Alan said.  He suggested using “fun” pillows with polka dots, stripes, or with a bold color or pattern to punch up the “wow” factor in living spaces.  Pillows with textured fabrics, such as furred animal prints or smooth satins and silks, can also be used to update a room.

DOTI at Johns Creek has “fun” pillows displayed throughout their store.  Be careful though, because the pillows look great with their sofas, you might be tempted to take the sofa too and exceed your $1000-or-less budget!

Next week, designer Nathan shares his ideas for updating your kitchen for $1000 or less.  I’ll talk with you then.

Deborah
A.k.a. Design Sleuth

What’s HOT!

They say that to be a good teacher you have to be one step ahead of the student.  A few weeks ago Suzanne came into my office with a recent copy of House Beautiful opened to the ‘what’s hot’ page.  It featured a gold canopy bed by Annie Selke, presented by Vanguard Furniture.  I knew Vanguard was working with Annie, but had no idea that any products had been released as we had not been sent any updates.  I went to the dealer portal on their website and looked it up to get some details, noticing that the beds wouldn’t be available until mid February.  I also placed a call to my rep to tease her for not keeping me in the loop!  Not ten minutes later we get a phone call from someone who saw the magazine and found out we worked with Vanguard.  Of course, we knew all about it (for at least five minutes) and were able to design a terrific room around the bed and get her name on the first shipment!  The same bed was also featured in Traditional Home.  This photo is the silver version.

Annie Selkie is a name designer out of New England.  Her Vanguard product line features bright and bold fabrics, gilded metal work, and the repeating use of circles.  Note the elegant side chairs with a back support carved to represent a fabric swag.

Valentines Day Ideas

Forget dinner out, diamond jewelry, and boxes of chocolate for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day; instead do something special with your master bedroom that will spice up your love life all year round—this was the design challenge I posed to the DOTI at Johns Creek designers this week. 

Designer Nathan said the key to making the master bedroom more romantic was to think in terms of stimulating all of your senses.  Something as simple as keeping a vase of fresh flowers in the bedroom, lighting scented candles, and purchasing new lamps or adding a dimmer option to your current fixtures would all help to create a more romantic mood.  Costing a little more money, he suggested buying exotic fur throws for the foot of the bed or for strategic placement on the floor.  He’ll be checking out a wonderful line of exotic furs at a design show later this week to see whether it is something DOTI at Johns Creek may want to start carrying.  For those who prefer faux, there are some beautiful high-quality faux furs that are also fabulous for romantic cuddling.

For romantics who really want to step up the sensory excitement of their boudoir, designer Elizabeth suggests custom bedding made of silks, satins, and velvet.  This luxurious bedding would be a true sensory treat and appropriate for year-round use.  Prices start at $1,500 and go up from there.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Talk with you Thursday,

Deborah
A.k.a. Design Sleuth

Design Sleuth investigates plasma lifts

Often it’s fun to ask the design pros to name one of their favorite pieces currently available on the store floor.  As my luck would have it on this particular day, most of the DOTI at John’s Creek designers were either out on job assignments or helping customers when I posed this question, but both Nathan, DOTI’s new designer, and Alan, the owner, were ready to participate.

One of Nathan’s favorite pieces in the store right now is a Hekman plasma lift console.  “I really love this piece of furniture,” he laughed.  “It’s great for those design situations with married couples where the husband wants a television in the living room or dining room or the wife wants a television in the eat-in-area and the other one doesn’t.  No one even needs to know there is a television there.” 

I liked the fact that the Hekman plasma lift comes in several different styles and finishes (DOTI at John’s Creek has traditional model 6-8671 in distressed ebony in the store).   And the dimensions (55-56 inches wide by 44 inches high and 22 inches deep) allow the console to hide a good-sized television with sufficient space on the top to permanently keep some decorative items: vases, candles, photographs, etc., so it doesn’t look naked when the television isn’t out.  The console is part of a modular system, so it can be used alone, or you can purchase storage piers and other components to match.  To see the Hekman line of plasma lift consoles go to http://www.hekman.com/.

With Valentine’s Day coming up the weekend after next, I decided to check with the DOTI at John’s Creek designers to find out whether they had simple suggestions on making the master bedroom more romantic during this very romantic time of the year.  I’ll share Nathan’s and Elizabeth’s ideas with you next Tuesday. 

Talk with you then,

Deborah
A.k.a. Design Sleuth