Design Tip Tuesday - Artwork Arranging

When I'm styling a space and need some art to decorate with, I don't immediately turn to paintings or framed prints - I try to think outside the box as well as always keep in mind the client and what they're tastes are and what they enjoy doing (or have done).

Image Via abode love

Art can be a beautiful painting that speaks to you, a photo that takes you back to a certain place or an object that holds special meaning to you. Art is anything that makes you happy and stirs an emotion within. Keep an open mind about what art can be.

To me, a perfectly decorated room is one that tells the story about my client, and nothing does this better in a room than the accessories - artwork included. I often try to incorporate objects that are special to clients onto the wall ... perhaps I'll frame an object that has sentimental meaning to them or incorporate the object onto the wall even without being framed - a hat perhaps hanging on the wall. 

Whatever you decide to place on the wall, unless you have an entire wall dedicated as a gallery, you need to hang your art in relation to the room’s surroundings. You don't have to necessarily match art to your furnishings, but make sure they relate and create a connection - either by subject matter, style or colour to create a unity. 

Image via Brabourne

Match the shape of the art to the shape of a wall – hang vertical art and groupings on vertical wall spaces and horizontal art and groupings on horizontal wall spaces.

Image via Little Things

Art over the fireplace should be sized to fill from 2/3 to the full width of the mantel – do not extend mantel art beyond the mantel’s width and art less than 1/2 the width of the mantel will look too small proportionately.

Image via House and Home

Art should be no higher than 5″ to 9″ from the back of a sofa or chair or the top of a table in order for the furniture and art to read as a visual unit. A single piece of art or a grouping of art should ideally cover approximately 2/3 of the width of the furniture it hangs over. In order for the proportion of the art installation to work well with the furniture it should never be wider than the furniture and never less than half its width – aim for 2/3.

Hang art to increase the visual weight of a piece of furniture. If you have a bookshelf that is tall and a bit narrow, hang art on both sides to increase its visual width. If more height is needed on a wall, top a piece of furniture with a piece of art.

Image via decorpad

Create groupings in which the individual art pieces relate to one another in terms of subject, colour, material, or framing. For example, don’t mix colour and black and white photographs in the same grouping – stick with one or the other. If grouping floral images arrange them so the colour is balanced throughout the installation.

Image via time worn

When hanging multiple pieces make sure the frames are the same or complement each other well.

Image via ipo Pinterest

Hope these quick art tips inspire you to create some great 'art' walls in your homes!

Happy decorating!

Design Tip Tuesday - Tips for Fooling the Eye and Making a Room Look Bigger - Part Three, Clutter

Small rooms more than others need to be free of clutter. Keep it to a minimum. Small accent pieces on a shelf tend to look like clutter. Larger pieces make a statement and in fact help to make a room appear larger. With things neatly arranged and out of sight, the space that is in view will feel orderly and open. A cluttered room equals a smaller room.

Don’t clutter walls with a lot of pictures. One large painting works better than a group of small paintings.

Keep the floor as clear as possible. This is one of the most important ways of maintaining a sense of spaciousness. By removing area rugs, floor space reads larger, creating a larger feeling room.

Clear up some space on surfaces, walls and floors and you'll end up with a space that feels much larger!

Happy Decorating!

Lenore

(photo - stylehandler)

Design Tip Tuesday - Heavenly Ceilings!

I know I promised the next part to our series on small spaces, but I thought I'd do a quick tip this week on something I get asked about a lot and seems to scare and confuse a lot of homeowners ... painting the ceiling something other than white.

I have a three ways I like to handle ceilings and it depends on what look or mood I am trying to create in a space.

To create the illusion of space in a room, I will usually go with a cooler colour or tint the ceiling paint with the wall colour - a couple of shades lighter. This vertically elongates the room and adds a sense of spaciousness.

To create a more intimate feel in a room or to lower a high ceiling, I tend to go with a warmer tone on the ceiling or a dramatic darker colour. This brings the ceiling lower creating a more cosy environment.

To add some real drama to a space I will add a distinct colour to the ceiling - something that compliments the wall colour or adds to the theme of the room. Why not a gold washed ceiling in an elegant, dramatic deco inspired dining room.

Like these ideas but still aren't sure about painting that ceiling just yet? Well, another one of my tricks is to
wrap the trim colour (if there is crown molding) right up onto the ceiling. This gets rid of any harsh lines and creates a nice 'wrap' at the top of the room creating a softer ceiling.

Hope these ideas inspire you to get creative with your painting and add that fifth wall to the mix!

Happy decorating!
Lenore

(Images - top, bottom)

Design Tip Tuesday - Tips for Fooling the Eye and Making a Room Look Bigger - Part Two, Furniture

Furniture choice is the second part of our series on enlarging a small space. Using furniture to expand your small space plays a key part in making a space feel bigger.

Furniture takes up a lot of space in a room, so it’s important to ensure that each piece is the right scale and proportion to the room. Overstuffed and boxy furniture isn’t recommended as it will make a small space feel cramped.

Select pieces that are streamlined. Clean lines and tailored sofas and chairs are important. Items with too many patterns, embellishments or weight create chaos and the sense of a cramped space. Ensure that pieces are elevated off the floor to create spaciousness. By doing this, the eye is able to travel through the room without being obstructed resulting in the feeling of space.

Furniture colour should blend into the walls to widen out the room and give the feeling of openness. The colour does not have to match the wall exactly. It can be a shade or two lighter or darker. The idea is to not have any harsh lines to stop the eye from travelling through the room.

Mirror top or glass top pieces provide surface area for day to day function while creating a sense of space. By choosing these lighter pieces, you can actually get away with more surface area than if you chose a heavier weighted piece such as wood.

With this additional tip I'm hoping all of you with smaller rooms will be inspired to create the illusion of space.

Coming up on part three in the series will be lighting tips for enlarging a space.

Happy Decorating,

Lenore

(Image: elledecor)

Design Tip Tuesday - Tips for Fooling the Eye and Making a Room Look Bigger - Part One, Colour

Hi guys! Sorry for missing the last ‘Design Tip Tuesday’ post - things have been humming around here lately! But I have a new tip for you this week which is actually part one in the series on the topic of small spaces!
For those of us living in Toronto, small rooms are all too common and one of the things clients discuss with me often is how to make them seem larger.
Well, as a decorator, I have a few tricks up my sleeve that help solve that problem without tearing down any walls. I utilize certain design concepts that fool the eye and make spaces seem much bigger and spacious. Things like colour techniques, furniture scale, reflective surfaces and lighting considerations can achieve the look of space.
These are too many techniques for one post, so what I’ve decided to do is create a three part series on this topic starting with colour.

Colour is important for any room, but especially for small rooms. Cream colours and icy blues are just a few of the colour combinations that can really open up a small space. Cool colours expand a space while warm colours tend to create a smaller, cozier feel to a room. Light and brightly coloured walls are more reflective making a space feel open and airy, which will help to maximize the effect created by natural light.
Continuing a single colour theme in two connecting rooms is a good way to help dissolve the lines between the two rooms and open them up to each other. This technique however, is only effective when used for adjoining rooms that fall in the same line of sight.
When deciding on colour for a room, contrast is an important factor to consider when trying to make a space feel larger. It’s more the contrast level in a room than the actual colour on the walls that can create the sense of space or lack thereof.
Contrast should be kept to a minimum in a small space. Ultimately it isn’t just about the colour on your walls, but also the pieces in the room. If furniture is darker than the walls, contrast will be created which will make a room feel smaller. By keeping contrast to a minimum, even a darker colour on the wall can enlarge a space as long as the pieces in that room are similar in tone and colour.
Hopefully this has brought you a bit of insight into creating a sense of space in a small room though the use of colour. But I have more tricks up my sleeve, so stay tuned for the next ‘Design Tip Tuesday’ post!
Happy Decorating!
Lenore

(Image: Elle Decor)

Design Tip Tuesday - Furniture Arranging

Furniture arranging doesn’t have to be complicated. By following just a few simple steps, you can have your rooms flowing and functioning the way you desire.

Start Out Big | Place the largest piece of furniture in the room first. Quite often this is the sofa or bed and will define the bedroom or family room. This piece is best suited to face a point of interest - a fireplace, a television set, etc. and in many cases becomes the focal point. Keep in mind that focal points should be seen as soon as you enter a space.

Work Your Way Down | Place other furniture in relation to your main piece - such as a pair of chairs to create a conversation grouping by the couch.

Think Function | In the dining room, the positioning of sideboards or china cabinets requires consideration for ease of entering and exiting the dining area, along with pulling out of chairs and placement of serving dishes.

Accent Furniture | These pieces are the last to go in and should do just that - accent furniture, add colour and decoration, with a dash of function for multi-tasking. An ottoman that can double as seating with additional storage capabilities is a great piece for many rooms.

Walk Through | Now that the furniture is arranged, take a break and try it out. Make sure all the pieces can be used easily.
Is there plenty of room to get past the couch to the pair of chairs? Is there enough seating? Can everyone access a table to place their drink? Can everyone see the television or fireplace? For the bedroom, is the bed accessible from both sides?

Taking a practical approach to arranging furniture is the first step, but remember to mix style and form to get the look of a professionally decorated space.

Happy decorating!

Lenore

(Image: elledecor)

Design Tip Tuesday - Puddled Draperies

The over-puddled draperies may not be for every one and some may even say passe, but, a more tailored approach has been taken and the effect is still very luxurious.

Today, drapery puddles are refined and can be incorporated in many styles of decorating. Most popularly used in dining rooms, they create a formal and elegant look.

Puddled draperies are beautiful but require maintenance. They are best suited to stationery panels and require the occasional fluffing or folding to ensure a tailored look. Lighter coloured fabrics will tend to get dirty more and require much more upkeep in terms of cleaning due to it's resting on the floor.

Draperies with a bit of a puddle are a great trick for dealing with floors that are unlevel. They camouflage this issue easily and provide visual interest.

How much is enough?

1” Puddle: Also called a break or “trouser” break. 1” puddling provides a clean look where the draperies just rest on the floor.

2-4” Puddle: The most popular puddle today. The drapes have adequate length to spill nicely onto the floor but still not a large puddle.

6-8” Puddle: A true puddle. There is enough extra length to fan the draperies out onto the floor.

Happy Decorating!

Lenore

(Image: pinterest, drape98)

Design Tip Tuesday - Choosing the Right Dining Table

The dining room table is the setting where many special moments are celebrated and many a special meal is shared. With a few easy tips, you’ll be able to find a table that is perfect for all these occasions.

Space - Start the process by measuring your dining room to gain a sense of what size table may best fit the space. If you have a sideboard, curio cabinet or other pieces you wish to place in the room, you must factor their impact on the table’s size into your decision process. Accessibility to these pieces and ease of family and guests to navigate the room, are essential influences on table selection.Size -

After the measurement process is complete, selecting a table that reflects the room’s scale and your family’s needs is next. If your dining room is smaller, make sure not to buy an oversize table as movement will be restricted and cumbersome to family and guests. If your room is large, select a table is not dwarfed by the surroundings or the room will feel impersonal and lack a sense of warmth and comfort. Remember, choose a table that reflects its intended usage and serves your family’s needs first.

Shape - A room’s shape will help to determine an appropriate table. A room with equal proportions (square) benefits greatly from a round or square table. A room with uneven proportions may benefit more from a rectangular or oblong table.

Material - There are many materials to choose from. Wood, veneer, iron, glass, etc. When deciding on a material, consider the size of the room, the amount of use as well as the decor throughout your home. Glass is a low maintenance, easy clean up surface whereas wood offers a luxurious look but is higher maintenance and will benefit from a table pad to prevent any markings from hot serving dishes.

Wood, veneer, iron, and glass are some of the materials to choose from with each adding its own personalty and character to a room. Wood is luxurious and rich while glass can appear open and airy. Consider the other pieces you may be pairing the table with along with the forecasted maintenance of the piece.

Design - The dining room is an extension of other rooms within your home and should reflect the design features found throughout. Choose a table that best matches your home’s character and the room will come to life.

Dining room furniture is an investment.. Ensure that you plan well from the beginning and you will succeed in creating a space that you will enjoy for years to come.

Happy Decorating!

Lenore

(Image: Table)

Design Tip Tuesday - Choosing the Right Dining Chairs

Choosing the right dining chair.

Sounds easy right? Well, this is one of those decisions that my clients struggle with a lot. Dining chairs are an investment - each chair can cost anywhere from $200 to $1,200 plus, making the selection process an overwhelming endeavour.

A few key items to consider are:

Size - Nowadays the trend is to purchase your table and chairs separately. Gone are the days of matching suites so it’s imperative to take measurements of your table to ensure you choose chairs that fit properly. Consider width, height and depth for both sitting comfort and table placement with an eye on chairs that are too narrow and rickety..

Style - Observe the shapes and features of your existing table and support pieces. Wood tones, finishes and hardware are all factors to consider when properly integrating a chair into the scheme.

Comfort - This is an important one! If you don’t entertain often and tend to eat your meals in a different room, then you could choose an all wood chair - not the most comfortable, but can look beautiful.However; if you entertain and spend many evenings dining with friends and engaging in conversation, a wood chair isn’t ideal and will have your guests fidgeting five minutes into the meal. Instead, consider an upholstered chair.

Upholstered chairs provide softness, a sumptuous look and yield an opportunity to introduce colour and pattern into the room. An added benefit of upholstered chairs is their ability to be easily pulled into a living room as additional seating.


Some other things to keep in mind when purchasing dining chairs is their weight, , arms or no arms and of course, maintenance. -If you have children, leather or durable fabrics are advisable choices.

Take the time to visit furniture showrooms and sit in various styles and sizes - it’s definitely the best way to understand what you like and don’t like. and ensures your comfort for years to come!

Happy Decorating!
Lenore

(Image: Chair)

Design Tip Tuesday - How to Choose the Right Lamp Shades

Lampshades are an important part of any rooms decor. They should compliment not only the style of the lamp on which they perch, but should also compliment the function of the lamp as a light source as well.

Choosing the right lampshade is easy if you just follow these simple tips!

1 Lampshades should be one to two-thirds the height of the lamp.

2 Consider the lamps location. If sitting on a table, you don’t want it to overhang as it could be easily knocked. Usually the widest part of the lampshade should be no more than two inches wider or two inches narrower in diameter than the widest part of the lamp base.

3 You want the shape of the lampshade to compliment the shape of the lamp. If the lamp has a round base, then choose a round shade, and if its base is square then something more angular would work well.

4 The lampshade colour and fabric should be chosen to match your decor. Howerver, consider that opaque shades give off significantly less light. If the lamp is being used at a reading area, perhaps a translucent shade would be more appropriate.

Happy Decorating!
Lenore

(Image: Lamp)

Design Tip Tuesday - Colour and its Meaning

Wondering about colour and it's meaning. Looking for a colour for your space and want it to convey a message? Read about each colour below and gain insight into what colour is really saying about you!

Red
Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love.
Red is a very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. It has very high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually painted red. In heraldry, red is used to indicate courage.

Orange
Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.
To the human eye, orange is a very hot color, so it gives the sensation of heat. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive as red. Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite.

Yellow
Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.
Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy. Yellow is often associated with food.

Green
Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety.
Green has great healing power. It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance.

Blue
Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven.
Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect.

Purple
Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. It is associated with royalty, wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance.

Black
Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.
Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown. It denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color.

White
White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and cleanliness. It is considered to be the color of perfection.
As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent a successful beginning.

Happy Decorating!
Lenore

(Image: Colours)

Design Tip Tuesday - Accessories

The interior of your home speaks volumes about your personality. Home decorating doesn't have to be an expensive undertaking - simply by adding attractive and functional accessories; your home can evolve into a true reflection of yourself.

When accessorizing your space, consider the following;

Repeat a chosen colour at least three times in a room.

Ground the space with a beautiful area rug

Place artwork, in a spatially correct manner, above existing furniture and try to position it at eye-level.

Vary the height of table top accessories to create interest and balance

Custom frame your art so that it is co-ordinated with the overall decor of the room

Decorate your sofa and accent chairs with a mixture of pillows and throws

Layer furniture and accessories in your room

Fill blank walls with more than just artwork - consider accent chairs and accent tables to help fill in space

And finally, incorporate special items that tell a story and have meaning to you in your space to create a truly personalized space.

Happy Decorating!

Lenore

(Image: room)

Design Tip Tuesday - Add some Spring to your Decor

Eight quick ideas to bring spring into your home!

1. Declutter - During the winter months we tend to collect things as we feel comforted when surrounded by things. Now it’s time to declutter and create a sense of openness and spaciousness!

2. Clean - Shine up those windows and let the sun shine in. Make everything in your home sparkle to allow for maximum brightness and light reflection.

3. Fabrics - Remove blankets, throws and heavy pillows and bedding. Replace heavy velvets and damasks with lighter fabrics (linens and cottons) and floral or striped prints. Remove heavy, dark bedding and replace with white linens and add pops of fresh, bright colour with pillows.

4. Windows - Open the blinds and tuck the draperies back to allow full light into your rooms.

5. Paint - Freshen up your space with a new, lighter paint colour. Or, add an accent wall in a fresh lively shade of pink. A new coat of paint is sure to freshen up any room.

6. Shuffle Furniture - Create new, more open furniture plans by moving furniture around in a room or by removing pieces from one room and reintroducing them into another room. This breathes new life into your room and not to mention your furniture - all of the sudden everything looks new again!

7. Flowers - Add fresh cut flowers throughout your home. Large, bold blooms are an easy way to add colour and the idea that spring is here.

8. Add fresh scents to your home with potpourri, candles or drawer liners. Scents like lilly of the valley, hyacinths and daffodils fill the air with thoughts of spring.

Add a couple of these touches to your existing decor and you'll be feeling 'springy' in no time!

Happy Decorating!

Lenore

(Image: Flower)

Design Tip - Lighting Strategies

Lighting plays a critical role in how we perceive a space and can even influence how we act in that space. It can affect performance, mood, safety, security and decisions. And it is critical to a well designed space. Before you go out and pick out a chandelier or lamp, consider the mood you are looking to achieve and keep a few key factors in mind.

The first step in producing the right lighting design is to ask what the space is used for. Then you can successfully determine quantity of light, color quality, brightness and direction.

Here are a couple of approaches to lighting design that homeowners can use to determine their lighting needs.

A simplified way to create a good lighting plan within a space is to ensure that the lighting system provides;

          Ambient illumination for orientation and general tasks in the space

          Task illumination for local, more demanding tasks, and

          Accent illumination to highlight special objects of interest or to guide occupants.

An example of this scheme is an open office plan with workstations; we might provide indirect fixtures to provide ambient illumination, task lighting at the workstations for work, and accent lighting to highlight pieces of corporate art on the walls.

A typical general approach to lighting design is, after determining how the space is used, to provide general, localized general, localized and task illumination to meet these needs.

General lighting provides a generally uniform light level on the workplane throughout the lighted space. 

Localized general lighting is similar but is tailored more to the location of tasks in the lighted space. 

Localized lighting, also called supplemental lighting, is used to provide light to a specific area.

Task lighting delivers light tailored for a specific task.

Other types of lighting you may want to consider when developing your lighting plan are;

Key Light.

When we shine a light on an object from a single point source of light it is called key light; it highlights contours on the object and creates shadows; the exact effect depends on the angle of the beam of light. Most of the time we want to light the object so we can see its front. In these cases, the light source may be best placed in front of and to the side of the object at an angle of 45°.

Fill Light. It can either be directional or diffused. In our example we could shine a directional light on the object from the opposite direction of the key light, softening or eliminating shadows depending on the strength of the fill light relative to the strength of the key light. We could also place fill light sources behind the object to light the entire room evenly.

Silhouetting.

Suppose we wanted to emphasize the shape of an object as a silhouette. In this event, we would soften or even eliminate the key light and directional fill light, and instead provide only fill light, either intense or diffused, depending on the clarity of the silhouette and the drama we want to produce.

Uplighting.

The effect of uplighting is either very desirable or very undesirable because it is unusual. Effects range from intimate to eerie. A lot of landscape lighting includes uplighting to accentuate bushes and trees.

Sparkle And Glitter Effects.

To add an atmosphere of elegance, we could add little lighting points of interest in the form of sparkle or glitter. This effect can be produced by either producing sharp reflections on specular surfaces in the room (sparkle), such as silverware in a restaurant, or by making the light source itself a source of interest (glitter) such as with a chandelier. Beware of glare in such cases.

Grazing And Washing Surfaces.

On walls or on the surface of an object, we can change the way light impacts them so that we can produce different effects. Suppose we have a brick wall with a rough texture that we want to emphasize. We could graze the surface with light, meaning the light would strike the surface at a sharp angle. In this case, the light source would be mounted close to the wall. Now suppose the wall is smoother, and we want to emphasize that smoothness. We could wash the surface with light, meaning the light would strike the surface at a wider angle. 

Keep some of these techniques in mind and you'll be able to create a mood that is just right for your space!

Happy Decorating!
Lenore

(Image: Light)

Design Tip Tuesday - Room Planning

The start to any successful room design is a good space plan. A space plan not only allows you to see where all the pieces of furniture will sit within the four walls of your room, but it also allows you to determine the size of those pieces.
Of all the spaces that I walk into that I will be working on to redecorate, this is where they initially failed. Without a good space plan, nothing will work the way it's intended to.
I have never once had a job where I didn't start with a room plan - how do you shop for pieces for your space when you don't know the size or number of pieces you'll need to accommodate everything that you need?
I recommend homeowners who want to redecorate themselves start by measuring out their room and plotting it on graph paper. Next consider the function(s) of the room and what furniture pieces will achieve them. Draft them out onto the plan and determine the sizing. Once all of your elements are plotted, you now have a shopping list to take with you!
Drafting a room plan will give you a great start to designing your space and ensuring you make the correct purchases the first time.
Happy decorating!
Lenore

Design Tip Tuesday - Drapes

Draperies add big impact to a room. They soften a room, they add warmth - both literally and figuratively. I always encourage clients to add draperies to their windows ... many think they like the open window look, but once installed they realize just how much some fabric really does complete a space and adds tonnes of personality.
Drapes can be a big investment. So, to keep costs down there are a few things you can do. The first is to really research fabric. Fabric can cost anywhere from $50 - $300 a yard or more. So consider this when sourcing your fabric. You can save on fabric if you are creating panels that aren't functional, meaning that if you have blinds on your windows and the panels are just going to be decorative, they don't have to be able to be drawn. You will use less fabric this way and perhaps be able to use that more expensive fabric you fell in love with.
Dining rooms are the one place that I like to splurge a bit. I love the look of silk draperies - although there are many polyester fabrics these days that can really fool you into thinking they're silk and are easier on the budget. When doing silk draperies in a dining room, ensure that they are full. Line them to add the thickness needed to create that truly lush and luxurious feel.
There are various details you can add to your draperies, but all add a lot of cost. Consider if a detailed header is really going to make an impact or if your beautiful fabric is really going to be the star of the show. By splurging a bit on the fabric, you  may be able to save on added features and still end up with windows that shine!
Happy decorating!
Lenore

(Image elledecor )

Design Tip Tuesday - Dining Room Area Rugs

Dining areas are making a comeback. For a while there, many of us had converted that area of the house to an office or a space that was more utilized by the family. Nowadays there is a trend to convert back as we are dining in and entertaining more than ever.
When creating these spaces, it's important to incorporate an area rug. They are an investment, and add so much to the overall effect and feel of the room. A few things to keep in mind when selecting one for a dining space.
The most important thing is to ensure that the table and chairs (when pulled out) remain on the area rug. If the chairs fall off the area rug when pulled out, it will cause difficulty for guests to tuck their chair in and the edges will tatter quickly.
Leave a border of at least 8 - 12" all around to showcase your hardwood floors. This creates a nice visual detail to the room and allows the rug to anchor the room.
Purchase an area rug to fit your dining area for everyday use. If you have leaves and they are used twice a year for family gatherings only, don't purchase a rug to accommodate this size as it will look odd the other 363 days of the year.
When purchasing an area rug, double check the sizing ... what is often referred to as an 8 x 10" rug is quite often a 7' 9" x 9' 9" rug - those few inches can make a huge difference!
Also keep pattern in mind. Large bold patterns create a more modern look, white smaller, busier patterns create a more traditional look. A lot of pattern can also cause a room to feel smaller.
With these few tips, you're ready to start shopping for that dining room rug!
Happy decorating!
Lenore

(Image Style at Home)

Design Tip Tuesday - Bookshelf Styling

Turn your bookshelf into a creative display that adds artistic style and interest while transforming it beyond its everyday function.

Make covers for all of your books from craft paper, wrapping paper or wallpaper. This is a great trick to unify all of your books to create a more serene look.

Consider using standing and stacked book groups. Stagger these groupings throughout your bookshelf to create visual interest and draw attention to certain titles, or collections.

Add decorative elements to the mix. Group vases, candles or collections throughout your bookshelf to create interest and conversation.

Bookshelves can showcase items other than books, and can be used to creatively display your family photos. If you include picture frames on your shelves, use all of the same color or finish, even if the sizes and styles differ. Coordinating the colour of the frames draws attention to the pictures within instead of the frames themselves.

Group objects of like colours, style and size with your books. Placing vases and other accent pieces next to similar items shows a deliberate intent to create a stylish effect, and makes the arrangement look less cluttered. For instance: if you have a set of two matching vases, place the larger on the end of one shelf, and then lay a book next to it and center the smaller vase on top.

Happy Decorating!
Lenore

Design Tip Tuesday - Vignettes

It's my first 'Tip Tuesday' post! I'm so excited and hope that you are too and will find this segment of the blog exciting and informative!

For our first 'Tip Tuesday' post I selected vignettes to offer some quick suggestions on because they're easy to create once you know the basics and are very effective and usually require nothing more than objects you currently own. Vignettes are a great designer trick for adding drama to a drab area or corner.

Here area a few key points to consider when creating your vignettes;

Anchor Objects | These tend to be the piece that stand out in a vignette, usually the largest in scale and sets the tone for the vignette.

Odd Numbers | Objects assembled in odd numbers are more harmonious and pleasing to the eye.

Scale | It’s important to have tall, mid and small scaled objects.

Shape | Include contrasting shapes, and your overall vignette will be more visually interesting and is sure to get noticed.

Depth | By layering objects as opposed to lining up objects, the overall scape becomes much more effective.

Texture | Contrasting shiny materials with rough objects keeps your vignette from looking boring making pieces stand out.

Theme | A theme isn’t necessary, although it can be the starting point. Choose a theme that interests you or has special meaning.

Keep these key points in mind and you'll be sure to create vignettes that will shine in your space!
Happy Decorating!
Lenore

(Image via browneyedbelle)

Happy New Year!

Well, it's a new year and time for all things new and fresh starts. So for me, it's time to seriously start blogging and sharing information with all of you.
As an interior decorator, I am always being asked questions about decor, trends, etc., so I thought this would be a great way to share some inside info with all of you.
I'm coming up with some great monthly and biweekly features that I hope you'll all enjoy. For example, 'Tip Tuesdays' is a feature I'll be writing twice a month with quick tips on various interior decorating topics. I'm really excited about this feature and hope that you will all follow.
Keep checking back as we're just getting started!
Happy decorating!
Lenore

(Photo duni.se)