The Home Decorating Tool You Probably Aren’t Using

They are surprisingly versatile and a powerful tool to have in your design armoury. You use them like pieces of art, furniture and other home decor, as major features in a room or a last minute styling detail, the opportunities are endless.

What could this fascinating addition be?

Plants!

Plants are colour, shape and most importantly life to a room and the ways in which you can use them are almost endless. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should bring every aspect of the outdoors in, but careful and considered use of plants in your home can do more than just brighten the place up a bit.

As a room divider

As you can see a shelf full of plants in a room can really divide the space and create a beautiful distinction between different parts of a room. You can use them instead of furniture or screens.

As a major statement

A large well-developed tree in your living room might not be in everyone’s taste but you can’t deny that its presence adds height and an element of drama. Case in point, the image above.

As an opportunity

If there’s a corner in your room that you just can’t get anything else to fit in and you don’t want the space to look awkward or wasted, try placing a cluster of plants there. A grouping with a mix of sizes and shapes could provide you with a visual distraction for hours at a time.

As a living sculpture

Plants that spill out of their containers add a nice sense of movement to a room, while clever uses of materials combined with plants (like the succulents above) add something you cannot get with other things.

As wall-mounted decoration

How amazing do these terrariums look hanging off the wall? On a blank canvas (such as this wall space) these additions provide just the right amount of interest and a sense of warmth.

As table centrepieces

While cut flowers are lovely, they don’t quite have the lasting appeal of a plant. Create a focal point on your furniture and use potted plants as a living, breathing, decoration. Oh, and don’t feel that you have to wait for a special occasion either. Who could be more deserving than you?

As hanging art

Plants look great when they fill the dead air space. They provide unique shapes and colours dangling above you. Hanging plants are perfect for those who live in small spaces.

As final styling pieces

Pairing inanimate objects and plants can make a great style choice in your home. On bookshelves they are especially practical ways to break up large volumes of books (though we’re also quite fond of books at Starts at 60).

5 Home Decor Trends Go Cool, Dramatic For Fall

This fall, decor continues to move in a more easygoing direction, with welcoming hues, softer profiles and a comfortable mix of materials and styles.

For those with a flair for the dramatic, there’s room for that, too.

Some trends for the upcoming season:

Warm and welcoming

New York designer Elaine Griffin sees the influence of millennials in a trend toward “feel good finds” with a palette of warm colors, laidback furnishings and lots of texture.

“Millennials’ homes echo the nurturing environments they grew up in,” she says.

That generation is embracing locally produced crafts as well as goods from far corners of the planet, she says: “There’s retro style and global influence everywhere.”

Fall also offers a range of new rugs, from fluffy wools in neutral colors to tapestries known as kilims in deeper tones and stronger patterns.

Amy Matthews, the Minneapolis-based renovation maven who has hosted shows on HGTV, DIY Network and TheDesignNetwork.com, loves using Persian runners in unexpected places.

“There’s nothing like (it) in the kitchen,” she says. “It brightens up a classic kitchen, and also makes changing out color schemes a breeze. And in any other room, it will take your decor to the next level by anchoring with ‘art’ for the floor.”

Pattern play

Geometrics, mineral prints, florals and global motifs get fresh interpretations for fall.

For Griffin, “marble motifs are the ‘it’ pattern of the season.” The veined white versions are found everywhere across bath, kitchen and tabletop goods, but look too for marbleized patterns in dramatic hues on fabric and paper.

Wallpapers are on Matthews’ pattern radar.

“Wallpaper’s not just for the walls anymore,” she says. It can go on ceilings and even furniture.

“It’s more dramatic and eye-catching than paint, making a strong statement and setting the tone for a room,” she says.

Roman blinds are also back in style, with contemporary pattern collections by designers like Diane Von Furstenberg and Jeffrey Alan Marks.

Mix and match metals

Beth Kushnick, set decorator for CBS’ “The Good Wife,” puts metallics near the top of her trend list.

“Some are highly reflective and others are more subtle, but they’re in gold, silver, copper and rubbed bronze. They really up-scale a look and broaden a color palette,” she says.

The trend appeals to Matthews, too. Her style tip: Don’t overdo it.

“I prefer not to pick any more than three different metallic-finished pieces, and then put them together for an eclectic and timeless look,” she says.

Color story

“My go-to color is always blue,” says Kushnick. “I’m seeing dark blue and teal in particular now, which work so well for a variety of styles, bridging the gap between masculine and feminine.”

Adds Matthews: “Cool grays are giving way to dusty, sky and indigo blues.”

Griffin is seeing muted versions of ’60s pottery hues — turquoise, coral, citrus and ivory — debuting this fall and carrying into spring 2017.

A range of whites and creams will complement all those metallics, says Kushnick.

“As a set decorator, I usually try to stay away from these colors, since they’re difficult to use on camera. But on my new show (CBS’s “BrainDead”) I’m using them almost exclusively. I’m seeing options in every décor style. White’s working year-round, and is here to stay.”

The paint company Benjamin Moore has named Simply White its color of the year, and Sherwin-Williams, Glidden and Behr also selected whites as their signature 2016 colors.

Dramatic touches

Matthews is excited about “the rebirth of the chandelier.” She sees the statement fixture as one of the most dramatic and playful additions to any room.

“Designs look best when they’re eclectic and a bit eccentric,” she says, adding, “The more eye-catching, the better. If tile is ‘eye candy’ for the walls, then pendant lights are the earrings that make the outfit.”

For Griffin, the drama’s all about a curvier silhouette in furnishings.

“After years of harsh angles, the curve looks fresh for fall,” she observes. “Streamlined new versions are evocative of ’70s and ’80s classics.”

INNOVATIVE WAYS TO USE LIGHTING IN HOME DÉCOR IN ESSEX

When remodelling your home, there are certain things you may not have thought of because your focus is on colour, style and even periods in décor. One of the most often overlooked aspect of remodelling or renovating a home is the lighting you will use to enhance the overall appeal of the room or rooms you are giving a new look to. Before finishing your plans, take a few moments to think about the kind of lighting that will offer the look you are after, then check out an electrician Romford area of Essex to get a quote and timeframe for installing the wiring and perhaps the lighting itself to see if your plans are within your budget. Here are some innovative ways to use lighting you may not have considered.

Task Lighting

Some rooms have need for more light than others, especially areas of the home where there is a lot of activity such as the kitchen or laundry room. Task lighting offers light directed towards areas where it is most needed so that you have ample light to do what you need to do while other areas are left in a softer glow. Task lighting can be floor lamps but usually you are looking at recessed lighting with the individual lamps being pointed towards areas that need to be well lit.

Ambient Lighting

In some rooms you don’t want that stark light that doesn’t allow you to just sit back and relax. Ambient lighting is ideal for this purpose and generally casts a warm, soft glow in the room. This is typically recessed lighting in the ceiling, or the fixtures can be flush, but the lighting gives off a warm glow that can be brightened to white if needed through the use of dimmer switches.

Accent Lighting and Lamps

If you are adding built-in cabinetry or bookshelves, accent lights are absolutely perfect for calling attention to what is being housed within. If you have a library of first edition books or some collectors’ pieces for your built-in glass cabinetry, small accent lights offer just the right amount of glow to capture the attention without overpowering all else in the room.

Wall Fixtures and Sconces

Older cottages and farmhouses often had wall fixtures and sconces of the period in which they were built. Over the years these have degenerated with use and time so that it may be required to install new lamps that have been fashioned after the period they were originally designed for. You could always try to buy working antiques, but often it is just easier and less expensive to buy new lamps fashioned like old.

Being aware of how you want to make innovative use of lighting prior to remodelling can save you a huge amount of time and effort later on. The wiring and inspection can be done prior to the finishing touches of your remodelling project and when that is complete, simply flip the switch and see the end result. It’s amazing what shedding a little light can do to any home décor.

5 Home Improvement Details That Make All The Difference

There are so many things to consider when doing up your home it’s not surprising that some of the less prominent details can fall through the cracks. But with a little forward planning you can ensure the little details are exactly as you want them to be.

1. Skirting boards

These are not something most people tend to focus on when planning a renovation. Unless they have been specifically detailed early on in the design process, they tend to be left to the contractor to supply.

Believe it or not, there is a lot of choice when it comes to skirtings, from the very traditional to much more contemporary – all of which come in a wide range of heights. This seemingly small detail frames every room so it’s worth making sure it enhances the overall scheme. Ask your contractor to bring you samples to approve before he buys anything or visit a local builders’ supplier to look at the options available.

2. Architraves

The same goes for architraves, the timber moulding that frames your doors and, of course, the doors themselves. Prices and styles vary massively so unless you’ve agreed from the outset what you want it’s worth being specific here.

3. Ironmongery

This is another area which can go unnoticed until it’s too late. Think of the handles as the finishing touches to your doors – so again spend a bit of time making sure the style is both in keeping with your design and comfortable to use. Lever handles are a better choice than door knobs for anyone with concerns about mobility in their wrists or hands. Front doors often come with standard ironmongery so it’s important to know what you’re getting and make any changes in the early stages of placing the order. One practical consideration is whether to go for a key-operated or thumb-turn locking system on the inside of your door.

Safety with children can be an issue here – if they can reach the thumb turn it’s very easy for them to open the door, so a key would be a better option.

4. Tiles

Before your tiler starts, ask them to lay out the tiles as they plan to fit them. Think about how the tiles will flow from front to back and from side to side. In a bathroom, it’s good to centre the floor tiles on the WC and get the floor joints to align with the wall joints.

Keep grout lines as small as possible and depending on the kind of tiles you are using, think about how to finish any exposed edges. Stone, for example, can be polished or bevelled avoiding the need for any kind of trims. Ceramic and porcelain tiles, however, will need a tile trim. I would recommend a square-edge chrome trim over the plastic version; they are more expensive but absolutely worth it.

5. Junctions

Finally, when it comes to combining different floor finishes, try to keep junctions as clean as possible. A little forward planning will mean you can have a seamless joint between timber and tiles, avoiding the need for any kind of metal or timber trim. This is particularly important in an open-plan space with different floor finishes where you want to maintain a seamless flow between the different areas. Denise O’Connor is an architect and design consultant.

Inspired Interiors: Violet Verbena named color of the year

Perhaps the color gray has finally found its match. It seems that gray has been the color of choice for too long — from walls to exteriors, floors to furniture. Taupe is trying to make inroads, but now a moody gray-purple called Violet Verbena has been named the PPG Paints color of the year for 2017.

This smoky lavender tone is a neutral that changes like a chameleon — sometimes gray, sometimes violet —  so you’re not really quite sure what color it is. The home fashion world is seeing a lot of it — malachite wallpaper, Lenox plates, a rolling bar cart, a lattice garden chair, a svelte settee by Cynthia Rowley for Hooker Furniture.

”Violet Verbena is as nostalgic as it is modern. It’s substantial in a world that can sometimes seem so temporary, luxurious in a harsh world that needs pampering and introspective and private in an invasive world,” said Dee Schlotter, PPG’s senior color marketing manager.

Seen on fashion runways and in home furnishings, Violet Verbena was unanimously selected by PPG’s global color experts.

This midtone blend of gray and violet is an evolution of the bohemian, gypsy-jetset consumer lifestyle that has been trending lately.

The gypset consumer is more mindful, more mystic and more deeply involved in spiritual exploration and fascinated with cosmic exploration, Schlotter said. They are drawn to “galactic dark colors that combine deep purples, blues and grays for a futuristic vibe.”

Paired with dark neutrals, Violet Verbena reads gray; paired with whites it looks more purple. Either way, this tranquil lavender is definitely fashion forward.

Using pastels in home decor

What comes to mind when you think of rainbow sherbet? Do you feel a light, cool sense of refreshment? Does it remind you to slow down and enjoy a quiet and delicious moment? Or does it give you a sweet pop of energy? All of these thoughts and feelings came to me when I opened my latest shipment of fabric books. In fact, the mill had named it “The Rainbow Collection.”

You probably remember meeting Roy G. Biv early on in school. The name helps us to remember the basic colors of the rainbow — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Notice they do not include earth tones, browns and beige. They will probably appear in this fall’s shipment.

The fabric designers who produced the Rainbow Collection must have been on creative overdrive because their color combinations were luscious — even delicious like rainbow sherbet. In fact, the whole collection reminded me of food. Greens the color of chardonnay grapes, pistachios and celery. Greens mixed with yellows like an aisle of gourmet mustards. Lemon yellow, honey yellow, pineapple and corn yellow. There were books devoted to reds, oranges and pinks like nature-made vitamin C, and for deeper contrast, berry blues and purples. There were even colors of what scientists call “moonbows” and “fogbows” — shades of hazy silvers and whites.

Did I whet your appetite? Are you wondering how to use pastels in your home without it looking like a basket of Easter eggs? Let’s first debunk the myth that pastels are meant for baby nurseries and little girls’ rooms. While those are fine options, the uplifting nature of pastels should be available to us all. This can easily be done by choosing pastels that have been blended together, toned (with drops of gray dye) or tinted (with drops of white dye). Such pastels have complexity, dimension and character. They are mature and even cosmopolitan — a measured dye formula can transform baby blue into an edgy color of zinc, for instance.

With the right pastel combinations, you can create a sea-breezy living room, a tranquil bedroom, a white kitchen that always looks clean (even when it’s not), or a sun-shining breakfast nook. You can create a home office that reduces your stress or boosts your energy, whichever you prefer.

The way you start is to determine the effect you want to make. If you’re going for drama, add black. Even if your upholstery, draperies and walls are pink, black will transform all that sweetness into serious glamour — especially if you throw in a bit of crystal and white faux fur. Like yellow and black, this chic color combination was a staple in early 20th century Paris. But if you prefer a more modern or masculine version, pair any citrus yellow with gray instead.

You can also use pastels as you would neutrals. Think of them as softer versions of other colors but watered down to almost non-colors. As such, they will neither overwhelm nor underwhelm your room. Once you’ve chosen a pastel or two or three, go back to your desired effect. Add walnut, cherry or mahogany wood to create a more traditional room. Add pine or painted wood (especially chipped or distressed) and targeted fabric patterns to get a country cottage, beach house or vintage look. Or, for an industrial effect, add metal and abstract art. If you live in an Eichler home or are a fan of midcentury design, you’re in luck. Pastels are signature to this era so feel free and confident to use them.

If you prefer a darker color scheme, you can still use pastels. Just stick to one overall color and incorporate its varying intensities along with an unnoticeable dab of neutral for relief. For instance, if you like purple, use a range of near-black to lavender. Or navy blue to wispy sky blue, eggplant to dusty pink, or emerald green to sage.

The bedroom shown in the photo shows another way to use pastels. It’s a little more challenging. Choose two complementary or contrasting colors and a neutral. Then, carefully mix patterns and textures to create a landscape of interest. Although this room is colorful, it is also soothing. All of the fabrics came from my Rainbow Collection. The colors of the headboard and footboard, the pillows, and one rug are toned orange and toned blue. The geometric and floral patterns could have been conflicting had not their colors and intensities been the same. The discipline in this design is in using solid colors everywhere else, including the second rug. The white acts as a unifying accent and gives the eye some color relief.

The next time your interiors feel drab or heavy, think of switching to rainbow colors, especially pastels.

Patti L. Cowger is a Napa-based interior designer and owner of PLC Interiors. For information about her design services, visit her website at plcinteriors.com; call 707-322-6522; or email plcinteriors@sbcglobal.net. Demystifying Design appears every other Saturday.

Making home decor a decade-long project

WICHITA, Kan. — Wichita wife and mother Jenifer Sauer, 37, is a sponge for beautiful design that she incorporates into her house in east Wichita.

“I wish I could change my house every six months, because I like so many things,” she said.

But she knows she can’t do that, so she prioritizes. She and her husband, Joe, bought their ranch seven years ago, and Jenifer expects that getting the house done the way they want it will be a 10-year project.

Here are places she goes for inspiration, projects that she’s accomplished, and ways she organizes and charts her ideas.

Her style: “Transitional — traditional with more straight lines — and somewhat eclectic, though, because I like the juxtaposition of different styles against each other.”

Organizing on Pinterest: “I’m a Pinterest addict. It gets to where I can’t believe I have so many pins. I use Pinterest to study groupings and to get an idea of how things should flow.” She searches for terms such as “white galley kitchen” and “gray and white transitional bathroom.” “When I find things I’m going to use, I put them on Pinterest to keep me organized.”

Make your own pins: When Sauer sees something she likes in a magazine, she takes a photo and makes her own pin with it so she can keep things together on Pinterest. “It’s really easy.”

Pinners she follows: Nelson Designs and Social Manor, plus Nell Hill’s, Social Manor, Sita Montgomery Interiors out of Salt Lake City, Chrystie Vachon’s Designer Decor Knockoffs, Claire Brody’s copycats on a budget, Joanna Gaines, the Property Brothers.

Magazine subscriptions: House Beautiful, Elle Decor, Veranda, Architectural Digest, Traditional Home. “And I kind of steal ideas from (catalogs) Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware and Ballard Designs.”

On Instagram: Some design sites have better Instagram accounts than Pinterest ones. She likes Sita Montgomery Interiors and One Kings Lane on Instagram.

Ideas she’s gotten from Pinterest: empty frames filled with chicken wire for hanging children’s artwork; a giant ornate frame turned on its side with smaller framed mirrors from Tuesday Morning hanging inside; a wall of clocks in the kitchen dining nook (that don’t necessarily keep the correct time); a table centerpiece that is a long narrow trough filled with pinecones, greenery and flameless candles, for example, for the winter and can be switched up seasonally.

Favorite room in the house: The hall bathroom, the only room that has been taken down to the studs under Sauer ownership. “I used Pinterest to put together my ideas and see products. Some of it then I was able to track down. Sometimes things are a couple years old.” An arched mirror carried by Lowes had been pinned “a million times, but they stopped making them.” She then obsessed until she eventually found another company that was making them, and Sharon Nelson at Nelson Designs in Wichita, her husband’s aunt, was able to order them for her.

For the girls: Sauer also used Pinterest to decorate her daughters’ room. She saw sunburst mirrors and ordered one to go above each bed. Her 12-year old wanted lots of color with a Moroccan theme, and Sauer balanced it out with white.

For the boys: For her sons’ superheroes room, she decorated soft-sided storage bins with masks of superheroes that she found in the Target dollar section. She removed the strings from the masks and hot-glued the masks to the front of the bins.