Fall touch ups!

If you live in San Diego, you can take advantage of TOT-Home and have us TOUCH UP your home for fall.  
Our E-ZIGN service is ideal for those of you who have time to do leg-work but not to conceptualize and design.  For all of you DIY'ers out there, here are some of our most popular updates for fall. Not only do you get a great new home for the long-term, you can show off your home to family and friends just in time for the holidays.

Plants, cladding stucco with stone, and adding
light creates a welcoming attractive exterior.

1) Freshen up your exterior. That can mean a quick power-wash, some new plants, or a simple front door color update. We love to change container plantings since they can be done at nearly every front door. No entry? A cool wreath will give you a new look.  

A new surround and accessories dress up
a 1980's fireplace. 

2) Update your fireplace. Clean, paint, or re-cover dated material. If you love what you have, add a mantle, a surround, or add some accessories.  A large-scale planter or urn filled with a real or dried arrangement is fresh and natural. Add lights during the holidays for a festive look.

Paint, a shelf and some colorful
accessories are practical and beautiful.

3) Dress up the entry.  Even if you have a small space, a welcoming entry is a must. We recommend narrow entry tables, small benches, area rugs (great for wet and muddy feet), mirrors and lighting.  Not much space? A fold down shelf works well. 

A corner with accent stripes is all that was
needed in this living room.

4) Paint.  Yes we know it's time consuming to do a whole room, but it's the ideal way to completely change the look and feel of a space.  Even one accent wall or the addition of stripes will create a new space.

Lighting added under cabinets, in architectural elements and
behind plants create an easy to do, layered lighting plan.

5)  Add light. As darkness comes earlier and seems to go on forever...add energy saving LED lighting.  We love string lights, hidden rope lights, picture lights, and wall sconces.  Put them on in-wall or plug in timers for a low-cost, no-work solution. 

The new classic style.

Transitional style is appearing everywhere...magazine spreads, advertisements, hotel lobbies and rooms, and even healthcare facilities.  It's the new classic style.  Arising from traditional elements, leg shapes, materials, and architectural details, transitional style embraces a stricter line without heavy embellishment. Furnishings and finish materials are being made with cleaner design details.  Sophistication is the result.  From tiles to seating to lighting, this is a trend that is here to stay.

             

From classic Hepplewhite oval back chairs in a new form. The attention to leg and back detail and use of crisp ivory fabric with a slight sheen, gives a stunning aesthetic and fabulous function.

A sleeker version of a traditional sofa, with squared-off arms in lieu of rolled, and tapered block feet. Classic and sophisticated yet very updated. With a textured green fabric that's not standard sage....gorgeous!

    

Silk drum pendants are more often replacing multi-armed chandeliers for transitional styling. The brushed nickel fittings and frosted glass diffuser add elegant detail.

A change for the better from wood burning to bio-fuel fireplaces. They provide warmth and a fabulous aesthetic with an eco-friendly benefit. With no special venting required, and a variety of sizes and materials, they can be installed in indoor and outdoor spaces.

Porcelain tile has come a long way. With elegant patterns and sheens, new sizes and trim pieces, and a huge array of colors and textures, US and Italian porcelain tile manufacturers have given us a new classic surface.

Making faucets lead-free, water saving and with universal design in mind, form does follow function. New finishes are luxurious and easy-care...what a great combination.

Certified woods are being fabricated into strand forms that are as elegant as they are eco-friendly. Luxurious color and grain, along with wide scale planks, make these floors right for nearly any style decor.

Love the colors in your home!

With the crisp, cool weather that comes with Fall, so does an opportunity to update your spaces with paint. Here are a few things you should know when you're selecting color.

 

There are tried and true color schemes that look great regardless of the value of color (deep versus pastel tones) They include monochromatic (all one color), analogous (colors that are adjacent to each other on the color whee), complementary (colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel), split complementary, (a main color and the two colors on each side of its complementary color on the color wheel),  and triadic (colors on the color wheel in a triangle). You can select warm tones (reds, yellows, oranges) or cool tones (greens, blues, violets) in any of these schemes and they will work well.   I like to tell clients who are working on color schemes that if exists in nature  it will work in your home. 

 

Look at images in magazines, on line, in model homes, and in store showrooms. Identify which ones appeal to you. Using a professional designer can help get you started to understand what elements you like, how to apply them, and then paint and accessorize for a fabulous result. When you have an idea of the colors you like, explore the variation in depth...light versus dark. Paint stores offer color cards that generally have gradations of single colors on a single card so you can have a sense of what might be too pale or too deep for your walls.

For wall paint, I recommend taking chips home with you since paint chip colors never looks the same as in the store. The scale of your room as well as the lighting, will affect how the color looks on your walls. 

Monochromatic with a cool accent color.

1- Take it home. Choose a handful of chips in colors you like with dark and light gradations.  If you do many projects, purchase a fan deck for a paint line.  When you get home, view those colors in the room you want to paint at varying times of day. DO hold them against the all of your fabrics (seating, window coverings, pillows, etc..), artwork, and even the flooring. Narrow your choices to two or three colors. 

2 - Test First.  Before you paint the full wall color, create test boards, I use a product called SMALL WALL so that I don't have to prime multiple stripes, eliminate the effect of having several adjacent colors together, and am able to move the boards to many areas in the same room and during different times of day. Most companies offer sample sizes so you can try before purchasing gallons.  Nothing is better than seeing the color applied to the wall. 

Warm and monochromatic makes
this tiny living area seem larger.

3.  Sheen Matters. Once you've settled on the ideal color be sure you select the right sheen.

• Flat/matte paint provides a smooth, elegant finish although they are difficult to clean they are easiest to touch up
• Eggshell and satin finishes offer more depth and warmth. Eggshell finishes are easier to wash than flat finishes and resist stains and scuffs but you will see touch-ups.
• Satin finishes can withstand moisture, making them ideal for kitchens and baths. They are easy to clean but require more prep work since every small wall imperfection will be visible.
• Sheens with higher glosses brighten rooms
• Semigloss and glossy sheens can be scrubbed and are easy to clean

4. Paint and Enjoy.  Be sure to prep your walls well (see our paint tips blog). 

Seasonal updates for your yard or balcony.

Fall is the ideal time of year to update your exterior and plant for spring color. Touch of Tradition/Garden is your source for fabulous ideas and products to extend your living spaces outdoors. Here are 10 tips to consider.

1) Update your concrete with a concrete stain. When your walkways and patios are aged and stained, you can create a ‘new’ appearance with a beautiful color stain. You will even out the damaged concrete (within reason of course) and the new area can be warm and elegant.

2) Plants bulbs for spring color. The impact of your new planting will be showy and colorful in spring. Try tulips, day lilies, ranunculus and iris. If you don’t have a formal garden bed, don’t hesitate to use planters that suit the style of your home.

3) Paint your front door a seasonal color. A white front door isn’t as welcoming as a rich terra cotta or cranberry hue. For lots of color use bold orange or red. 

4) Grow vegetables in containers from October to March. The cabbage family, leafy greens and herbs including cilantro, dill, fennel, parsley, mints, cresses are beautiful and edible so you have salad, garnishes and veggies as well as a gorgeous display.

5) Wrap string lights on architectural elements and trees. LED string lights are energy efficient, bright, and make a yard or balcony welcoming and festive. You can even change the colors for Halloween or the Christmas season. Use twist ties for a easy removal, or wind around trunks and weave through branches for drama and elegance.

6) Add an interesting element to your garden. A shepherds hook with an iron medallion, an outdoor lantern or even a unique artistic sculpture will add detail, texture and a sense of your personality. Try a great birdhouse and bring colorful birds right to your door. 

7) Fill a container with seasonal items. Pinecones are easy to find as they fall to the ground this time of year. Gourds and pumpkins are fabulous through Thanksgiving. A branch arrangement in a tall pot becomes the ideal spot for holiday lights. 

8) Hang a wreath on the front gate or doors. Whether you opt for a living succulent wreath or a dried arrangement, the effect is welcoming and festive. Your creativity is the limit. Try planting succulents into a wooden sign, use natural grasses for a simple and elegant wreath, and add small gourds to grape-vine wreaths for a Do-it-yourself masterpiece.

9) Plant contrasting colors and textures in your garden or containers. Ornamental grasses are soft and water-wise, and impart softness and contrast. Bear grass and deer grass are good choices since they’re non invasive species.

10) Add a bench to the entry way and dress with outdoor pillows, potted plants and more. It’s a sign of welcome, comfort and more to have a bench in the entryway. Use it to create a sense of the interior space or dress it up seasonally.

Panel drape tops for every style.

When you're looking for drapery panels, it's a good idea to select a header or top style that makes a design statement for your window as well as the room.  It's important even if you use fabric panels as a decorative addition to other coverings - like shades and blinds - but especially when they are the sole window treatment in your room.Take a look at these 6 styles and select one that reflects your spaces.

1) Parisian or pencil pleat - A decorative header that is clean and tailored with a bit of dressiness based on the stitching.  Great for traditional and formal rooms, and works well in transitional spaces with a sleek fabric. Can be casual on rings -like the panels show -  and certainly with linen, cotton or other clean and simple fabric choices.

2) Goblet pleat - This elegant and dramatic look is fabulous in traditional interiors.  These add glamour with dupioni silk fabric. Be sure to line each panel to give it heft.

3) Pencil Pleat. A great choice for a less formal space. The pleats are even and neat yet not as dressy as the two styles above. Here, the cotton fabric definitely speaks to casual style rooms, yet the pleat adds an element of sophistication.

4)  Grommet top - An updated top that is right with every style from country to contemporary. The fabric selection drives the fit into your decor but the top style is a new classic.

5) Box pleat. Another fairly traditional and formal style that can work in many different rooms based on the fabric choices.  I like the clean line for modern and transitional spaces, preferring to use pencil pleats for casual rooms. The panels here, in silk, are dressy even on a black iron rod and ring system. Using large scale patterns on linen and linen blends works well in contemporary rooms.

6) Tab top: Decidedly casual and simple.  Any fabric choice will remain casual!

Fall updates using fabric.

I often see great fabric remnants at Crate & Barrel outlets, interesting napkins and tablecloths at import store like Pier I, and swatches of fabric at Joanne Fabrics.  Take a look at some some great ways to use swatches you collect without spending a lot. You can do many yourself, but don't hesitate to ask for help, buy what you need, and do it right the first time so you love the results.  

1. Add a bright fabric wall hanging.  A great way to brighten a bedroom, small bath, a multi-use dining room-office, or a dark hallway is to hang a colorful piece of fabric. You may have a quilt or remnant already. There are several ways to do it. Determine whether you want a single wall-hanging or a vignette of small ones.  Purchase inexpensive frames in a color that works with your space. Cut the fabric to fit and hang. Two is to create a hanger, much like a towel rod, to drape a large piece or quilt over. You can also get a window rod in the right size, and using clip on rings, attach your fabric. 

2. Cover existing pillows with a slipcover. You can use fabric, napkins or be creative with place mats and table runners. Create a pocket - sew or use an iron-on adhesive tape to make one - and slip your pillow inside. Slip stitch the pocket closed, use a zipper, or add snaps or buttons if you are able.  Alternatively, tie colorful scarves around the pillow to create seasonal style.

3. Create a new piece of furniture. Cover an old piece with fabrics.  Cut pieces of fabric evenly and cleanly so the edges are straight and without frays. Using a fabric glue that dries clear, paint the door or drawer and wrap fabric around.  You can paint over the top of fabric edges to affix well. Make sure you can still close doors and drawers. You can also use a heat and bond fusable bed to iron the fabric on.

4. Dress up a chair.  Add a skirt to the underside of a chair with staples. A good staple gun can be found for $15-20 at craft and big-box hardware stores and had many uses. If the chair has value, don't use staples, instead attach the skirt to the underside of a chair cushion - that you can also make yourself - and admire the results.  Sewing is best if you don't staple.

5. Cover a window.  For a simple, colorful look to a window that you won't need to open during the winter, or one where the view is not nice year-round, hang a colorful fabric from the top, and add a window rod at the bottom for interest. You can sew, fuse or even staple the tabs to hang a rod at the bottom.  

Check out this bath!

We found this at Elle Decor. What a great way to make a statement in a small bath with its original white ceramic tile.  When a home has historic value, changing the finish materials and even the plumbing is NOT acceptable. The colors from Sherwin Williams:

Saguaro = deep green
Lucent Yellow =yellow
Honest Blue = light blue
Indigo =deep blue
Extra White =white

What a great product!

We search for fabulous new products every day. When they're sustainable and eco-friendly, we're thrilled to use them and share with everyone.  Take a look at the Earth First Exotics hardwoods by IndusParquet.  Like most flooring of this type, they're harvested abroad.  The difference here is the forests are cared for and harvested with the extensive environmental protection of both the company and the government of Brazil. The timber harvest in Brazil is strictly controlled by the government and is limited to a maximum of eight trees per ¾ acre. Endangered trees and trees that provide food for animals are preserved. Every tree harvested is tagged with an ID code that stays with the tree throughout the manufacturing process. 

They've taken an additional step to certify their manufacturing plants through the Forest Stewardship Council.  That certification assures that the natural resources used in the production of IndusParquet products are manufactured efficiently with minimum impact on the environment. Along with their zero waste policy – 100% of all wood that enters the factory is utilized, the company owns three vast reforestation plantations to help assure a sustainable resource. 

How to tie a space together.

When you need an overhaul and have pieces that you cherish, keep them and tie it all together with COLOR.  This space, done in three days, is a perfect example of how many styles can be mixed and worked into a room. Check out the casual linen-blend sofa, the elegant drop-front desk, a sleek modern occasional chair, and a traditional nail-studded leather club chair and the mix with some rustic lighting, a ready-made shelf unit, some artistic side tables, and a host of interesting accessories.  The palette is ivory, cream and taupe!  To tie them all together - yes some fabrics are warm and some are cool - metallic accents are added everywhere. What do you think?

Outdoor appeal is easy to obtain.

Fall is a great time to garden and update your yard. Here are a few ideas to add curb appeal, color, detail and a change that you'll love.

Play up an easy focal point – your front door! Paint the door a contrasting color complimentary to the house color. If you have a walkway, help it flow easily up to the front door. The front walkway should be a clear path  from the driveway to the front door. A soft curvy line is good - but you don’t want your guests wandering around and wondering if they took the right path to the house.Lead visitors to the front door by placing progressively smaller plants near the door, you frame the house and focus attention on the entryway.

Freshen up plantings Sometimes all that is needed is a good pruning and shaping to help revitalize your front landscape design. Soften the corners of the house with vertical plants and shrubs. If you need to replace some bushes and hedges-and want something different, then try tall ornamental grasses. There are so many new grass varieties that you’re bound to find something that you like in the right color tones. Grasses are a great way to add texture to your front gardens, without color competition, and when they blow in the wind it creates a feeling that’s very relaxing and soothing.   

Create a container garden at the front door with flower pots flanking either side.Fill the planters with evergreens or low maintenance annuals like geraniums and petunias. Using large single plants in the containers is a trend that’s becoming popular. Transform container gardens with different plants seasonally.

Use garden structures like an arbor, trellis, or tall sculpture to add a vertical dimension to the front yard. If the plants and flowers are all growing at the same level, adding some height will break up the line and offer a secondary focal point.  I like to use old wooden architectural pieces with vines growing up as a vertical garden accent.    

Plant a tree.  If you don't have a shade tree or focal point, add a tree.  Don't have a yard? Ficus are beautiful and effective in containers. 

Add outdoor lighting for security and also to bring your house and garden to life after dark. You can use solar lights for a quick and easy transformation in your front yard landscaping.Ideas like shining the solar lights on the paths and walkways or using up-lights underneath trees for a cool effect.

Solar lights are easy to install- no wires or electrical hookup. This is one of the front yard landscaping ideas that you can complete in an afternoon. 

Ways to update your home for under $1000.

It's fall. The doors and windows are closing to keep warmth in.  Your spaces may seem small or dated.  We love to provide DIY advice, but be sure ti get help if you're not an expert!

1) Replace or repaint the front door.  Inside as well as outside, that door is what you see daily. A new color, finish or style will be long-lasting and have a tremendous impact.

2) Add fabric to windows.  Even if you already have blinds or shutters, a dramatic or soft fabric treatment is a beautiful; and simple update.

3)  Add or change your kitchen or bath backsplash. Go from plain to dynamite or drab to elegant.  Mosaic tiles are easy to install. Don't forget that wall paper and paint can make a great backsplash.

4) Use or change your area rugs.  A new rug will provide color, pattern and texture to a space.  Create a new seating group by anchoring on a rug!

5) Update your shower.  Go from a curtain to a glass enclosure.  Get a new low-flow but high output showerhead. You use this space daily so make it great!

6) Create new storage or display areas.  Add bookshelves to a plain wall...hang them or use free-standing models. Have a niche? Install them there.

7) Add molding.  Even a simple change to door casings can have a big impact on a room.  Don't have crown?  Add some.  Chair rail moldings are great for architectural detail and provide areas for paint color changes.

8) Install a skylight.  Need to brighten a dark hallway or room? Skylights and solar tubes are ideal.

9) Recover your sofa. As the largest piece of furniture in a home, the sofa takes center stage in your layout. With a new fabric or slipcover, it can transform a space.

10)  Update your fireplace.  If you don't have a mantle, this is a great feature to add. Have brick?  Consider re-facing with a fabulous new tile.  Don't have a fireplace? Add a no-vent ethanol one! 

Check back for the next ten tips later this month!

Ten design mistakes to avoid.

You're ready to make a change rather than remodel a room.  DO pay attention to these 10 mistakes to avoid for the best process and results!  We provide fast, budget conscious solutions and products locally or through e-zine so be sure to let us know if we can help.

1) Allow time. Effective design requires planning and organization. If you rush through a few steps, you may find yourself making decisions that are not long-lasting or don't give the result you are seeking.

2) Remember to involve nature.  To improve the feel of a room, add plants and flowers.  Texture, natural rugs and pillows, and considering the view will make a space feel comfortable, open, and feel good.

3) Don't buy paint before fabrics and furniture.  Color will always be one of the most important decisions in the designing process. Take pieces of fabric from your space to find the paint that fits the best. You will find it much easier to match the paint to the furniture, than the other way around.

4) Use color well. The color of a room is not solely depicted by the paint on the walls. The shades and tints in the furniture will greatly influence the mood. Add contrasts and compliments in your coloring schemes.

5) Check room dimensions before purchasing furniture. The wrong size furniture takes its toll on rooms. Not only will the scale affect the appearance of a room, it will affect the function more. Be sure that your furniture will fit through the door.

6) Pay attention to acoustics. Regardless of the use, more importantly for spaces used for entertaining and home theater,  don't use a lot of hard surfaces that allow sound waves continue to bounce around. Capture them with carpets, area rugs, fabric window coverings and other soft goods. Hardwood floors are beautiful but require a bit of softness to reduce walking noises.

7) Consider lighting. Lighting makes or breaks a project. It sets the tone for the mood of a room, and in baths and kitchens is paramount for best function.  You don’t want a space to be so bright you feel like you’re in a spotlight, but at the same time too little lighting will cause the room to have a gloomy feel. 

8) Watch over-furnishing.  A room that is overcrowded with coffee tables, couches, footstools, paper baskets or whatever, can cause you to feel cluttered and restless. Be sure to leave plenty of walking space. Stay away from the tendency to fill in all of the empty spaces. Leave some room. It will be much easier for you to relax and kick back. 

9) Mirrors are a key. Using mirrors will make rooms appear much more spacious. The lack of mirrors or windows seems to give the room a boxy feel. Don’t hesitate to hang a decorative mirror or two on your walls. Be creative. You can find many different shapes and sizes of mirrors.They reflect a beautiful space and make a room brighter as it reflects natural and artificial lighting.

10) Hang art at the right level. The right level is key since images that are too high or low are difficult to view and don't balance a room.  Consider the height and width of a room, the people who live there, and the  furnishings placed in front!