Top 5 Interior Design Tips

There are so many design concepts and tips published, that it can be overwhelming to determine  what's right for your style and your space. Shelter magazines, bloggers, retailers, and advertisers offer guides on everything from light hanging, to color selection, to style choices, to what size your furniture should be.  They can all be beneficial, however with just a few quick tips, you can create a personal, aesthetically pleasing and inviting atmosphere. Can I offer you 10 tips? Of course, but I’ve  distilled down what I consider to be 5 key things to do.

1) The right light fixture can be essential to your overall style. Even if you opt for discount store furniture, when you install one fabulous chandelier, table lamp, or wall sconce, it sets the tone for your entire space.  Be sure to put it in a key space so it functions as beautifully as it looks. 

                                    

    

                            

       

2) Great style is all about the mix not the match.  Most people tend to have eclectic style; from inheriting furniture, collecting travel memorabilia, and purchasing pieces that appeal to them.  That mix truly helps create a curated home; incorporating personal or artistic pieces expresses "them".   The key is placement....finding the right space for everything to attain balance and interest and not clutter. In the space below, a modern cocktail table, traditional ginger jar lamp, grandma's overstuffed lounge chairs, some favorite antique pieces, and the transitional  sofa are all tied together with color, in a grouping that makes a pleasing to use and look at. 

                       

3) Consider the power of color in each room. Color sets mood in a very unique way.  I post often about color. For example, if the color "red" means fire to you, I wouldn't suggest using it in your home, while if you tell me it means passion I would use it in a space that requires energy. Using color does not just mean painting the walls but selecting fabrics, accessories, area rugs, and artwork to bring in tones you love. DO use colors you love but be sure they accomplish what you want. Need a serene space? Try a monochromatic color scheme; soft neutral colors work just as well as blues and greens to create serenity.  Need exciting and dramatic? Use bold color. Start with painting one wall. Get a fabulous chest or dresser in a bold color you love. Don't forget that lamps add color too! Worried about a long-term color commitment? Keep your walls & flooring neutral and add color with accessories and art.  

                                                                 

4) Create inviting areas. Whether you're gathering with family and friends or curling up to read a book, be sure to have places that you can feel comfortable.  Place sofas and chairs so people can converse intimately rather than lining them pagainst the walls. One area rug can often anchor a conversation area perfectly.  Have a window or stairwell niche? Add a seat. You'll create a retreat for yourself and a place to add soft pillows and throws.

                                         

5) Store or conceal everything you don't need daily. One of the main issues with living comfortably in your home, is where to put all of your "stuff".  Mail, magazines and newspapers, pet  equipment, and even children's backpacks and toys are necessary but can create clutter.  Creating the correct storage system for easy access that's attractive every day will make you feel relaxed and organized. 

                 

As you can see, some of the solutions are easy if you creatively use what you already have.

Update A Bedroom In Ten Minutes

The bedroom is a space where you begin and end  every day. It should be relaxing, enjoyable, serene, and designed just the way you like it. Here are a few tips that with advanced planning you can make a shopping trip to a big box hardware store, a discount home goods store, IKEA, a thrift/consignment shop a success.  Some of the easiest changes are a walk-through of your own home taking inventory of what you have. You can gather some fabulous items and install a new bedroom in about 10 minutes. Take a look at these ideas. 

First change one of the largest surfaces. Add an area rug. Yes, you can also place one on top of carpeting if that's what you have. Select the right pile height, position it correctly and it will not be a trip hazard. You can do it for no cost if you simply swap one from another room.  Are the bedroom colors not the same as the living room so you're not sure of the swap? An accent color could be fab and allow you to add more of the same color in pillows and accessories to pull it all together.  You can get fabulous 8' x 10' wool or sisal area rugs at big box import stores for approximately $200. I've even found some at www.rugsdirect.com that are wool! 

Next, improve your lighting.  It can be as easy as moving a fixture from a room that you don't use much to the bedroom. Since we always gather in the family room, my living room lamps were unused. They're a bit formal but add sophistication in the bedroom. What a great change. You can certainly find attractive lamps for under $100 at big box stores, discount stores, or simply refresh the one you have with a new shade. Some styles of pleated shades are dated, and if your hardback shade has a yellow interior, replace it. Have only six dollars? Head over to your local Home Depot store, select a spray color from Rustoleum, and refinish the fixture you already have.   Even swapping a light bulb from an incandescent to a soft white LED makes a wonderful lighting change. Put your overhead lighting on a dimmer and save energy while you create precisely the right moods. Even table lamps can be dimmed with an inexpensive cord control.  For a more sophisticated system you can install Lutron Caseta  which is available in my local showroom WWW.TOT-home.com.  

Sometimes all you need is a little bit of  color. Pillows will do the trick. Yes, I know, pillows have to be taken off to sleep in the bed, but they make a difference in how soft and inviting your bed is. With all of the discount retail shops available, you can purchase 4 pillows for approximately $50. If you can sew, check out the discount section of your local fabric shop and you can make a pillow for under $10.  Have a little more time?  Make or buy a pillow headboard. Soft and inviting, use any color you like to make a statement. It'll be something soft and colorful to lean up against when you're reading or TV watching in bed.

Add color and texture with seating.  I always like to have a place for people to sit when I design bedrooms. It's amazing how many people don't have a chair. It can create a soft corner filler.  If you have the room depth, add a bench at the foot of the bed.  Both benches and chairs are functional since while you don't want them to be cluttered with clothing, but you can put your bed pillows on a bench, lay your clothes out for the next morning on your chair, even sit down easily put on shoes. With a bench, you gain added storage when you tuck baskets underneath.  I've placed shoes, cat toys and even my small weight set in mine.  If your room is particularly small, tuck an ottoman or pouf under and next to other furniture.

One of the easier things is swapping art from room to room.  How about creating a feature wall? Layout and hang a new vignette.  Have only one piece? Move it to a new wall.  As with lighting, discount shops have a good collections of canvas art for under $25.

If you really want to dress your room up, bring in some new fabrics. Get a new comforter or duvet, add a throw, and if those two things are out of the budget,  put on a bed skirt. I often scour the local fabric shops for fabric remnants and hang them over simple curtain rods as decorative art.

Improve your storage. This is a simple as having baskets to throw shoes into, have a place for pillows, clear the clutter of paperwork and newspapers next your bed, and even stack the books you love to read inside. 

Don't have a dime to spend? Then simply rearrange what you have. Place the bed on a different wall, even in a small room that can be done. Try angling furniture - like a chair, small shelf, or a plant in the corner. Do you need a dresser opposite the bed or can it become a nightstand? There are so many creative ideas, if you need a little assistance check out my blog archives and Pinterest boards.

Free and Easy Updates

I love to refresh my rooms.  Small things work well, so I like to start that way first....otherwise

it can get out of control!  My favorite way is to create a new look by moving furniture in the room to new positions. If I can't set the largest piece - like a sofa - on a new wall, I try 'floating' it in the room. Angled pieces work nicely to create the illusion of more space. Moving a large piece to a different wall can change a room's character.  What about taking a piece from another room?  I swapped my guest room dresser - since it's not used all the time - for an end table. Loved the result!   Even changing the art on the walls is free, easy and will give you a new look!

Adding an area rug is also easy, fast and usually around $100. You can usually move rugs from room to room if your colors are cohesive, so that purchase will get lots of mileage and update many rooms! It's nice to use  area rugs in your outdoor spaces too -  warm it up for early evening dinners - with an outdoor rug (be SURE it is rated for outdoor use or it could mold or disintegrate).

My third favorite way to make big changes is to swap accessories from room to room or season to season.  It can really change a room. Using baskets from your kitchen in the living room will make it casual and warm.  I like ceramic vases and shaped containers since I find it more interesting to move them around than to buy new ones.  Sometimes finding an inexpensive new accessory is what works for you. Mix it up then. Instead of traditional vases and candles, try statuary. In lieu of ceramic or porcelain, experiment with glass. Change the color scheme of accessories. Remember that fewer and large pieces will create impact.  Yep, pillows are an accessory and with so many discount store (Marshalls, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Ross) you can find interesting patterns and colors for under $20.  I sometimes buy one nice form and then swap only the cover.

Winter Favorites

Warm, cozy, family, and celebration are all adjectives that come to mind when I think of winter. These are my favorite 'finds' that bring every one of those elements together for me.
Sparkling glass in knobs, lanterns and glass hurricanes, knitted throws with lots of texture, colorful pillows with unique patterns, mirrors to reflect warm lights, fresh potted orchids, updated light fixtures with interesting and energy saving bulbs, area rugs, candles, and fabric panels over drafty windows.

Design Rules

There are many aspects of design and decor that are flexible.  Scale is one of them. Balance isn't.  Here are my top 5 rules of thumb that make interior spaces dynamite instead of droll.

1. Area rugs should be balanced in a room.  Place all of the furniture in your room either all off your rug, or all on.  Having some pieces on and some off looks, well, off.  I like to leave at least a foot of floor showing, even in small rooms, so the area rug remains an accent piece rather than looking like wall-to-wall carpeting.

2. When hanging a chandelier over a table, install it about 32-36" above the table surface.  Too high and it looks 'lost', too low and it's not balanced in the room or functional when dining.
















3. Artwork can be its own focal point, but can be grouped with furniture to create an overall vignette. I like to have odd numbers in my group, and hang pieces of similar composition, color, or with 'like' frames together.  The closer you hang art in your vignette to each other, the more impact your grouping will have.

4. How large is the right cocktail table?  Two-thirds the width of the sofa is always right
















5. When mixing fabrics in a room, you should designate your color scheme and work within its varying hues and complementary colors.  I generally select one main pattern - floral, damask, paisley, etc...- and work in smaller scale prints, stripes, plaids and tone on tone so that each fabric has a purpose and is balanced in the overall space.  A good rule of thumb is to use 60% of one color in varying hues and patterns, add two equal amounts of accent hue to get 30%, then one bold or dramatic color is the remaining 10%.

Spring Color

When it comes to bold color, Spring is the high season for fabulous finds to update your home. Take a look at these favorite items:

From Ballard Designs. A more creative way to hang plants. Fill with
flame-less candles for a unique ambiance.

Fun floral plates from Horchow.

Love these outdoor glasses (BPA free) by Pottery Barn.

A bright yellow that can work outdoors too by Crate & Barrel

Pottery Barn kilim area rugs...great to update your entry or kitchen.

Brights from West Elm.  For indoors or out!

Enter here!

Does your entry say what you want about the rest of your home?  This is one space, indoors and out, that sets the tone for the rest of your home. These are my top quick fixes for the inside space.

1) Flooring.  It often creates nice separation, not to mention a practical way to keep the entry clean, to have a different floor surface in the entry.  If your entry merges with the living area this is a perfect time to create separation.   Even a small area rug, provides delineation from the rest of your home. Be sure to secure area rugs with pads or tape. 

2) Stash space.  It's smart to keep your entry neat. I recommend using a console, bench or other area where you can drop mail, keys and more.  Affixing a small board to the wall and adding front legs, creates a perfect stash space in an apartment or condo where there is no obvious entry area. Using a small wall-hung shelf or a bookshelf to divide the entry from the rest of the space, work well for organization and separation.   Once you've got the surface, you can add baskets, containers and bowls to collect what you drop, making a design statement as well as containing clutter.

3) Mirrors. Reflect light into the space by adding a mirror.  A unique, framed mirror can make an artistic statement. It also serves as a place for guests to check themselves before entering, and you to take a last look before you go out!  

4) Lighting. The best way to change the apparent space is with lighting. Brighten a narrow space with wall sconces, hang a chandelier to dramatize a grand space, bring a dark corner into play with up-lights, and if you can,  hang picture lights over your art. 

5) Artwork.  Personalize your entry to reflects you and the style of your home. Whether that translates to a sculpture, a mobile, pottery, or wall art, an item you love can be worked into your entryway. This is a ideal time to use travel collectibles, your favorite ceramics, a fabric you love (framed or as a bench cover) to add color, texture, pattern and personalization.

6) Color. Bold or neutral, soft or dramatic, color sets the stage. In an entry, you can often find a space for a unique wall treatment. In this tiny apartment entry, a bold vase, stair runner and scarf hanging on a grand hook, say enough!

Favorite updates for winter.

These are some of my favorite design elements to warm up rooms during the winter months. They are also great year-round when the proper materials, textures and colors are used.

1) Panel Draperies.  The addition of panels drapes to large windows creates a wonderful ambiance. Whether you use them to frame, for softness, or for full function, fabric panels dress a window like no other treatment.They can add opulence to a casual room and warm a minimalist space. Fabric options are nearly endless and the header style - pleats, grommets, tabs, etc. - can easily accent your style.

2) Plants:  Even if you don't have a green thumb you can bring greenery into your spaces. My favorite plants are flowering orchids whose care is as simple as a placing in bright light and monthly watering. They are inexpensive but elegant and gorgeous. Philodendrons are a very easy care plant; check with your local big box store or nursery for a variety that suits your home. Dried arrangements work well, and some faux plants ARE beautiful. 

3) Hurricanes. One of the most versatile accessories is a glass hurricane lamp. They have so many uses; they're not just for candles and not only for traditional spaces...although that is their most oft-used style. Despite the cold weather, a shell-filled hurricane on the table is refreshing.  I often add gold and silver balls to mine and use them in the bathroom, porch and kitchen for a wonderful ambiance. Coastal and cottage style homes can use this idea year-round.

4) Books: While I love open space on tables, books add a lived in feel, an architectural element, and sophistication to consoles, end tables and coffee tables.  Placing them underneath the tops is both practical and attractive; they can be read but don't clutter the surface. For a clean look, cover unattractive but often read books with decorative wrapping paper, interesting wallpaper, or simple brown or white papers; use what suits your style!  

5) Rugs: Area rugs instantly warm up a room define the space.  They add visual interest, scale, pattern and texture to any room. There are a variety of materials, but get the BEST you can afford since you want durability as well as aesthetics.  For neutral style add a solid color rug with texture.

5 Outdoor living ideas for the fall..

To extend your living spaces through an Indian Summer - warm enough to use through October - be sure to incorporate some of these ideas!  At Touch of Tradition - Home we stock throws, lanterns and outdoor fabrics for every style.

1) Lighting  As the days shorten, you'll need to add light to work or entertain by. With a simple outdoor extension cord, hanging string lights over trees, under the eaves of the house, wound onto a trellis or fence, and draped under an umbrella, will add enough light and are easy to do. Many big box store sell lighting for outdoors so don't hesitate to use a table or floor lamp. It will make the room feel more like indoors!


2) Lanterns There is nothing like candle-light to create a relaxing mood for a balmy outdoor evening.  An enclosed lantern with regular or flame less candles, adds an element of safety to a great architectural detail. Stand them on tables, next to chairs, hang 

them from shepherd hooks in your garden. Instant ambiance! 


3) Pillows  When the hot weather abates, you can get a cozy feel by adding pillows to your outdoor spaces.  From accent pillows on chairs to floor pillows for seating, they create a softness and invite you to spend time.

4) Area rug  Using an outdoor area rug can make an outdoor space more welcoming.  End of season sales are abundant, so take advantage and get a great rug that suits your style.

5) Throws  To ward off the chill of a late fall, drape throws over your benches and chairs so guests (and you) can keep warm while you enjoy another outdoor evening.  

Small spaces need smart design.

I lived in a small apartment in NY before moving to California. It's not easy to update a single room - on a budget - without having someone handy to help.  Here are some ideas for space planning and decorating that you can try.

1) Movable "walls".  Do you have a dresser? A headboard? In a single room apartment, they can serve as a room divider. Even your dining table can separate the kitchen from the bedroom - perhaps with a bench seat on one side instead of chairs.  If you have a budget, use folding screens. Second-hand windows, doors and shutters can make a great screen depending upon your style. For the do-it-yourself expert, you can build a divider from shelves, blocking off some of the openings for more privacy. If a wall is more your style, build one that can be removed, inserting tempered glass or plexiglass to keep light moving through. To separate my kitchenette from the rest of the space I had my dad build a tall cabinet then added a top shelf and a table at 28" that attached to the wall. It kept the space open, added great storage and I eliminated needing a full table and chair set. While they are expensive, room dividers that revolve storage and the TV from one side to the other, are a great solution.





2) Let the light in.  Privacy is key in a big city, but small spaces NEED light.  A transparent or open-weave room divider can keep your bedroom or guest sleeping area private from the public space.  Leaving windows un-dressed (no drapes or hard treatments) using window film is another option and easy to install. For simplicity use frosted effect films, or for drama use patterns and textures. Literally add light to cabinets, shelves, moldings and surrounding art and large pieces of furniture:  LED strips and ropes provide light without high energy use!

3) Uniformity is best.  To make small spaces seem larger, unifying the color scheme is best. Monochromatic color schemes in neutral colors will help make walls and floors seem larger. Accent the space with colorful artwork and large scale accessories. If you have many collectibles, group them in one area to keep the space looking open.








4) Store it.  Having a clutter-free space is attractive as well as provides peace of mind.  For that dual-duty kitchen table/desk, find some great wicker or paper boxes with lids and 

5) Open it up.  In apartments with many small rooms or long hallways with rooms off to the sides, removing doors (store under beds if you can) is a solution to keep spaces flowing together.  Are you an owner? Try opening a wall and creating a pass-through or even add glass for a window effect. Here, the wall was partially removed and stained glass insets added for privacy and a fabulous artistic element.