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Swap out accent furniture from room to room. Small furniture (side tables, stools, slipper chairs) is easy to move, and a simple swap can completely change the feel of a room. Try a side table from the living room in the entryway and a narrow entry table behind the sofa. Place an upholstered chair in the mudroom, where it will feel extra luxurious, and bring an outdoor café chair into the dining room for a flea market–chic vibe.
Lighten up the draperies. Maybe you have heavy drapes you’re tired of, or you’ve been waiting to save money for something custom made. This is a solution that can go from temp to perm. Some of my favorite plain white window coverings came from Ikea; they cost $14 per pair, and the length is easy to adjust.
Set up a bar cart. A well-appointed cocktail station adds a festive touch. It also lets you come home and feel like you’re on an awesome 1980s nighttime soap, like Dynasty. You come in from work, take off your coat, and some dark liquor is just waiting to be served in that beautiful crystal. If you don’t have a cart, a side table with a lower shelf will serve you just fine.
10 WAYS TO GET YOUR LIGHTING RT Jenn Hannotte / Hannotte Interiors Save Email 1. Use a mix of floor and table lighting. Depending on the size of a space, I nearly always recommend both floor and table lighting. I love the mix of lighting in this room. Each piece is interesting in its own right and adds to the overall design. Lamps are an opportunity to add something extra to a space — whether it's shine, color, art or abstraction.
3. Use canned lights sparingly. I don’t really consider canned lights overhead fixtures. I see them as ambient lighting that should be employed sparingly and purposefully. When using canned lights, people have a tendency to go a bit nuts. From a design perspective, canned lighting should never be your sole source of light. I've been in one too many homes that look like a landing strip or gaming arcade because they've had the entire ceiling done in canned lights. It becomes a missed design opportunity. Check out this gorgeous room. Why can't more rooms be like this? The designer did it exactly right by using just a sprinkling of canned lights to accent a beam while employing matching tripod-style floor lamps to illuminate the space in a very stylish way.
If you want your home to feel authentic … Be yourself and don’t worry about the trends. Surround yourself with things you love. Stack up your favorite books. Don’t apologize for the state of your house when friends come over. Be realistic about what level of clutter and cleanliness you feel comfortable with, and make a commitment to keep your home “good enough.”
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Once you have figured out what style of interior you want and how much you want to spend, your next decision is: What colors should you use? Decorating 101: Choosing Your Colors SaveEmail At the beginning of our Decorating 101 series, I recommended collecting photos of rooms that you like. And don’t just limit yourself to room shots. “I tear a lot of photos out of Vogue that are very inspirational to me for color palettes,” says San Francisco designer Allison Caccoma. Take out those images or call up your Houzz ideabook now and have a good look. Are there certain color palettes that appear over and over? Is there one color that you find yourself liking the most? That should help you choose an overall palette for your decorating project.
Once again notice how wall color can bring life and interest to a collection. This group of clocks is arrayed on one surface, with that fabulous color behind them, rather than being spread across the room. This approach creates great impact and avoids a cluttered feel.
It can be tricky to display small collectibles, especially when they are all the same size and you really have a lot of them. Here’s a perfect solution: a wall built out to create alcoves
Console tables are often just right for displaying collections, particularly of large-scale items like these blue and white vases. On the table … under the table … they could even be on shelves over the table. But note that this works so well because of the other elements used in the display. The mercury glass vases and the lush floral arrangement give the composition depth and texture, taking what could have been a hard edge off the porcelains.
Make sure your stuff reflects your life as it is now. A well-stocked home looks different for each person and changes with time. The things a parent of young children needs at home are quite different from what a college student or a retired couple needs. Whenever you shift life phases — from moving to a new area to starting a new career — take it as an opportunity to assess your stuff.
The pendant lighting above the dining table, a custom piece by Volker Haug, is a standout feature. NOTE painting of birds.
Tip: Furniture doesn’t have to be modestly sized just because a room is. A large wooden coffee table anchors the space, and cushy sofas are enough comfortable seating
The open plan is the modern part of the modern farmhouse and makes the first floor feel expansive and light.
A simple trestle table with a zinc top and vintage-looking glass pendants give the airy space a nostalgic appeal.
Lauren Gries SaveEmail Louis XVI Style Clean lines and delicate craftsmanship make these the most modern looking of the Louis chairs. The design came about during the reign of Louis XVI, the 19-year-old monarch, and his bride, Marie Antoinette. During this time there was a resurgence in interest in classical Greece and Rome, which you can see in the column-like legs and geometric carvings of Louis XVI chairs. There is more visible wood and less gilding than with earlier styles.
it makes the room feel more spacious and gives it a different perspective.
obsessed with pottery,” Andrews says. “It just adds so much depth and texture to a room. I like new and old pieces, but all the pottery in this project is older.”
Or this welcoming painted bench? Flea market style and cottages are a match made in design heaven. More: Cottages: The Comfort Food of Architecture 8 Benefits of Cottage Living Modern Alternatives to Cottage Decor
Use your throws in a fresh way. Instead of always folding them at the foot of the bed or over the arm of a chair, try using your throws to change the look of your furniture with a bit of strategic folding and tucking. Try wrapping the loose cushion of your sofa with a throw, or lay a throw folded in thirds across the back and seat of an armchair, as shown here.
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