Start with a clean slate.  When redecorating or rearranging a room remove everything from it and them reintroduce each item into the room one at a time.  Try new arrangements of your large furnishings until you get the layout to your liking.  Take this opportunity to remove clutter and carefully edit as you accessorize the room.

Debbie Priovolos

Window Wear & More

301-926-8353

Debbie Priovolos

Window Wear & More

Certified Window Treatment Specialist

v301-926-8353/f240-597-1118

debbie@dwwam.com

http://www.dwwam.com

Accessories are the must-have decorative items for your room that give it warmth, make it inviting, and are a fun way to express your personality.  As a matter of fact, it’s recommended that you set aside a full 30% of your room’s budget for those pieces.  Think I’m kidding?  Let’s look at an example of a room that’s not accessorized, and then take a look at a beautifully  done room.

Let's ignore the centerpiece (it's barely there anyway)

Ok, so how much fun do you think you’d have attending a dinner party in this room? Think it looks perfectly ok?  Let’s look at another.

Boston Design Center Showhouse room designed by Gerald Pomeroy

 Did I hear you say “Wow”?  Now the style here may or may not be to your liking, but let’s look at the elements that make this room more interesting than the previous picture.  First, there’s the chandelier.  It doesn’t just add light, it adds a feeling of elegance and warmth.  The mirror is a little funky and contemporary in feel for the room, but lends an element of personality.  The sculptured pieces on the buffet and console flanking the table echo the soft lines in the wall paper, the mirror and the chandelier.  The wallpaper and window treatments add a formal feel without being stuffy.  The additional lighting in the room provided by the lamp on the console allows for “mood” lighting and another layer of interest (more coming on good lighting in future posts!) The centerpiece adds some linear, graphic elements blended with softness and color.  And the rug!   It’s a great statement in and of itself, with its bold graphic and deep color.  Now, I want you to try to visually subtract all of these accents.  Think you’d have a good-looking room that beckons you to spend time and enjoy each other’s company?  I think not.  Accessories are like the spices that you put in a recipe.  They add flavor, color, and the dish would be very bland without them!

Next post we’ll look at some things to think about when accessorizing a room.  Have any great stories about a room or piece of furniture that went from drab to fab with a few great accessories?  I have a sofa that was rather plain until I came across this fabulous silk rug that’s become a throw over the back of the sofa.  It lends color, texture and pattern and really warms up the space!

Wearing pyjamas, dust masks and furry Primark ear muffs (last-minute but surprisingly effective ear drum protectors) the boyfriend and I just spent the best part of three days sanding all of the floorboards in our house. It’s been dusty. It’s been noisy. It’s been exhausting. It’s been scary (the sanders came covered with labels warning about explosive sawdust and spontaneous combustion which made us a bit OCD about emptying dust bags and the like…) but ultimately, worth it. The overall process was a cross between walking a large disobedient dog, mowing the lawn, and using a supermarket trolley with a dodgy wheel. But now, there’s no trace of orange, minging varnish and although my shoulders hurt, our boards are bare and beautiful. All these lovely images are from House to Home:

I’ve fantasised about white painted floorboards for years. Shooting in lovely location houses, you see a lot of gorgeous, airy rooms with white floors. I’ve even been to Leyland and bought the floor paint…

…but suddenly, at the last minute, I’ve got cold feet. Because I keep seeing houses with gorgeous dark brown stained floorboards and it’s MESSING WITH MY MIND.

White is impractical. It chips – but does that add to the shabby-chic charm? It shows every bit of dirt and fluff (and we have black cats who shed lots of hair). However, it’s much more practical than pale carpets! AND, it will make the whole house, which is quite dark, feel spacious and light. Discussing white floorboards, the interior designer Gill Richardson once said: “Be prepared for scorn and ridicule, but never apologise for harbouring such a deeply impractical desire – the effect of creating a light, airy space will be worth it.” My parents (staunch advocators of the 1980s orange pine look – they believe that to cover natural wood is sinful, criminal and practically style suicide…) and the in-laws (who possibly favour the pine look, too…) have all helpfully branded the white painted plan ‘ridiculous’. But then again they don’t ‘get’ the cake plate collection, either. Or the vintage bus blinds. So WHATEVER. There are some lovely blog posts about floor painting on Door Sixteen, which almost persuaded me to take the plunge. But then I opened our November issue and saw Catherine Williams’s beautiful home on page 62, complete with dramatic, black floorboards. And I love it!

Dark brown or black floorboards would hide the dirt – but my home’s a dark Victorian terraced house. Would dark floorboards make the house feel gloomy? Oh, woe is me. What should I do? Do you have white painted floors? Do you have dark stained floorboards? Which do you prefer and why?! Please leave a comment below with your advice. If you can be bothered. If not, I understand. It’s mostly me who cares about this, after all. The boyfriend seems indifferent, my friends are bored by my constant floor chat, and the cats don’t seem to mind about anything much really, except for food and sleep. Sigh. – Ellie

If you like a calm and neutral palette this might be your style!  Despite the neutral palette, however, this bedroom still screams luxury!  The understated luxurious decor of this room combines affordable antiques with more expensive furniture pieces.  When working with neutrals, incorporate bedding, rugs, throw pillows, paint and accent furniture with colors from the same color family.  Make sure to keep the bed as the focal point.

Love the contrast of the warm chocolate walls against the white!  This design is crisp, clean and fresh!  Once again, the bed is the focal point with the interesting headboard and the white linens.  The drapery adds a sense of drama yet also provides privacy.  The chandelier adds interest and softens the room.

Both of these bedroom are both eclectic and bold!  The use of bright colors and the mix of interesting furniture keeps these rooms fun and interesting.  To keep the room unified, use at least one color that is constant throughout the room.

Reef Hotel

For a truly unforgettable vacation… on the beach, singles, doubles, efficiencies, two room apartments… it’s your choice.  The Reef is centrally located, making visiting all the popular attractions easy.  The beautiful, clean and up to date rooms awaits your visit.  Enjoy your stay there with cable TV, telephones, laundry, pool, restaurant, lounge, handicapped, Jacuzzi, shuffleboard, no smoking rooms, fax, ice machine, refrigerators, fishing, beachfront.  It is situated at 936 South Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32118   800-874-0136  or  800-624-3673   904-252-2581.

Photo courtesy:  tripadvisor

For a truly unforgettable vacation… on the beach, singles, doubles, efficiencies, two room apartments… it’s your choice.  The Reef is centrally located, making visiting all the popular attractions easy.  The beautiful, clean and up to date rooms awaits your visit.  Enjoy your stay there with cable TV, telephones, laundry, pool, restaurant, lounge, handicapped, Jacuzzi, shuffleboard, no smoking rooms, fax, ice machine, refrigerators, fishing, beachfront.  It is situated at 936 South Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32118   800-874-0136  or  800-624-3673   904-252-2581.

Photo courtesy:  tripadvisor

Recently I taught the very first advanced redesign class called, “Beyond Redesign” in Jacksonville, FL.  This is an advanced class which combines Color with No Regrets and creative decorating to create a project in a day combining color, shopping, redesign, creativity, and manual labor.  Attendees were Bobi McGinnis, Sandra Racz, Denise Maria, and Kathy Kallaus.    We were delighted to have as our project for the week, the bonus room of Marianna Smith. 

The room was a typical second floor bonus room with an atypical view of a stream and lovely landscaping. Currently used as a guest sleeping room, our client wanted a space that was more versatile but still provided sleeping.  When I conduct any type of decorating consultation, I always begin with the Color with No Regrets, color test, followed by a question to my client, “If you could describe your perfect room in 3-5 words, what would they be?” Ms. Smith’s response was, “Cheerful, functional, pleasant, unique, and colorful.”  After giving her the color test, we had already determined that she was attracted to a color palette with a cool undertone. (as we teach in our CNR class)  The class and I selected Sherwin Williams, Overt Green, for the walls.  With a bit of apprehension, but faith in our abilities, she was off to the paint store. Be sure to register for our blog so you can watch the room unveil.  We have some unique ideas for this room including using mirrors for the new headboards.  You don’t want to miss this idea.  See you soon, JoAnne

If you love creating beautiful spaces, thinking out of the box, and trying to create spaces on a budget without looking like it is on a budget, you are in the right place.

The BDTI Team will keep you informed of new or fun products, upcoming professional  trade shows, don’t miss magazines and decorating ideas for every corner of your home.  This blog will feature top decorators who specialize in the art of custom window treatments, interior redesign, real estate staging, color, and creative decorating.  These ideas will benefit those of you who are professional decorators and those who simply are addicted to the art of decorating.  

So welcome, pull up a chair and  start reading, commenting, sharing and getting inspired!  One Day Decorating and The Decorating Academy are delighted you have come to visit.