Right before my Furniture Arrangement Workshop last Thursday night, a lady who was attending came up and asked me where remedial students should sit.
Furniture Arrangement Workshop at Merridian
Spring Break is Decorating Time!
March 25, 2013 by 5 Comments
Winter is NOT my friend. I just can’t stand cold weather and the shorter days that make me feel depleted of sunshine and light. The change to daylight savings time really kicked my butt this year, but I am already loving the added daylight in the early evening. After spending a lot of time indoors all winter, this tends to be the time of year that many of us get tired of our homes. We want a little pick-me-up, but who can afford to redecorate every spring? Since I’m on SPRING BREAK this week and not really working (well, we’ll see), I thought I’d share some ideas I included in an article a couple of weeks ago in The Tennessean about redecorating on a dime.
A Coastal Living Room Makeover by The Decorologist
September 2, 2012 by 24 Comments
Happy Labor Day! Sit back and enjoy a little trip to the coast today in this living room makeover.
The Decorologist
I showed you the make-over of this Brentwood client’s entry last week, and it made it into the Style section of The Tennessean over the weekend! This is where this living room started: it was a large, light-filled room filled with treasures my client had collected over the years from the flea market. The problems we identified were: the orangey-brown fireplace from the 1980′s did not work with the beachy vibe she really wanted, the room felt unbalanced, the furnishings lacked cohesion, and it all just felt a bit cluttered.
Living Room Before
Over the next several months, we worked towards creating an oasis of calm for this busy family. The fireplace needed an update, but I didn’t think it was necessary to rip it out or cover it over – instead, we used the power of paint to transform it.
Fireplace Before
Let’s start with another “before” of this living room:
This is the “after” of the space from the same angle:
Living Room Makeover by The Decorologist
Here’s a “before” from the other side of the room:
Living Room Before
And the “after: “
Living Room Design by The Decorologist, Photo by Melanie G. Photography
Before:
Before
Isn’t the fireplace GORGEOUS now? The new wall color is Benjamin Moore’s Iced Green, which plays into the coastal palette throughout the home.
Living Room by The Decorologist, Photo by Melanie G. Photography
The Decorologist
Design by The Decorologist, Photo by Melanie G. Photography
Vintage globe I picked up at an antique mall
Photo by Melanie G. Photography
So many little makeover projects went into making this beachy living room come together – I’ll share the details and how-to’s of those, including the fireplace and furniture makeovers, later this week. Stay tuned!
Country Living & Decorating
July 23, 2012 by 9 Comments
Last weekend I spent some time in the country, where decorating ideas abounded.
This is the home where I stayed with my elder daughter.
This beautiful home belongs to the director of the new school my daughter will be attending this year. She invited the students in my daughter’s grade, along with any parents who wanted to come, to spend a couple of days at her rural country farm home this weekend.
A portion of the idyllic country home was built in the early 1800′s, and the front portion was built around 1900. This is a view from the older log portion of the home:
How about a tour? Check out the detail of the painted front door. I currently have a client who purchased a huge antique door to replace the old one on her 1980′s house. Bless her, she’s having a lot of trouble getting it hung correctly but it will be fabulous when it’s painted out and finished.
As we entered the house, there was a chalkboard sign with instructions as to where to take our bags. What a great idea!
They just don’t make ‘em like they used to – check out the spindles and newel post.
At the top of the stairs was a landing where the son does his homework and mom sews. A landing like this is often a missed opportunity for functionality in a home – this is a great example of how to effectively use space.
This was the lovely room I got to share with another mom. The wall colors were a close match to Benjamin Moore’s Georgian Green. I’ve always been a fan of iron beds – this room had a double and a twin.
Details are everything – the homeowner uses this old flea market cart to stack blankets for visitors to pile on their beds if needed.
The dining hall is a long, skinny dogtrot of sorts separating the older portion of the house from the “newer” portion. It was fun to see the kids crawling over each other and going under the table to get out and get seconds at mealtimes. I loved the way the perceived imperfections of the space actually created a warmth and intimacy and made eating together even more memorable. Maybe we’re all too strict about the 3-foot allowance behind dining chairs rule!
This is the buffet area at the other end of the dining hall – the vintage church attendance sign is a treasured find from a local flea market. The homeowner said that when she spotted it, she knew she had to have it. ”Even if it had cost $2000, I would have paid it!”
Everywhere you looked, the homeowner combined utility and decoration. Always, always keep your mind open to using things you love in different ways!
Antique and vintage advertising always gives a place a “way-back-when” feel.
The kids had lots of country fun, like egg-in-spoon races, paddling kayaks in the pond, and competitive tree climbing.
The kids loved playing old-fashioned checkers:
along with practicing archery, shooting rockets, and playing German spotlight until near midnight.
Oh, and the goats!
This family has 4 pet goats that have the run of the place!
The log kitchen was beautiful and functional. The large fireplace has been converted to gas for toasty winter evenings.
Everyone enjoyed the country cooking and lots of it. I loved these chalkboard place cards:
And I can’t say enough about the views. This one is from the back porch:
This is from the front porch in the early evening:
So on the way out of town, I saw this dilapidated farmhouse for sale. Part of me thought, “hmmm . . .”
Alas, back to reality. The truth is, I’m more of a city girl at heart. I fear I’d be a bit like Lisa in Green Acres living on a farm. But it certainly was a wonderful place to visit!
Can A Log Cabin Be Updated?
July 20, 2012 by 9 Comments
A recent online e-design client requested help freshening up her log cabin up north somewhere (I know, I know, I really should remember where). After sending me lots of photos of her home, we spoke on the phone to discuss her issues, challenges, and desires for her home. After two hours, we had a plan to get things moving in the right direction for her unique home.
Before
She loves the rustic feel of the home, but wanted to paint her cabinets and do a few other things to improve her surroundings. I helped her choose a paint color for her cabinets, new cabinet hardware, and new lighting for several places in her kitchen and breakfast room. I also encouraged her to gather up her many pieces of equestrian art and create an interesting art grouping. As she is progressing through the project, my client has sent me a few photos to let me know how she’s doing.
I think her art grouping looks amazing! The cabinets are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Fieldstone – which is actually more of a grayed green than the photo appears. I’m still waiting for photos of the completed kitchen. Of course, I’ll share the before and afters with you when I do. Here’s the light fixture that previously hung over the breakfast room table:
That picture wasn’t taken in 2005 – she’s just like the rest of us, and doesn’t always have the settings on her camera correct! Anywho, here’s a shot of the new light fixture:
Those Edison bulbs in the new fixture are AMAZING! I love my online clients – you never know what kind of interesting projects you’ll be working on! If you need help sprucing up your space or choosing paint colors for your home, schedule an appointment with The Decorologist today!
The One Piece of Furniture You Probably Need
July 13, 2012 by 19 Comments
Do you ever find yourself sounding like a broken record (do you young things even know what a broken record is)? As a decorator, I find that one of the most versatile pieces of furniture is a long, narrow buffet table. Let me convince you.
So Much Decorating, So Little Time!
July 10, 2012 by 17 Comments
How are you guys doing this week? I’ve been go-go-going like crazy lately, so I thought I’d catch you up on some fun stuff in decorology land! I sometimes forget that the tidbits I share on my Facebook page never get to my readers on the blog. Maybe you need to be following me on Facebook here! Over the weekend, my “Front Porch Makeover” was featured in a 1 1/2 page spread in The Tennessean.
The Decorologist’s Front Porch Makeover!
Good thing my kids were in the East Tennessee mountains running from bears and bungee jumping (who has grandparents that cool???) so that I could focus on making over a front porch in record time and 105 degree weather (yes, after 2 hours of styling a porch in the boiling heat I posed for a photo that ended up in the Style section of The Tennessean).
My firstborn and my neice about to take the plunge
In spite of my being a hot mess (literally), the fabulous Shopping Diva, Cathi Aycock, made my week by telling me she had a total girl-crush on me. That’s a compliment I’ll take!
The Tennessean’s Shopping Diva, Cathi Aycock
Last Tuesday evening, I spent the evening with about 30 of my newest friends to share 2 hours chocked-full of color advice at my first “How to Choose Just the Right Paint Color” class at Kirkland’s Floor to Ceiling here in the Greater Nashville area.
The Decorologist’s Color Class - photo by Matt Barker
I had sooo much fun and am pretty sure my students did, too! I hope to do another class like this sometime in the fall.
Benjamin Moore Color Class presented at Kirkland’s Floor to Ceiling – photo by Matt Barker
As you may know, I’ve been writing for the premier design and remodeling website, Houzz.com, for the last couple of months. Check out my latest article on how to create an awesome hallway with pattern here.
In addition to all these exciting things, I have continued to meet with both new and ongoing clients working up new color palettes for their homes, better furniture and art arrangements, and shopping for just the right items to finish out their design plans. Of course, I hope to share some of those results with you here soon. I’m totally exhausted just thinking about the last couple of weeks. Maybe I need a vacation???
How to Win the Fight with Your Bossy Tile
July 9, 2012 by 17 Comments
My client loved her newer home, but she had a very traditional aesthetic. The contemporary tile in her bathroom was a challenge – she tried to make it feel more traditional by painting the walls a traditional color. Unfortunately, applying a unrelated color on the walls of this room did little to take it in the direction she really wanted. The photo below doesn’t truly reflect the disconnect we were seeing in the room – it was driving the homeowner crazy.
Contemporary Bathroom Before
I knew it was crucial to choose a wall color that tied in with the tile, or else the room would never sing. You shouldn’t try to fight bossy tile – it’s just too strong! Instead of fighting it, we chose a neutral wall color that coordinated with the tile. My client wouldn’t have normally chosen a gray, but this was the right color for the tile and it was obvious when we sampled it in context. Then we added traditional accessories like a quad of framed botanicals, a lovely roman shade, and a small oriental rug (rather than a shaggy bathmat!). New nickel drawer pulls in a slightly-less contemporary feel helps soften the space as well.
Now there is better flow from the traditional bedroom into the bathroom, in spite of the contemporary tile. I guess I’m a lover, not a fighter!
Adjoining Bedroom
Have you ever been bossed around by your bathroom or kitchen tile? Who won the fight?
How to Make Your Home Feel Like YOU
July 6, 2012 by 11 Comments
Too many people want their home to look like someone else’s. Shouldn’t your home reflect who you are and what you love? Well, of course it should! If you’re not sure how to express yourself through your decor, here are some ideas to give you the confidence you need to do just that.
Houzz.com just published the last in my series of 8 articles about how to make your space “feel” a certain way – they dubbed it “Mood Makers.” Here’s my latest post with lots of decorating ideas for making a house your unique home:
Please let them know if you like my articles – I’m working on an idea for a new series for them now. Have a great weekend!
Is Your Area Rug Too Small? No Problem
July 4, 2012 by 13 Comments
I find that most clients undersize, rather than oversize their home decor accessories. What I mean is: they underestimate the size lamps, hanging light fixtures, and rugs they need for their space. I can assure you that a 4×6 is NEVER large enough for anchoring a seating area with a sofa. 
But what if you already have a rug you love that’s too small and you can’t afford the larger version? [Read more...]
