This particular family has been successfully educating their 5 children in their home for many years, but their surroundings had been less than inspiring.  This is the front room of their home as it was before The Decorologist stepped in:

 Before – Homeschool Room

It was lined with bookcases full of books and curricula, a few tables and chairs (most of which were too small for their growing children), and various toys and other items.

 Before – Homeschool Room

Such a big room with untapped potential.  It seemed that there might be a more effective way to use this space to better-suit this family’s needs.

 Before – Homeschool Room

This smaller room adjacent the homeschool room was their dining room – it was also where the older kids did their schoolwork.

 Before – Dining Room and Workspace

An important part of a decorator’s mission is to marry function with beauty.  Is that possible in these two rooms where so many needs must be met?  I certainly believe it is.  Before I reveal the transformation of these rooms, I must explain that a lot of discussion and planning went into making these rooms not only more visually-pleasing, but also more functional for this busy family.  This wasn’t just about creating pretty spaces – it was about creating pretty spaces that WORKED. Now, here again is the larger of the two rooms in its ”before” state:

Before – Homeschool Room

Ready for the “after”?  Now the larger of the two rooms is a roomy and inviting dining room with a table that easily seats 10.  The pair of overhead lantern lights adds warmth and character to this transformed space.

After – Warm and Welcoming Dining Room

The paint color is Benjamin Moore’s Boca Raton Blue – a perfect foil for the dark wood tones.

 New Dining Room/Workspace

We purchased the beautiful dark wood furniture from my friends over at Merridian Home Furnishings on 8th Avenue in Nashville.  This trestle table is gorgeous but doesn’t have to be handled with kid gloves.  The older children do most of their schoolwork here and have plenty of room to spread out.

Trestle or pedestal tables accomodate more chairs than tables with four legs at the corners.

This is a room the whole family truly uses now – both for homeschooling and for dining together as a family.  It also is a great place to entertain and display their beautiful family china, which was previously stored away behind cabinets.

Family China on Display

Here again is the adjoining former dining room/homeschool workspace before:

Dining Room Before

The wallpaper and border went bye-bye, and white beadboard wainscotting was installed below the chair rail.  We decided on a rich expresso color – Benjamin Moore’s Clinton Brown, as a backdrop to all the white bookcases that hold schoolbooks and supplies.

 After:  HomeSchool Room

All the furniture was existing – this smaller table and chairs were moved in from the kitchen.  Pairing down and relocating all the school supplies into this lesser-seen room made a lot more sense than continuing to squeeze this family of 7 into a dinner table for 6!  

New HomeSchool Room

The younger kids now do their school work in this happy, cozy area.  I love this candy bowl on their work table!

“The Best is Not Too Good for You”

There’s no reason why functional, multi-use spaces can’t be lovely and inspiring.  The children in this home even help keep these new rooms organized and clean, because they enjoy working in beautiful, peaceful spaces as much as their parents enjoy having such a lovely home to live in! 

So, I was watching the season premiere of Downton Abbey on PBS – did I mention I am OBSESSED with this show???  The sets and costumes are absolutely luscious.  And the colors – oh, the colors!

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The greens, the blues, the butter yellows! 

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And of course, the  gold gilt. 

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Clearly, the set designers of Downton Abbey must read The Decorologist. 

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 Are those MY colors, or WHAT?   Oh well, they say imitation is the sincerest  form of flattery . . .

 My Dining Room

I have loved gilt for a long time, and even painted half of my dining room chairs in Ralph Lauren’s Regent Metallic paint. 

 Mismatched Dining Chairs

The choice has become clear – I’m going to pull out my gold metallic paint and transform this table base before next week’s episode. 

No doubt, it will help me feel just a wee bit closer to Downton Abbey . . .

Hemnes Dresser from IKEA

The gray-brown finish is available only on selected IKEA furniture, and they can barely keep them in stock right now.  I found gray options in the Hemnes, Isala, and Lack series. 

 IKEA Hemnes Bookcase in Gray-Brown

Yes, our humble little hard-working Lack table now comes in gray high-gloss!

Lack Side Table in Gray Gloss

IKEA Isala Coffee Table in Gray

And I do love this fabulous gray rug!

IKEA Gislev Rug in Gray

All the same wood finishes in a room is worn and passe, so feel free to mix a few gray pieces in with your black finishes.  Or gray-brown pieces in with your dark brown or black pieces.  Thanks for evolving, IKEA!

Sometimes it’s good to be The Decorologist – the nice people at Additik sent me a few samples so I could show my readers how they work!  I pulled out a few of the LACK tables I use in home staging – these are black, but they also come in birch, white, and red.

 IKEA LACK side tables – Before

The appliques from Additik arrived in the mail in these tubes. 

Additix Delivery

I was eager to see what kind of material they were made of and how durable they seemed.  The appliques were sturdier than I expected – not paper, but a more durable material that is washable with a wet sponge.  You simply peel back an edge to get started. 

Peel Additix Adhesives at Corner

They were really easy to apply.  The cool thing is that they are repositionable – so you really can’t mess up if you don’t get them lined up initially.

No stress – they’re easily repositionable

My daughter peeled the back as I positioned the applique and smoothed out any bubbles.

 Getting cute, huh?

Here’s the other one we did: 

 Pink Gingham Additix Applique

Wow, this was really easy.  And they look FABULOUS!

After – LACK tables with Additix Appliques

You know how many ways you can use these inexpensive LACK tables if you read my post here.   At less that $10 a piece, you could stack them like this to create a unique bookcase tower.

Think outside the box

Additik has lots of options and designs available for lots of popular IKEA furniture pieces, such as the LACK tables,  MALM dressers, EXPEDIT bookcases, BILLY and BESTA cabinets, LAIVA desk, and more.

Additix Adhesives for IKEA MALMA Dresser

They’ve got cute options for kids’ rooms and playrooms, too!

Additix Appliques for VIKA AMON table

One of the drawbacks to IKEA furniture is that it is so, well, impersonal.   Additik solves that problem – bigtime.

Additix Adhesives for IKEA LACK tables 

Although they are located in France, Additik delivers to the U.S.  The stickers cost $29 U.S. dollars for the LACK table size.  Yes, that is more than the table itself cost – but because the tables are so cheap, you can afford the stickers to upgrade and personalize your piece.  Come on, where else can you get such a fun side table for $40 total?

 Please check out the Additik website - you’re going to love their products!  And tell them The Decorologist said “Hey!”

I love the drama of this magazine room.  They served up lots of peacock blue, heavy doses of white to lighten it up, and black accents to make it dramatic.  Love that zebra rug – it adds some levity to a formal room.

Some good complimentary colors would be burnt orange, tobacco brown, avocado or limey green, or another shade of blue, such as turquoise or slate.  This shade of blue doesn’t have to be intense — when paired with a lighter color, it takes its cues from the coast and becomes more tranquil and casual.  Fabrics could be in silk and velvet for formal spaces, batik or embroidered fabrics in more open, lighthearted rooms.

How about a peacock blue sofa?  I love the avocado green pillows with it.  It looks regal, but with a fun and casual twist.

Here’s one I’d love to have.  Peacock blue velvet tufted sofa, $495, available in the New York area, Washington, and Boston from Bridge Furniture & Props.  Not only is it fabulous, it’s reasonably priced.  What a statement this would make in a room with chocolate brown and fuschia.

Liven up an existing space with this 60″ round peacock-inspired rug from Urban Outfitters - it’s only $48.

Or add a dash of this beautiful color in your living room with this gorgeous Marine Blue Ceramic Lamp (#23195) from K&T Lamps in Green Hills (Nashville).  It’s $145, and I’d switch out the lamp shade to something more drum- or barrel-shaped.  If you go to K&T, tell them I sent you

Check out my Color Therapy:  My Forecast for Hot Fall Colors for more color ideas and specific Benjamin Moore colors to try.

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Coffee tables.  You gotta love them.  They only became popular in the early 1900′s – before that, your only option to put down a drink was a petite tea table.  Now we have lots of options for what sits in front of our sofas, and lots of options to express our personality and increase functionality when making the choice of just what we’ll put there.   You can really set the mood here – are you going for a traditional feel, rustic modern, swedish, farmhouse, retro mod?  Or, are you trying to tone down or change directions of the style that is already in the room?

OK, standard height for coffee tables is 17″ to 19,”  but I am NOT a stickler.  In fact, variation in heights can make your perch more original.  The lower the table, the more modern of a feel you will get.  I have even used a dining room pedestal table in the middle of my living room during the holidays, but that is mainly for a decorative focal point.  You can definitely use a tea table that is taller, but it will look better if it isn’t centered on the sofa – off to one side a bit.

Make sure you leave room for legs between the sofa and your table.  But also make sure you don’t leave the table “floating” in the middle of the room where you can’t reach it.  Keep it close enough to put down a glass without having to stretch really far to reach it.

Let’s talk about shapes.  The typical is the rectangle that is roughly 2/3 the length of the sofa.  Rectangles and ovals tend to look more formal and traditional.

Rectangles and squares are great as a backdrop for decorative books and trays.  Try 2 squares rather than the expected rectangle.  They don’t even have to be the same height to look great in a modern room.

Circular tables always look neat and tidy, because they’re never crooked.  They soften a room full of sharp-angled furniture.  I like to repeat with at least one other circular end table in the same room.

What about the finish?  Obviously, a dark wood table will look more formal and traditional.  Lighter wood looks more contemporary.  Painted tables let you express your personality and are a great foil to a room with lots of wood finishes.   Glass and acrylic tables make small rooms appear more spacious, and solid tables that match the floor seem to disappear.  You can even do wicker for a warm but casual look – either a rectangular wicker trunk or a pair of square wicker baskets.

Of course, you don’t have to use a real table.  Ottomans are definitely popular and fabric slipcovers can be changed out with the season.

Leather ottomans are everywhere.  Some even give you lift up storage.  This one has a magazine shelf below and top sections that flip over into trays.

An old flat-top trunk is a great option and gives you lots of hidden storage.

Something else to think about – any old table can be cut down to size for a coffee table.  An old pedestal table, a side table, a dining table, whatever.  That’s what I did here.

Think outside the coffee table.  Use what you’ve got, paint it, chop it down to size, top it with a tray.  Set or change the mood of your room, all with a simple table.  Now, what to put ON the table . . .  well, that’s for another post!

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Let’s play “That’s What I Like!”  I sometimes use this exercise with clients who are at a total loss as to what they want or would like to have in their homes.  It’s a great way to discover what you love and why, and a good way to get you in the habit of making choices.  Grab a friend and go window shopping at any store that sells home-related items.

The game is this:  you have to make a choice and decide on one thing you would buy from that window, display rack, or display table.  Don’t actually buy anything – but decide to pick up one thing you would take home if you had to.  You have to pick something, even if you hate everything you see.

If you love everything you see, the trick is to narrow down your choices and commit to one thing only.  Then make your case about your choice and share this with your friend.  Is it the color, style, craftsmanship, function you preferr?  Does it remind you of something or someone?

After you’ve both made your case, move on to the next display rack.  When you’ve finished the game, think about the items you chose.  Did you notice a theme, color palette, pattern or some other similarities among the things you were drawn to?

This is such a great way to discover and become more aware of  the style that best defines you.  When you really know what you like, you are more confident in making choices and creating your own style.  Not someone else’s.  Your OWN style.

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Maybe it’s just because I’m a design junky, but I’ve always wanted a Philippe Starck Ghost Chair.  So when I saw this pink, child-sized version I couldn’t help but drool.  Offered in a range of candy-like shades.  Height: 24.8”, Width: 15.7”, Seat Height: 12.6”.  $133

Small spaces require creativity and flexibility to use them most efficiently.  Think outside the box and make your home more interesting at the same time.  Use these ideas to multi-task and increase the functionality of your small space:

•  Don’t use your dining table much?  Push it against the wall and use it as a desk, buffet, or library table.  You can always pull it out into the room when you need it for dining.  

• Do double duty. Use a daybed rather than a typical bed in a guest room so it can be a sitting room, office, and guest room.
• To define spaces without chopping up the visual square footage, use decorative screens or bookcases to create partial walls that still allow light to flow through and/or around.  A backless bookcase as a room divider lets light through and increases the function of the room.  I have a large backless bookcase from IKEA that I can use against the wall or out in the room as a room divider.
• I love creating a library/dining room combination, like I did in this previously underutilized space.  Line one wall with bookcases and stack some books creatively on the dining room table – instant library, but still extremely functional for dining.
  

• Rethink every inch of available space, especially where your home’s architecture forms nitches.  Place a bookcase or desk with mounted shelving above at the dead end of a hallway to create a small library or computer area.
  

• Look for places where you can “tuck in” functional furniture.  Slanted ceilings upstairs?  Use the low ceiling to tuck in a sofa or a bed against that wall.  Make sure to tuck in the bed with one side against or almost against the wall.  Very European!

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