We Answer Wednesday - Finding my Decorating Style

"I really want to decorate my condo and have it look amazing.  But where do I start? Do I look at what's trending? Or copy what I see in magazines? I really need help and have no idea where to start!"

Decorating your home is so much fun but it can be stressful for some - we don't want you to have a negative experience, after all this is your home, your space, your sanctuary !

 

Magazines are a great start.  Here's what we recommend: start leafing through magazines (start in a bookstore, we love Chapters, they always have a large and varied selection) - (you can also look online - try Houzz or Pinterest.) So start looking through your magazines and keep a file (yes, rip out those pages!) and take some notes on what you love about the page - post-it's are easy and perfect for this!  Collect a number of images and once you have a decent amount (10-20)- stop and review.  Look at the images, look at your notes...do you see a pattern? You probably will notice a common theme - like colour, pattern, texture, style....or perhaps something more specific like wallpaper or bold and graphic art.  This exercise is a great way to start and get a better idea of your taste and style.  Don't use words like "I'm modern or I'm traditional", images will give you a much better idea of what you are all about!



Another great tip for decorating, is to ask yourself "how to I want this room to feel?" Do you want a sexy or romantic bedroom? Do you want a vibrant and exciting living room?

 

Use your interests as decor influences. Maybe you love to travel and you want your space to remind you of your travels - "I want a room that reminds me of Italy, France, Morocco....etc....." did you collect art or other artifacts on your adventures? Use those items in your decorating.  They will give the space a sense of who you are and what your story is.





Trends are great to read about but if you don't love what's '#trending' don't do it! Your space needs to reflect your story - not what someone tells the masses is cool.

Don't be afraid! If you love something you will find a spot for it.  Don't be afraid to mix patterns and colours and brands/price points, an expensive sofa paired with a re purposed/recycled thrift store find like a bench or end tables - is what personal style is all about! 

 

5 Ways to Breathe New Life into Your Home

After spending such a long and cold winter indoors, you might be looking at your space and think… well, this space looks little tired. A little dated or a little worn? Here's 5 great ways to breathe a little life into your rooms and they are all quite easy and won’t break the bank!. Nothing drastic! Just a few thing you can change up or add to any room that will be a breath of fresh decor air!

1- PILLOWS.   Can we talk about pillows. They are decor magic!! Pillows can brighten up any space! They are an easy, cheery face lift for sofas and chairs. Just think of all the options! Even think about changing pillows with the seasons and holidays. To see a tutorial about arranging and styling pillows HERE. Don’t be afraid to get a little bold with pillows. A pop of color or fun is a very good way to freshen a room up!

 

 2- SOMETHING ORGANIC. A big vase or container of flowers will certainly make a room come alive!!! Even a grocery store bunch of flowers looks amazing with a little extra care and arranging! But, don’t overlook indoor plants. I feel they have gone out of vogue lately.  Add a little pot of ivy or a fluffy pot of herbs and they will literally give life to a room. If you don’t like to care for plants then go faux… but look for great fakes! You don’t want to add any tacky looking fakes to a room! Even try adding elements like drift wood, looks great as a centerpiece or on a coffee table.  Antlers are also a big trend right now. Organic pieces can work with any decor style and they add a great texture element to any room.





 3 - WINDOW TREATMENTS. This can be expensive especially if you go the custom route but if you go out and purchase curtain panels that are pre-made, it can make a huge impact in your space.  Just be sure to hang them property!  By hanging them properly you can make the windows and the room look bigger and brighter. Even if you have a great view that you love don't forget, a window treatment frames the window and softens it and calls attention to what lies beyond. There are so many great, inexpensive curtains that are fun and sassy and updated and will give your room a real upscale look!

 


4- ART.  Art is such a personal thing. Some people like every wall covered with all sorts of pictures and things. And some don’t. I fall somewhere in the middle, like most of us. Art is a broad term that can cover so many wall decor pieces - like hanging old windows on a wall, a plate wall, wall decals, photographs, big clocks and more..... Look at your art… and look at your walls. Can you do a little updating? Here’s where you can get very creative!

 


 5 - ADD COLOUR, LAYERS AND TEXTURE. 
This is probably my very favorite way to add interest to my home. Not only can we feel texture with our hands… we can also feel it with our eyes.  A room can seem flat and even a little boring if we don’t fill it with lots of different textures! Soft, smooth, nubby, shiny… are examples of what textures should be in every room!  If you love a neutral space, play with texture to get a 'designer' look and feel. And when we layer those textures it is pure magic! To see a DIY about layering decor, click HERE. Keep things interesting with textures and layers!

 

Now, head on over to the room you think needs a little decor love and ask yourself, “HOW CAN I BREATHE NEW LIFE IN HERE”? Use these 5 tips to breathe new life into your room!

I've got your number!

When it comes to certain decor questions (like height or size) it really is a numbers game, sometimes you can get away with winging it but when you use correct measurements the space looks so much better.

How high should I put the....

 

ART  60" to 66" measured from the floor to the centre of the art piece

SCONCES 68" measured from the floor to the bulb

CHAIR RAIL 30" measured from the floor

The right Size of Area RUG

 

For the living room....

IDEAL : Aim for 10" of bare floor between the rug and the walls of the room

BETTER : every leg on every piece of furniture sits easily and comfortably on the rug

GOOD:  the front legs of the sofa (or entire sofa) and armchairs on the rug, end tables partially on and accent tables are off the rug

For the dining room....

 Rug should be at least 24" wider and longer than the backs of the chairs when they are pulled up to the table, so they don't go beyond the rug when they are pulled out

For the bedroom...

Rug should extend at least 18" - 24" beyond all sides of the bed, so that it covers the footpath around the bed

Choosing a dining table that fits....



Round tables are best for square rooms, 36" seats 4 and 54" seats 6

Rectangle tables are good for most rooms 40"x72" seats 6 and 44" x 80" seats 8

Oval tables are good for wide rooms 47 3/4" x 78" seats 6

Some numbers to keep in mind -
- Allow 24" of space for each person seated at the table
- Leave at least 2' to 3' between the backs of chairs and a wall (or piece of furniture) so the chair can be comfortably moved in and out