Accenting with wood

  There are so many ways you can make your space inviting .  My recommendation today is to  consider wood because it can add both warmth and architectural interest to any space.  Choose a little or a lot, there's something for every space. If you don't  like the warm tones of wood but love the grain and texture, think about white washing or gray washing it.   How about using  wood  in......

Accessories 

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A few twigs or pinecones as part of a table display or sliced wood attached to board or a recessed box shape can add instant interest to small areas.

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These houses cut from weathered 2 x 4 are the essence of simple, but when massed together they provide big impact  when displayed on simple white vertical  shelving  attached to white painted board. 

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If you find beautiful wooden boxes like the ones above grab them.  They not only provide extra storage but they look great in any application.  You can tuck them away or use them out in the open as an end table in a living room or as a night table in a bedroom.  They are so versatile. 

Room Dividers 

 I am not overly fond of room dividers, but some are so well done they look like an art installation rather than a functional aspect of a home. Here are some of my favourite ones.....

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This  divider is attached to the ceiling and floor with rods but it appears to  float.  It also allows the homeowner to place a piece of furniture in front of it.   I think I would like to see the buffet a different colour so it stands out from the wood, but there are just as many arguments for having it the same colour.

 

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I just love this divider because you can move around it on both sides and it is so substantial looking and works well with the flooring.  

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 This is perfect in every way, but the addition of a concrete sphere against all those horizontal and verticals is inspired. 

 Bathrooms  

All of these bathrooms have a mix of wood and other surfaces.  Each provides relief for the other and in this way work together to create a stronger aesthetic statement.

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 There is just enough wood spread around this room to create a wonderful balance with the abundance of marble. 

 

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This is both an accent wall and an integrated storage space.

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Sliding doors and drawer and open shelving.  This space has it all.

 

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Isn't the asymmetrical placement of this wood strip just a prefect balance for all the white and glass on the left of it?

Fireplaces

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 Rough hewn logs in an asymmetrical placement work really well .  Chunky and demanding they make quite a statement.

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While this is probably rough wood that is stained, it looks like charred wood.  It is this quality that is so appealing in this application.

 

I guess you are getting the message that I love asymmetry.  This delicate shelf that extends beyond the fireplace on one side is the perfect resting place for two white vases that reference the colour of the fireplace surround.

Accent Walls  

And don't forget the power of wood for an accent wall.  Either natural or stained, you can't beat the  warmth of real wood.  I especially love it paired with white walls and furniture.

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 emily jagoda  Houzz

A little spring in my home

Do you like white flowers?  I'm a sucker for them.  Nothing is as fresh and inviting as white and let's face it, there's nothing white doesn't match.  Lucky for me there are so many varieties of white flowers that  I can keep finding something  year round.  A large bunch can be divided into two vases if you keep your vases on the smallish side.

 Here's my latest  addition in the laundry room.  Don't be afraid to mix up your vignette for a bit of newness.

Which of these  vignettes do you like the best?

Margaret Ryall

A modified L line of design...

Margaret Ryall

 the classic check mark / V or...

Margaret Ryall

the always predictable A arrangement?

Sure do wish this art work was a little bigger!  It is one of my mixed media pieces ( 11 x 14 in.)  titled Attempting Balance (encaustic, paper, and metal on cradled panel) created at the 6th International Encaustic Conference in 2012 at Provincetown, NJ.   My laundry room is a lovely art gallery.  I have to make it nice because it is open to the hallway and a walk through for the powder room.  

I don't only rotate the objects in my arrangement I also rotate the art hanging there.  If I want to live with a piece to determine if it is finished I hang it in the laundry room!

6 Options for painting trim

  There are so many decisions to make when you begin decorating a new home or renovating. Something as basic as what colour to paint the trim often causes homeowners hours of deliberation.  How about you?  What decision have you made about painting your trim work?


1.  White/off white

This is  the most common solution to painting trim .  It works with every style and is fresh and crisp. 

 Norwich Architect Smith & Vansant Architects PC

Nightingale Design

Even if you have white walls your trim can also be white. Consider changing the paint sheen to semi gloss or gloss if you want to accentuate the trim in a white room.        

2. Wood - natural  or stained 

There was a period of time when many homes had natural or stained wood trim, but this trend has slipped a little in the last ten years.  When you have wood your decision is often to leave it natural or stain it.  When your floors are also wood, it can help you decide which stain option to go with.

 Contrary to popular belief wood trim is not sacred.  If you want to paint it don't hold back.  Interestingly enough it is mostly men who revere wood. When you choose this application your are making a decision to outline a room.  Make sure this is what you want to accomplish.

 Rebekah Zaveloff

 In this space the trim colour is in keeping with the floor tones and is just a little darker.  

Houzz

With light wood floors you always have the option to choose your trim stain  to work  with your furniture. I think the omission of crown in this space really works well to provide a lofty look and keep the viewer's eye at living level.

 Gary Earl Parsons, Architect / Muffy Kibbey Photos

Your wood trim  doesn't have to be dark to be effective.  You often see natural wood trim  in more modern spaces  where the walls are usually a  light colour  Hint. If you want to achieve a lofty look as in the previous room shown, paint your crown the same colour as the wall.

3.  Same colour  as walls
I often use this application in modern spaces or in rooms where there are too many doors.  When you do this a seamless look is created and the walls become the perfect place to display art without  all those lines you get with alternate colour trim. If you have a more traditionally styled home and modern furniture,  painting your trim the same as your walls will provide an updated look. 

Houzz

Traditional Home

Wondering about chair railing or other paneled effects ?  Rather than removing it, paint it the same as the wall.


4. Colours 

If you are someone who loves colour, this might be the look for you.  It also works well in kids' rooms.    Beware this application creates strong outlines in a room and can chop up your space. Some would say it adds energy because your eyes are always wandering.

Houzz

Pink Wallpaper 

Design Crisis  

Centsational Girl

5. Darker Than the Walls

This is a good solution in certain spaces. When you paint your trim darker, choose a colour that is roughly two values darker than the walls. This is a great treatment for modern spaces or commercial spaces.

Bernard Andre Photography

 

 Terri Symington, ASID

6. Black
This is a daring solution for trim.  When used with white/off white  walls it provides a crisp look that is elegant and serious.  Black looks equally good with soft gray walls.

 Architect Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.

If you have very ornate trim , black can really accentuate this sculptural element in your home. Don't be afraid to use it. 

 Linda McDougald Design | Postcard from Paris Home

Lots of options....

Decor refresh for spring

New growth always brings with it hope and energy for life.  Once the snow goes I always get a hankering to make changes inside my home.  Now don't get me wrong, these aren't major changes.  I'm more into ten minute additions.  Sometimes I'm willing to commit an hour or two to a special project.
If you get the spring  hankerings perhaps there's inspiration in these ideas.

Use a tray to organize a vignette

Perhaps you have a blaw wooden tray you could spray paint and then organize a colourful spring vignette in it.  Think about what you might already have to add and then buy several filler items.

 

 A small tray on a bathroom counter adds a fresh look.  Placing a grouping of cut  flowers always adds to any vignette.

I particularly love groupings of white and muted colours and then a big splash of colour with cut flowers.  Yes,  my biases are showing.  Fresh flowers rule in my life. 

 Plant spring bulbs

Tall glass vases allow you to see the roots growing .  You have to be on top of the watering if you are going to adopt this idea. Repetition of the same shape always looks good in an arrangement.

This simple twig wreath adds  additional detail and texture and also helps to cover the pot the bulbs are set in.

Paint something

 You don't have to repaint a whole room.  There are so many simple painting projects for your home.  If you have a bed perfectly centred on a wall, consider adding a painted headboard all the way to the ceiling.  Simple and very eye catching.

 Bring a simple bookcase to life by repainting the back of it.  A fresh colour like this yellow (which is a hot 2013 spring colour) adds a simple focal point and shows up the grouping of objects and books .

 I love highlighting a porch or entry  door with paint.  You can be brave in your colour choice when you want to add a cheery accent to a small space.

 

 Coloured islands with light cabinets are everywhere lately.   This is such a fresh look if you have enough nerve to go there.

 

 Not artistic?  Don't worry.  Choose sculptural artificial flowers and lay them on a canvas painted in a solid colour.  Trace around the shapes with a white coloured pencil .  Fill in the shapes with white paint.  Presto!  Fresh art for your wall.  The simplicity and off center composition of this work makes it. 

Consider textured wallpaper

 

 Textured wallpaper is underutilized.  There are so many patters and textures that cover the gamut from very traditional to modern.  No doubt there's something for you.  I like the use of textures to reinforce a dresser make over. This is a great idea for a little girl's room.

Check out these links and more ideas on  my Pinterest Spring Refresh board.

Fresh colour schemes

 Traditionally many homeowners get the re-decorating bug in spring.  I'm no exception.  I am planning a major painting job for the downstairs of my home.

As I age, I seem to want less and less colour on my walls.  My choice for living room, dining room and hallways is  Ben Moore Acadia White OC 35 (#5)  to  replace Elephant Tusk (#6). Acadia White is a warm white without being too yellow.  It is darker (not by much) than Cloud White which is the colour on my trim.

If you love colour here are some crisp, fresh combinations for spring updates. 

Arranging objects - scattering

And now for Part 2 of my arranging objects series....  Scattering objects to the the edges of a table or mantle can  either create a visual mess or a striking composition using repetition.  Think about how you want to arrange a collection. What do you have in the collection that could be the star or the weightiest object? 

  Scattering objects to the edges of  can create a problem in two ways:

1. When you arrange objects in a vignette  and you spread the object  along the length of the tabletop from side to side you are pulling  the focus to the edges and the cohesiveness  usually falls apart. 

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Some effort was made in this vignette to have a centre of interest by placing the bell jar and the plant pick in the centre.  Unfortunately height and colour in the plants take command and your eye runs both up and off the edges.

 When you want to anchor your eye the tallest objects  (several massed)  should be placed together.  The shorter ones can  lead to the edges.  This vignette could be arranged like the one below for a stronger composition.

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This is a masterful display in one colour.  It has variety in heights and shapes and the massing of the objects in the classic A formation anchors the eye on the vignette. 

Luxe

This is the same solution as above, but the height is added using a dark wall and a painting that  anchors the vignette. 

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While the objects in this vignette are focused toward the edges they are connected by the large circular mirror/sculpture/  I would prefer that the taller objects bank the mirror and the shorter ones approach the edges.  This organization works too. 

 

       2.    Sometimes you group objects to one side of a tabletop and it creates an unbalanced look. If the 

              objects are similar in height there is no variety.   

Design for Living

This composed correction created variety in shapes, heights and placement. You could also reverse the placement and have the lamp on the right which would move the frame away from the other frames on the wall.

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Exception to the rule:
Although this vignette is on the edge of the counter it is extremely well placed.  It  connects with the strong black vertical  on the left and the black rectangle on the counter.  All work together to create a vignette within a vignette.

Kissing objects and other design issues

This is the first post of a series I have planned to focus on arranging objects in a pleasing way in your home.

 The same principles of design that are the backbone of a good painting can be applied to designing a room or a vignette.  People often know when something doesn't look right , but they might not be able to articulate why they have that feeling. I thought I would focus on some of the finer points that can move a space from fine to fantastic.

Do you have....

Kissing objects
 That's the best way to describe objects that touch each other or look like they are touching  thus causing an odd tension/confusion.  Is it one object? Two objects? Why are they side by side? etc.

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These two nesting dolls tell the story.  Do you want to move them apart? Another thing that happens when object touch or are too close together is the creation of boring negative space especially when the objects have the same form. You can see that the shape between the two dolls in almost symmetrical.

 When the objects are overlapped slightly you create more visual interest and depth.  If you can add a third object for variety, so much the better. Note the spacing in the middle.

 

 House and Home

 I would be the first person to admit that there are beautiful objects in this collection, but I want to appreciate them individually. 

 If you have a huge quantity of objects in a collection you might be better served by choosing a more thougtht out way of displaying them rather than massing them together randomly.  This collection reads as quantity and the beautiful forms are lost in the "gathering". 

 Exception to the rule
Then there is the exception to the rule. I don't think having the two pots touching in this vignette is at all boring because of the variety in direction and shape created by the small trees.  The enclosed space between the pots is interesting because of the legs.  There is so much else going on that this just works well.

 

 Furniture can kiss too!  When you have a curved/slanted arm on a sofa or chair move your end table out so it is not touching the sofa. It frees up space and creates visual ease. If the arm of sofa is curved you often have to move a table out even further.