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| Courtesy
of ARA |
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One
small decorating trick, one huge room improvement
Let’s
face it: Most of us can’t resist a good home
decorating show.
And
after we’ve got a few episodes of “ReDesign,”
“Room by Room” or “Find Your Style” under
our tool belts, we feel confident that we, too,
can make equally inspired decorating changes
in our homes. But where to start?
Here
are some simple ways to make big home improvements
from some of the nation’s top designers
and manufacturers:
Kenneth
Ludwig, president and creative director of Kenneth
Ludwig Home Furnishings, Ltd. in Chicago, is a
huge proponent of textiles and fabrics. “The addition
of two or three pattern fabrics in the same color
story, along with different textiles (throws)
in great textures adds visual excitement to a
room,” says Ludwig. “It also softens the edges
of the corners and hard lines, and warms up a
room to make it more livable.” |
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An
additional fabric element that many people forget
is adding small upholstered or slip‑covered
ottomans for additional seating or as decorative
items to fill up a room. Ludwig also suggests a
skirted
table with an under skirt of a plain fabric (great
solid color with no pattern) with an additional
patterned fabric draped on top.
Decorative
wallpaper murals can add pizzazz and personalization
to any room. “Adding a wall mural can transform
a room from fine to fabulous,” says Todd Imholte,
president of Murals Your Way by Environmental Graphics.
The company produces a line of custom wallpaper
murals (muralsyourway.com). “The variety of styles
lets you reflect your unique tastes and memories,
whether it’s with a sports motif in your son’s room,
a custom mural made from a family photo in your
family room, or a wine theme in your kitchen. The
possibilities are truly endless.”
Steven
Southgate couldn’t agree more. As design supervisor
for “Divine Design with Candice Olson,” he has used
wall murals several times on the show’s room makeovers.
According to Southgate, “the Birch Trees and Pebbles
murals give a high impact graphic feel, while the
Sequoia mural offers outstanding graphics and superb
color.”
Updating
your window treatments can quickly change the look
and feel of any room. Ian Gibbs, window treatment
design expert and founder of TheShadeStore.com,
recommends that your window treatment rod be hung
a few inches above the window molding to visually
extend the window’s height and make the ceiling
appear taller. To make windows look bigger and brighten
a room, drapes should be hung “wide,” outside of
the actual window frame, so that when drapes are
pushed back, the entire window is visible to maximize
the amount of light let in.
Adding
greenery is also a nice way to bring the outdoors
in and give a feeling of life in a room. Melissa
Galt, interior designer, author, speaker and owner
of Melissa Galt Interiors, suggests you keep it
simple by limiting silk florals to no more than
one per room. Be more generous with greenery, placing
fresh plants on every third shelf of a bookcase,
on top of an armoire, or near a hearth or fireplace.
Containers can range from bright brass, silvery
aluminum and sparkling glass to more casual ceramic
or terracotta.
Think
ceiling fans are just for summer? Think again. Switch
the blade to reverse, and you can pull the hot air
down from the ceiling and dramatically reduce your
heating bills during the cooler months. Emerson
Ceiling Fans product manager Zeynep McLeane sees
dark colors and natural finishes as particularly
popular this season, with dark finishes such as
Oil Rubbed Bronze, Aged Walnut and Bronze Heritage
nicely complementing existing dark touches throughout
the home in furniture, hardware, plumbing and lighting
fixtures.
Speaking
of lighting, “jewelry” will be displayed on more
than the human body this season. Kichler Lighting’s
new Light Accents come in 70 different designs,
shapes and sizes, including classic teardrops, organic
leaf‑forms, grape clusters, beaded crystal
strands and Swarovski crystal pendalogues.
Attach them to your chandeliers, pendants, wall
sconces, lamps, lamp shades–even curtain rods and
candle holders–to add extra sparkle and let your
room glow.
And
no interior designer would dispute the value of
a simple coat of paint to kick an already nicely
designed room up a notch or two. Davis Remignanti
of Furniture.com suggests selecting one wall of
your room for a quick, total makeover using color
and accent pieces.
“Paint
the wall with a hue from today’s trendy color palette,
such as a deep, rich chocolate brown that will pick
up the color from your furniture,” suggests Remignanti.
“Don’t be afraid of dark colors for accent walls,
especially in rooms with a lot of natural light.
Then replace the existing artwork on the wall with
a bold, grand scale piece such as the retro prints
that are so popular these days, and swap your area
rug for one that better picks up the tones in your
upholstery.
“These
small changes can take your room from already‑beautiful
to drop‑dead gorgeous,” he says.
Courtesy
of ARA Content.
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