Design Tips and Advice

       (Click on pictures to view larger image)     

Ditch The Ivy  Ivy has long been a popular silk greenery used in peoples homes. We had it draped off of every shelf and ledge we could find. Unfortunately Ivy has really had it's day. Take those old Ivy arrangements and mix them up a little, add some curly willow in with them for some drama or replace them all together. Try using tall spiky grasses or stems for height and drama as we did here above a clients kitchen cabinets.

Create A Gallery Wall  Take those family photos that you have scattered all around the house and bring them together for a more impressive collection. Collect all of the frames of your photos, remove the pictures and spray paint them a flat black color. Then hang them together in a hallway or in your home office. The black paint will create a beautiful gallery look and allow your eye to focus on what's inside of the frame.

Clear Off The Refrigerator Doors  Too often we see refrigerator doors full of magnets, artwork, calendars and numerous other items. This creates such a look of clutter. Instead, try this;  buy or make a memo board and mount it inside of a pantry or cabinet door. Use push pins to hang all of those things that you used to put on the outside of your refrigerator. Everything is still within easy reach but they are no longer cluttering up your refrigerator doors.

Make a special Vignette (still life) in a area of your room Put several items together (of various shapes and sizes) that have special meaning to you and tell a story. This will create a beautiful Vignette (a visual still life) for an area in your home. You will know if it is a success by standing back and looking at the area with an imaginary frame around it, if it looks like a picture, then you have done it properly. 

Bring in the Rugs  Bring a rich bold area rug into your room to really ground your furniture grouping. By adding an area rug you are given another opportunity to tie in your accent colors and add alot of warmth. Don't be afraid to place an area rug over carpeting, it will help to break up the large expanse of one color on the floor.