Have you ever watched one of those makeover shows? Whether it is Extreme Makeover, The Swan, Dr. 90210 --- there’s always something people feel they want to change to get a different and better look. Spring is in the air! If you are ready to do a makeover in your home, read on….
You don’t have to do a whole decorating makeover to see and notice a change in your home. There are a number of things you can do in as little as an hour or a day that can make a huge difference.
Below are some ideas that can help bring a fresh look to your home:
Cover a Chair Cushion
If you have a chair or desk chair that is now looking tired and worn out, it is no trouble to put a new cover on it to give it a new and revitalized look. Turn the chair upside down and remove the screws that hold the pad to the chair frame. Lift the pad and lay it upside down on the new fabric you chose to use to recover the chair pad. Be sure to center any pattern or stripe on the chair pad. Carefully fold the edges of the fabric onto the underside of the chair pad and staple it down. Remember to not cover the screw holes! Before you reattach the pad to the chair frame, inspect the frame to see if there are any scratches to the wood that you can touch-up, polish or stain.
Add or Change Out Pillows to a Chair or Sofa
A boring chair or a dull sofa can really come alive with a splash of color or patterns. You can achieve this by adding pillows. Look around the room and determine what it needs. Does the room need color? Does it need a bold pattern? Or a subtle pattern? Does it need a colorful trim? Once you determine what your room needs, search for a pair pillows that will provide the “WOW” to your room. Then look for two un-matched pillows with the same colors but different patterns that you can complement the pair you have chosen. Look for fun pillows with fringes or beads or maybe pillows that have an interesting plush fabric.
Paint One Wall
If your room needs a pick-me-up, think about painting one wall with a contrasting color to create an accent wall to the room. When doing this, think about what you want to accomplish. You can create a backdrop for your bed by painting the wall behind it. Or frame your bathtub with a soothing shade. You might think about the wall behind the dining room buffet or a long hallway wall. How about the wall at the end of a long kitchen? Whatever wall you choose to paint will end up to be the focus of the room. Choose wisely, as that is where the eye will be drawn.
Because this is the place where you can be bold, and because you won’t be using a lot of color, don’t be afraid to choose a color you would normally not choose for the whole room. However, make sure that the color you choose will blend with the other things in the room.
Create a Single Canopy Over your Bed
You can add drama or serenity by constructing a simple canopy over your bed. One way to achieve this is to screw chrome, iron, or porcelain towel rings into the ceiling over your bed and pull a long width of fabric through them, forming a swag.
You can also hem four sides of a wide panel of fabric, cut the width of your bed long enough to go from the floor to ceiling and half way back again. Apply fringe or tassels to one of the short ends. Cut two wooden dowels the width of your bed. Hang the dowels from the ceiling across the top of the bed, about 12 inches apart. Swag the fabric panel over both dowels and pull the fabric down to the floor behind your bed. The other end will hang over your bed like a valance.
Another way is to cut a 12” wide board the width of the bed. Cover it with fabric. Staple fabric cut and finished about 18” wide along the two short ends and one long side. Screw the wood board to the wall above your bed, using L-brackets. Screw a large chrome, wood, or iron ring into the ceiling above your bed, near the wall. Pull a long length of sheer fabric through the ring, spreading the fabric out to the sides of the bed. You might attach the fabric to the side of your bed to hold it in place.
Trim up a Lamp or Lamp Shade
Give boring lamps a fresh, up-to-date look with trims coordinated to your decor. By using a glue gun, carefully attach braid, ribbon, fringe, beaded cording, or bias tape to the top and bottom edges of a lampshade.
If the base of your lamp looks tired, remove the shade and cords. In a protected area, spray paint the base. Use either a color coordinated to your room or theme, or choose a metallic spray finish in copper, brass, or brushed steel. Reattach the cord and replace the shade. Also try wrapping the base of your lamp in ribbon or cording. Do just the base, or go all the way up. This will give a totally new look with little work.
Clean Up an Old Piece of Furniture
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to rescue a sad looking dresser or shelf. By painting it with a fresh color, you will be surprised how the old piece can be transformed. Start by removing the handles and pulls. Then lightly sand down the wood, smoothing out snags or bumps. Wipe off the sanding dust carefully with a damp rag. Dry with a clean, dry rag. Paint the piece, starting with the frame, ending with the shelves or drawer fronts. Let the piece dry for several days. Think about painting the back of a shelving unit a contrast color from the shelves and frame. Books and objects will stand out with a contrasting background. Replace the shelves, drawers, and pulls.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
What a Week!!!
We had such a fun and hectic week last week. On Wednesday, January 28, we celebrated and thanked our super clients by hosting a Client Night. It was so nice to catch up with our clients and enjoy a relaxing and fun evening with them. We had champagne tasting (I never even knew there was such a thing and whew-- was I loopy that night and I am blaming all those thousands of bubbles that settled in my tummy!!!), great food and enjoyed art created by a very talented local artist, Kristi Benavides.
Of course, we were not done celebrating and partying. The following night, we invited everyone we know to an Open House to show off our beautiful new location, welcome 2009 and usher in our 7th year in business! We always find a reason to host a celebration and celebrate we did! Thank you to all our business associates, vendors and friends in the industry. It was awesome celebrating with you all.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Count to Ten… Now Mommies, Go Hide! Decor & You Creates Serene Bedrooms Where Busy Parents Can Find Relief
Women who can’t find time for exercise or relaxation, should at least have a proper room to relax in at the end of a busy day. In a recent survey performed by the Roper Starch Worldwide, it was found that nearly 25% of women (and 20% of men) who hold professional jobs described themselves as “super-stressed”. Most people get just a few minutes a day to unwind (is this sounding familiar?), and one great way to purge the day’s stress is to retire to a beautifully decorated, uncluttered master bedroom.
We have found that many people leave master bedroom decorating for last (the story of my life), and live for years in a cluttered, neglected space. If our clients want to close the bedroom door, and feel the stress drain out, then we know that we have done our job right. Working parents, in particular, need to hold the family together – and themselves – so they need a sleeping environment that supports their lifestyle. The secret is to make your bedroom a place you actually enjoy – even the simple task of making the bed – by improving ambiance and making it function better.
We at Decor & You believe that overly-busy people are daunted by decorating, often because of the extra time and energy they need to make changes – in their bedrooms, or any room. When our clients are intimidated with the process, we sometimes begin with simple changes, such as bedding, wallpaper or an area rug, which help people experience how one small decision can benefit an entire room.
At Decor&You we use a client-centered approach that aims to make decorating easier – and even fun. To set the right color palette, we guide each client to discover his or her relationship with color, which is the essential first step in customizing this personal space. Color on the walls, floor and in the bedding and drapery fabrics, makes a huge sensory impact on how people feel in a room. One client may prefer a stimulating bedroom splashed in passion flower pink with lots of pattern, while another craves the calm of a neutral dove grey with clean, crisp solids.
Another vital change is to introduce a routine spot, other than the bed, where you can relax and nourish your need for peace. A properly scaled, and very comfortable lounge chair can sometimes do the trick. A bedroom lounge chair is luxurious yet simple and affordable; it gently beckons you – and gives permission – to find quiet time for yourself. Consider completing the picture by placing a petite table alongside for a private continental breakfast or a nightcap, and a standing floor lamp for directed reading light.
Sleep researchers frown on TV-watching in the bedroom, but it’s common in many homes. If you want to have a television in your master bedroom-- by all means-- keep it! That's where we come in to help you. As professional decorators we take your TV into consideration and look for wall-mounting solutions or furniture enclosures, to ensure the television does not dominate the space in front of the bed. Controlling visual clutter is essential to ensure a tranquil, restorative space. Likewise, home exercise equipment, which often ends up stationed in the bedroom, needs to be visually separated. (Hmmm-- this sounds like my bedroom!) Again, we would help you look for creative camouflage such as decorative panels or a mobile “Shoji” screen to take care of this dilemma.
Health experts acknowledge the benefits of natural light and privacy, and yet, many of us overlook these advantages by covering up our bedroom windows to protect privacy. There are tons of options out there such as a top-down, bottom-up Duette shade, which connects people with the natural energy of the sun and the pleasure of their outdoor views. The Duettes function like most blinds, except it opens from either the bottom or the top. Ask us and we'll find the perfect solution for your room.
Besides custom decorating services, Decor & You researches the ideal products for our clients’ bedrooms. Decor&You has hundreds of fine manufacturers in our supplier network, which means we have access to thousands of furnishings, fabric, window and floor coverings, lighting, art, and accessories from the U.S. and overseas – in every conceivable style and at every price point. We provide our clients decorating options that fit their lifestyle, needs and budget.
Decor&You provides interior decorating products and services to clients in South Metro Denver and the surrounding communities. We understand the demanding pace of life and we are dedicated to finding solutions to help our clients maintain balance we all truly deserve and need.
Women who can’t find time for exercise or relaxation, should at least have a proper room to relax in at the end of a busy day. In a recent survey performed by the Roper Starch Worldwide, it was found that nearly 25% of women (and 20% of men) who hold professional jobs described themselves as “super-stressed”. Most people get just a few minutes a day to unwind (is this sounding familiar?), and one great way to purge the day’s stress is to retire to a beautifully decorated, uncluttered master bedroom.
We have found that many people leave master bedroom decorating for last (the story of my life), and live for years in a cluttered, neglected space. If our clients want to close the bedroom door, and feel the stress drain out, then we know that we have done our job right. Working parents, in particular, need to hold the family together – and themselves – so they need a sleeping environment that supports their lifestyle. The secret is to make your bedroom a place you actually enjoy – even the simple task of making the bed – by improving ambiance and making it function better.
We at Decor & You believe that overly-busy people are daunted by decorating, often because of the extra time and energy they need to make changes – in their bedrooms, or any room. When our clients are intimidated with the process, we sometimes begin with simple changes, such as bedding, wallpaper or an area rug, which help people experience how one small decision can benefit an entire room.
At Decor&You we use a client-centered approach that aims to make decorating easier – and even fun. To set the right color palette, we guide each client to discover his or her relationship with color, which is the essential first step in customizing this personal space. Color on the walls, floor and in the bedding and drapery fabrics, makes a huge sensory impact on how people feel in a room. One client may prefer a stimulating bedroom splashed in passion flower pink with lots of pattern, while another craves the calm of a neutral dove grey with clean, crisp solids.
Another vital change is to introduce a routine spot, other than the bed, where you can relax and nourish your need for peace. A properly scaled, and very comfortable lounge chair can sometimes do the trick. A bedroom lounge chair is luxurious yet simple and affordable; it gently beckons you – and gives permission – to find quiet time for yourself. Consider completing the picture by placing a petite table alongside for a private continental breakfast or a nightcap, and a standing floor lamp for directed reading light.
Sleep researchers frown on TV-watching in the bedroom, but it’s common in many homes. If you want to have a television in your master bedroom-- by all means-- keep it! That's where we come in to help you. As professional decorators we take your TV into consideration and look for wall-mounting solutions or furniture enclosures, to ensure the television does not dominate the space in front of the bed. Controlling visual clutter is essential to ensure a tranquil, restorative space. Likewise, home exercise equipment, which often ends up stationed in the bedroom, needs to be visually separated. (Hmmm-- this sounds like my bedroom!) Again, we would help you look for creative camouflage such as decorative panels or a mobile “Shoji” screen to take care of this dilemma.
Health experts acknowledge the benefits of natural light and privacy, and yet, many of us overlook these advantages by covering up our bedroom windows to protect privacy. There are tons of options out there such as a top-down, bottom-up Duette shade, which connects people with the natural energy of the sun and the pleasure of their outdoor views. The Duettes function like most blinds, except it opens from either the bottom or the top. Ask us and we'll find the perfect solution for your room.
Besides custom decorating services, Decor & You researches the ideal products for our clients’ bedrooms. Decor&You has hundreds of fine manufacturers in our supplier network, which means we have access to thousands of furnishings, fabric, window and floor coverings, lighting, art, and accessories from the U.S. and overseas – in every conceivable style and at every price point. We provide our clients decorating options that fit their lifestyle, needs and budget.
Decor&You provides interior decorating products and services to clients in South Metro Denver and the surrounding communities. We understand the demanding pace of life and we are dedicated to finding solutions to help our clients maintain balance we all truly deserve and need.
Yeah! My First Blog
I've been told that blogging is the way to go so I've always wanted to have a blog for the longest time---but did I know how to blog? Do I even have time to blog? So I resolved that for 2009, I will find the time to finally learn how to blog and here I am with my new blog site! I am actually super excited! I can't wait to share what we've all been doing at Decor & You.Decor & You located in the Highlands Town Center (did I say we just moved to this terrific location before the holidays?) is a full service interior decorating company. So yes-- we do everything you can ever imagine to help you create the interior space you've been dreaming of. From a simple paint consultation to putting together a room or your entire home-- we are there for you.
We have a team of designers that I know you'll enjoy working with (and yes--- they too are very talented and great in what they do!). So if you want to make your home comfortable, warm and inviting but have no time to do it, are stuck and don't know what's missing and hate running from store to store trying to find that perfect piece-- remember we are just a phone call away!
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