Simply White

As we patiently await Pantone’s 2016 color of the year, many brands and designers are already starting to put forth their ideas and guesses regarding 2016’s color trend.  One very important influencer in color trends and paint, Benjamin Moore’s creative director, Ellen O’Neill, announced Tuesday that the company’s 2016 Color of the Year is Simply White. 

I will admit as much as I love color, I am also huge fan of white.  I never feel more pulled together than when I am decked out in all white (all black, too).  I love white bathrooms and kitchens and I obsess over white bed linens and duvets.  I love white upholstered fabric but as much as I obsess over keeping white clean, I know I could never use it in my own space as I'd cut a side-eye everytime someone decided to sit down.  Nevertheless, white is crisp and cool.  It indicates cleanliness and purity. 

It may seem like an easy task but decorating with white can be somewhat difficult.  The first question is which shade is the perfect white.  Some whites have a blue tint, while others have a yellow or pink tint.  Once you start to look at several, your eyes begin to play tricks making it even more difficult to find a pure white.  Decorating in all white can be used to highlight a particular work of art as we see in many museums and gallery spaces.  You can also mix it up and decorate with layers in a variety of shades of white to give your space more depth.  White can be paired with just about any metal finish from polished chrome for a super crisp look, to a brushed brass for a chic glam feel.  

In light of the announcement and until Pantone unveils their Color of the Year, I have compiled a few photos of my favorite interiors dressed in shades of white. 

An all white interior done right.
Photo via styleathome.com

Stair risers, trim and wainscoting are Benjamin Moore's 'Simply White'
Photo via Benjamin Moore's Pinterest

Kitchen Design by Shea McGhee Design. Cabinets are painted 'Simply White'.
Photo by homebunch.com

Interior Design by Patricia Gray Inc.
Photo via PatriciaGrayInc.blogspot.com

Benjamin Moore's 'Simply White', 2143-70 or OC-117.
Photo via bowerpowerblog.com

Painted Entry Doors

The first thing someone sees when you invite them to your home is the exterior.  Unlike the interior, your home’s exterior is on display for any and everyone to see and to judge its “curb appeal” or lack thereof. The front door is the gateway to your home.  It is the portal to the place where you lay your head, where you store precious belongings and where you prepare meals that nourish your family.  The front door is the throughway to most everything you hold special.  With that notion in mind, I am of the belief that such an important portal should be it’s own shining moment.  Choosing to paint your front door is one way to create that shining moment.  Whether you are quirky and whimsical or classic and refined, the shade you choose for your front door is a way to let your personality shine through and up your home’s curb appeal. 

It is not uncommon to see shades of red, black and white on many front entry doors and while these are classic colors, I have noticed a new trend of doors painted in colors that are equally as lovely, yet unexpected.  Doors in shades of pinks and greens and blues are popping up all over the city and making me stop for a moment and admire the boldness of the choice. 

Ceilings: The Most Ignored Territory on the Home Front

Photo Credit:  Houzz, Dillard Design Group, LLC

    The most ignored space in the home is the ceiling.  Homeowners spend oodles and oodles of time and money decorating their walls and floors with wallpapers, window treatments, paint, rugs, tile, and hardwoods but rarely elect to do anything with the ceiling.  The ceiling represents a great opportunity to add an additional design element to your space.  Here are five ceiling treatments that will add a bit of pizzazz to your home.

Painted Ceilings
Most people decide to leave their ceilings white, as they fear painting it will make their space seem smaller.  But painting your ceiling can give your space a warm cozy feel.  Dark colors will make the ceiling feel heavy and cave-like, as visually they make the ceiling seem lower.  Other ideas for painting include ceiling murals and stripes.  Murals add whimsy and visual interest.  And stripes can widen or elongate a space depending on the direction in which they are painted.

Medallions
Medallions are an easy way to add a distinctive design element to a room without too much fuss.  Medallions serve to anchor the chandelier and are available in a wide variety of shapes and styles.  Some medallions can be painted to match the finish of the chandelier or on a painted ceiling, can be left white to add a bit of contrast.  Ceiling medallions come in a variety of sizes from 4” to 36”; the size best suited for your needs typically depends on the size of the room.  A smaller medallion typically works best in a smaller room.

Coffered Ceilings
A coffered ceiling consists of beams that are installed along the ceiling in a grid-like pattern.  The coffers are formed from the parts of the ceiling that are recessed by the beams.  These ceilings typically require a higher ceiling height as the beams can take up a foot of available ceiling height.  It is very important to consider the size and shape of your room when planning a coffered ceiling, as any lighting will need to be installed within the recessed portions of the ceiling.  The size and shape of the room is also important in creating a fairly symmetrical beam pattern.  Coffered ceilings tend to be very architectural and add an air of formality to the spaces in which they are constructed.

Tin Ceilings

Tin ceilings were all the rage during the late 1800s through the early 1900s.  They lost their appeal for a while but recently there has been a resurgence in the popularity of faux tin ceilings.  Tin ceilings add an extreme amount of character and a vintage quality to any space. 

Wood Paneled

A wood paneled ceiling consists of installing grooved plywood, beadboard, or wood planks along the ceiling surface.  A paneled ceiling helps to draw the eye upward and across the room and provides an immediate feeling of coziness and warmth.   

Doing It Myself

When it comes to my design projects, I very rarely actually "do" anything myself.  Understand, I do design the spaces.  I develop the ideas and concepts but as far as the labor, I usually leave that to the professionals.  On a couple of occasions, I've been asked to paint or re-upholster.  I usually decline as I'm not as skilled as a professional painter or upholsterer but on the rare instance that a close friend or family member asks, I have been known to say, "yes". The most recent instance of this resulted in me hauling out the Bernina and sewing.

Before you get any ideas, I am far from a professional seamstress.  Growing up my mom would show me a few things here and there, and in my later years, I've taken a few lessons but that's as far as my ability and knowledge extends.  The fact that I even have a sewing machine results from a random stroke of luck when I expressed to a former coworker that I wanted to take lessons and she volunteered to not only give me lessons but also give me her mom's old Bernina Sport 801.  Since those lessons, the Bernina has been sitting in my closet inactive until Tuesday of last week.

Tea and the Bernina Sport 801.
Photo my own.

I'm sure you're wondering how 4 years passed between obtaining a machine and actually pulling it out the closet last Tuesday, and if you're not wondering, then just amuse me and continue reading.  Back around the first of the year, I designed a small condo project.  The client (also my dear friend) bought some fabric for throw pillows and I committed to making the throw pillows myself, saying that I needed to throw my proverbial hat back in the sewing ring.  Fast forward 10 months later, the fabric was still sitting at the end of my bed staring at me and daring my unprofessional sewing hand to make throw pillows for the very professional interior I designed.  Now do you understand my reluctance?  I finally decided to bite the bullet and get on with my impending sewing failure.

Fabric
Photo my own.

Giving you my best "I know what I'm doing" pose.
Photo my own.

My sewing adventure took 2 days (about 4 hours of intermittent work) from start to completion, I've posted pics of the final product below. I've also posted a few pics of me doing other labor intensive stuff, you know, just for your amusement.

Finished products!
Photo my own.

A happy and coordinating client!
Photo my own.

Upholstering dining chairs.  Seen here cutting
new fabric using existing fabric as pattern.
Photo my own.

The fun part...using a staple gun!
Photo my own.

More fun...using the drill to anchor the seat
cushion to the chair frame.
Photo my own.

Finished product!
Photo my own.

Painting.  Ugh. Definitely not my favorite
DIY thing.
Photo my own.

Finished product!
Photo my own.

Interior Design Blunders That Drive Me Crazy!

Photo courtesy of www.juiceit.wordpress.com

In my day to day travels and interactions, I see a ton of interior design blunders that drive me crazy.  I’m way too polite to speak about it at the time but not so polite that I won’t write about it now.  Here are five interior design blunders that I encounter quite often. 

1. Hanging Wall Décor Too High or Too Low.  The top of any wall art or mirror should be hung anywhere from 66” to 72” above the finish floor.  The idea is that the center of the art or mirror should be at eye level.  For a taller person, the center may be a bit below eye level and for a shorter person, a bit above.  Hanging too high or too low is just awkward and makes me wonder if the owner really intended for anyone to look at or in the hung object. 

2.  Buying without measuring.  Unless you are an actual experienced design professional, thinking you can ogle whether something will fit in your space is a huge mistake.  The story of Goldilocks is alive and well.  Many homeowners buy furniture that is either too big or too small for the room where it will live.  The best advice I will ever give to someone looking to become a DIYer is to measure.  I can never say it enough.  (Related:  Measuring all doorways the furniture will have to travel through to arrive in the designated space, is never a bad idea, either.)

3.  Not considering how you use your space.  Furniture should be arranged such that it does not impede the flow of traffic.  The color of paint and home furnishings should all be selected after considering the natural and artificial lighting in the space.  If you live with small children or pets, select fabric and furniture treatments and colors that will wear well over time.  Climbing over or around furniture to enter/exit is dangerous and realizing the paint looks completely different from the swatch once you put it up in your space is disappointing. 

4.  Too little or bad lighting.  After you’ve taken the time to select a paint color and arrange your furniture, nothing discredits your efforts more than bad lighting.  Bad lighting can make or break a space.  In dim or low lighting, paint, fabric, and furnishings may look different than they did when you purchased them.  I’ve heard the protest many times, “But I like dim lighting…,” which is all fine and dandy but it’s important to also have options.  Your guests shouldn’t feel like they are visiting a candlelit cave.  Layering your lighting will allow you to create the right atmosphere for all of your entertaining needs.

5.  Bad paint jobs.  I always appreciate when someone has stepped out on a limb and chosen a wild paint color; lime green, orange, turquoise, fuchsia, etc.  What I don’t appreciate is when they’ve taken the risk and then done a terrible paint job.  Paint on the ceiling, rough wall patches, cracks, splotches, etc. I’ve seen it all. Nothing makes a wild paint color look cheaper than an awful paint job.  It’s what I call terrible follow through. 

The above five blunders are very common but they don’t have to be.  Consider, measure, consult, hire. Repeat as necessary.