Matters of Style       

February                   2012                   

Greetings,

 

Welcome back to Matters of Style, a periodic newsletter from  

To a T Interiors.   We hope you'll enjoy seeing the transformation of a catch-all room into the family office plus some tips and inspiration on using houseplants as accessories.     

 

Happy Decorating! 

In This Issue
From Catch-all Room to Family Office
Growing Green in Your Home
20% off Coupon: See Below For Details
From Catch-all Room to Family Office
This is the home office that Kim Weinberg, a McLean, VA-based executive leadership coach, worked in for 12 years.
Old Office Initially, Kim liked the cozy feel of her office nook but increasingly found it claustrophobic after so many years of accumulating papers and work-related materials.  In addition, it's right off the upstairs laundry area and she grew tired of having to block out or talk over the rumble and buzz of the W/D. In solving her office needs, Kim also wanted a space where her two children, ages 13 and 10, could do homework and hang out after school.

During the initial meeting, we toured the home, discussing several options for a new office and ended up deciding this upstairs "bedroom" would be the ideal space for a new family office. The space was underutilized and mostly served as a catch-all for extraneous items that were easily housed elsewhere in the home.
New Office beforeNew Office Before

Room LayoutAfter getting an idea of Kim's desired uses of the space, I prepared a room layout to confirm that we could accommodate all the major pieces on her wish list.
From there, we shopped at a local office furniture store (resulting in minor adjustments to the layout), walked through paint color options by phone, and I arrived for an on-site consult on install day to help with the final placement of the large items in room. 
Interim view

From start to furniture install--2.5 weeks (no surprise, this is the same client who re-did her guest bedroom in under 10 days). 




New Office AfterIt took some additional time to move in papers, books and binders, mount the TV, and get a comfy lounge chair (Kim had in mind two bean bags depicted as the orange discs in the room layout), but ended up with the over- stuffed swivel/rocker/lounge chair (Kim wants it noted that it's not in the color she expected but it was so popular with the kids, she decided not to return it). 

New Office AfterKim felt it was important to let the kids customize their desks and shelves and says they all really love the space and find it conducive to work and hanging out together. 


What is the biggest complaint about the new space?  Allocating time among the family in the overstuffed armchair!

 
Growing Green In Your Home 

The addition of live plants instantly makes any room more warm and inviting.  You may know that greenery is a great accessorizing touch for any room but did you know that adding live plants to a room creates a healthier space?  

 

Indoor plants
Pinterest

That's right, plants act as natural air filters so that chemicals and compounds are absorbed through the leaves and exit through the roots. Microbes in the soil then break the toxins down.  Plants won't clean things like cigarette smoke, dust or pet dander, though. You'll still have to do a bit of housecleaning for that!   

 

   

If you've tried growing plants before and feel you don't have the magic 'green thumb' here are some tips to get you growing...

 
1.  Be realistic on placement as you must have adequate light for the plant type.  Use easy to grow varieties such as:
  • Peace Lily  (Spathiphyllum sp.) a medium-sized plant, will thrive in partial/filtered sun and offers a huge white flower as well as large, dark green leaves.  This is the perfect plant if you tend to drown your plants, as it doesn't mind wet conditions.
  • Heart-leaf Philodendron (Philodendron scandens)  has a trailing habit, ideal for hanging baskets or high shelves where you'd like a little color. They handle low light well, and aren't picky about watering.
  • Golden Pothos, (Epipremnum sp.) also known as Devil's Ivy, is known to remove formaldehyde from indoor air. A smaller climbing plant, particularly suited for hanging baskets or table-top pots, its leaves are green and mottled yellow. Keep pruned to a manageable size when the vines get too long or unkempt.
  • Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema species)  a low-light plant, is perfect for those of us who forget to water, since it prefers its soil a bit on the dry side. Remove overgrown shoots to encourage new growth and keep the plant bushy.

Indoor Plants2.
Set a schedule for weekly
watering, use an all purpose fertilizer and trim back dead or excessive growth.
Be careful not to over water, a common mistake for houseplants. If the soil is moist underneath about an inch, then don't water yet.   Most plants will do just fine with light and water, but you can't go wrong with a little upkeep as well. Dead leaves and flowers should be plucked off to encourage more growth.  You should use a fertilizer designed for houseplants and remember to fertilize during the spring when plants generally undergo growth spurts.
  
Indoor Plants
Pinterest 
3. Recognize when a plant needs to be re-potted or replaced and when its time to buy silk greens. An average houseplant will need re-potting every 2 to 4 years.  You can't tell just by looking, so gently pull the plant out of the pot.  If it's packed with roots, then it's time for a bigger pot. Also, if your plant is not thriving in its current location, move it to a sunnier spot or consider replacing it with some silk greens.  I often mix live and faux plants in the same room, with the live ones getting the prime spots close to windows. 

And be sure to consider your color scheme when you pick a new pot, a great way to bring in your accent color(s). 
It's best if pots have holes in the bottom for drainage so get a coordinating decorative plate or shallow dish if the new pot doesn't come with one.

   

As always, if you need help making your home the inviting, comfortable space you envision, call To a T Interiors.  We can help you select the perfect paint color, find solutions to corral the clutter that accumulates for busy families or redesign your living spaces to enhance the beauty and function for the whole family.   
 

 
Susan  

 

To a T Interiors

301-467-3563

 

www.toatinteriors.com  
Q & A Corner
To a T Logo
Q. This question is for readers. Have you gotten on the Pinterest bandwagon yet?  If not, let me tell you why you should. 

  

A. Pinterest is a popular virtual cork board that allows you to "pin up" anything you are inspired by or want to remember online. From recipes and home decor ideas, to fashion, how to videos, ...really anything you discover online and want to keep track of.  It allows you to follow other "pinners" that you find interesting or you can share with friends and swap ideas for inspiration.  It's a great tool for designers; I'm using it to communicate ideas and inspiration with clients.

You have complete flexibility to name and organize your categories (aka, boards) any way that works for you.  Once you are set up, you can track anything that inspires or interests you with the click of the mouse (the source-link of an image is saved automatically for you to find again).  Access to Pinterest is currently invite-only: you can request an invite from the website or through a current member (just email me and I'll get you an invite). Once you get invited, it is super easy to get set-up and start pinning. 

__________________


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