Matters of Style     

                   June, 2012                   

Greetings,

 

Welcome back to Matters of Style, a periodic newsletter from To a T Interiors.   In this issue, we hope you'll enjoy reading about a refreshed living room done for a couple in Potomac MD plus five favorite design tips and projects culled from recent ezines and blogs.  

 

Happy Decorating! 

In This Issue
How to Refresh a Tired Living Room
Five Favorite Design Tips and Projects
How to Refresh A Tired Living Room 
I met Leslie and Joe as a result of their winning bid in a charity fund raiser for two hours of To a T's services.  We started in their family room--where, like many of us, they spend the most time.  A large room (roughly 25' x 18'), it just needed some tweaks to the furniture arrangement to balance the room and ensure it did homage to the dual focal points of fireplace and TV.  They have been happily enjoying it ever since, saying recently "it is the best arrangement for the room they've had in their 28 years in the home." 

With that main objective done in roughly one hour, I asked if
there was anything else they wanted to accomplish while I was
Living Room Before
Living Room Before
there.
 Leslie asked me to  look at their living room which she was tired of and wanted to refresh without  starting over on the furnishings. 




To start, I suggested a new furniture arrangement that focused on a conversation area which the couple said they never felt they had achieved in the space (note: this is a common problem when working with a baby grand piano).

Room Design
Living Room Plan

They instantly liked the proposed arrangement but noted they wanted to keep their existing sofa and set of captains chairs that matched the adjacent dining room set. 


With that in mind, we set out to find a new area rug, coffee table and side chair and ottoman to replace the floral wing back chair (seen in top photo).  The area rug took some persistence to find (and the couple had to go through the pain of reordering after the first was found defective); but the wait was worth it as the new rug had all the colors to complement what was staying in the room and set the palette for new window treatment and chair fabrics.
Chloe Rug
New Area Rug

Chairs and Window BeforeOnce we had the color inspiration through the area rug and paint colors (note: the couple had already painted the living room a fresh green, Benjamin Moore's Kiwi, not shown in the before picture), I sourced the new fabrics for the side chairs and updated valences. This picture shows the old window treatments and upholstered chairs against the new paint color.

Out with the old and in with the new...below is the new conversation area centered on the area rug with updated valances and newly upholstered side chairs:  
Living Room After
And here is the room seen from the entry hall...would you even guess its the same room as shown in the top photo?  Such a lovely example of what fresh paint and fabrics can do for a space.  
Living Room After

 Five Favorite Design Tips and Projects

Jewelry as Art1.  Display your jewelry as art. 
I just love this idea from Julia Joseph to frame and display your jewelry.  Use a variety of frames surrounding cork, or fabric over batting, to get an attractive and functional display.  It's a great way to make sure you don't neglect some favorite pieces that could otherwise stay hidden in a jewelry box.
 

Armoir as Office
2.  Repurpose a TV  armoire. 
With the advent of flat screen TVs, TV armoires/entertain-
ment centers have become obsolete for their intended purpose.  Don't get rid of yours before considering alternatives for a second life as: home office, toy/game  storage, arts/crafts center, seasonal linens to name a few.  Here is a link to many creative makeover ideas for your old armoire.

Hanging Garden

3.  Have a garden in your kitchen.
Use one or more living wall planters to start a garden in your kitchen.  What a creative use of vertical space and great way to grow green in the kitchen.


Hutch Makeover
4.  Makeover a dated piece of furniture.
Everyone has a favorite piece of furniture that may be looking a bit tired.  Don't be afraid to paint it, and for a glass-fronted piece, add some colorful wallpaper to provide a backdrop for  displayed items.  Here are the instructions for the makeover of this lovely hutch.


DIY Dog Crate
5.  Create a decorative dog bed/crate.
What a creative DIY project to build a dog bed from an unused side table. If DIY is not your thing, or you can't find the right size table to cut down for your pooch, consider a dual purpose crate/side table that will make you and your faithful companion happy.


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
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Q. I want to paint my front door a different color than the shutters but I don't know how to choose a new color?

  

A. First consider what is going on in the exterior of your home, e.g., brick, stone, siding colors. If your shutter color already pulls from fixed elements of the house, consider a complementary color for the door. Don't be afraid of something bold; you may have to experiment (using sample pots or paper samples) with a few different colors to find one that makes a statement without looking out of place. Check out this blog post for some great inspiration. 

 
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