Innovations Interior Design
Home is Where You Come Alive - Designer Tips, Tricks, & Trends July 2010
In This Issue
Common Interior Design Mistakes
Add Color to Your Life!
"Before & After"
Quick Links
Greetings!  
Welcome!  In this and upcoming issues I'll be sharing lots of helpful and interesting information to help you create the place you love coming home to.

This month I'll cover the second most common design mistake that I see, I'll address using color in your home, and we'll look at another "Before & After".

I hope that you enjoy this issue and that you'll become a regular reader.  If you're not a subscriber, please click on "Join Our Mailing List" under quick links so that you won't miss our next issue.

Warmly,
Pamela Jaffke
Innovations Interior Design
 
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 Common Interior Design Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
Beginning last month I began a series of the most common design mistakes that I've encountered.  I've been an interior designer for twenty-four years, and in that time I've seen people make the same mistakes over and over when designing the interior of their homes.  I'd like to share the most common mistakes with you and give you some tips on how to avoid making them in your own home.  We'll cover a different mistake in each issue.

Mistake #2 - Painting Your Ceilings White.  Probably the most common objection I get from my clients is when I'm recommending paint colors and I tell them that we should paint the ceiling the same color as the walls.  They usually say, "But I've always painted my ceilings white!"  When I ask them why, they usually say that they just thought that's what you're supposed to do.  I think it may be a holdover from the days when we all had white acoustical (cottage cheese) ceilings.  For good design you want to contrast only those areas to which you wish to call attention.  Most ceilings are very plain and definitely not the focal point of the room.  If you don't want to call attention to the ceiling, then you should paint it the same color as the walls and it will blend in and not stand out.  What happens is amazing - when the ceiling matches the wall color you find yourself surrounded by a beautiful glow.  Additionally, crown moulding is now highlighted and looks striking against the contrast of the walls and ceiling.

In all the years that I've been having my clients' ceilings painted the color of the walls, they have always told me how beautiful it looks when it's done and how happy they are that they listened to my advice.  And this is after having to twist the arm of many a client to agree to do this!

If you are painting a room a very dark color, then you may not want the ceiling to be quite that dark, especially if it's a small room.  In this case you'd select a color that's a couple of shades lighter than the wall color.  Sometimes I'll select a contrasting color that looks good with the wall color and is used in other areas of the design.  For example, a dark navy blue room that contains camel accents would look wonderful with a camel colored ceiling.  When contrasting the ceiling and walls it's best to include crown moulding painted in an off-white color.  That separates the wall and ceiling colors and creates a very finished look.

If your room has a coffered ceiling with a recessed area I often have the recessed area painted a contrasting color.  Since the coffered ceiling is an architectural detail in the room, in this case you may want to call attention to it.  Only the raised area is contrasted and the remainder of the ceiling is painted to match the walls, thereby allowing the "glow" effect and accenting the ceiling at the same time.  
 
Blasing LR

Notice in the photo above that with the ceiling painted the same color as the walls the room has a beautiful glow.  The warm wall color envelopes you and creates an inviting feeling.

If you're planning to paint a room in your home try these tips and let me know how it turns out.  I'll bet you're going to love it!
Add Color to Your Life!
Just about everybody loves color.  Imagine if our world were completely black and white.  No color anywhere.  It would be like watching a black & white movie forever.  Fortunately we are surrounded by color.  The colors of nature give us gorgeous greens, soft blues, vibrant reds, luscious yellows, bright oranges, and rich purples.  Nature also gives us beautiful shades of sand, ebony, and white.  If you can't decide which colors you'd like to use in your home, turn to nature.  Look at a landscape or pick a bunch of flowers.  Then decide which colors make you happy and create a color scheme around them.  A guide to help you in the process is the 60-30-10 rule.  Your primary color will be approximately 60% of the decor, usually the walls.  The secondary hue will be about 30%, which may be used for furniture, window treatments, or flooring.  The remaining 10% will be an accent color that may be carried out with accessories that will personalize the space - throw pillows, area rugs, lamps, plants, and artwork.  Of course, this is a simplified way of designing, but it is safe as a beginning.  As you feel more confident with adding color, you can bring in another color or two in your accessories.
                                                                                                                  
Friedman FR

In the photo of this warm and inviting great room notice the use of the primary color on the walls.  The soft clay and beige tones in the furniture are the secondary color.  The accent colors are greens in the throw pillows, area rugs, and plants; rusty reds in the window treatments and area rug; and blues in the area rug, artwork and floral on the coffee table.  Dark woods create richness, and the light-colored orchid, crown moulding, and lamps create contrast.  The end result is a colorful room that has a lovely, soothing feeling -  just what my client was looking for.

Before & After Photos

I love sharing "before and after" photos.  It's so much fun to see the changes in a room.  I love seeing the reaction of my clients when we complete a project, but seeing the actual before and after photos is incredible.  You can see a slideshow of "before & after's" on my website under Portfolio, but I'd like to showcase one in this newsletter each month where I'll comment on the project.

Hutton Family Room - Before
Hutton Family Room - After
"Before"
"After"

This is the family room of a young family in Westridge. In the "before" photo you can see that the furniture is placed against the walls and the ceiling is painted white, as is the mantel and hearth.  The entertainment niche is empty, and there are temporary paper shades on the windows.  The room lacks warmth and doesn't function well for family gatherings or TV watching. 

My clients told me that they wanted a Tuscan feel to their home.  They wanted the family room to function well for large family gatherings as well as for TV watching and playing games with their three children.  They liked warm colors, especially reds.  In the "after" photo you can see that the walls and ceiling have been painted a warm beige tone.  The mantel and hearth have been faux painted to resemble stone.  My clients told me that when friends came by they thought that the mantel had been replaced with real stone!  I designed an entertainment center for the niche that includes a lighted area for display of my clients' art glass collection.  There is plenty of storage in the cabinetry for CD's and DVD's.  Comfortable seating for up to 10 people is arranged to maximize TV watching as well as to provide a cozy area for conversation.  The coffee table has drawers to hold lots of games, and two tables also have drawers to house additional DVD's.  Scarlet red roman shades add softness as well as the ability to darken the room for TV watching.  Red, a favorite of the client, is repeated in the throw pillows, ottomans, artwork, and accessories.  Plants soften the space and help bring the outdoors into the room.  Additional family photos and accessories create an intimate feeling .  You can see more views of this beautiful home on my website.

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