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How to add a little color to your life

Better Homes and Gardens

There is nothing I love more than color in an interior. Color speaks to all of us in different ways, but it never fails to make us feel happy! How can you look at this space and not smile? Some of the easiest ways to add color to your life:

1) Pillows-Super easy to change out and add to any space.

2) Art-Whether you like custom high-end art or inexpensive pieces from the flea market the effect is all the same. Use it to add that pop!

3) Accessories-Sprinkle them around the house in fun unexpected colors. Even if you think they don’t go with the color scheme, use it anyways. It’s always nice to have that added surprise!

What are your favorite ways to add color to your life?

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Photo: Better Homes and Gardens

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Posted: March 25, 2013 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: Accessories | Florals | How-to's | Interiors | Pink | accessorizing | art | clever ideas | color | color trends | design 101 | design basics | family rooms | furniture | high style | interior design | paint | pillows | , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment
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Designer Do’s and Don’ts

I would like to thank DefySupply for featuring me as one of their experts for their latest sales infographic. If you are looking for furniture they are the place to go! As one of their favorite designers they stroked my ego by including me in their latest ad. So thanks defysupply, you rock. But honestly, I am pretty great so listen to what I recommend, it will change your life-promise!

Design Do's and Dont's

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Posted: October 22, 2012 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: Bedrooms | DIY | Design trend | Feng Shui | Interiors | Simple Luxuries | TIPS | art | bathrooms | blogging | cleaning | clever ideas | color | decorating a guest room | decorating for the seasons | design 101 | design basics | design education | design strategies 101 | design tips | design trends | design tricks | elements of design | family rooms | home and garden | how to's for accessories | interior design | linens | living your best life | luxury | , , , 1 Comment
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6 Designing Secrets from an Interior Designer

When it comes to design there are few rules to adhere to. I mean let’s get something straight here, it’s about creative expression and really showing off your true personality. Setting up a list of rules on how you should and shouldn’t design your home is like telling a painter how they should wave their brush strokes. We all do it differently, approach it from all directions but the end result is always magic. So when designing your home, whether you’re a complete novice or fifteen years into the business always live through creativity but keep a few things in mind.

1) Always have flowers

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I am a huge fan of flowers and talk of them often here on the blog. Arrangements do not have to be difficult and can make a huge impact on a room with little effort.

2) Every home should shine

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Just like the photo above, all homes and spaces should have some bling. Add sparkle where ever you can. Whether it be chandeliers, candle holders, decorative accessories, any item that reflects light helps lift a room.

3) Add beauty

Art

Simple things in our lives add beauty. It is about honoring your specific lifestyle and the little things that make your house special. It could be an expensive art piece over the fireplace or your five year olds drawing from school. Beauty comes in many things, learn how to define what your is.

4) Buy quality, buy once

Quality

My mother instilled this in me growing up. She would wait a year to buy a chair or furniture piece if it meant she wouldn’t have to ever buy it again. To this day she still has all of our original furniture from our small house in California from when I was a kid. To her quality far out weighed quantity.

5) Always buy natural

All natural

I have a particular client who is a bachelor and thought it was high way robbery to spend $40 on sheets. However, his $40 sheets were 100% polyester and sand paper would have been more comfortable for sleeping. When I suggested he upgrade to $400 sheets his 30 year old heart stopped. But when I explained to him that the benefits of all natural far out weighed the price, not to mention he’d sleep better, he was sold. Now he tells everyone he knows that better quality sheets are the way to go.

6) Get rid of the clutter

Clean and easy

So many homes I go in are stuffed with unnecessary things. Over cluttered with paper, magazines and items that rarely see the light of day. A space needs to breathe and be enjoyed. Choose items carefully and chuck the rest. You’ll be amazed at how well you feel!

Ready to get your room started? Need some help? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

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Posted: October 10, 2012 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: Bedrooms | Before and after | Closets | DIY | Flower arrangements | Interiors | Scale and proportion | TIPS | Top 10 design tips | accessorizing | art | bathrooms | bedding | choosing paint | clever ideas | decorating a guest room | design 101 | design basics | design tips | elements of design | family rooms | focal point | furniture | interior design | organization tips | , , , , , , , 1 Comment
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The writing is on the wall

I design a lot of homes around active families so when I came across this design on pinterest (shown below) I knew it was something that I would be using in a future design. It is originally from this website here, but I am not from the Netherlands so I have no clue what this is for, or what the website is trying to say. Lucky for us this design is easy to replicate and ideal for an active family. How great would this be in a hallway or in the kitchen?

★

Take some old frames from a flea market or thrift store and paint them the color of your home. Place dry erase or chalk board paint inside of them and hang in an area that the whole family uses. With chalk or dry erase pens the whole family can leave fun notes for one another, and create fun art as you go. Who says art needs to be boring?!

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Posted: September 24, 2012 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: DIY | art | clever ideas | design tips | designer | family rooms | , , , , , 1 Comment
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5 Must-Have Furniture Pieces for Your Living Room

Living rooms have a tendency to become cluttered with non-essential furniture—TV trays, pianos, Stairmasters—the list goes on. And despite the clutter, they often lack what’s necessary. Whether you live in a cozy apartment in the big city or a suburban six bedroom Colonial, here are five essential furniture pieces that will complete any living room:

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  1. Sofa. Don’t buy any sofa—buy the right sofa for your place! If you have ample room, a plush, leather sectional brings comfort and style to your living room. Tight on space? Try a loveseat with a pull-out bed for guests. As for color, neutral leather sofa or solid microfiber couch are timeless options that can be jazzed up with throw pillows.
  1. Entertainment set. Your TV is often the focal point of the living room. Showcase it with an entertainment set! Consider the aesthetics of your living room when purchasing this unit, but quality is a non-negotiable. Also be sure to get a TV stand or console that can adequately house your DVD player and those clunky cable boxes.
  1. Shelving unit. A shelving unit can be both decorative and functional. Shelves allow you to display knick-knacks or photographs, but also serve as a catchall for blankets, the full 10 seasons of Friends and your pre-Kindle book collection.
  1. Coffee tables. Coffee tables are a must. Stick a couple end tables next to your couch or a large accent table in the middle of the room. Coffee tables come in all shapes and styles. Try nesting tables for added versatility. But whatever table you go with, don’t forget coaster; nasty drink rings can ruin your furniture fast.
  1. Lamps. And He said, “Let there be light!” With that inspiring proclamation, lamps can transform a room through lighting. Plus, a funky lamp adds another layer of visual interest. And forget your grandmother’s old Mod Podge seashell lamp; lighting fixtures come in all varieties to suit your needs and tastes, from floor lamps to side lamps to elaborate chandeliers.

Living room furniture doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive. Just make sure they are well-made and you’re not going to get sick of looking at them in a week. Investing in the right pieces—starting with these five basics—can keep your home well furnished for decades!

This guest post was written by Elissa White, content contributor at DefySupply and shiparoom.com. When not writing, Elissa is dreaming of DIY ways to transform her tiny studio apartment into Buckingham Palace. Image: AB HOME Interiors

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Posted: June 22, 2012 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: bookshelves | family rooms | focal point | furniture | lamps | , , , Leave a Comment
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Apartment therapy series

In the past few weeks I have been preparing for Mrs M’s apartment therapy series on her family room. While she started down a very good path, she made a few rookie mistakes. But nothing a swift designer can’t fix! My plan was to update the scale, take advantage of the ceiling height and add some drama to the space.

My Concept:

martin FR

My Concept

Her lamps were too squatty for a room with such tall ceilings. To beef up the scale I found glass lamps with eggshell drum shades to draw the eye up. These were perfect for her small end tables. The lamp bases fit perfectly while giving her much needed height. To allow the eye to be drawn around the room I wanted graphic prints and strong pops of color.

1) Sofa wall

My assessment

In general black pillows are a bad idea. They create black holes that leave the space empty. My suggestion was woven beige 22″ linen pillows in combination with two graphic pillows from crate and barrel. It pulls all the colors together from around the room and helpd ground the eye lower in the space. With taller lamps, lowering the art, and adding a strong pop of color with the cocktail cubes, Mrs M’s room is stylish and fun.

2) The results

Before

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The results

The painting was brought closer to the sofa, lamps exchanged for these beauties, pillows defined, and strong pops of color excite the eyes. Mrs M was well on her way….the space just needed a little punch. Tune in next week and I will show the rest of the results from the family room!

Ready to get your room started? Need some help? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

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Posted: December 5, 2011 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: family rooms | , , , , 11 Comments
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How to make Family Rooms versatile by Amanda Gates

Family rooms are the most versatile rooms in our house. Whatever your lifeSTYLE, they can be used for watching a movie, entertaining guests, doing homework, listening to music or quietly reading a book~assuming you have purchased the right sized lamps!

The most important thing when putting together a family room is a PLAN.  Whether the space is big or small, the right plan will give you more STYLE, personality, and function without any surprises.

In order to capture your STYLE your room needs to breathe the way you and your family live. For example, if the room will only be used for entertaining and music then there is no reason to spend thousands of dollars on an entertainment unit that holds a TV. Design should be tailored according to your plan and the function of the room you are designing.
Once you have determined HOW the room will be used, select fabrics that function appropriately for it’s use. Obviously if kids will be involved the fabrics need to be prepared for combat. Different fabrics express different levels of formality and they need to sync well with the rooms purpose.

Always dress your windows with draperies. Draperies play a major role in building your STYLE, and they too can determine the formality of the room. Windows without draperies look naked, and the room will look unfinished. However, make sure they are the correct SCALE. In other words, don’t throw some inexpensive draperies up for the sake of having your windows dressed because there is nothing worse than flat draperies. As a rule of thumb remember, GO BIG or GO HOME.

Tell a story with your furniture. Don’t select an entire suite from the furniture store. Choose pieces that speak to you and your personality. Stick to your plan, and choose items that read closely to your rooms function without sacrificing the
end goals. Mix and math your pieces and ground the room with a great rug.
Lori Dennis
Lastly, design with flexibility in mind. Always have lightweight options like stools, that can be easily be moved around. Or leave open space so that chairs or other seating from other rooms can be added. Small tables are lightweight and can easily be moved for different settings. Choose a rug that is larger than the furniture arrangement so your stools, tables and any other added item work with ease and don’t look forced.

Troy Beasly
Mix it up, have fun, and always have a loose plan so you don’t fall into unexpected surprises.







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Posted: March 26, 2010 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: family rooms | high style | interior design | , , Leave a Comment
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