Living Room Interior Design: The Final Floor Plan
Why is it that we tend to put ourselves last? In my case it’s because I’m so busy designing other people’s homes that I run out of time for my own. Then, of course, there’s my family life, which always comes first before anything. So, I’m really thrilled that after a couple of years I’ve finally begun to work on my own living room.
Previously, I’ve used my living room as a template for two interior design companies that offer an online service. You can read my reviews of Designer At Home and and RoomJuice to see their solutions. The upshot is that, while I think this is a growing trend, it can’t yet compare to creating the best interior design solution without actually seeing the space. Read my reviews to see exactly what I mean.
I thought I’d share my interior design plans with you.
Here is the horrid picture of the living room “before”. I know, it’s a sad tale of woe.
I’ll spare you the gory details. But it involves no time and not enough parties. I definitely need to change all of that. Anyway, I did enough interior design work so as not to totally embarrass myself. The art placed along the floor was not part of the plan. I wonder how it got there?
Getting down to business, the major problem with the interior design of this long and narrow (23′ x 14′) room is that the coffee table is out of scale. It’s way too big. Basically, this is called Trying to fit the furniture from your old house into the new one. The sequel is called Then I got too busy to fix it.
The room is long and thin. That makes it very hard to create one seating area without wasting a lot of space. So I divided the room into two groupings.
How To Add Accessories To Your Home Without Spending A Bundle
Have you ever noticed a woman wearing a beautiful dress only to notice that her shoes are the wrong color, a belt would have added a lot of zip, and that she forgot the jewelry? I think in the same way when I walk into a home. The furniture is beautiful, but where is the jewelry? You might think that art and accessories are the least important part of decorating a home. “Those things are so small. Who’s gonna notice?” And hey, after spending all that money on the furniture it may seem that spending even more on accessories really isn’t that necessary. Or, it will get done later. Much later.
I want you to love where you live. All of it! So make sure you’ve got the tchotchkes. They’re just as important as the right pair of shoes. Read More…
The Hottest House Plant? Say Hello to the Fiddle Leaf Fig
Did you ever think there could be a trend in house plants? To be honest, I’m not a plant person, so I’ve never given it much thought. As a designer, I choose a plant that looks great and will get the right amount of sunlight for the room I’m working with. And I make sure my clients are prepped for its care and feeding. I haven’t ever fallen in love with a ficus tree. But things have changed.
I’m working with a client who loves plants. She runs a business creating floral arrangements for events. So I had worked closely with her to make sure her plants would be perfect. After all, I’m all about creating spaces so you’ll love where you live. That’s when I discovered the Fiddle Leaf Fig.
Once I saw them and fell in love I started seeing them everywhere. Isn’t it funny how that sort of thing happens? This plant has surely transcended the tried and true Ficus tree.
The Fiddle Leaf Fig is actually a bush, but it can be trimmed into a tree and shaped in all kinds of ways. Here are some design ideas to check out using the latest thing in house plants. Hey, you don’t want to be left behind!
The Fiddle Leaf Fig has made its way onto the covers of several shelter magazines like Elle Decor (above). Read More…
Choosing Colors, by Kevin McCloud, and My Current Color Palette Favorite
I just picked up Choosing Colors by color genius, Kevin McCloud ($16,47 at Amazon). He’s so inspirational and really knows his stuff. His book explains color theory in an understandable way and suggests all kinds of ways to mix them up.
a
Best of all, he gives you these little squares of black and gray so you can check out his colors against the best background. And, he has color numbers from the major paint companies, so you can scoot over to your paint store and get colors from his book in paint form. I like that.
Kevin wrote this amazing book titled Decorative Style about 20 years when faux finishes were really in. Sadly, it’s out of print, but if you can pick up a copy, it’s a good one to keep in your design arsenal. Read More…
Are Canopy Beds the Most Romantic Style?
I sort of think so. Maybe it’s because you feel enclosed in all the fabric that might hang around it. It becomes a private hideaway, enabling you to let go and get your groove on. A 12-foot ceiling, French windows, Paris, and some chilled champagne wouldn’t hurt either. And, since we’re having fun, I’ll throw in Guy Pierce.
Okay, so here of some of my top picks for canopy beds.
I really love this bed designed by Annie Selke for Vanguard. I wanted to use it in a client’s home, but the ceiling was too low and for some reason they weren’t willing to rip out the roof. This bed is so stylish, it would rip off the roof all by itself (I am such a cool writer, no?) Anyway, I love the gold. It’s super hot right now. Read More…
