Go from Dark and Drab with a Little Pizazz

Photo courtesy of Nick Olsen and House Beautiful

One of the easiest ways to capture an updated look and add some pizazz to your home is by weaving a theme into your decorating scheme. Designer Nick Olsen did a fantastic job of this in a home he decorated for a client (as shown in the photo above).

He used bold green graphic lines throughout the home. For instance, he designed a white slip-covered sofa with the contrast of an emerald green welt.

Olsen also added a splash of green with a chevron design on a bedroom chest.

Another home that accomplished this successfully had a checkerboard theme. The checkerboard pattern was scattered throughout the house on walls, on floors and even on a sofa pillow.

For instance, a wall was painted in a faded checkerboard pattern. The pattern also showed up in a kitchen cutting board, a tile floor, a dining room tablecloth and on powder room guest towels.

But, what made it so successful was how it was achieved in a subtle manner. 

Repeating a graphic element has the power of pulling rooms together.

Define what shape you are drawn to (chevron, checkerboard, circles, triangles, animal silhouettes, etc.) and repeat it in each room. 

Choose and use your favorite shape or symbol and you'll make your rooms come together and come to life!

 Interior Design - Ocean and Monmouth County and Metropolitan New Jersey and NYC

M. A. Smith  LLC Interior Design
732 690-2030
Best Design Coach Blog
House Zen Garden Blog

How to Get Back on Track

Yes, I know I've been MIA from HouseZenGarden blog for quite some time. The truth is (and my excuse) that I've been truly very and gratefully busy with design clients. I threw myself into my work and could not stop for a moment to write, let alone think about writing here in my blog. So, I'll blame 'Sandy' for my absence here.

Since Super Storm Sandy in the northeast, it's been the busiest years ever with interior design clients. The storm caused many homeowners to re-build their summer homes. From the ground up they face daily decisions that have to be made during their re-build project.

What color siding or roof, how is the floorplan going to work and most fun - what tiles to choose in their bathrooms? Questions are everywhere and the answers are found after we talk and discuss what they really, truly would love to have in their new homes.

Lucky for me, they found me when they Googled interior designers in New Jersey. They found me because of my blog and what I wrote that connected to them and to what they were going through.

I can identify with all their overwhelming decisions, because I often work with a number of projects at the same time. The only way to sort through all the decisions is to have a plan, a list of items to tackle first. Just like the book The1Thing.com suggests, do the ONE thing that needs to be done first.

And now I can really identify with my clients because my own Master Bath is under construction.
As I tell my clients, it's a process. It won't be finished overnight. But when it's done it will be worth all the work, the time and yes, the expense.

So, here we are now - almost finished with the tiling. The vanity, the glass enclosure and the light fixtures are ordered. And, next and favorite part - selecting the paint color for the walls.



Getting back on track - the only way to get to the things you know you must do is to just start. Start one thing today. Yesterday, we got 'back on track' at the gym. Today, back on track at the gym, this blog and later today - selecting our paint color for the bathroom after work.

What's on your list so you can get back on track?
Fast Track Interior Design - interior design plan that gets your project to goal

M. A. Smith LLC Interior Design
1288 Beauchamps Place, Toms River, NJ 08753
732 690-2030
E-mail: masmith@masmithinteriordesign.com
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http://masmithinteriordesign.com
Blog: HouseZenGarden
Blog: BestDesignCoach.com
Serving New Jersey and Metropolitan New York City