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
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An Interior Designer sheds 'light' with bright Ideas on how to stay Focused and Motivated with your Home Improvement Project

An Interior Designer sheds 'light' with some bright ideas on how to stay Focused and Motivated with your Home Improvement Project

Photo courtesy of Quoizel.com

Do you want to ‘light up your life’, stay on track and see results with your decorating project? I do, and I must, everyday for my design clients and for my own home projects. Here is how I stay motivated to stay on track with projects:

·         Subscribe to motivational, informational and newsworthy podcasts through ITunes.

·         Daily hit the road for a walk or run, geared up with my IPod filled with the latest ITunes podcast.

·         Back at home, I write down a few of the ideas gleaned from the day’s podcast segment.

For instance, yesterday I listened to the "Get-It-Done-Guy's Quick and Dirty Tips to Work Less and Do More" by Stever Robbins. This podcast covers basics on Visualizing Results. Check out his website at : http://getitdone.quickanddirtytips.com.

Stever spoke of the importance of concentrating on the steps needed to achieve a goal. He remarked that by breaking down the goals into steps you can feel a sense of accomplishment, as opposed to only seeing an overwhelming goal at hand.

So to keep from being overwhelmed, I break down each aspect of designing a room, for instance, into various segments. These segments receive an approximate date for completion.

As an example, in planning lighting for a client, I use my Lighting Plan Worksheet to store all the details necessary for planning room lighting. For a chandelier, I need to know the height of the ceiling, the width of the dining table, and other finishes used in the space (ie door/cabinet hardware, faucets, etc.).

So -  listen to a motivational podcast, head out for a walk and come back motivated and ready to tackle your next home decorating project!

Mary Alice Smith can be reached at: 732 690-2030

*Email at: masmith729@comcast.net

See you at : masmithinteriordesign.com

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