We have had a wonderful summer full of remodeling, redesign and decorating homes throughout Northern Virginia, Maryland and DC. Visit our design portfolio to see some of our favorite transformations: www.SimplyBeautifulSpaces.com
I wanted to pass on some shopping resources, tips and ideas to help with design in your home and helpful ways to approach timelines.
Resources
Furniture anyone? Gallahans of Fredericksburg is hosting an "invitation only" private sale event this week, if you need furniture pieces for your home, please send me an email by Tuesday, August 26th and let me know what to look for and purchase on your behalf. Their doors will open to the general public on Friday.
GreenHouse Designs. We've picked up a new fabric vendor and love the ease of using their website. If you are looking for fabrics for your home or for general use, please visit http://greenhousefabrics.com/ I love their selection!
Custom Bedding. Looking for custom bedding and window treatments? As an authorized dealer for Eastern Accents, we can offer bedding, pillows, window treatements and accessories you find in many high end stores below their cost. The styles range from traditional to contemporary. Please visit www.EasternAccents.com and browse their selections.
Wall Words! I love them. We use them! You can order custom or ready made designs directly from their website www.wallwords.com
Design Tips and Ideas
Painting your home If you are hiring a painting contractor and need help selecting room colors, it is a good idea to have a design professional meet with you at least two weeks in advance. The designer should walk through each room with you to determine the best colors to coordinate with existing decor and furnishings. If selecting different colors for each room, the palette should flow - a fancy word for coordinating the color transition from room to room. Why two weeks? After a color palette is selected, it takes approximately one week for color swatches to be delivered from the manufacturer. Once the swatches arrive, they should be placed strategically on the walls in each room to be painted. For approximately three to five days, you should then observe how the color changes given different times of the day and light sources. This helps make the final determination to select the color, and you can leave them on the wall for the contractor to know which wall is to be painted in the color of your choice. Word of caution - I call this "paint shock." Anytime you have a color card on a white or off white wall, it will naturally look darker given the surroundings, especially in low light. This is where trust in your design professional's abilities is a factor. A good design professional may offer a solution if you truly are not satisfied with the end result.
Recycling items On a budget but craving some change? Many times I "repurpose" items for clients. Some of these projects only require a steady hand, a tube of acrylic paint and a small paint brush. I transformed a piece of artwork found at a discount store and changed some elements of the picture to coordinate with the room. Using a dry brush and light strokes, you can change the look of any "off the shelf" artwork and make it an original piece of your own. It's "paint by numbers" without numbers. Want to change the matting around the art? With so many varieties of spray paint colors and textures, you can easily change the color of mat board with light layers of spray paint. Let the paint dry between applications until you achieve the desired affect. What about lamps, candlesticks and other metal items? Clean the items completely to remove dust and oil. I always go over them again with rubbing alcohol. Let them dry completely before taping off and protecing areas you do not want painted. Most items can simply be spray painted, some will require a primer which is also available in a spray can. Here's how to make it look really cool... spray a flat black in the corners and crevices and before it's completely dry, use a different color over the entire surface area. This gives a dimensional effect to the item. Want to see your items repurposed? Get some friends together and give me a call - we'll make a fun day of changing items together!
Window Treatment Ideas Need a window treatment but don't want to pay so much? Don't forget about shower curtains, sheets and table linens. The come in so many colors and fabrics and are relatively inexpensive compared to curtains. White sheets make for easy lining and can be affixed with no-sew tape and an iron. Don't like to sew but need to adjust the length? Fold the fabric over to create a "header" and use ring clips. Mount the panels or topper to a decorative rod and you have great and inexpensive window treatments!
Preparing for the Holidays! Most designers are booked six months in advance. If you need help with preparing your home for guests or parties, now is the time to contact us for help! Simply email us at info@simplybeautifulspaces.com and let us know how we can help.
Candlelight Tour of Homes Speaking of holidays, we have been invited to decorate the home of Shaun and Neil Sullivan for the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation's Annual Candlelight Tour. The event will take place on December 13th and 14th and more information can be found by visiting www.HFFI.org Tickets are $30 each, $25 for HFFI members and $25 for groups of ten or more or $10 for a single home. If you need tickets, please let me know by November 1st. I can get tickets at the reduced price when ordering in bulk. HGTV. Many of you know that HGTV has contacted me about some of my holiday designs. I've signed the release for an upcoming holiday special and hope to see one or more of my designs featured on their show. If you would like a preview, please visit http://blogs.hgtv.com/hgtv/crafts/archives/2008/01/your_great_holi.html
As always, it is a pleasure working with so many wonderful people and their families and we look forward to more home transformations! Take care and God Bless! Kate
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