Red Decor Inspiration Rooms

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Red is a great accent color.  A little bit goes a long way.  I love the gray pinstripe upholstery and the wire table base that continues that theme.  They have used just enough red to add interest, like a necktie with a suit.

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I think this is interesting.  The chandelier is covered in fabric, and I can't tell if the chairs are wrapped in fabric or tape.  The space is entirely neutral, except for the pops of red.

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Red sofa and chairs are a great design solution for this space.  The area rug grounds the sofa, so that it doesn't seem to float above the floor.  There is no wall space for art, and the white walls enhance the large windows.  The red furniture provides all the warmth and color that this space needs, without detracting from the windows.

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Red can be difficult to match perfectly.  I love this photo, because the rug, chairs and paint colors are so perfectly matched.  There are actually several shades of red in this rug, which makes it a perfect candidate for color matching.  If you want to try this yourself (with any color) a paint color matching computer will get a better sample from the fabric than the rug, because of the way the rug texture affects the light.  The paint color taken from the fabric may need to be modified by adding a few drops of black, which will adjust for the differences in textures.  That modification is best done on site, as you go along with the painting process under the actual lighting conditions in the space.

Using Mirrors, Adding Sparkle

There are rumors floating around, that mirrors make a small space seem larger.  While this is sometimes a true statement, it is just as often false.

In general, our eyes are drawn to bright light.  The first thing that your eye will go to in a room is a window with light coming in.  Such a window will make a space seem larger, because you will become aware of the distance to that window, and beyond.  Anything that reflects light or sparkles will similarly create an anchor point for the perception of space.

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Walls of mirror were popular in the 1980s.  This photo is a great example of that "fun house" effect which is made even more irritating when columns in the middle of a room are covered in mirror.  Nothing drives me out of a retail space faster!

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Here, a large mirror was used to effectively double the furniture in the room.  This is great in this space because the room is so huge that it would look too sparse with only the table and chairs.  If your dining room is small or crowded, doubling the furniture really won't make it seem larger.

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Here, the mirror does actually increase the perception of space, acting as a window would.  It will also increase the amount of light produced by the pendant.

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Here the room is already light and bright, the colors are already enhancing the space, and the sparkle is further contributing to that effect.  The nail heads on the chair and the mirror on the candle sconce carry the sparkle theme in a subtle way.  This is a great example of making small spaces seem larger, in addition to being really pretty.

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This is the home of Christian Louboutin.  I believe I found this photo in Architectural Digest.  The ceiling is very high, and and the mirror makes use of the height.  Do you see how low the chairs seem in relation to the scale of the mirror?  This application (with either a mirror or a large piece of art) would also benefit a small space, to make it seem larger.  It comes more from scale than from the mirror.

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Here a mirror has been used to enhance a light fixture.  It is a beautiful vignette, but I doubt that it has anything to do with making the space seem larger.

Bohemian Decor, Bo Ho Rooms, Hippy Decorating

The Bohemian style has gained popularity.  While it is very different than my aesthetic, I like the idea of a "more is more" style gaining acceptance and even making it to pages of home magazines.  I know people who decorate this way, and I get a kick out visiting their homes.  I have collected some fun photos in this style from around the Internet, and decided to post them just for kicks.

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This bed has everything but the kitchen sink on it.  Notice that the bed is in the middle of the room, and you would walk behind the headboard to get to the armoire.  Every rule has been broken.  Did they draw squiggles on the walls with a sharpie?

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I always like complimentary colors, and this dark nook seems like another time and place.  So many colors from blue to purple and orange to red, with black trim and patterns and shiny bits on every surface.

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Bold color, pattern, and mixed styles make this space fun.  The table is really wild.

 

    

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I could actually imagine living with a statement piece like this sofa somewhere, somehow.  I might have to try a similar upholstery project on a chair someday if I ever have a space for it.

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These fabrics remind me of the hippy style, but the odd costume on display is perhaps even more interesting to me.  A ratty old twin bed used as a sofa seems to tell a story.

The moral of the story is that you can get away with anything.  I like that!

White Walls, Rental Property, Low Budget Decorating Ideas

Rental properties usually have white walls and restrictions about painting.  I am using more photos here than usual, sorry if the page takes a while to load.  I want to show an assortment of nice rooms with white walls to show different inexpensive methods that work.

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Used furniture pieces painted green, very white bedding against off-white walls, inexpensive ikea lamps

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 Bright color accent pieces

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 Eclectic and neutral

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 Inexpensive horizontal dressing mirrors

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All white.  Uses the full height with large wall art.  Lamps could be removed.

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 Complimentary colors

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Very white simple items against off-white walls

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 Limited use of accent color

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 Soft pink and gray

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Colorful bedding with coordinating lamp and vase, silver picture frames

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 Colorful gallery wall and accent pieces

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 Mixed styles.  Consider changing light fixtures or curtains in a rental.

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Wall art and accessories create a color story

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 Soft gray and white, inexpensive white curtain panels

Please note that none of these photos show anything that the average person can't afford, or can't create.  It is the styling of these rooms (choice of objects and placement) that makes them so nice.

Ceiling Treatments

The one thing that I am always striving for in any interior is a sense that the area is large, open, uncluttered, airy.  I have been accused of liking things simple.  This is a little bit true, but mostly I like things to SEEM simple.

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Adding some kind of a treatment to a ceiling helps to create volume.

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This room shows insufficient space on the floor... you'd have trouble getting into either the bed or the chairs.  The carpet texture, drapery and color choices make it seem even more close.  It is "cozy", the complete opposite of what I like.  However, the ceiling paint and sheen creates a place for the eye to go and find some air.

Imagine a tiny bathroom with walls and ceiling painted chocolate brown, with a shiny white crown molding.  It shouldn't work, but that bright white line of crown will make it seem large.  Your eye will go right to the upper corners of the room, giving you a sense of space that a white ceiling wouldn't.

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A plain white ceiling is great if you want people to focus on the carpet runner, which makes this space seem even more narrow than it is.  Even without the carpet, the walls are packed full of things to look at, and the ceiling is larger than the floor.  My eye would go right to this ceiling.

In any furnished space, the ceiling will always be uncluttered and more visible than the floor.  It is a surface that can make a space SEEM more simple, especially if something simple is added to bring it into your field of vision.  

Repurposed China Cabinets

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Shoe cabinet

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linen storage

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Upper portion of two-piece cabinet (lighted) was mounted to wall.  Used as kitchen cabinets.  I was planning to paint it and change the hardware, but met with objections.  I'll probably do that at some point, when I have some spare time.   

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Before, as originally intended, with typical china display.

China Cabinets and Hutches are some of the best bargains on the used or antique furniture market.  As people are changing to less formal dining rooms these pieces are often sold in "like new" condition at low prices.

Some look dated (60s & 70s), which can often be changed with paint or removal of decorative screening behind the glass.  Often, just changing the style of hardware pulls will give them an updated look.  I have seen them modified to hold a flat-screen TV, books and wine in addition to the uses shown here.  They are good storage units for office spaces.  They can be used as a dresser in a child's room with upper display/ storage if anchored to the wall for safety.

I also have an antique hutch with solid doors that I have used for just about everything except dishes.  I originally purchased it to use as a dresser and it currently holds my art supplies.

Tall furniture is great for storage.  China cabinets are usually deeper than bookcases, and not as deep as an armoire or wardrobe cabinet.  They are generally built sturdy to hold heavy dishes, and the contents should stay free of dust.

Architectural Elements

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Coffered ceiling.

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Stencil painted stair risers.

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Ceiling medallions on wall.

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Brackets or corbels and window casings.

These photos impressed me.  I don't know what else to say about that :-).

Working with Yellow

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Yellow is a misunderstood color.  More than any other color, people will choose a yellow paint from a chip and be surprised at the result when they finish painting.  There are many reasons for this, which I have decided against trying to explain here.  My best advice is that you should visit a store that specializes in paint (not a hardware store) and ask for help.  The next best option (because you might just need to buy paint late at night) is to choose a paint that looks a little bit green and hideous on the chip, with an LRV below 60 <LRV is printed on back of color chip>.  That should give you a color similar to the wall in the top photo (golden yellow, not peachy, not neon, and not pastel).

Yellow is a good accent color.  Use it in rental properties when painting walls is not an option, or to create a focal point.  A little bit of yellow can go a long way.

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Decorative Accessories in the Home

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How can you accessorize your home without making it look cluttered?  How do you choose the right accessories?  Here, the colors make the objects work together.  Rule of thumb, arrange three objects in a group.  A few large objects usually looks better than more small objects.  It is good to leave space on the table for functional use, as shown above.

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Here, the celadon pottery is similar to the wall color, and the orange tray is similar to the throw pillows.  The items in the tray become one object visually, to reduce the clutter.  This coffee table is over-sized for the furniture that it is grouped with.  The size of the objects on it are large enough to fit the scale, and there is still functional space on the table.  I like this photo a lot.  This room would be too perfectly Decorating 101 if not for this coffee table.  Don't you think it makes the room more interesting?

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Here random objects were spray painted all the same color, so that they relate to each-other.  Visual interest is created by the shapes of the objects without distraction from different finishes.  To me, it would be more interesting if there was more variety of height, but the spray paint is genius.  I suggest that you visit her blog to see the "before" items.  It is an amazing transformation.

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This is a furniture ad.  The wicker pieces in the corner are large, and the shapes are interesting.  They have ignored the rule of arranging things in odd numbers.  A little pop of red and a little pop of orange is dramatic against all this dark brown.  I think I'd need to add a large low ceramic pot with reds and oranges near those wicker pieces, or perhaps a heavy ceramic lamp to pull it all together.

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For a more formal approach, use pairs of items in a symmetrical arrangement.  All that means, is that each side is arranged as a mirror image of the other.  Symmetry is often used by matching tables and lamps on each side of a bed, or a pair of potted plants on each side of a door.  I found this photo interesting because it shows that symmetry on the mantle doesn't have to be formal.  

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Often accessories are used to create a theme.  These are almost always overdone and too many obvious objects are grouped together.  In the above photo, I like the simplicity of the items.  A white orchid could be added, or it could replace a candlestick, but a boat or a sign "beach" would just kill it for me.  It is nice to leave something to the imagination. 

If you look through these photos again you should notice that none of the accessories that I have shown are expensive or hard to get.  It is more important how you mix and arrange the items than what the items are.  Over time, we tend to collect these decorative items, and end up with too much.  If you display all of it at once you will have clutter.  You can pack boxes of accessories and rotate the decorative items when you want a change, as you do with holiday decorations.