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beautifying, loving, organizing & good things
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for your home & life
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"But they came as a set!"What do you do if you purchased a matching set of furniture? Maybe you have the sofa AND the loveseat AND the matching chairs AND...... You get the picture. All in the same room? Yawn. Breaking up is easy to doIf you have a suite of furniture that’s all matching, consider breaking it up. Luxury model homes like the Toll Brothers, do this all the time. You’ll see the sofa in the family room, and the matching loveseat in the master bedroom, and maybe the matching chair in yet another room. It gives your rooms visual continuity, without being so matchy-matchy in all the same room. Change things up! Take it one step further and find new homes for some of your dining room chairs. Perhaps you need a pair of chairs for your office (pictured). Or try a chair or two in the guest room. Again, you'll have visual continuity and your home will look more "designed". Tools of the TradeIf you’d like some tools to make this easier, I recommend the Super Slider movers, readily available at Target and online at Amazon. You slip them under the furniture legs to make moving much easier. If you have hard wood floors, they even have Super Sliders with little slip-on type socks that go over the sliders so you protect your wood floors. If you’d like to play with various arrangements before you start moving furniture, go online and look for ICOVIA software. It’s free, and you input the room’s dimensions, and your furniture dimensions, and you can play with various arrangements on your iPad or computer first, before you start moving furniture. See? It's easy. Oooh, your home is so beautifulThat's the secret. Break up those matching sets. Sprinkle them around your home, and viola! You have no more matchy-matchy-I-had-to-buy-the-whole-suite. Instead you have a lovely, "designed" home with visual continuity. Pat yourself on the back. See? You really can be your own designer.
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Most people think they have to push the furniture up against the walls. We often talk about it on the radio show – my rule is “No Wallflowers”. Pull the furniture away from the walls, so you can have an easy conversation with others in the room. Unless you are square dancing in the middle of the room, you can explore all sorts of options. For example, this picture demonstrates how placing your sofas (or sofa / loveseat) perpendicular to the focal point can look fabulous. (In this case the focal point is the fireplace). How easy is that! Now everyone seated can have an easy conversation with everyone else in the room. This is a perfect arrangement for a large family, or for people who entertain. The Toll Brothers luxury builders know this trick. Notice how the seating is all arranged to the focal point. When staging someone’s home for sale this is the trick I use all the time. I want to call attention to the home’s feature – whether it’s the view or the fireplace, a gorgeous piece of art or whatever…. And I’ve had clients say “we didn’t know the house could look this good! maybe we don’t have to move after all”. What’s the difference? You’re using what you already own, and simply rearranging for better flow and functionality. In my recent staging workshop, one of the students brought me a picture of her family room. She had her sofa and loveseat perpendicular to the fireplace. The arrangement was open and inviting. I was so proud of her! And it turns out her mother had taken my Be Your Own Designer workshop earlier in the year, and had shared this tip with her. A family that decorates together, stays together, I say. And now YOU know this tip. No wallflowers. Rearrange the furniture to highlight your room's best feature. Happy decorating, Alana
No matter how beautiful your furniture, no matter how luscious your paint colors, it does not matter unless you can see. Sufficient lighting in the home is essential to create a safe space, as well as a beautiful atmosphere. When I was in the theater the director would say that the most important job was that of the lighting designer. Again – it’s because if you can’t SEE anything – nothing else matters.
LIGHTING LAYER #1 - Ambient
Most of us know about the first layer, Ambient. This is general lighting. Basically, this is the overall lighting that makes sure you don’t bump into the furniture. You have to see where you’re going. When you’re walking into a dark room, you flip on a light – whether it’s overhead ceiling light, or a pair of powerful floor lamps, that’s the ambient lighting. Overhead lighting also includes flush mounted or dropped ceiling fixtures….or that lovely chandelier over your bed. Make sure every single room has ample ambient light to adequately illuminate the space. Moving on to layer #2.
Most people stop there. But there is one more layer.
When it comes to lighting, use all 3 layers of light in your rooms. See your home in a new LIGHT.
Give us a thumbs up and "share" below. Happy Decorating, ~Alana Light We all want to give back and pay it forward, but how? There are countless ways that you (yes, you!) can make a difference in someone’s life. You do not have to be Bill or Melinda Gates in order to make a difference. Here are some ideas and stories to get you started.
How can YOU give back this week? What small random act of kindness will you do? How can you lift someone's day? Leave your comment below.
Go out and be a light... at home, at work, and in your community. ~Alana Light ... and how to correct them.25. Using toilet rugs. Those ones that wrap around the toilet? Sorry, but they're not the best. FIX: It is better to use an area rug in the bath outside the shower or tub. Ahhh, that's better. 24. Too many photos displayed. Too much of a good thing can be too much. It's like wearing every single scarf, necklace and accessory all at the same time! FIX: display less, and rotate them every month. You’ll see them with new eyes and appreciate what is currently displayed. 23. Ignoring the foyer. FIX: The foyer should entice people to see the rest of the house. This introduces the theme of the entire home’s décor. Welcome your visitors with a little vignette of something charming. 22. Undressed cables. This relates to the mess of spaghetti that occurs with multiple TV and computer cables. FIX: Hide the unsightly cables and cords along the furniture legs wherever possible, and through cable management tools available at Ikea or with 3M Command Hooks (pictured). 21. Out of place theme rooms. For example, having a beach-side theme in a high desert home can feel out of place. It’s better to display shells in a basket, than designing an entire room that looks as if should be in Hawaii. (On that note, a trip to Hawaii sounds lovely right about now....) 20. Outdated cabinet hardware. For example, 1970’s cabinet hardware in the kitchen instead of up-to-date knobs. This is an easy way to update a kitchen for very little money. Try Amazon. 19. Lop-sided furniture arrangements. This relates to scale – having all heavy pieces on one side of the room makes it feel out of balance. Create flow so the eye travels up and down, around the room. 18. Keeping something you hate. What do you do with that gift or inherited piece that just is not you? Only live with what you love! FIX: Bless the unloved object sell it or donate it to your favorite worthy cause. (And no guilt.... your relationships are based on love, not things!) 17. Too formal. Is your living space is so formal that no one wants to enter? FIX: loosen up your décor a little. Make every room inviting and comfortable. Live in your living room! What a concept. 16. Uncomfortable dining chairs. Your chairs should be so comfortable that someone would be fine spending the rest of the evening sitting in them. FIX: Test the dining chairs before purchasing with the 'tush test'. To be really 'designer-like', switch up the styles (see #14). 15. Lack of a traffic pattern. Here’s a hint – if you have a party and people always rearrange certain pieces, they’re helping you create a better flow. FIX: rearrange and discover how much better your room can feel. 14. Everything is matchy - matchy. Do not feel obligated to purchase matching bedroom suites, all matching living room suites or even matching dining suites for that matter! FIX: Well-designed rooms have a mix of furniture. If you already have a matching set, break it up. Move a living room side table into the bedroom as a nightstand, and vice versa. Isn't that fun? A whole new look for $0. 13. Following fads to a fault. FIX: If you like a particular fad, acknowledge the fad in a small accessory (i.e. throw pillow) or a paint color to invigorate your room. Don’t go overboard and buy everything new, chasing the latest trend. It's easy to repaint, or replace a small pillow when the trend passes. And it will pass. 12. Furniture that doesn’t fit. Measure, measure, measure before buying new furniture. Make sure it is proportional to the space. Learn from my own mistakes. Measure twice, buy once. 11. Too many patterns. Use Alana’s trick to mix the fabrics for fool-proof, pulled-together rooms. Big print... little print... geometric... stripe and a texture. Works every time. 10. Floating rugs. Small rugs should not float by themselves in the middle of the room. FIX: Anchor the furniture grouping with a larger size rug, with each piece of furniture having at least the front legs on the rug. When in doubt, go a little bigger than you think necessary. You’ll be glad you did. 9. Improper lighting. A common problem is not enough reading lights and only relying on overhead lighting. FIX: Incorporate all three levels of lighting: ambient, task and accent. 8. Frames hung too high. Artwork should be hung at your eye level. Are you a different height than your sweetie? Hang the artwork halfway between your eye level and his eye level. Problem solved. 7. Tacky couch covers. If you need a slipcover, get one tailor made for your piece. It's worth every penny. 6. Pushed back furniture. Like awkward pre-teens at a dance, hugging the walls hoping to join the fun, your furniture does not belong against the walls either. FIX: Bring the furniture into the middle of the room and create conversational clusters. So much more interesting and inviting. Whether your room is small or massive, pull the furniture in from the walls. No wallflowers allowed. 5. Too many pillows. Yes, we love pillows but let’s be sensible too. We have to sit on the sofa! After years of a plethora of pillows, I finally recognized too much is well, just too much. FIX: Exercise restraint, ladies. (Yes, ladies. Every time we entertained, the men would remove my sofa's extra pillows. It was a hint.) Additionally, if you take 30 minutes to remove your bed's pillow before retiring, it's a hint that you need to edit as well. Less is more. I can't believe I'm finally admitting that. 4. Fear of color. Paint is the least expensive way to dramatically transform any room. It’s just paint! Go ahead – try some color! 3. Knick-knack overload on tables, and in rooms. FIX: Remember, it’s easy if it’s odd – rule of 3, 5, or 7 on a table. Group like with like and you'll appreciate your treasures. Rotate the displayed treasures every month and it'll always feel fresh. 2. Ignoring windows. Highlight your windows, and consider drama drapes. While we're talking windows, wash them, and let there be light. 1. Fake flowers and plants. Still have silk plants or plastic fruit? (Yes, I have seen them in your homes.) FIX: Use real plants, or a beautiful bowl of fresh fruit instead. Every room can benefit from a touch of organic (geode, woven basket, twigs in a vase, etc.). Give your rooms some life…. Use the real thing wherever possible. Mother Nature's bounty is the best interior accessory. No matter your "mistake", it's easily correctable. Happy Decorating! ~Alana Light True confession.True confession: I am not the world's greatest cook. The best thing I make is reservations. Over the years dear friends have encouraged me by giving me cookbooks, sending me to cooking classes, and so forth. In fact, one year several women got together and made me a book of all their favorite recipes. They’re so thoughtful – but I still really didn’t enjoy the process of cooking. Then one year I was throwing a baby shower, and the caterer fell through at the last minute. That morning I knew enough to put together the basic food that tasted good, but I was stressing out over it. A friend helping me said, “You’re creative. Don’t think of cooking – think of creating.” In that moment a light bulb went on – suddenly I looked at this process of putting together the food with new eyes. I actually enjoyed placing the food on the platters and arranging them just ‘so’. The very same principle applies when decorating your home. For me, it's cooking. For you it may be decorating.Sometimes when I go into a home for a color consultation and pull out my paint decks, I see fear in people’s eyes. Or if I’m accompanying a client when they’re choosing their sofa fabric, they have the same panicked look I used to get when thinking about cooking. But if you think of CREATING a beautiful space – color, accessories, fabrics – then it becomes a truly enjoyable experience. Enjoy the pleasure of choosing a fabric that speaks to your heart. If your favorite place on earth is France, then choose a throw pillow that evokes those memories. If you are a sensual person, get high thread count sheets so every morning you’re greeted with the luxurious feeling that delights you. Enjoy the creative process of setting the table with colorful dishes that delight your eye, and have fun with mixing and matching the table linens. Now that's really fun. Alexandra Stoddard is a contemporary philosopher, author and interior designer. She is the author of several of my favorite books, such as Living a Beautiful Life. She wisely said, “Don’t think of decorating. Think of Creating.” So true! Just as some of you love the creative process of cooking a fabulous meal, you can enjoy the creative process of pulling together your home's decor.
You'll have to excuse me. We have dinner reservations. ~Alana Light Where do you spend vs. where you do you save when it comes to home improvement? A smart homeowner knows where to spend their money and where to save. If there's a chance you'll be selling your house any time in the future, it's good to know what features / home improvements are most desirable among homeowners today. Zillow Digs analyzed the sales of over 2.8 million homes across the U.S. and determined which key features were most desirable in homes, and how they affected the selling prices around the country. Interested? We were too. Read on... BARN DOORS. You've seen them in all the HGTV shows. Sliding barn doors in the kitchen, to the pantry, over the master closet - barn doors are everywhere. According to the report homes that had "Barn Door" in the listing sold for average 13.4% more than expected and a whopping 57 days faster. Where was the most common metro for barn doors? You may be thinking somewhere in TX, but no - it's Phoenix! (Sorry, Chip & Joanna Gaines) We believe this trend will fade, but for now, it's trending. Spend on Barn Doors if you're selling your home within the next year or so. HEART OF THE HOME: let's talk about kitchens. What do buyers want today? SHAKER CABINETS. Cabinet styles come and go, but if you are thinking about redoing your cabinets, it's interesting to note that listings with "shaker cabinets" sold 9% above expected, and 45 days faster. If you've ever seen HGTV's Flip or Flop, they use shaker cabinets all the time. (Which makes sense, because the most common metro with shaker cabinets is Los Angeles, CA.) SAVE on those high end custom cabinets that are very taste-specific. Yes, you may love the sleek industrial look, but buyers aren't so keen on that, so save your money. SPEND your money on classic cabinets, like shakers. SUBWAY TILE and FARMHOUSE SINKS were also features more desirable than their counterparts. Homes listing "subway tiles" were sold for 7% more than expected and a whopping 63 days faster. If you're thinking about an elaborate, taste-specific tile, think again if there's ever a chance you'll sell. Listings with "farmhouse sink" sold for 8% more. Last but not least, QUARTZ and GRANITE were highly desirable. Quartz saw a 6% sales premium, and Granite gave a 4% boost. If you have tired tiled counters or worse yet, Formica, consider swapping out to quartz or granite. SAVE your money on heavily patterned, wild granite countertops. You may love it, but chances are the next buyer won't be as enamored. Stick with a classic, timeless look. Why does it matter? According to the latest census records, we will move an average of 11.7 times in our lifetime! Even if you stay in the same vicinity, chances are you will be selling your home at some point. If there is a possibility of you selling your home, knowing what features are most appealing to the widest number of buyers is important. For more see the full Zillow Digs report. Hmmm, what are you going to do with all that money you've saved? ~Alana Light Small space? No problem! When you have a cozy space, your furniture needs to work twice as hard. Instead of having each and every piece of furniture only perform a single function, let’s have furniture that does double duty. We love this oft-pinned image (above) of a bench / filing cabinet. How can your furniture do double duty for you? Perhaps your old steamer trunk could be your coffee table. Inside the trunk you can store out of season decorating items, extra linens, artwork you’re not hanging right now, and so forth. It can serve as very effective storage. Pop a piece of beveled glass on top and you have a double duty hard-working piece of furniture. We also love this bookcase / crafting table combo (below). When your space is limited, let all the pieces of furniture work as hard as you do. DOUBLE DUTY SPACES. Remember the old murphy beds? If you have need for an occasional guest room, but don’t want the space dedicated 100% of the time to something that only happens twice a year, consider the updated Murphy bed solutions. There’s a company in Denver called BREDA BEDS that offers a murphy style bed that also contains an IN LINE sofa. It’s less than $3K at the time of this blog. This would allow you to have a sofa AND a guest space. . We love furniture (and spaces) that do double duty.
Happy Decorating. Give us a thumbs up and leave your comments below. Alana Light One of our favorite small space solutions is to use mirrors. Wherever we see light, whether it’s from a window or from a mirror reflecting light, we have a sense of AHHHHH – a sense of spaciousness. If you have a dark spot in the room, use mirrors to reflect light back into the space. I love to hang a mirror behind the occasional table for that very reason. In our own home we have a dark hallway adjacent to our offices. Each of the offices are bright but this hallway is not. Solution? I hung a large mirror vertically in that hallway, which bounces the offices’ light back into the hallway. Now we never have to turn on the light, and it feels much more spacious. Where can you hang a mirror to bring in more light? How does your entry way look? Could you use a mirror opposite the doorway? Does your Living Room have a wall of windows? If so, consider putting mirrors opposite the wall of windows, doubling the amount of light, and doubling the space visually. One of my favorite mirrors is the IKEA Mongstad mirror – it’s 37” x 74” and it’s less than $100. (pictured at left). I've also seen the mirror hung vertically on barn door sliders over a doorway in a luxurious spa in San Diego. Now you know the secret... it's less than $100. Let there be light, lots of light! Let mirrors help expand your space with light. Let us know how you used mirrors to expand your space in the comments below. Happy Decorating, Alana Light 2017 Pantone color of the yearWe love the color green because it is richly symbolic. First, green is the color of prosperity. I remember a well-heeled woman from Laguna Nigel CA. She came in and bought everything we had that was green. She informed me in no uncertain terms that green is the “Color of money honey, so you can’t go wrong with green in your home.” I also like green for another reason. Often times hospitals and doctors’ offices are painted in a soft green – why? It is known to have healing properties. Archangel Raphael is also associated with the color green. Color has a profound effect on our physical, emotional and mental well-being. In addition to healing and abundance, the color green activates balance, harmony, and hope. Pantone announced the 2017 color of the year. It’s a beautiful shade of green called appropriately enough, GREENERY. Bloggers are commenting on the fresh, spring like feeling with this shade of green. If you’re interested in this revitalizing bright shade, visit www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2017. They have suggestions as to what colors would also work with this vibrant green. Yellow green vs Blue greenYou may have already found the perfect color. Check out your Pinterest boards and play detective. Do you tend to choose the yellow-greens or the blue-toned greens? Look at your accessories.... you may have the perfect green color hiding in your favorite scarf. Look for clues in a favorite picture hanging. Play detective. Subconsciously you already know what colors are right for you.
Whatever green you choose, integrate green into your decor. Remember, in the Lord's Prayer David said, "He maketh me to lie down in GREEN pastures." Notice he didn't say grey or greige pastures. Green is good. Gives this a thumbs up and leave your comments below. Happy decorating, Alana Light |
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