A good tip for putting the right color on the right wall

Posted on May 17, 2011 by

A quick (but very useful) tip when painting, and when you hire painters and want to make sure the right color gets on the right wall:

Write both the name of the color AND the room that the paint is going in on the paint lid. Example: Airway 828 – Master Bedroom.

Why should you do this? Have you ever tried to read the name of the paint in the teeny tiny lettering on the label on the side of the can? Now try it with paint dripped all over it….

Having the name of the color right on the lid comes in extremely handy when you are painting with similar hues.  It also keeps you from tipping an open can on its side while you try to read the label (You’ve done that. We’ve all done that.)

If you are using painters, it’s an (almost) foolproof way to make sure the painters use the right can for the right room. If you are using more than one paint color in a room – say different hues above and below a chair rail – specify that on the can: “Litchfield Gray   – dining room – below chair rail”.

It may seem like an extra step, but you just spent all that time picking the right color (or hiring your fabulous decorator to choose a color for you) so why not make sure it ends up in the right place?

Happy painting!

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Fireplaces and TVs

Posted on May 2, 2011 by

I am about to start work on a family room for a new client. The room will be used for TV watching and enjoying fires (and occasional napping). It has a gas fireplace with a stone mantle that is about three feet wide. I am not kidding. This mantle could probably hold my family room TV, which looks like a screen stuck on the front of a VW Beetle.

My client’s TV is a 42″ flat screen. It currently sits on a nice stand in the corner of the room. She would like to mount it above the fireplace. It would certainly be convenient for me: something that is 40-46″ inches wide (screens widths are measured corner to corner and not horizontal across) is a bit of a challenge to work into a design. The large fireplace wall lends itself well to handling the height and width of the TV.

But as a decorator, I must ask myself: is this really a good idea?

There are two key things to consider when mounting a TV over a fireplace: heat and height.

You can read lots and lots of complicated information about how heat affects plasma and LCD TVs differently (believe me. I have. It’s been a slow Monday).  But I will keep this simple: heat and electronics don’t mix. You need to know how hot it really gets around your fireplace after you build that roaring fire and settle back to watch two hours of American Idol.  To determine the heat, do a simple test: place a thermometer on the wall above your fireplace.  Now light a fire and kick back and enjoy. After it’s been going for a while – a couple of hours at least – check the temperature. If it’s above 90 degrees farenheit, congrats! You now know where NOT to place your television! It may take a few fires, but if you insist on mounting your TV here despite the heat, eventually your flat screen will look like those tapes you used to leave in your car in the sun all day. (Yep. I said tapes. I am showing my age here but you know exactly what I’m talking about.)

The other consideration is how high you should mount your TV. After reading a lot on this subject I’ve decided I should start handing out cards for my chiropractor friend when I visit people’s homes and I see flat screens mounted above fireplaces. Why? Most TVs are just hung too high. TVs should be placed at eye level. Anything above this and you are either straining your neck or you are slumped down in your sofa so far your practically sitting on the floor. If your fireplace wall passes the heat test and you still want to mount your TV there, then spend a bit more money and get a wall mount that allows you to tip the screen down, minimizing the strain a bit.

The last thing to consider when deciding to mount your TV about the fireplace is how far back you should sit from the screen for proper viewing. This post won’t go into the intricacies of that because it depends on the number of pixels your tv is and whether you have a plasma or flat screen and quite frankly, all that math makes my brain hurt. My best advice there is to google the type of TV you have and follow the recommendations given by the manufacturer. For example, if you have a 1080p 40″ LCD flat screen, then you could sit about 5 feet away and get a great picture. But if your sofa is five feet away from your fireplace wall, and your TV is mounted about 4-5 feet up the wall, you’re straining your neck to watch TV. But if you are sitting 10 feet away, it’s easier on your neck but the picture might not look as good. See what I mean? Math.

So what will my decorating plan be for this job? I think am going to look for a lovely piece of art to hang about the fireplace and keep the tv at eye level  – somewhere else in the room. I’ll just create two seating areas: one for tv viewing and another for enjoying fires. My client can then use the money she saved on wall mounts and hiding wires on wireless surround sound. Or perhaps some more decorating.

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Painting bathroom cabinets

Posted on April 27, 2011 by

Many of us are “blessed” with those ubiquitous wood cabinets from (enter name of chain home building supply store here). There is no two ways about it: they are ugly. They are cheap. They serve a purpose. And that’s it.

So what  to do with them? The easiest fix, if you don’t have the budget to replace them, is to paint them. Here’s how:

First, fill in any dings or holes on the surface.You’ll need to use some wood putty and a putty knife. Take a small amount of the putty and spread it evenly over the ding. If you’ve never worked with wood putty before, just ask at your local paint shop how to use it.

Next, rough up the surface of the cabinet. Chances are the cabinet had a varnish applied to it at one time, especially if it is in the bathroom. It may be all but gone now, but you still want to go over the entire cabinet with sandpaper (100 grit is the general choice here) to remove any final remains of a slick surface so that the paint has a good surface to stick to when it’s applied.

After you’re done with the sandpaper, go over the entire surface with a clean cloth to remove any dust.

Next, prime the surface using an oil-based primer. The primer will offer good adhesion on the wood and under water-based latex paint (the kind you will use here).

Next, using a sponge/foam brush or paint brush, apply your water-based latex paint. Brush with even, side-to-side strokes that overlap each other. The trick is to use a light coating of paint: you will need to apply at least two coats, so don’t try to get complete coverage in the first coat. It’s better to have spots and get them in the second (or third) coat than to deal with a drippy mess by coating too much on in the first coat.

Next, since this piece is in a high traffic area – a bathroom – apply a water-based varnish over the paint once it’s completely dry. The varnish will help protect the paint. Apply the varnish with long, thin strokes. Try to go from one end of the piece to the other. Otherwise your piece will end up looking really streaky.
And that’s it! For not a lot of money and a little elbow grease, you can transform the look of that blah cabinet into something interesting. Happy painting!

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My favorite rug (for now)

Posted on April 26, 2011 by

I’ve been doing  a lot of rug shopping lately. Besides the fabulous custom choices I have encountered at the Merchandise Mart, I have come across some wonderful mid range retail price options. My number one favorite? The Asimi rug by Crate and Barrel:

This is a wonderful, 100% wool rug with an oriental flair of flowers and vines woven in a warm pattern of chocolate brown, sage green, gold, red and steel blue hues, making it extremely versatile.  It would be perfect in a living room or dining room, either a contemporary or traditional setting.

If you require two rugs in a room or in rooms that flow together, pair it with the Library rug from Room and Board:

This is a durable rug, made in 100% New Zealand wool, making it great for a family or living room. What ties these rugs together? They are unified in hue and intensity even though their patterns are disparate.


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Feng shui and your front door

Posted on April 18, 2011 by

Since we’re finally all out there getting our yards ready for spring plantings  – yay! -  I thought it was a good time to address your front door. Your front door says a lot about the amount of good chi – good & positive energy – being attracted into your home.

Good chi is attracted to well-lit doorways.  If you have a bulb blown out or a porch light that doesn’t work or just a poorly lit entryway, get it fixed. Poor lighting attracts sha- negative energy.  Turn your porch light on at dusk and keep it on all night. Make sure your doorway is clear of clutter, in good order and easy for people to maneuver. Don’t let old furniture, broken mail boxes, worn welcome mats or peeling paint settle in your doorway. Clear out old leaves, dirt, debris. Fix crumbling concrete steps or decaying wood rails. Make your entryway as inviting and pleasing as possible to attract good feng shui into your home.

Is there anything immovable obstructing the path to your doorway, such as a telephone pole or a retaining wall? These things will hinder the chi flowing into your home. Hang a wind chime or crystal either between your door and the obstruction or as close to the obstruction as possible. Wind chimes and crystals are used often in feng shui to correct negative energy. They deflect bad chi and circulate good chi.

Does your home sit at the end of two roads that form a T junction right in front of your door? The straight line of the T junction throws too much chi your home, too quickly. To slow down and deflect the energy, hang a mirror above your door. You can also hang a wind chime or crystal, or plant some bushes or trees between your front door and the road.

These are just a few simple remedies to make sure your home attracts good feng shui.  Try some of the changes – the feeling from stagnant or poor feng shui to good chi is palatable!

Posted in Decorating | 2 Comments

What color should you paint your ceiling?

Posted on April 14, 2011 by

The short answer? It always depends. Some decorators use the 8 foot rule: If your ceiling is less than 8 ft high, then paint it 2 tints lighter than the wall color. (Tint just means the color has more white in it and is therefore lighter. If it had more black in it, you’d say it was a shade darker).

If your ceiling height is more than 8 feet, paint it 2 shades darker than the walls.

Other decorators feel that painting a ceiling white always makes it feel lower than it is. I disagree with this. It’s true that when you break up the color  -  when the wall color is different from the ceiling color – your eye notices the change. But if the ceiling is lighter than the walls, and especially if it has a semi gloss finish to it, it actually looks more expansive and higher.  But you may need to play with this a bit,  because if your walls are really dark, then the change from dark (walls) to light (ceiling) is much more noticeable and therefore the ceiling appears closer.

Another trick to make that ceiling appear higher is to bring the ceiling color down the walls a bit: paint the same color on the ceiling a foot or so down onto the wall. This makes the ceiling appear taller than it is.

Painting a ceiling is definitely a personal choice. There really is no wrong answer. Just decide the effect you want and go from there.  As I always say, if you don’t like it, you can always paint it over!

 

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Shoe storage solutions for an entryway

Posted on April 13, 2011 by

I just finished a floor plan for a client who’s back door leads from the garage immediately into the family room. There is no closet in this space, nor is there any type of hallway or foyer by the door, so shoes were lined up along walls in the family room and in front of the door. With the granite hearth fireplace, butter walls, french doors leading to the garden and honey colored wood floors, the room lends itself to a relaxed elegance design for fires and tv watching. So what to do with those pesky shoes that I had to work into the design?

I created an entry way using this piece from Pottery Barn:

I placed it horizontally along the arm of the sofa, so it created a right angle with the back door. It helped create a barrier between the sofa and the entryway, and underneath, I threw two large baskets:

(These were also from Pottery Barn but you can pick up baskets anywere). I have a size 10 shoe, so I practiced with my shoes first, and they fit nicely. I got about six pairs of flats in there! They have lids too, so now when they come in the door, they can toss their shoes in a basket and throw on the lid and no one is the wiser.

I liked this solution because it doesn’t look like shoe storage, it helped divide the entry way from the living space,  and it fit the decor of the room. Just throw a little rug in front to complete the space. Winter boots can stay on a boot tray in the garage so no worries there.

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