Redefined Designs

Decorating with the color red

Jenna — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:54:51 +0000

Color can have a profound effect on one’s mood as well as on their energy level. Therefore changing the wall color in a room can change the way a person feels when they spend time in it. Color plays such a significant role in our everyday lives without us even knowing it.
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to talk about the color red. Red is a very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism (which is why you see it mostly used in kitchens or dining rooms), increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. Red is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love.
Red is wonderful accent color as a result of the impulsive nature of the color. It stimulates our brains and intensifies our emotions. For those that are afraid of red being too overstimulating, red can also be used to paint a single accent wall or combined with another color in equal parts for the room. The power of red is often balanced by combining it with cooler colors such as green, blue and gray.
However you chose to incorporate red into your home, it can help to create a very warm, exciting and welcoming feel to a room.

Area rug style trends for Fall 2011

Jenna — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 12:22:23 +0000

If you are in the market for area rugs, you are going to find a wide range of design styles and inspiration. Designers have looked for beauty in unexpected places to reinterpret for the floor. You may notice when shopping that design inspiration has come from fine art paintings, foreign lands, ikats (design technique where the fibers are dyed before the process of weaving to create a sort of ethnic design) as well as the simple inspiration of nature. This season, suppliers have certainly broadened their design scope to appeal to the needs and design style of many.

Additionally, you will find that blue and gray shades are this season’s anchor palettes with the help neutrals such as taupes and browns. Brighter pops of color such as bright coral, crimsons and chartreuse have made their way into the designs in a less overt way to add a punch of color.

What is the purpose of the room??

Jenna — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 14:59:25 +0000

The very first thought that I have prior to decorating any room is to define the purpose and functionality of the room. What do you want to use this space for? What activities will go on in this room? Who will be using this room (kids, guests, etc.)? What do you need in this room? These are the million dollar questions that need to be answered before even getting into the decorating and design of the room. I feel that if a room does not meet the functional requirements it is NOT a well decorated room! Remember that function always follows form.

Once the functionality and purpose of the room are clearly defined, you can then start to think about the necessary furnishings needed. For example, you will want to think about how much seating is necessary for space. If you have a large family and you watch TV in the room, keep in mind how many seats you will need positioned around the TV. Additionally, think about the material of the furnishings. If you have you have young children you may want to select stain resistant materials. Do you really want a glass coffee table with little ones around even though you may love the table? I think you get the picture and as you can see defining the function of a room (and thinking about who is going to use the room) helps to furnish the room appropriately.

The functionality of a room is important in all aspects of decorating the room and not just when considering the larger furnishings. You also want to make sure there is adequate lighting for the activities taking place in the room. Are there enough accent tables (Does everyone have a place to put down a drink when sitting in their seat) and storage (do you have a place for the toys to be put away when not being used?) in the room? And when accessorizing once again remember who will be using the space (Should you put a glass vase on your coffee table where the kids watch TV?).

All of this may be obvious to some but I hate to see people go out and spend a ton of money on the furnishings they love but yet the furnishings are n0t practical for the space and functionality of the room!

The rhythm of a well designed room

Jenna — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 14:18:29 +0000

Just like music, rhythm in design is all about creating repetition and contrast to create visual appeal and interest in a room. Rhythm is one of the basics in room design and is created with the use of patterns, colors, objects, materials and placement. The purpose behind rhythm is to move your eye around the room. An easy way to create rhythm is by using the same color or shape at different intervals within the room. For example, by using a color in the pillows, picking it up in a painting, and echoing it again in a rug. These repetitions will help carry your eye around the room and create rhythm.

Rhythm incorporates the use of form, lines and contrast. Rhythm in form is the repeating of shapes, colors, textures and materials throughout a room. When these elements are weaved throughout a room you will create a harmonious rhythm. Additionally, you want to pay attention to the lines of a room which could be curved, vertical, horizontal or diagonal. Lines within a room include the walls, furniture (tall pieces and long horizontal pieces), paintings, etc. You want to balance out the lines of the room and pay attention to the variation of lines to create rhythm. And lastly, keep contrast among color, texture, materials and space. Contrast makes for an interesting rhythm in a room so you want to strive for a good mix of light and dark colors, positive and negative space and a good mix of textures and materials throughout the room!

So, create your room’s rhythm and make it sing!!!

Decorating is all about balance!

Jenna — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:28:33 +0000

Ever wonder why the rooms in a magazine look so good? Ever find yourself thinking… “I can’t put my finger on it but I just don’t like that room”? More often than not, it’s all about balance! Balance is such an important part of a well designed room. So, let’s talk about it….

Balance is the proper distribution of form, color and texture along with using the proper placement of items in a room. It’s the ying and yang, the positive and negative, the darkness and light that give a room texture and depth. A well decorated room displays a balanced in scale, proportion, light value, space, color and texture. The contents of a room should include a mixture of small and large scaled furnishings and accessories which complement and balance each other out within the room.

For example, putting all dark and heavy furniture on one side of the room and nothing visually substantial on the other side of the room will give the appearance that the room is tipping. Likewise too many hard surfaces in a room can feel cold while too many soft surfaces can make a room feel stuffy! In order to create balance, you want to mix hard surfaces with soft surfaces, dark with light, wood with fabric, etc.

So the next time you walk into a room that just doesn’t feel quite right, take a look at the furnishings in that room and see if you can see the balance (or lack of) in the room! It just might give you some insight as to why the room feels a bit “off”!

Suggestions for colors when staging a home

Jenna — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:13:32 +0000

Color choices throughout a home will have a huge impact on buyers. Therefore when deciding to change the color of the rooms during the staging process, you want to be wise in your color selections. You do not want to paint everything white which looks boring and uninviting. Instead, you should chose warm and inviting colors that will go with almost any decor. Here is a list of some of the colors that I recommend when staging a home:

Benjamin Moore colors:

- Kitten Wiskers (1003)

- Baja Dunes (997)

- Hampshire Taupe (990)

- White Winged Dove (1457)

- Monroe Bisque (HC-26)

- Quincy Tan (HC-25)

- Powell Buff (HC-35)

- Sage Harbor Gray (HC-95)

- Northampton Putty (HC-89)

- Silver Bells (1458)

Also, I really like Sherwin Williams- Virtual Taupe but as you can see, I’m a Benjamin Moore fan!!!

Things to note about staging your home

Jenna — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:11:16 +0000

Your goal in staging your home is to showcase the architecture and key features of the home and accentuate the positives when detracting from the negatives. In order to to this, it may require removing wall paper, repainting rooms as well as replacing items in the home. However you want to make sure that the changes are also cost effective. Remember that anything old, worn, damaged or needing repair will give instantly give the impression that the house is also old and worn. You want the first impression for potential buyers to be the very best!

Things to consider when staging a home are:

- Function of the space: you want to make sure that every room has a clear purpose and is staged with all the fixings (including accessories, lighting, art, etc.)

- Placement of furnishings: you may need to thin out the furnishings to help highlight the space and proper furniture placement is key.

- Color: you want to warm up and neutralize rooms in soothing shades that work with almost any decor

- Emotion: you want to tap into the emotional side of the buyer by creating an inviting atmosphere in which the buyer can envision themselves living in the home

- Play up distinctive features of the home: you will want to accentuate the positives and downplay the negatives aspects of the home. Make focal points stand out (i.e. beautiful fireplace, terrific view).

What home staging is all about!

Jenna — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 03:16:26 +0000

Almost all of us have heard the term “home staging” but I wonder how many people think that staging is just the process of cleaning, decluttering and depersonalizing a home. It’s true that a large part of staging does involve cleaning, decluttering and depersonalizing the home but it also involves much more! For those of us who have experienced purchasing a home, we can understand and know how emotional the entire process is. A well staged home touches upon those emotions and helps potential buyers imagine themselves actually living in the home. Read on….

When a house is placed on the real estate market, it becomes a product and no longer a “home”. And therefore the packaging of this product is extremely important. So when you stage a home, you need to keep in mind that you are packaging the house for sale. A well staged home works to seduce the buyer and appeal to their emotions. When staging a home you are creating a space and setting the stage for the buyer to envision themselves living in the home. By accentuating the positive features of the home and designing the space to reflect a warm and inviting atmosphere you tap into those emotional aspects of buying a home.

On the flip side, staging a home is also a very emotional process (just as buying a home). It can be difficult to think of your home as a product and no longer your home. Staging may involve removing your favorite things from a room, painting over the bright blue paint (that you love) in the bedroom, taking down the painting and pictures you love, rearranging the furniture placement that has been the same for years, etc. My advice to those that are having difficulty with the emotional attachments to their home is to remember the reason behind staging a home. You want to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible and you want them to feel as though they could move right into the home with ease. In the end, you want to package your home as best as you can in order to sell it for as much as possible.

In the next few days, I will continue talking about staging and offering some tips to help… so please stay tuned and check back within the upcoming days!!!

Must have decorating tools

Jenna — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:10:58 +0000

There are a few things that I can’t function without when redesigning and decorating rooms. I find that these tools save so much time and are extremely helpful in making the decorating process easier. These are a must have in my house and they also make great gifts for someone moving into a new home. Check them out!

- EZ Moves furniture movers (http://www.ezmoves.com)… I love slides used on carpet as well as hardwood floors

- A tape measure that has a laser and built in level… allows you to hang pictures straight and evenly (especially when you are hanging 2 or 3 pictures side by side)

- Ooks (http://www.ooks.com/), picture wire and picture putty… ooks can handle a lot of weight and are the best by far for hanging artwork. The wire and putty allow you to hang a picture straight without obsessing about all the measuring! You can attach the wire to the hooks on the back of the picture and then use the putty on the back corners to secure the picture and keep it from moving out of place.

- Magic eraser (http://www.mrclean.com/en_US/magic-eraser.do)… does an increible job of cleaning marks off the walls as well as painted molding and doors.

Fashion predicts the upcoming trends in home decorating

Jenna — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 15:58:59 +0000

I love looking at clothing fashion on the runway as it often predicts the latest and upcoming trends in home decorating. As we all know trends come and go very quickly and when they come back around again there is always a little variation from the last time the trend appeared.

I noticed that style.com posted their 2011 fall trend report (to view the whole report visit http://www.style.com/trendsshopping/trendreport/) and I was excited to see the mixing and matching of all different colors, textures and patterns! Colored fur is also making a statement and polka dots are showing up everywhere. The sixties style is making a bold comeback as well. It’s so funny to know that we will see these concepts translated into home decorating as well. It won’t be as extreme as seeing a bright purple fur couch but you will see these trends in home accessories so be on the look out!