Interior Redesign and Home Staging Blog

Decorating Tricks For Small Bathrooms

A small bathroom can be a big hassle. There isn’t a lot you can do with the room, and even the most functional accessories can quickly become clutter and chaos. Luckily, there are a variety of decorative tricks you can use to create the illusion of space, tricking the eye and fooling the mind into thinking that there’s a more room than there really is.

Color and pattern are two of the most important elements when controlling how someone views the size of a space. Bold, dramatic tones tend to take up perceptual room. They draw the eye, catching attention so indelibly that they almost have dimension, and even though they don’t actually jut out into your floor space, they do stand out in the minds eye, sticking out in your perception of the bathroom. This is true whether it’s the whole wall glaring in bright crimson, or just a single accent point such as dramatic wall clocks or patches of hue.

Instead you should use soft, non aggressive hues when decorating this space. Whites and off whites, tans and beige earth tones, and even soft pastels will all give the walls a gentle hazy feeling, that will make it look as if they are receding wistfully into the distance.

It’s also important not to be too severe with patterns. Wild and erratic mixes will have the same effect as bold color choices, perceptually filling the space and giving you the illusion of having less room than you actually do. Try to keep patterns reserved in this area, with very simple mixes of light, unassuming tones, that flow smoothly and evenly. This will give the environment a calm, serene feel, as well as allowing you to maximize the visual dimension.

Light can also be used to create the perception of a larger space. The brighter a room, the larger it feels. This is in part because a brighter light will tend to illuminate shadows and crevices, giving you more space that you can actually see. Even if these corners aren’t actually usable, just being able to see them will give you a few extra inches of space that can add up over the length of the space.

The best light for opening up a space comes from the sun, but having a large open window in your bathroom isn’t always an option. A good alternative can be recessed lighting fixtures, which are built into the surface of the wall, and which don’t take up any of the air space in a tiny bathroom. Wall sconces are another way to maximize illumination while minimizing the intrusion on the room.

Finally, simple organization will also go a long way towards maximizing the space you have in a tiny bedroom. Messes take up a lot more room than neat orderly stacks, and some storage bins let you add to the space, sorting things in towers that rise vertically and efficiently into the air.

Using light, color, pattern, and simple organizational techniques, it is entirely possible to create the illusion of extra space in even the tiniest of bathrooms. In this way you can work your decorating magic on the space, stretching every corner, and lengthening every wall, even if it is just a clever trick of the eyes.

Does Virtual Home Staging get you a Second Date?

As a home stager for over 15 years, I have seen the industry grow. I have witnessed the hefty return on investment that staging brings to a homeowner and the transformations that ultimately sell the property. I understand the psychology of environment and the effects that it has on a
potential buyer. Walking into a staged home creates the desire to buy… staging homes sell.

Virtual home staging is the latest trend and has certain advantages. By using computer technology to place furniture and accessories into listing photos that will be posted online definitely curbs the staging budget in these trying times. Decor can be changed with a few keystrokes, and homeowners can expect traffic to increase by using virtual staging.

Yet, I wonder if virtual staging will garner the same positive end results as real staging…a committed buyer. After all, the “virtual” visit to these properties is quite different than the “actual” visit.

I can’t help to think that virtual staging is somehow akin to online dating. It’s easy to find a perfect match online who posted a terrific picture and enticing copy, however, coming face to face with the subject may lead to certain disappointment.

“Love long walks on the beach” might translate into ….everyone on the beach took a long walk through this living room. “Thirty-something Gemini who loves cuddling by the fireplace and pets”…conjures a vision of a split ranch that housed 3 dozen felines and a chimney that hasn’t been cleaned in years.

I believe buying a house and meeting a special someone, both require a certain amount of “actual reality”. When you are “actually” with someone, you learn to understand them, become attached, and want to invest in them. So too, with a home.

Will buyers be disappointed when they arrive at the property with the “virtual” vision in their head and are met by an empty property …or will they take one look at the home and think “the photo I saw online must have been taken 20 years ago”, excuse themselves to take a pretend call, and high tail it out the back door?

Ultimately, online dating success occurs in reality. When the person you met on the dating site arrives at the corner coffee shop at 12:27p.m., is recognizable from the photo they posted, and uses multi-syllabic words in conversation, there may be hope for a relationship. And so it stands to reason …that when you meet your match at 29 Pleasant St., based on a profile claiming “trendy, in great shape, and new appliances”, that is exactly what you should find! Only then will you be able to plan a happy future together.

Maureen Reddy is the owner of DaVinc Designer Gallery, a full service interior design/ home staging firm, operating out of the Boston, MA area for over 15 years.

The CRDA Annual Conference – Toronto, Ontario

Click here for Conference Schedule
Early Bird Registration Until October 8, 2010:

Registration After October 8, 2010:

* Includes lunch and snacks on Friday, reception and all Conference sessions, meals and snacks

** Includes the Friday evening reception and all Conference sessions, meals and snacks

*** Associate Members interested in the Colour Workshop, contact Lynn Lennox at lynn@ldlcreative.com

When paying by cheque, it should be mailed to:

4417 Spuce Ave
Burlington, ON, L7L 1L9
Canada

Click Here To Register:

Textural Decorating Tips

Texture refers to the way that an object feels when it’s touched or rubbed against. However in decorating, texture is also a visual element. That is because when you look at an object, your mind brings up a lot of different information about it. This includes the way it feels when you touch it or hold it. Thus, when you walk into a space, you are not only seeing the various surfaces, you are also imagining the way they feel, and thus, to a lesser extent, experiencing that textural sensation, without even having to reach.

This can be exemplified by imagining a cold, blustery, winters evening. You step into the house and the first thing that you see is a thick fuzzy blanket, lying drooped across the couch. As soon as your gaze falls on this object, your mind is going to access memories of being nestled under the covers, its going to bring up thoughts of softness, and warmth, and in a way just viewing this item will make you feel a little less cold.

In general fuzzy items are going to make a space feel warmer. This can be as simple as adding pillows or throws to a room, but can also extend into features such as thick velvet curtains, or soft fluffy throw rugs. Couch and seat liners can also be used to add a little cozy comfort to the rooms seating arrangements.

The opposite effect can be achieved by using smooth, sleek surfaces. The flatter and more solid an item, the less heat it will tend to retain, making these objects inherently colder than their fuzzy counterparts. Just think about the cool smooth texture of glass, steel, or polished marble decor. These materials have a formal, chilly energy, that will make a room seem more remote and less hot, a trick which can be used to good effect during warm summer months.

Sleek polished textures also tend to indicate a more modern style when used in the home. The natural world is often rough and rustic, and it’s only in recent decades that we have developed the ability to mass produce perfectly formed designs. That means that anything which looks like it was manufactured by a machine is going to have a contemporary feel, which can lend a modern sensibility to your home.

By contrast items with a rougher or more rugged texture will tend to connect a space back to the natural living world. The infinite imperfections which make up the texture of brick, wood, or concrete, will align with things in nature such as trees, rocks, and earth. Slate coasters will simulate the look of a mountain, while wrought iron will reconnect the space with your rustic roots.  This can be a good way to give your space a distinct personality, which will be more unique because of the imperfections that give it its appearance.

Texture is a vital element when trying to create a deep and intriguing decorative atmosphere. It can engage the senses, creating an atmosphere of warmth or chill, formality or comfort.

Tags: polished marble, slate coasters

Getting Rid of Kitchen Clutter

An ideal kitchen is neat, organized, and efficient. It is filled with a variety of tools and accessories but those objects are not clutter, because they are all necessary, and placed in an appropriate spot, where they can easily be reached without getting in the way. Such a kitchen will work with the chef, wrapping around them, lending them whatever appliance they might need without any fuss or confusion.

That’s the ideal, but throughout the course of our lives, the ideal often falls apart. As we are seduced by objects of beauty and promise, decorating ideas that seem brilliant at the time, appliances that will make our lives easier, and tools that seem so very chic, we slowly destroy the perfect dream of a completely efficient kitchen, filling the space instead with clutter, chaos, and needless items that detract from the purpose of the overall space.

However you can oppose the forces of chaos that seek to destroy your perfect kitchen. You just have to have a discerning eye, and the ability to make choices. Some items will have to be removed; others will have to be discarded. Not everything has a place when room is limited, or efficiency is at stake.

One way to make this process a little easier is to regulate it. Set it up so that every 3 months, you take a few minutes, and look at your kitchen with a discerning eye. Take a look at the various objects within the space, and try to figure out if there is anything that you haven’t actually used in the last 90 days. Those are the objects that should be placed in a box, and then set aside.

You don’t necessarily have to start throwing things out right away. Once you’ve set the nonessentials in a box, and hidden that receptacle in a closet or on a shelf, you should make a list of everything that you removed and hang it from the fridge. Then, each day as you prepare your families meals, you can look at the list and decide if there is anything that you want to pull out of storage. When the next 3 month period has passed, anything that you haven’t used from that box should go on ebay, be set aside for a yard sale, or should simply be tossed.

Removing clutter is about more than just getting rid of things. There is also an important organizational component to this process. Even if you only have a scant smattering of accessories and appliance, if they aren’t organized in a neat and efficient manner, their going to end up just being piles of useless junk that you have to sift through to find anything that you need.

Racks, shelves, dividers, and bins should all be used to separate items by necessity and function. Small kitchen tables should be utilized as work and storage space, both above and below. Once organized, everything will fit more neatly and easily into the space, instantly eliminating any clutter problems that you might have been having.

It is important to institute a system of organization in the kitchen, which not only eliminates useless, and semi useless objects, but which also takes necessities, and places them in spots where they can easily be retrieved. In this way you can maximize the efficiency in this space, while also removing any unnecessary items which might otherwise get in your way.

Tags: kitchen clutter, kitchen decor

Finding the Beauty in an Organized Home

A chaotic home can lead to a disorderly mind. If your spaces are filled with teeming mounds of useless frivolity, it’s going to be difficult to find peace. Organization is the art of segmenting your possessions, displaying those which create an attractive atmosphere, and then sorting, categorizing, and storing everything else, in such a way that you will be able to find it whenever you need it. It’s an act which can turn a chaotic mess, into a serene, and peaceful space, which will automatically relax you and cause your thoughts to be more logical, ordered, and at peace.

There are a lot of people who scoff at the idea of  decorative organization. Self professed “slobs” these people don’t bother themselves with the effort of sorting, or categorizing their possessions. Instead they prefer to stuff everything in a box, shove it in a corner, or leave it in little chaotic mounds of mish-mosh.

While it’s not inherently immoral to be disorganized, it is detrimental to your ability to succeed in the real world. Living amongst chaos will reflect in the way you interact with people on a social and professional level. It’ll be easier to forget important events, to let things slip through the cracks, and to get things mixed up. Chaos will creep into every aspect of your world, leaving your life an unpredictable ruin of confusion and clutter.

On the other hand, imagine the alternative. Straight lines, neat rows, everything at your fingertips quickly and easily. You will look around you, and know what everything is, where everything is. You’ll be able to reach out and grab any notebook, any kitchen appliance, old beverage coasters, lightly used clothing; it will all be available to you, because you actually know where it is. The space itself will feel less crowded, less claustrophobic, with more room to stretch out and actually enjoy your home. Organization is more than just a decorative tenant; it’s a way of life, one which can make everything from complex tasks, to day to day chores, easier and simpler.

Part of the beauty that is inherent in organization is the idea of design. If you take a bunch of sticks and drop them at random on the floor, it will make a mess. But if you carefully place each of those sticks in a place that means something, a place where it will be a part of a greater whole, then that big messy pile, can instead be a work of art. Chaos denotes randomness, whereas organization denotes a plan, a purpose for everything, whether it is functional, or decorative. In this way a clean, strict, sorted home will be inherently more attractive then one plagued by clutter.

These properties mean that an organized home will not only look like its being cared for, but will also have less of the claustrophobic feeling that a disorderly space will. Even if you have the same amount of possessions, organizing them into some sort of pattern will instantly create the feeling of there being more room inside of your home. This is partially an illusion, but it is also an effect of the fact that you are organizing not only the items themselves, but the empty places in between them as well. This allows you to create rows, walk ways, and clearings within the home, places of nothingness where you will be free to live.

Organization is a part of design. It is the act of taking your possessions, and actually choosing where they go rather than just letting random chance determine it. This can lead to cleaner, more open spaces, as well as a sense of logic that will carry through to the rest of your life.