Decorating Ideas

Starting Design Plans

Where Should You Start Your Design Plan?

(Provided by Debbie Wallace of Debbie Wallace Designs)
The day has finally come. You are in your new home your boxes are all unpacked, you have everything organized and you have your furniture pieces in place that you decided to keep. Now for the fun part! It's time to execute your design plan. If you are in a position to hire a professional Interior Designer we can help you achieve your design dreams!! An added bonus is that we can often save you money by preventing costly mistakes. If it's just not in your budget to hire a professional, the following will help you wade through all of the decisions you will need to make.

Start From the Bottom UpAlmost every Interior Designer will tell you to work from the bottom up, so the first thing you should address is your flooring. If what you have isn't what you want it is best to address this first. It's much easier to change flooring before there is a house full of furniture. Flooring will set the tone for everything else you are trying accomplish. The color and style of your flooring will help drive the design plan. Make sure you select flooring appropriate to your family needs. For example, smooth dark wood flooring and large dogs don't mix. There nails will leave scratch marks. Lighter textured wood or tile may be a better option. Carpeting while relatively inexpensive is not great with young children. It may be cost effective to start with but you will be replacing it much sooner. So hard surfaces such as tile, laminate, or wood will last much longer and will cost less in the long run. You may...

Old to New

Incorporating Your Furniture and Treasures in to Your New Home

Furniture from prior residenceThe time has finally arrived, you are going to move into your new home! You are so excited, yet how do you decide what furniture to keep and what should you replace?   You also have a few items like your "Grandmothers needlepoint" that you just aren't sure are going to fit in your new homes design plan.  So many decisions to make all at once and you don't want to discard your treasures, but you also don't want to feel like you are bringing your "old" house into your new one.  How can I sort through all of this, you ask yourself?

It really isn't as hard as it seems!  I have been able to guide hundreds of clients through the process over the years.  The first few things you must decide are: what is my budget for replacing items, do the furniture pieces I want to bring fit in the new space, do they work with the design plan for my new home, and what are the treasures I just have to keep.

To begin with, if you aren't changing your style, the process is much easier.  If it fits your new home it goes with you.  It gets a little more difficult if you plan on transitioning from one style to another.  Most people can't afford to get rid of all their furniture and accessories and start over.  So, let's say you are changing from traditional to a coastal look, how do you decide what to bring?

It is always a good idea, if financially possible, to change your anchor pieces if possible. An interior designer can be a tremendous asset as you make these decisions.  After all they don’t have any attachments to your things,...

Organize & Plan

Interior Design Via Organization And Planning

(Provided by Debbie Wallace of Debbie Wallace Designs)
You have now settled in to your new home and there is still so much to do.  You wonder how “will I ever finish unpacking and making my new home look just the way I want it to!”  If you are like most of us you probably lived in your prior residence for years, so don't pressure yourself to finish it all in the first few weeks or months.  If you sorted and discarded things before you moved the process of organizing is much easier.  Also, it probably isn't realistic to think your design ideas will be completed immediately either.  So, as we will discuss, the next few steps you take in this process are crucial. 

Storage BinsWe are going to look at this from two angles first from the organizational standpoint and then from the design aspect. What does organization have to do with good Interior Design you ask?  The short answer, have you ever seen an attractive interior design plan with clutter?  There are little tricks you can add to keep your home attractive and clutter-free.  So, this month we will tackle the organization and next month the integration of your new design plan. 

Organize Your MailOrganization comes naturally to some, but I have learned through years of working with clients not everyone can accomplish it without some suggestions.  When it comes to organization,...

Hardwood Floors

Hardwood Floors for Florida

(Provided by Jessica Peters of Flooring Options by Carpet One)
Advice from Jessica Peters of Carpet OneWhile flooring styles change year to year it seems my customers consistently desire the same thing; hardwood!  And why not?  It is a timeless look that gives you an oh-so-cozy feeling when you walk through your front door and get that comforting feeling of returning to your beautiful home.  Also, it greatly helps the resale factor making it a great investment! See this article at the Money 
http://time.com/money/3841734/wood-laminate-flooring-home-value/

The question is what’s best for your lifestyle? 

When buying hardwood there are certain factors that come into play when your decision in which hardwood is best for you.  Things you want to ask about and understand is what species is the hardwood?  What’s the hardness level?  What finish is used on this?  Most importantly, what is the moisture reading of my floor and is the installer going to protect my new flooring from the Florida moisture issues? Most people have seen oak hardwood floors, which are durable having a mid-range hardness level (around 1300 on the Janka rating scale) 
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Design Style

Choosing a Design Style for Your Home

Coastal Lifestyle BedroomAre you facing the challenge of moving to a new home and trying to decide what design style you would like? You ask yourself, do I like Traditional, Modern, Coastal, or French country? There are seemingly endless options and you are just not sure how to choose what will make your new space feel like home. Maybe there are things you just have to keep and aren't sure how to incorporate them into your new home. Rest assured you are not alone these design challenges are faced by most people when they move. However there are a few tricks that can help you not only choose your new style but that will also help you to execute your design plan.

Traditional Styled Living RoomHere are some tips I recommend to my clients who haven't identified there "design personality". If possible even before you purchase your new home narrowing down your personal tastes will help you execute the best design plan. For example, if you are modern and you select a very traditional home, it is going to be much more difficult and expensive to accomplish a modern interior. So how then do you figure what that perfect design is?

A great place to start is by creating a design scrap book. This can be accomplished a few ways. If you are a virtual person then the internet offers an endless amount of images to choose from. Websites such as Houzze and Pinterest are great resources to start a virtual scrapbook of design ideas. You...