Making a Comeback

Many trends from days gone by usually find their way back around again.  Whether you were on board the first time or not, here are some comeback categories to consider for your home’s style today.

Wallpaper – Wallpaper is back in smaller doses than before but in bigger, bolder patterns.  What used to cover wall-to-wall, room-to-room, in a variety of muted, small-print patterns has now been updated to accent walls and one-room-at-a-time in patterns that have one overall geometric design on a large scale.  The shades have gone the way of brighter or darker tones of contemporary colors.

Paisley – Paisley prints were once all the rage, and then they fell out of the loop for some time.  Now, paisley patterns are seen on clothing, wall art, and upholstery fabrics alike.  The scale has gotten larger, the design more simplified, and the uses add a whimsical, chic touch to a variety of applications.

The 50s Kitchen Colors – Olive green has been given a facelift and is now going by “sage.”  Aqua and red is a current popular color combo that used to pepper diners and grandmas’ kitchen alike.  These two show up together and seperately in cabinetry, dining furniture, and upholstery fabrics, too.  Brighter pastels like yellow, orange, and coral can offer a summery glow in wall shades, upholstery, and painted furniture pieces.

Some Greats from the Outdoors – Retro patterns and prints in abstract versions of leaves, raindrops, and florals are infused into today’s table linens, bedding, and fabric seating.  Owls, very popular graphics in the 70s, are seen on invitations, logos, and other girly designs again.

Mauve – Muted mauve shades, which are rosy-gray pink in color, are being found in accessories like lamp bases, ceramics, dishes, and other décor items.  They are paired in modern fashion with whites, creams, and champagne shades to provide a feminine, elegant touch.    

Looking back can be a good thing.  Take what you like from decades gone by, and give it a fresh twist to fully bring it into today’s designs.  You might just enjoy a touch of the past on what makes your house the home it is in your present.    

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star February 26th. 

Easy Ways to Lighten and Brighten

As we prepare to cast off the wintery touches around our homes, such as they are here in the South, there is no time like the present to begin preparing for a lighter, brighter feel for spring. 

Trade in your flannel, fleece, or simply heavier bedding for fresh white sheets that are t-shirt soft to the touch.  Swap a down-filled comforter for a light weight blanket between your sheets and bedspread.  These two quick changes can take a bed from a chilly weather retreat to a soothing spot for the warmer nights ahead.

Give a home office or living area a mini makeover by replacing a cumbersome bookcase and any other large shelf unit not built in with floating shelves instead.  When properly installed, floating shelves can be just as handy for shelving storage, but they open up your wall space, keeping more of your wall color visible and making books, photos, and accessories more of an airy display.  As a bonus, they can blend seamlessly with your existing wood tones, as they come in a variety of finishes, including glossy white.

Add a cheery welcome mat and new potted plants to your front entry.  Exchange a large piece of wall art for a light-reflecting mirror on a prominent wall or over the mantel.  Replace dark lamp shades with white drums or even a brighter pop of color like turquoise or yellow in appropriate rooms.  Put the chenille throw away, and give your side chairs or sofa a couple of bright printed pillows instead.  Arrange a small collection of bud vases on a buffet or foyer table with single stems in each for a spring touch.  If a bathroom sports towels in navy, maroon, hunter green, or other dark shades, consider easy-clean white to add a breezy spa touch to the space.  Pair that with a bright white shower curtain and some white pillar candles for the countertop, and you have lightened the space on a small budget. 

 Small changes can lighten and brighten areas of your home without a heavy investment.  Simple replacements can take your space from one season to the next without altering your big furniture pieces.  Bright colors and accents of clean white are always fresh for spring, and simplified, rejuvenated spaces can just be a warm weekend project away.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star February 19th.

Show Your Home Some Love

With just two days remaining before Valentine’s Day, visions of red and pink and rose petals may be dancing in your head.  This is a time to celebrate love, and it doesn’t take Cupid to remind us of the ways in which we give a nod to the design inspirations from this heart-filled holiday.

We may have always been taught that red and pink just do not go together.  However, that design principle has taken a back seat to their comingling in recent years.  From clothing store advertisements to a mix of pillows on a modern showroom couch, those leaning toward the girly side of style are pairing these two love shades together for an eye catching focal point.  An easy way to add these pops of color in your home, even just for a season, is in kitchen cup towels, accent pillows, chenille blankets, throw rugs, coffee mugs, dessert plates, and wall art.

From a little girl’s room to a teenage girl’s space, red and pink shades together can add a bold graphic print to bedding, towels, and window panels.  A hallway or entryway lacking in its own personality can be jazzed up with a dark red runner that extends down the middle of the floor to catch dirt as well as eyes.  To add curb appeal to your home, a bold front door painted in lipstick red can be what sets your front stoop apart from the neighbors. 

Flowers are not a holiday-only affair.  Using fresh flowers periodically in a small arrangement on a foyer table, buffet, or nightstand throughout the spring is a way to add softness and fragrance to a room.  Red velvet cupcakes, strawberry shortcake, and chocolate dipped strawberries are three desserts that are sure to satisfy a sweet tooth.  A small glass bowl of candy pieces can be a casual touch in the family room.  Ribbons and bows can wrap up more than gift boxes; wrap random sections of grosgrain ribbon in varying widths in your choice of styles around a blank white canvas and secure the ends to the back for a simple custom wall hanging.       

The whimsical dashes of love-inspired shades and Valentine-reminiscent design influences can show your home just how much you adore it as the place that holds more than your life; it holds your heart as well.       

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star February 12th.

A Laundry Room Makeover

A laundry room.  What a luxury.  Some are blessed with one, and some do their laundry in a small space or the garage.  But whatever the area, the way you utilize the space around a washer and dryer just may help remove the word “chore” from this vital household task.

One key to smoothing out the wrinkles in laundry day is to maximize the space you have and have the right tools right at your disposal.  In a small space, like the pass-through between the garage and the hallway or kitchen, you could make your laundry area feel bigger without changing its size.  Paint the limited wall space in a brighter shade than the walls that border it.  Give your baseboards, trim, and door frames a fresh coat of bright white, glossy trim paint for a clean look. 

If you have basic cabinets mounted over your machines, consider removing the cabinet doors.  Paint the cabinets a bright white, which will help them blend with your likely-white appliances.  But paint the back of the cabinets the same as your wall color, giving the cabinets a suspended cubby system feel.  For some flair, you could wallpaper the back of the cabinets with a bold and bright geometric print instead. 

Now the next thing to consider is the visual appeal of what you ordinarily keep in those upper cabinets.  By removing the doors, you put your supplies on display, which can ruin the look or decoratively add to it.  Detergent, laundry additive, and fabric softener can be put in glass apothecary jars with drink dispenser spigots.  Stain treatment sticks, mesh laundry bags, dryer softener sheets, and other small laundry supplies can be put in woven milk crate baskets for an attractive, streamlined storage and organization solution. 

 

 

Ditch the plastic laundry bins for a traditional woven laundry basket with fabric liner for hauling your clean clothes.  This looks more appealing sitting on top of the dryer than the plastic version.  Use an area rug or runner in front of the washer and dryer to cushion your frequent steps and to add a homey touch.  Utilize a mounted rod to hang clothes fresh out of the dryer.  Capitalize on a kitchen island or other designated folding surface nearby to have a work space that works for you. 

 

 

A few changes can take a blahh laundry area and turn it into a room with some visual appeal.  The task may be the same, but making the atmosphere more pleasing certainly can’t hurt that ongoing cycle that is wash-dry-fold-or-hang-and-put-away.                   

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star February 5th.