Picking the Right Paint Color

Today's blog is all about color....the right color. When you take on a new painting project in your home, do you have trouble choosing the perfect paint palette?

A couple of tips to help you establish the right color palette:

• Limit your selections - a color palette should be reflective of your personality and furnishings, but every home needs a primary color pallete that runs through most of the main living spaces. Take cues from your furnishings or artwork you love and choose one main color and preferably no more than two secondary accent colors.
• Be careful not to choose colors that are too garish and bright, unless you want your house to look like a day care. Typically colors that have a gray undertone to them will "read" much more soothing and subdued while still giving that burst of color you want without shocking the eyes.
  

This bachelor pad went from oh so wrong to the perfect palette for him.

• Pay attention to the color of your floor and furnishings. For example, if you have dark wood floors and dark leather furniture, you may not want to paint a dark color unless you are going for a really dark look - such as a media room. If you do, balance that color with other brighter elements in the room. Conversely, you don't want to have your furnishings floating in a see of white or beige either. Add some contrast!
• Get the advice of a professional color consultant such as myself. Choosing color is an emotional decision! You know that you are going to invest time and money in the process of painting, and who wants to paint 3 times to get it right. If you just can't make that decision. Call a professional to come and help with those selections. You will get a personalized color palette that is perfectly suited to your tastes and you will be able to sleep at night knowing you didn't make the wrong choice.

At Interiors Refined, our color consultations start at $75. We have an expert painting crew that will make your home beautiful. They can also handle sheetrock repair and trim carpentry. Color Consultation costs are applied to the cost of painting if you choose to use our painters.

Happy Decorating!

Top Ten Decorating Mistakes Part 2

Top Ten Decorating Mistakes
II. Lack of Cohesion

I've seen many rooms that just don't feel pulled together. Usually the culprit is a number of things:
• Competing styles: you may own a Victorian chair and have it paired with southwest style artwork. While it's not always wrong to mix styles, you must have some unifying element.
• Competing colors: the color on the wall may not do anything for the furnishings in the room or may even clash.
• Mismatched Accessories: The accessories may not match the overall feel of the room. An overall mish mash of furnishings, artwork and accessories. If your space looks more like a resale shop or thrift store than a model home, some changes may be in order. I'm betting you already know that.
• Complacency & Familiarity: If you know the space is just not quite right, but can't tell what is out of place. Invite a friend with a good eye for things over and have them be honest about what they see is out of place. Sometimes we just get so used to looking at things that we tend to overlook them.
• Ignoring the Architectural Style: If you live in a victorian bungalow, you may want to be careful about forcing furnishings that aren't a good style fit such as mid-century modern.

How to pull it all together:

Color Schemes & Style: Also tying together color schemes and overriding style and removing items that don't work with either is a great place to start.
Pairs: of chairs, lamps, etc - is the fastest way to give any room a pulled together look.
Repetition: Repeating design elements will bring a space together and add interest. Many times you won't notice immediately, but most designers will repeat some element of design over and over again to bring fluidity. (ie. Shapes, finishes, colors, style elements)
Furniture Styles: Competing furniture styles will cause visual distraction. Some styles can be blended well, but be careful not to use styles that fight with each other.
Beware of Too Much Matching: Remember that you don't have to be "matchy, matchy" to have a pulled together, cohesive look. You may have 2 chairs that are similar in size and feel, but aren't identical. They can be upholstered in the same or coordinating fabrics to tie them together visually. "They don't have to match, they just have to go."

Top Ten Decorating Mistakes - #1 Poorly Defined Priorities

Top Ten Decorating Mistakes

1. Poorly Defined Priorites


Most people decorate by default. In other words, whatever they happen to buy or already have just goes into a space. It may be a lovely picture frame someone gave you 15 years ago as a wedding gift or aunt Suzie's knick-knacks that she just knew you would love. Or it may just be something you had to have and bought on an impulse. Whatever the case, there was no plan, and you are not happy with your space.

Define your priorities first! Ask yourself the following questions:

Do you own or rent? How much change can I make or how much do I want to make?
What room is the most important to me? Where should I start or do I want to work on more than one room at this time? (I recommend starting with the priority space and finishing it - set realistic goals though.)
What room is the most dysfunctional and in the most critical need of change?
How much can I spend to upgrade this space?
How much time can I invest in this project? Or how soon does this project need to be finished?
Do I have the time and ability (vision) or do I need to call in a professional?
What function does my space need to serve? This is important because form always follows function.
What things do I have in the space that I want to keep/get rid of?
Who will be the primary users of the space? Is there another decision-maker to consult?
Is there a color scheme or decorating style that I want to use? Or do I want to use a "theme"?
Do I know what style I want this room to have? What is my personal style?
These are truly basic questions, but having a foundation and plan will save untold amounts of time, headaches and money. If this process seems overwhelming, you may need to have help from a professional.

Join us as we continue to explore these decorating rules, you will receive an e-mail entitled the 10 Commandments of Decorating for the next 10 weeks. Be sure to share this with your friends and on Facebook. I hope it is as helpful to you as it has been to others.

Top Ten Decorating Mistakes...Introduction

Top Ten Decorating Mistakes...Introduction

Ever wondered why your room doesn't feel pulled together - why a decorator can come in and without spending money make it look more cohesive and stylish in a matter of minutes? We'll answer practical questions such as "what do I do with the collections I love?" and "what is the right way to place my furniture?".

A couple of years ago I developed a workshop as a way to teach others how that good design does not have to be costly or inaccessible. I've noticed that there are some basic design principles that many people seem to miss and, if followed, can take any space and make it feel well put together. Of course, the quality and caliber of the furnishings is up to you. Another thing I've learned is the value of planning before you jump into a decorating or remodeling project.

Q. What is the number one most costly mistake homeowners make when they begin a decorating project?

A. Not having a plan before you start! Would you travel somewhere you've never been before without a map to your destination or a guide who can show you how to get there? Only if you like to spend extra time and money, right! I can't tell you the number of people who have said these exact words to me, "I wish I had called you sooner, I could have saved so much money." It truly is a misconception that if you call out a designer, you will spend a fortune. Most designers will come on an hourly basis and give you all the ideas and direction you need to get your project going in the right direction. (ie. Color consultation, do-it-yourself plans, surface selections) Many times they will have ideas that ultimately save you from spending unnecessarily.

After working with many people and observing space after space, I noticed that there were some basic mistakes that were made over and over again. So I developed this list of 10 common design faux pas. You could call it my 10 Commandments of Decorating. My list is not exhaustive, but it does cover the basics.

Over the next 10 weeks, I will post a blog entitled the 10 Commandments of Decorating. I hope it is as helpful to you as it has been to others.

Computer Aided Window Treatment Renderings

Today's window treatment market is so much different than years ago. In years past, when you ordered a custom design for your windows you would only get a hand-drawn rendering of what your room would look like with your new window treatment. Today, window treatment professionals can show you exactly what to expect with the assistance of powerful software and drawing tools developed specifically for the window treatment professional. See this video of some amazing designs.

At Interiors Refined, we utilize the best tools in the industry to show you exaclty what to expect. We can take a picture of your room and insert drawing onto your windows so that there is no guess work involved and you know exactly what to expect. Here is an example of one window treatment design and the finished product. This client chose to make her valances a little less curved at the bottom.

Is your home ready for a sale?

Selling Your Home in a Buyer's Market

Getting your home ready for sale in this market is paramount. Like never before, your home is a product that must stand above the competition. You must also compete with rock bottom deals due to forclosures and short sales. Studies have proven that a staged home will statistically sell faster and for more money than a home that is not staged for sale. Here is a checklist of some things you can do to get your home ready before you list. Remember the smallest things will make a huge difference, and if you need expert design eyes to come in and help you get the most for your home, call Interiors Refined.


Getting Ready Checklist

Watch this video to see a house we recently prepared for sale. The house needed a lot of updates and we used minimal furnishings for staging, but the home was sold in quick time and for better than average market price.

Welcome to my little place on planet BLOG!

Hi Everyone! This is my first official blog. I can't wait to share with you all current design trends and practical how-to tips to make your house a Refined Home. Watch for more to come...