Collections or Clutter?

Everyone collects things as a kid—stickers, baseball cards, stamps—but as we get older, either the items change to reflect a new aesthetic or the collections grow in size and value. But what makes the difference between a tasteful and well-curated collection and a room or house that looks like it’s straight from an episode of Hoarders?

The difference between a bunch of stuff and a beautiful collection is all in the presentation. How to display small items in a home is a big problem for a lot of collectors. Collections can take over a room or, in a worst case scenario, a whole house.  This mistake is compounded when the collection is of a mid-sized thing like figurines, pottery or books.  Somehow when a collection is of a dozen ducks from 8-12″ tall, you’re likely to find them scattered here and there, singly and in pairs, around the house.  Gather all the pieces of the collection in one place and evaluate the strength and interest of each piece. 

Another clever solution is to give a neutral-colored collection a colorful backdrop. On their own, the white vessels pictured on the right might induce a yawn. But group them together against green-painted shelves and their forms pop and become interesting.

Of course, shells are beautiful the problem is they can have a "been there, done that" look if they are simply lined up on a shelf or (worse) stacked in a bowl. Use small display stands to turn shells (and other natural wonders) on end and elevate them. They go from dust collectors to sculpture in one easy move.

A collection of vintage bottles works perfectly on a large windowsill.  Casually group like colors and make sure there are a bunch of different sizes for an unfussy look. Bonus- the light streaming through these bottles will brighten up the whole room.

Don’t hide beautiful platters or serving dishes in kitchen cabinets! Instead group them together and display them on kitchen shelves. Not only are they easier to access, it creates a great focal point in the kitchen.

Edit ruthlessly if necessary and just place your best pieces – all in one place…… one or two tabletops, or throughout one bookshelf.  If the collection is of small items, gather and anchor them together on a tray.  If the collection is of oversized items, group them in pairs or trios and place judiciously around the room.  If it starts to feel like a store, edit some more.

Hang your pictures...PERFECTLY!

For the most part I don't walk into places, my friend's houses, and mentally critique their decor (well it does happen sometimes, but only if it is really bad and those people aren't usually my friends...cause I would have already told them what was up), but one thing that I see all the time that drives me crazy is artwork that is not hung at the right height.  Men tend to hang stuff WAY too high and women...well that goes either way. 

So here is a great tip that will make picture hanging a simple, pleasurable task. The tip is to always hang your art at 65" on center. "On center" means that the middle of the picture is at 65" (obviously, the hook will be higher). Interestingly, the 65" standard represents the average human eye-height and is regularly used as a standard in many galleries and museums.

If you stick to this standard, you create a harmony among ALL the pictures in your home, as they will always hang in relationship to one another from their centers, not their sides. Additionally, I have also found that this helps solve the problem many people have, which is that they hang their pictures too high.

Step By Step:

1. Measure and lightly mark 65" on the wall
2. Measure top of your picture to the middle (or take height and divide by 2)
3. Measure top of your picture to the tightened wire (a small amount)
4. Subtract this last amount to tell you how far above 65" your hook should go
5. Measure up from 65" with this last amount and lightly mark on the wall

Example:

1. Picture is 20" tall
2. Middle is 10" down from top (this should rest at 65")
3. Wire comes to 2" below the top
4. 10" - 2" = 8"
5. Lightly mark 8" above your first mark OR 73" on the wall

Though this may seem complicated to read, it is quite simple when you do it. The thing to always remember is that the CENTER of all your pictures are hanging at the same 65", and you are just figuring out where the hook goes above it.



The artwork in this picture is hung about 12 inches too high,
while the collage is interesting, it looks like it is hung on the
vertical center of the wall (not good)



This 65" also applies to groups of pictures. Think of a group as ONE picture. After you arrange how you want them all to hang (doing this on the floor makes it easier), start with the center picture/pictures and get them at 65" on center. Then surround them with the rest of the group.

One except to this rule is if you’re hanging art over a sofa, table or chest, the bottom of the art should be 4-8″ off the furniture.

Check every picture and painting in your home and rehang them………..lower.

Easy Stripes on Textured Walls

As much as I love a beautiful painted wall in a single color, I also adore the look of painted stripes on walls.  They can be bold or subtle, symmetrical or varied, horizontal or vertical, but done just right, stripes are perfect for creating big impact on a budget.

Designing, measuring, and prepping your space for stripes is difficult enough, but the greatest frustration felt by most is taking the time to paint stripes around a room with textured walls, and then peeling off the tape, only to find uneven lines.

The best way to get a crisp line is to first paint your lighter color on the whole wall and let dry for an appropriate amount of time (or, if you’re painting stripes over an existing paint job, make sure you have the original paint color, at least enough for touch ups.)

Lay out your tape lines, then seal the edges of the tape with your ORIGINAL color using a brush or roller.  Let dry, then paint your contrasting stripe color over that, and remove the tape while the paint is still a bit wet.  Not only will you get a clean stripe, but the only seepage you’ll get is in the original paint color, and should blend in just fine.

Happy striping!

Top 10 Reason to Hire an Interior Designer

You might think that hiring an Interior Designer is only for the rich and famous, but actually hiring an Interior Designer is a smart way to go at any budget.  Here are some of the tops reasons.

1.  Hiring an Interior Designer will save you money.    How many times have you purchased something and have no where to put it, or purchased something and it doesn’t fit or look quite right and you end up getting rid of it shortly there after?  Hiring an Interior Designer can help save you money by suggesting purchases that will work and fit into your home decor.  A Designer will help you purchase quality items that will last longer and can transition with moves or changes.   Designer’s also have trade access and discounts that are often passed on the client, so you can purchase higher quality items for the same or lower than you would pay buying retail.  An Interior Designer can help you get it right the first time.

2.  An Interior Designer has access to trade only showrooms and products.  Buying retail is like have a choice of vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ice cream.  But buying through an Interior Designer opens the world to a whole rainbow of colors.  When you purchase through an Interior Designer you have access to a fabulous world of fabrics, furniture, and other products that cannot be found in retail.

3.  Designers have an array of associates.  One of the biggest challenges facing homeowners and business when deciding on a new project or remodel is how to find quality craftsmen and trades.  Designers work with the trades daily, and they often know the best of their craft, from general contractors to upholsters to custom woodworkers, a Designer has contacts that will help ensure your project is done professionally.

4.  Coordination and Project Management.  Projects such as renovations and remodels can involve a lot of different processes and a lot of different people working on the same space.  A Designer has experience coordinating such projects, and can facilitate the work flow and timing of the installation.  A Designer can also act on your behalf to manage and oversee the project, and ensure that the work is proceeding according to schedule and most importantly correctly.

5.  Fresh ideas and perspective.  Sometimes it doesn’t matter how talented you are and how good your taste is, when you live in a home for a while, you can lose the ability to have an objective perspective.  Bringing in a Professional can give you a new and fresh perspective of the space.

6.  You’ll get more use out of your furniture.  A Designer can help you make quality choices in furniture that will last decades.   With such quality and classic pieces, you may only need occasional reupolstering to refresh your look.

7.  You’ll get more use out of your space.  A Designer can help you get more use of out of your space by designing a space that is functional and useable as well asesthically pleasing.

8.  Free marriage counseling!  Some couples have differences of opionions and tastes when it comes to buying something as simple as a couch; image the complications that arise when redoing a whole room or renovating a home.  Hiring a Designer can help find keep your marriage sane, by offering an outside perpective and recommeding materials that you will both love.

9.  You’ll have more time to do the things you love.  Let’s face it not everyone loves designing and buying for their home.  Hiring an Interior Designer will allow to you avoid the things you dread, and move on to enjoy the things you do love.

10. Your home is still not done.   And it may never get done!  Give your home the priority it deserves.  Bringing in a Professional Interior Designer to get those rooms and projects done once and for all, and enjoy your home the way you dreamed it to be.