Guest Post! ATLANTA INTERIOR DESIGNER: Fern Pattern Inspiration...

I'm finally back from vacation and ready for some inspiration! This is Heather Elizabeth Design's first guest post.  Here is a writer from Arcadian Lighting on fern pattern inspiration. A little 'green' product for your Monday morning :) Enjoy!

Hi there! I’m Joanna, a guest writer for Arcadian Lighting, a premier online source for every style and finish of lighting fixtures. I create guest posts such as this one for lovely design blogs. I’m passionate about anything and everything interior design. I love collecting decorating ideas and images like the ones below. Today, I’m posting about fern patterns for the home. With eco-friendly interiors in mind, decorating with nature-based elements is easily accomplished. The following images should inspire some fern patterned décor ideas for you.  

   

Fern-patterned wallpaper creates a sense of drama and elegance in this petite powder room. 

 Tiny art of different types of ferns create a pretty gallery wall. These particular pieces are the result of a DIY project. 

 

Three prints of fern curls look terrific above a black buffet. The green contrasts with the black frames. A lighting fixture above or sitting on the console would be a nice touch.

 

Eco friendly fabrics for the dining room have their own interpretive fern pattern. I like the block prints coordinating with the table accoutrements. 

 

A lovely tufted chair boasts a charming fern and bird pattern. This chair would look quite lovely in a nature-themed living room or bedroom. 

 

A colorful paper features a flowering fern print in this contemporary living room. The differing green hues creates a cohesive space without being repetitive. A fun light fixture sits beside the sofa. 

 

Adding fern patterned pillows to a bed, chair or sofa will give the room a natural feel.

 

A delicious looking chocolate cake decorated with wood and leaf accents sits in front of fern patterned wallpaper. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 I hope you enjoyed my mini obsession with fern decor and don't forget to check out Arcadian Lighting for some great floor lamps for your next fern inspired room.    

Thanks, Joanna for jump starting our creativity this week. Of course my favorite is the black & white fern wallpaper.

Happy Designing!

Heather

ATLANTA INTERIOR DESIGNER: Ways to pick paint colors...

I received a mini-magazine in the mail called Classic Modern Life which is a supplement to Traditional Home Magazine. I wanted to let you in on the article, 10 ways to pick paint colors, because I think there is some great advice here. (I have revised this article slightly to note what I think is important & good advice. I have also added my two cents where I felt it was needed).

 Tis the season to be painting....

Focus on the room's purpose. Some colors work perfectly for certain spaces but not for others. Match color to the room's purpose. Strong colors can make a kitchen feel cluttered, but white or pastels always work. For bedrooms, never use a dark shade - it's just not relaxing. For powder rooms, you can be fearless because they're such small spaces.

Start with favorite things. Use something you love as a jumping-off point to create a room's color scheme. For example, if you have a favorite cream-and-black toile chair, paint the walls cream and have ebony furniture & floors. If you have something really important, sentimental, or a painting you cannot live without -starting there for inspiration is almost always a good start because the chances that you tire of the color is slim.

Experiment with a new color. Paint is the most economical way to give a room a new look. When choosing a shade, go beyond what you think is right. Be dramatic. Aim for the WOW factor. If you think the color is too strong after you've painted, wait a bit. Fill the room with furniture and hang pictures. Once the room is put back together, the warmth of the objects may make the color work.

 Try small doses. If you're hesitant about a color, try painting just one wall and keeping the other walls white or a neutral shade, such as a pale beige. The color becomes the focal point, and if the room is large, it will help ground the space.

Accentuate the details. If you want to use a bright tone but are afraid of painting a whole wall that color, opt for painting the room white and putting the bright hue on doors, moldings, and baseboards. You can reinforce the color through accessories.

Look out the windows. When deciding on a paint palette, think about the views from your windows. You can visually expand a space by bringing the colors you see outside your home, blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors and bringing the feeling of the outdoors in.

Match a color. One way to customize a room is to find a gorgeous flower, stone, or nearly any object at all, and having a color expert match it to a paint color for you. Using this method will give you a stunning color that no one else has.

Create Continuity. It's important that each room's color works with the next room. Paint hallways neutral shades then use fun hues for the rooms off of the hallway.

Hire a color expert.  Having a trained eye lead you in the right direction is a priceless service. I try to let people know that with my color consultation service I don't just walk in and say, "paint this room orange". If all you're wanting is a color name & number, than you're probably right when you think it's not for you. Most often with color you want to know WHY...With my service I offer advice to tie together the entire house including tile, cabinets, carpet, furniture, window treatments and most importantly, answer the WHY. I help them understand how colors will change the psychology of the space and how to  correctly relate their vision to those entering their home. Color truly changes everything.

For information on how to schedule your color consultation please email HeatherElizabethDesigns@gmail.com

(This is offered to local Atlanta residents or through our E-Services)

I love talking about COLOR! If you love color too visit this section of the blog :)

Happy Designing!

Heather

Rethink white. White walls give you more freedom to play with color in bedding, accent pillows, upholstered furniture, even art. There are hundreds of shades of white and they all have different undertones to them- from gray, to cream, and even bright undertones. White is not boring!

ATLANTA INTERIOR DESIGNER: 5 design mistakes to avoid...

Top 5 Design Mistakes every DIYer has made...

1. Hanging photos and/or artwork too high

This is one of my biggest designer pet peeves. I realize for every design project this could be different, especially when you have a really exquisite piece of art that you want to hang at eye level. However, as a general rule when hanging a piece or art or a mirror above another piece (sofa, console table, bed, etc) I think 8" is about perfect. Having too much negative space between your floored piece & wall piece can be distracting and create some not-so-good harmony. Scale is also very important, check out this website for some great advice on hanging art.

Bad :(

Good! 

2. Purchasing without a plan

Often times consumers get excited and start purchasing because they really love this shade or purple, because 'it's on sale, or because they can easily redo this antique chair'... After getting it home you realize this purple chair goes with nothing else I had in mind or that antique chair is too small in comparison to everything else in the space. My best advice is to stop, breathe, and allow time for the design process. Having an entire plan for you room, and then purchasing over time is much better than rushing or buying individual pieces without a grand plan of what you want your space to look & feel like. This will save you big bucks...

3. Bad lighting

Lighting is one of the most important, yet most neglected principles in design. Try to incorporate a good variety of the three basic types of lighting.

-Task Lighting: Helping you perform 'tasks' such as reading, cooking, or homework. This comes in the form of desk lamps, under the cabinet lights, or floor lamps.

-Ambient Lighting: General light that illuminates the room or space as a whole. Ambient lighting usually comes in the form of wall or ceiling mounts.

-Accent Lighting: Adds drama and visual interest to a space. Think about drawing the eye to a focal point such as live plants, special piece of art, or the texture of a stone wall. This lighting should be 3 times as bright as your ambient lighting to be effective.

4. Painting first

If you are wanting to provide a quick update, painting can be an inexpensive fix to a dull room. However, when planning to re-decorate or begin a room paint is last.  There are just about as many paint colors as there are blades of grass. I promise it's much easier completing your furniture and accents and then choosing a great color to highlight these, rather than starting with butter yellow and then trying to create a room around it.

5. Getting advice from the wrong people

Such as your bestie, your neighbor, or the cable guy. I know you may trust their opinion on many things, but your home might not be one of them. I say this because they don't live like you live, feel how you feel, and just might not be qualified to give you the correct answers. Often times your friend or neighbor can give you advice as it would relate to them, not you and your family. I have seen it many times...client brings their bff shopping with them and then finds it really difficult to say no to them. Sometimes it can make you second guess your great ideas & feel insecure about your own home. I promise there are affordable ways to get professional design advice. Visit my Ava Living page if you have some questions of your own!

Happy Designing!

Heather

Design any room on any budget....without cutting corners!

This is an article that I had written for a local magazine that I wanted to share.

"Let's face it, we may end up spending more time than we expected in our current neighborhood since it turns out there is no miracle fix to the economic situation. The good news is, we are able to make more memories with our friends and families here and can spend some time taking pride in the space we call home. I can help you stretch your design dollars as far as possible without feeling like you're restricting your creativity. You can have an incredibly stylish room that screams expensive without breaking the bank by following this advice.

The dreaded budget... This is rule number one and the first question I ask before putting together a design. Believe it or not, straying from a budget is one of the top reasons people overspend. Most people are afraid to divulge number because they feel like they are overshooting (and they'll spend it all) or undershooting (and they'll miss out). The most important part is making sure the number is what you and your family are comfortable with. Even if it's what you want to spend over time, this budget will allow you and your designer to come up with a grand plan that gives you the most bang for your buck. Trust me, you will live more comfortably in your space knowing that you could afford it...and you might just have enough left over to enjoy a nice dinner in that new dining room.

Dress those windows! You wouldn't clean your bedroom and not make the bed or dress up for a night out on the town without finding that perfect necklace. The truth is, the final touches make all the difference. Window treatments are most often the area people leave out of their design but in reality they can make the largest impact on your space. My clients are often surprised that they can actually afford window treatments and I promise this doesn't have to be a scary expense. A good designer should be able to work with nearly any budget to finish off the room and create some vertical interest!

Get inspired... and introduce “Do it Yourself” into your vocabulary! It's a great way to give your budget a break and add a unique touch that is truly one of a kind. Try framing extra fabric left over from the last project, paint an old piece of furniture that needs a facelift, or even try a simple stencil that adds some pop in your powder room. Don't be afraid to paint or reupholster a hand me down because it might turn out to be your new favorite piece, and the money you save could be used for a great piece of art. If you are just not feeling that creative itch, ask for help...I have completed many DIY projects for my clients for almost nothing.

Don't forget a fresh coat.... Adding a new layer of paint can add depth and warmth within your room and give the space a new life! I always suggest painting a reasonable sized room yourself to save some cash. If you just can't repaint the entire room yourself, accent walls can be very effective if they are done correctly.

20/30/50 rule...This is generally how I split up my client's design dollars, whether it's $2000, $15,000, or somewhere in between. 20% toward your accessories, 30% toward accent pieces and windows, and the remaining 50% toward your large furniture pieces, whether new, reupholstered, or freshly painted. Of course this can be tweaked per project and situation but it's a great rule to help you get everything your creative heart desires within your means. "

Happy Designing!

Heather