Interior Redesign

August 6th, 2010 . Posted in Accessorizing, Designer's Point of View, Room Designs, Space Planning | 1 Comment »
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Interior Redesign Family Room with Lake View

Interior Redesign After

Interior Redesign for your home is like seasonally changing out our wardrobe.

We lighten up our color choices in the Spring and Summer; and darken them up in the Fall and Winter.

Also known as “One Day Decorating” – Interior Redesign is the process of taking your existing furniture and accessories and rearranging them to create a new fresh look.

Similar to taking a blazer from an old suit, pairing it with a skirt that for year’s you had nothing to match it; put some great jewelry, shoes and hand bag, and viola you have a new fresh look for that old blazer.

Interior Redesign Family Room Lake View

Interior Redesign Before

Especially in today’s economy, Interior Redesign is the simplest way of “Redecorating your Home”.  We know we love our homes, and we want to live well in them as long as we can.   That’s why by just refreshing our décor without undertaking a total overhaul or major expense should be considered.

Sometimes you need to add a few extra touches: a fresh coat of paint, or a new cheerful paint color, a vibrant floral arrangement, or just some simple updated accessories, to bring life back to a room.

Some examples why Interior Redesign should be considered:

Do you have a room that just doesn’t feel right, or just doesn’t work?

No matter what you put into it, you just can’t seem to make it look right, the way you had envisioned?

You know you want to do something with the room, but just can’t seem to figure out what to do to make it look different?

Have inherited some furniture, but you are not sure where to place it, or how it is going to fit in with your existing décor?

You already have too many pieces of furniture and just the thought of bringing in more furniture seems impossible?

You’re still staring at the “builder beige” wall color that is pale and sickly looking?   The thought of selecting a different paint color frightens you.

These are just a few examples why Interior Redesign may be your solution.

So when considering Interior Redesign, remember these four “R’s”

  • Rearrange – new room layout for your furniture
  • Refresh – move accessories around
  • Repaint – add a cheerful color
  • Revive – when it all comes together, your room will look alive again.

Guide to Choosing the Right Paint Color

May 27th, 2010 . Posted in Color Schemes, Designer's Point of View, Sustainable Design | 2 Comments »
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With so many paint colors to select from in a paint sample deck, how do you begin to even think of what color is best for your spaces or room?

When planning on selecting paint colors, you need to determine the rooms functional use.  Colors have different effects on ones senses; it can energize and stimulate, or create a calming and relaxing atmosphere.   Warm colors in golden tones, reds and oranges will create an intimate environment; while cool tones in greens, blues and violets can calm and expand a space.

Dramatic Staircase Wall Color

Item of Inspiration -

There is always an item that will direct where to start.  It can be your favorite vase, art piece, or even something larger like the fabric on a chair or sofa in the room.  Once you have selected your inspiration and found your shade of color, the different hues (gradation in color) will help select the ideal color to complement your room.   Small tip: colors appear lighter on the chip than when they are applied on the wall; you may want to go one shade lighter, unless your intent is to create some drama in the room.

When choosing the paint material, consider your health and the health of others, as well as the environment.  Choose paints that are odorless and with low VOC emissions (Volatile Organic Compounds).  Most paint manufactures offer these paints; Benjamin Moore Natura, Sherwin Williams Harmony and Duration Home, and Earthpaint a natural non-toxic sustainable paint.

Walls are not the only spaces that need color; don’t forget the ceiling, paint it  a shade lighter than the walls, this will maintain the visual height of the ceiling and complement the new wall color.

Designers Tip:  Test paint colors before painting the whole room.  Samples are available for most colors.  Paint an area of the wall that gets the most natural light.  View the color at night as well as colors will appear differently throughout the day.

Websites for additional tips:

Benjamin Moore

Green Sure

Earthpaint

Your Kitchen Renovation Can Be “Green”

May 12th, 2010 . Posted in Designer's Point of View, Sustainable Design | 3 Comments »
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Kitchen Before Renovation

When working on a kitchen renovation, consider what elements of the kitchen are worth keeping and what needs to be changed to make your renovation a “green” kitchen design.

The largest part of the kitchen renovation project are the cabinetry choices. If your cabinets need a face lift, consider refacing them versus replacing. There are multiple choices of door styles, wood specifies and finishes. This helps to maintain the same footprint of the kitchen layout. In our sample kitchen design, we went from white laminate to maple harvest wood satin finish. The intend was to keep the solid surface counter tops which are in very good condition. Our choice to go with maple helped tie in the teal green color counter tops. Instead of hauling away to a landfill complete cabinet boxes and doors, we only had the doors to consider disposing of.

Kitchen After Renovation

Appliances were replaced with an energy star refrigerator, warming oven and double oven; we used the existing gas range and dish washer, which had recently been replaced. A custom tile backsplash, more efficient faucet, updated flooring, replaced light fixture with a more energy efficient lighting package.

When planning on renovating your kitchen, consider using these green techniques.

Energy Saving Tip: Purchase Energy Star Appliances.
Visit www.energystar.gov for more information; or contact Interior Concepts for a design consultation.