What To Do With That Mantel!

Just like the rest of the house, dismantling the mantel after the holidays leaves a big hole in my decorating scheme. I miss the warmth of the greenery, the glow of the lights and candles - and just the general fullness (is that a design term?) they bring to the living and family rooms. So when the decorations go, I'm looking for something that brings in the beauty of the winter without feeling stark or cold.

For me, that means less color but reflective surfaces, something that mimics the light from the sun coming off the snow. While I'm not a great fan of mirrors on the mantels, now might be the time to use one. And perhaps include something reminiscent of the bare tree branches.

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I stay away from a lot of color, other than the whites, silvers, grays, and perhaps icy blues of the winter landscape. And that includes any artwork. I'm fortunate to have a beautiful winter photo my husband took that looks stunning against the fieldstone of the of the living room fireplace. Appropriate greenery can be nice, such as evergreens (not the swags or trees of Christmas, but something that doesn't scream "holiday") or perhaps Narcissus or Amaryllis.

And, of course, a lit fire. What brings warmth to the house like the glow of the fireplace on a cold winter's night. Maybe I can wait just a little longer for spring.

Lighting the Darkness

One of the hardest things about the end of the holidays is the lack of light. During the season we have lights everywhere - indoors and out. They are in the front yard, the back yard, on all of the Christmas trees (inside and out), on both mantels, on the staircase roping . . . you get the idea. Several years ago we decided to leave up the back yard lights (that only we can see), calling them winter lights. They stay up through February, when you really can tell the days are longer. But inside has still been a problem - but now I've found solutions!

Apartment Therapy

Lamps Plus

While I will not go the traditional route of putting white lights on a large indoor plant or tree, I do like the idea of white lights on branches. The branches can be large like these and come from the back yard, or smaller, like the kind sold at craft stores for decorating projects. Or use the string lights to create your own wall art tree for a stunning effect.

I like the idea of a curtain of lights. From a few simple strands of star string lights all the way to a puddle-on-the-floor curtain, they certainly keep out the darkness. And the best news? When warm weather comes, hang them on your porch for beautiful summer nights. These beauties are good indoors or out.

Now that's what I call lighting the darkness.

A Space of Your Own

For those of us whose only office is in our home, having a space of our own to do that is extremely important. But even without working full-time from home, many more of us do at least a part of our work from there, whether it's telecommuting, having a sick child, or simply overtime needs. And that space of our own is still important. It gives us the privacy we need and encourages others (particularly family members) to take us seriously. And it keeps our business from being mixed in with the rest of the family's "things".

But how do you do that if your home is already full - and there just doesn't seem to be any space? Get creative! And that doesn't mean putting a desk in the master bedroom, a very bad idea. Instead, think of space you don't use as effectively as you could or one you could perhaps do without.

In some cases that may be the dining room, which can be a little used room except for the occasional holiday dinners. Why not make it the office, while still keeping it functional as a dining room on those rare occasions you might need it? Pretty shelving, perhaps a chest to hold filing and papers, and a table that can works well as a desk, but converts easily to a dining table may be just the ticket. Casual or formal - either will work.

If you are lucky enough to have a "bonus" space such as a large landing on the
second floor or an extra large hallway, use it! Out in a desk, perhaps a small bookshelf, a cabinet or special built-in for your papers . . . that's all you need to make a space your own.

Courtesy: Country Living

And perhaps the best idea? That closet that does nothing but hold junk can be able into an adorable office, especially if the door will close or it's out of the main living area. You can truly make it your own with lighting, colors, perhaps wallpaper . . . the options are endless.

So use your creativity, both in figuring out the space to use and in designing it. Not only will it give you the office you need, but you'll have fun going to work!

Who Has Enough Dining Chairs?

Real Simple

With the holidays upon us, dining tables often expand . . . but unfortunately, the number of dining chairs stays the same. That means we use mis-matched chairs from other rooms, bring out the folding chairs, or even use chairs from our outdoor dining set. But with a beautifully decorated table, it's nice to have pretty chairs as well - which really is possible with a little creativity.

Of course if the extra chairs you are using are pretty, it's perfectly fine to mix and match. In fact, that can add interest to the setting. Pretty wicker chairs from outside look right at home when brought inside. Using matching wingbacks or other upholstred chairs at the ends of the table add an elegant look. Even bringing in a bench from the entry or a loveseat from the living room works well.

HGTV

But for those times when that's just not possible and it's really a chair menagerie, it may take a little more work for a pretty look. If the chairs are similar enough in some ways (size, color, style), wrap a large ribbon around the back where it meets the seat. Tie a pretty bow, attach a sprig of something festive from the outdoors such as holly or winter berries, and you're done.

And if they are very different? You may need to cover a bit more of the chair. Slipcovers will of course do that. While they can be a bit pricey (especially if they are custom), it's easy to make your own. Buy inexpensive fabric (painters' cloth from the hardware store looks great and cleans easily), cut large enough to cover the entire chair to the floor, then wrap the ribbon the same way. If you have rough edges on the fabric use fabric glue to hem them.

BHG

Or to keep it really simple, use one long piece of fabric (table runners would work or cut your own) and cover the entire front and back of the chair, leaving the sides open. Use the ribbon idea above to keep it secure or attach ribbons on either side for pretty ties.

Whatever you do, remember it isn't about the chairs. It's about the joys of sharing your home with family and friends. And that's what they will remember.

There's Nothing Simple About White

By now you probably know that Simply White (OC 117) is Benjamin Moore's Color of the year. While I think it's, shall I say, an interesting choice, it sure beats Pantone's Merlot. And that horrible Emerald Green that was someone's choice a couple of years ago. And if you read the narrative on the Benjamin Moore website and see the photos (you can do that here), the rooms certainly are lovely.

But there are two things that niggle me: I really like white more as a background color, and there's absolutely nothing simple about it. If you've ever tried to select a white anything, you know just what I mean. Benjamin Moore itself has a whole separate ring in its color kit just for the whites.

I do realize that Simply White is the name of this particular white, but I can't help thinking that, by choosing that particular white, they are trying to portray white as a simple color. But even when I choose a white for trim, the shade of white I select depends on the color on the wall. The undertones in the white selected must go with the undertones of the wall color. And that's not always easy to determine.

HGTV

Having said that, there are some ways I absolutely love to use white, beginning with kitchens. And by that I mean cabinets. (And no, I don't care what anyone else says. For me, there's nothing better.) Granted, you have to warm the space up, perhaps with wall color, backsplash, or (as in the photo) warm woods. But if you do it right, it's warm, inviting, and lovely.

Country Living

I love white furniture when it's set against a beautiful wall color. In fact, that's what I've done in my office. And just look at how the lovely wall color sets off the rustic white furniture in this photo! The warmth in the walls and the wear of the furniture makes this setting cozy and inviting.

And of course I do love how white trim sets off wall colors, making them pop. And it's not always just the wood trim. The white in this paint treatment makes the different colors stand out even more dramatically.

So yes, I do love white in many of its incarnations. I'm still not quite sure about it as a color of the year . . .

The Skyline Effect

I read an interview with Brian McCarthy where he mentioned learning in his early career about using the furnishings and artwork in a room to build a skyline that moves the eye around the room. I love the term skyline, by which he means the varying heights of the furnishings and artwork guide the eye around the room. It really is like a skyline in that you are seeing it as you first take in a space. I learned it as a wave - your eye should travel in a gentle wave-like motion around the room, with no drastic jumps up or down. While I think it's more common now to talk about the rhythm of a room including all the elements (colors, textures, shapes, positions) which guide your eye through a room. But I am still a believer in the importance of the basic "skyline" effect.

An example of this is the bedroom at left where, if your eye was going around this room from left to right, it would start at the lamp, go up to the artwork, straight across then down to the lamp on the right. To be truly effective, this gentle wave-like motion would continue throughout the rest of the space.

Windows and window treatments should also be incorporated into the skyline. This can be a little trickier with very tall windows, but a little careful planning should do the trick.

As an example, the stripes on the panels in this living room, while not only raising your eye, also lower it into the room. So the rhythm in this snapshot begins with the artwork, down to the lamp, up to the window panels, straight across, then the stripes lead you back down into the room.

Of course there are many variables that are included the rhythm of a room. But I believe the "skyline" is where it all begins.

Longing for a New Cigar Box

I used to love getting ready to go back to school in the fall. It meant everything was new, and not just my clothes. Not only did I get new notebooks, but also pens, pencils, crayons - and that wonderful new cigar box to hold it all. Those days are long past, but when September arrives, I find myself yearning for things to help me organize my office, but (just like that cigar box) aren't necessarily intended to do that. So assuming some of you have a bit of the same yearning, I've taken the liberty of sharing with you a few of my favorite repurposed office organizing tools.

This is a great office organizing tool!

One of the things I love is the 3-tiered hanging baskets often used in the kitchen to hold fruit. While useful in the kitchen, they work very well in my office to hold things that clutter up my desk, like checkbooks, mail, and Post-Its. And while the more traditional style works just fine, and comes in all kinds of different materials (even copper!), I really like this cutie.

Mason jars are also great organizing tools. While I love them for outdoor summer decorating, they are wonderful ways to corral paper clips, pens, and scissors in my office. Egg cups are also a clever way of organizing smaller items like stamps. And if you set up a pegboard, you can easily attach either of them to the board to keep them off your desk. For the Mason jars, put them into a wine rack to keep them together in one place.

Gym baskets are a great tool to keep projects separated. Whether it's notebooks, folders, or (in my case) fabrics, photos, paints, and miscellany for different clients, putting what I need separated by client makes life so much easier. If  your "clients" are different projects, they work just as well.

Of course there are all kinds of beautiful, colorful tools ready-made for office organization. But for me part of the pleasure is in finding unique uses for objects I love. Whichever you do, just make sure it brings a smile to your face every time you see it. That can make an office day a fun day!