That '70's Look

I'm not sure I'm wild about it, but it seems to be making a comeback. Having started my first away-from-home decorating experiences in college during the '70's, it can feel a little old to me rather than retro. Having said that, there are some things from the '70's I'm glad to see!

I love, love, love "shag" rugs. Now called Flokati, modern shag, or longer-pile rugs, they have a softer more appealing look than those of the '70's, despite being a bit difficult to clean.

While avocado green isn't a favorite, there is something to be said for harvest gold, especially when paired with brighter, more up-to-date colors like this light green and orange.

IKEA has fabulous offerings of the '70's retro look. Complete with floral coverings for their sofas and chairs, interesting coffee and end tables
(remember metal carts?), and very cool lights, it may just be the go-to place for that '70's look. I love this table!

And finally, lighting.....think swags, chrome, lava lamps........ Okay, forget the lava lamps. But don't hesitate to swag your pendant lamp. And if you're looking for a desk lamp, what could be cuter - or more retro - than this?

If you're like me and thinking maybe the '70's decorating wasn't all bad, check out my new board on Pinterest.

What Vacation Will Do For You!

I've spent a little time away from my computer over the past month. Not necessarily from emails, but from social media as well as this blog. I took some vacation time, but also just spent time doing a bit more relaxing - some of it in my own backyard. And those who say this can get the creative juices going were right!

After spending a little time in nature I feel like my color palette was completely refreshed. When I sat in my backyard enjoying the color, I realized how beautifully everything worked.I'm not a photographer, but I hope you can imagine the beauty of the purple Baptisia, the brilliant pink of the coral bells, the yellow of the day lilies, the purple and white iris, all the different shades of green in the vegetation, and even the pale blue-gray of the sky. What about using them in a room?

DesignbyInspiration did just that in this room for HGTV. Sure, the colors are bolder than those usually found in nature (at least all together), but this office would certainly inspire me!



You don't have to be quite so dramatic with the colors to have a colorful room. The addition of colorful pillows, seat cushions, and rug to the white background take this dining room beyond cheery. What a great place to spend some time on your laptop, chatting with your family, or simply lounging on the banquette!

Designer Todd Klein for HB

I know rooms this vivid may not be everyone's cup of tea. But staying open to color choices and combinations at least keep things interesting. Even a spot of unexpected color in, say, a bowl on the table, a single flower stem or a pillow can add just the refreshing energy that keeps a room from feeling boring to fun.And if you spend just a little time outdoors at this time of year, you'll see Mother Nature isn't afraid of a little color!

And if you would like to see a few more colorful rooms, check out my latest board on Pinterest.

Family Rooms Are For Families

Family rooms.......there's a reason they are called that. It's where the family hangs out. Sometimes it's immediate family only, sometimes it's extended family, and sometimes it's friends who feel like family. Because it needs to work for the family it serves, there aren't any hard and fast decorating "rules" to follow. But here are some ideas that just might make yours a little more fun!

Roger Davies

Have younger family members? Rather than putting their art on the refrigerator, what about framing and using it in place of more traditional art? Simple frames in black or white won't interfere with more colorful art and make switching art projects easy.For art that can change more often, paint a large piece of plywood (make sure it's been sanded) or even the wall with chalkboard paint. Frame it and keep a basket of colorful chalk nearby and the "art" may change daily!

BHG

Need lots of seating? Use poufs as side tables, store small ottomans under console tables for extra seating, use a bench as a coffee table, decorate
with large pillows that transition easily from the furniture to the floor.

Place less emphasis on the television by having lots of games handy. Store them in an armoire or in baskets or bins, but make sure they are easily accessible - and there is room to play them.

Family rooms should have family memories. Keep a basket on the coffee table of photos from family vacations through the years. Or cover the coffee or side table with photos, then cover with a glass top to preserve them. Or decorate with treasures picked up during these trips. Fill a glass jar with seashells collected while at the beach, make a collage of leaves found during a fall foliage tour, or hang a map of the state, the country, or the world and put a decorative pin in all of the places the family has traveled.

Whatever you do, make it yours. Family rooms are all about families, so make sure yours reflects the love of the people who live there........and inviting to all those who visit. And if you would like more family room ideas, check out my board on Pinterest!

Preparing to Sell.......or Stay!

Two years ago my husband and I decided to downsize, so we made some upgrades to our  home. And guess what happened? We decided we really liked what we had done, so we were going to stay a little bit longer. This spring, the downsizing idea came around again. So we started making a few changes and........we'll see what happens, but it's looking pretty nice around here. So why didn't we do some of these things earlier? Good question. So in case you're considering selling - or staying - here are a few inexpensive (and mostly) easy ideas that will help you enjoy whatever time you have left in the house. And make a good impression on your potential buyers when the time comes to sell.

Paint the grout. We have an off-white tile in our foyer and kitchen which originally had an off-white grout. But over the years the dirt built up, making the floor look old and dated. Rather than regrout, I cleaned the old grout with a special cleaner, then used a combination grout paint and sealer to bring back the old color. For a fraction of the cost of new tile the floor looks fabulous!

Paint or cover dated tile. If you're selling your home, dated kitchens and baths can be deal-breakers. But removing dated tile is very expensive. Instead, try painting it. You need to cover the tile with a 2 JANE. They offer some solid colors and some patterns - with a frequently expanding selection. I've used them for staging clients and have just ordered some for my kitchen backsplash.
special adhesion primer, then use an epoxy-based paint on the tile. If painting tile is a bit more than you want to do, try Tile Tattoos from

Paint the brick fireplace. You can do this one of two ways. To simply tone down the color, use a rag to lightly cover each brick, which will tone down the color but not cover it completely. If the fireplace is really unsightly, use a color that matches the walls.

Paint the cabinets. Talk about an instant update to kitchens and baths! Change the hardware and you've got a whole new - and updated - look!

Paint paneling. Nothing dates a home faster than old, worn paneling. For a simple update, use a milk-based paint to cover the defects. To get rid of the wood-look completely, fill in the cracks between the panels, then paint when dry. Hard to tell it's wood.

Use vinyl tile. If you have a floor that really needs updating, vinyl tile may be an easy, inexpensivesolution. Now available in many different styles, it looks like the "real" thing, as you can see in this sample from Armstrong.  If you are putting it over an old floor, just make sure doors can still open and close properly.


If this seems like a lot of work, break it into manageable chunks. The results will be well worth it!

Yellow is the Color of......

Yellow usually brings to mind the sun, happiness, energy. I remember sunny yellow kitchens of my childhood, with cafe curtains blowing in the breeze. I have friends who painted their yet-to-be-born babies' rooms yellow thinking it was a good solution when the sex was unknown. (Unfortunately it wasn't as yellow has too much energy for babies, keeping them from sleeping soundly.) But yellow has moved into the 21st century, becoming a sophisticated version of it's happy-go-lucky 50's self.

Because it's a primary color, it can be used with almost any other color, depending on the look, feel, and mood you are going for. Want to pair it with tried-and-true blue? One of the other primary colors, so of course it works! Orange? Wouldn't be a color without yellow! What rooms can you use it in? Whatever rooms you want! It certainly still works in kitchens. Look at this beauty from BHG! The style of the cabinets and the shade of yellow tells you this isn't your grandmother's kitchen.And the pop of orange shows you how well those two colors blend.

Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

And despite the high energy nature of the color, you can still use it in the bedroom. If you want serious yellow, you may want to select the guest room, where you can go all out. But even in the master bedroom yellow works very well, although smaller doses may help you sleep a little better. Why not pair it with something soothing like brown? The brown wall makes the room cozy while the yellow makes sure you'll face the day bright-eyed and bushy-taled (as my Grandmother used to say). And the white pulls it all together, bringing a sense of calm to the space.

Do you like yellow, but aren't sure you want a room built around it? Then use it as an energetic accent! This bookshelf adds just the pop this room needs! Seeing the neutral wall color behind the shelves keeps the room from feeling jumpy, while the yellow accents on the shelves and the table keep your eye moving. And there's that new take on "traditional" blue and white!

What if you do have your grandmother's furniture? Yellow can give it just the pop it needs to make it a focal point of the room. This beautiful Victorian chest looks wonderful when painted two shades of yellow. And it can be used in any room of the house! Certainly a bedroom, but what about an entry hall?What a way to welcome your guests! It would also work in the dining room as a small buffet, or in the kitchen to hold your linens, in the bathroom to hold your towels........wherever you use it, it's sure to bring a smile. Because that's what yellow does.

Want some more ideas about decorating with yellow? Check out my new board on Pinterest Not Your Grandmother's Yellow

Decorating Small Spaces

It seems the fever for McMansions is waning a bit. People are buying and building smaller. And downsizing is the name of the game, at least for Baby Boomers. But that can present challenges. First, buying smaller furnishings can be tricky, especially since everything looks smaller in a large furniture showroom, but probably isn't when you bring it home. So how do you make a small room work like a larger one without feeling cramped?

In a living/family room, get creative with the seating. While you may be tempted to buy a sectional,
that may not be the most effective seating arrangement. While several people can sit on a sectional, can they really do so comfortably? And sectionals generally have one way to be placed, which limits any other arrangements of the furniture. Instead use ottomans for seating flexibility. They can be used with chairs for more comfortable seating, as a coffee or side table (with a tray), or as additional seating when the need arises.


If you prefer a hard surface for your coffee table, use two smaller tables rather than one large one. This not only increases maneuverability in an otherwise tight space, they can also be moved easily around the room as the need arises. Or get really creative and use garden stools. They provide a flat, steady surface as a table, or additional seating if necessary.And notice the armless chairs. Another great space-saving idea.

There are other ways to make your furniture multi-task. If you need space for guests to sleep but don't have an extra room, use a daybed instead of a sofa - no need to have the space to open it (unlike a sleeper sofa). Instead of a bedside table, use a lowboy or small chest of drawers for additional storage. Cover a console table with a long tailored cloth to hide storage.

A few more suggestions........color and pattern are fine, but keep them to a minimum as they can go a long way in a small space. Use them in an accent chair, pillow, or rug. Let in as much natural light as possible, which means keeping window treatments to a minimum - and no dark colors! A strategically placed mirror (say, across from a window) brings in light while expanding space.

Like these ideas? Check out my Pinterest board Decorating Small Spaces.

Pillows - A Definite Decorating Statement

A design tip I often hear (and use) is to make a quick but dramatic change to a room, change (or add) pillows. As we move into spring and summer, using this tip can move a room from drab winter into bright sun. These beautiful pillows from Company C will brighten any room! The colors are divine.......and will go with almost any neutral. In fact, with a solid fabric, you can use them all together to bring summer sun into a room. Are you working with a lot of pattern in the room? Then use them to keep the color story going, while toning down the pattern.

Do you prefer patterns to solids? If the background is solid, don't hesitate to mix and match different patterns to create interest. See how these patterned pillows from Pier 1 in various shades of green enliven a beige sofa? To keep things from getting too busy when you have lots of pillows, try using a pair or two. Just keep the pairs at opposite ends of the sofa or on different pieces of furniture in the room.

Even outdoor furniture needs pillows. While it's probably a good idea not to compete with the landscape, simple pillows in subtle colors can add softness, comfort, and interest to outdoor furniture. Look how these pillows make this seating area more comfortable and cozy, while blending with the beautiful view.

Just a few simple "rules" to follow: odd numbers of pillows are usually a bit more interesting as are pillows of different sizes. Just don't have too many different sizes - two usually works fine. And don't forget about texture! Vary the textures of the pillows with that of the fabric they are on - and with each other. Then sink into the sofa and say "ahhhh". And if you like these ideas, visit my Decorating with Pillows board on Pinterest!