6 Decorating Tips from Spotlight on Design Experts 2009
One really important thing that I tell people is if you want to make a big difference without spending a dime, just move things. Rearrange furniture and accent pieces and you can give a room a great makeover, without costing you anything.
( Sayeh Pezeshki of Sorting with Style and The Office Stylist )
[Tip] to shop for paint colors at a home improvement store:
Grab a few of the paint chips you are considering and walk over to the lighting department. Making color selections while standing under the chandeliers and ceiling fans in the lighting department will give you a better idea of how that color will look with the lighting in your home.
( Mary Elizabeth Beal of Trend Funnel )
When you buy your next home do as much of the redecorating or renovating right away and live there long enough to enjoy it all! Too often I see home owners doing all these things to get a house ready for sale only for all their efforts to be enjoyed by new owners.
( Christine Skaley of Pillow Throw Decor )
I think the most important thing I’ve taken away from working in the paint industry to know your paint. Really consider all aspects of the color and the factors that go into choosing the color. Consider lighting and furniture and how these things affect the color. Don’t just look at it in the paint store, under the intense florescent lighting, because that will skew the color. Take it home and put it on every wall, look at it, walk by it, stare at it. Ask for larger samples, especially sample paint. It’s worth the $5 to not make an $80 mistake.
(Heather Bourgeois of Create H Designs )
[M]ake your house look like you live in it. The furnishings and accessories you surround yourself with should tell the story of your life, not the life of a hotel or a magazine spread. When someone sits in your living room, let them see you through the object you own.
(Paul Anater of Kitchen and Residential Design )
I love this quote from Chuck Palahniuk: “You buy furniture.You tell yourself,this is the last sofa I will ever need in my life.Buy the sofa,then for a couple years you’re satisfied that no matter what goes wrong,at least you’ve got your sofa issue handled.Then the right set of dishes.Then the perfect bed.The drapes.The rug.Then you’re trapped in your lovely nest,and the things you used to own,now they own you.”
My decorating tip has nothing to do with the physical aspect. I’ve been to many beautiful and expensive homes that have no soul. There is a disconnect between the owner and its inhabitants. Whereas, love filled homes emanate great energy even in a mild state of dishevelment. The role of a designer is to enhance the personality and lifestyle of its client but not take over.
Continuously Evolve. Know when to Detach. Be yourself. Have fun. (Maybelline Te of Snug Furniture and Frou La La )
Excerpted from the following Spotlight on Design interviews:
- Sayeh Pezeshki of The Office Stylist & Sorting with Style
- Mary Elizabeth Beal of Trend Funnel.com
- Christine Skaley of Pillow Throw Decor
- Heather Bourgeois of Create H Designs
- Paul Anater of Kitchen and Residential Design
- Maybelline Te of Snug Furniture & Frou La La
