This month we have provided tips for organizing: The Kitchen

                                                          The Family Room

                                                     The Bedroom

                                                      The Bathroom

 

We will end this blog series with tips for organizing any storage space, such as The Garage, Basement or Home Office.

 

1) Start with a plan.  Think through the way you need to utilize the space, identifying any items that need to be easily accessible.

 

2) Invest in modular cabinets, they are multi-functional and easily adaptable to any storage space.  Beware not to purchase kits that may not address all of your needs. Instead spend the extra money to customize your purchase to insure you'll maximize usage.

 

 

3) If space is limited in your home, consider using a closet in a bedroom to create a functional hide-away home office or craft area. Customize your space using modular cabinets, peg & cork boards and wall shelves.   

 

4) Use your basement walls & ceilings wisely.  Install brackets to store & display such items as musical instruments, toys or essential office items. By using some creativity, your display could also serve as art in the room.

 

 

Hopefully these DIY Organization tips have been of help to you. If you need additional information, or would like our help with your project, please give us a call.....We are here to help!

 

This entire month we have focused our weekly blogs on easy & practical tips to help you set and accomplish organization goals for your home. This week I will share with you a few simple ideas on ways to organize The Bathroom.

 

Grooming yourself is so much more enjoyable when you have a clean and organized bathroom. Once you achieve this level of joy, you will never want to turn back. The wonderful news is that you will never have to. The secret for organization success is to get serious about it and then become diligent and ruthless in pursuing your goals.

 

1) Restore order in your medicine cabinets, drawers and under sink cabinets by placing toiletry items in caddies, organizing containers and trays, which will allow for easy clean-up and to help eliminate clutter.

 

2) Get rid of all medicines past the expiration date and  items that you don't use and/or are broken.  The likelihood of you getting those broken items fixed are slim to none, so be realistic and throw away all broken items.

 

3) If your bathroom lacks a closet then re-purpose a cabinet or dresser drawer to store extra linens and bulk items such as cotton, swabs, bath oils, etc. 

 

4) De-clutter your linen closet by reducing the number of linen and towels kept. Use the chart below to help pare down your assortment. If these quantities are not sufficient, consider doing laundry more often within the week instead of increasing the amount of sets you keep. Also, make sure to rotate the sets regularly to ensure equal usage and replace the sets when they appear frayed and worn.

 

             Family Members                        Guests

 

Change always starts from within! Surrounding yourself with harmony, in your living spaces, will help catapult your energies to achieve success! 

                                                                    Mahatma Gandhi

This is part 3 of 5 in our Home Organization series and by now you should have a plan in place to help tackle getting your home back in order after the holidays.

 

If you've missed any part of this series, please click on these links:

Part 1:  The Kitchen

Part 2:  The Family Room

 

In Part 3 our focus will be on The Bedroom, the one place in the house where serenity and relaxation are key to help ensure your well-being. 

 

Nothing is worse than coming home, after a hard day at work, to an unwelcoming bedroom. The #1 reason for a room to feel unwelcoming is disarray caused by "Clothing Clutter" due to lack of and/or misuse of storage space.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      AFTER

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) Start by scaling down the amount of clothing in your bedroom closet. Sort through your wardrobe and remove all items that are not appropriate for the current season. Store these items in storage bins/boxes and place in your designated storage area. [see part 1 in the series for storage area ideas].

 

2) Designate a place to store all your dirty clothing. A laundry hamper or basket placed in your bedroom, closet or bathroom will work wonders.

 

3) Make a conscious effort to hang your clothes in the closet and place all dirty items in the laundry hamper/basket before retiring for bed each night.

 

4) If you are a clutter bug by nature, then limit the furniture in the bedroom. By removing furniture such as chairs, sofas and benches, it will help encourage the habit of hanging your clothes in the closet each night.

 

5) It is said that it takes 90 days to change a habit, so do your best to be consistent and diligent in maintaining an organize room. Your inner-self will thank you in the morning!

 

If you, like so many others, extended your holiday celebrations into the first week of the new year then this week is the week to get started on your home's organization plan.

 

Last week I gave helpful tips for organizing The Kitchen.  This week I will focus on The Family Room where the family spends many memorable moments each and every day.

 

 

1) Start by thinking about the way each family member uses the room and create a designated space, with the appropriate storage, tailored for the type of activity that family member will do in the room.

 

 

2) In the room, kepp only the movies, games, music and books that are used most frequently. Place all other items in labeled boxes and move them into your designated storage area [see last week's blog for storage area ideas].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) Create storage, behind a couch or chair, by pulling the furniture far enough from the wall to accommodate the storage unit. Make sure to allow an adequate walking path. 

 

4) Use storage ottomans as another source of storage for the room. There are many styles and colors available from local merchants or on-line from companies such as Ottomans.com

 

5) If your budget and floor space permits, consider adding customed built-in cabinets. Not only do they provide extra storage in the room, but they also add value to your home.

 

Look for upcoming blogs, later this month, on organizing your Bedrooms, Bathrooms and Garage/Basement/HomeOffice.  Make sure to send us your comments and let us know of other decorating or organization interests you have that you would like us to write about in our blogs. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that the holidays are over, organizing your home should be on your priority to-do list. So, the question is where do you start.......

            ONE ROOM AT A TIME!!!

 

The kitchen is the one room that every member in the household uses, but nothing discourages harmony more, amongst family members, than being in a cluttered space.

 

 

 

 

 

This month make a genuine effort to organize your kitchen to help carry over that great holiday spirit, that you and your family shared, through the entire year!

 

Look for upcoming blogs, later this month, on organizing your Family Room, Bedrooms, Bathrooms and Garage/Basement/HomeOffice.  

By now, many of you have finished making your holiday gift list and some have even completed your shopping.  With only 19 days left in the 2011 calendar, now is the time to look a little further into the future and start jotting down your wish list of home improvement projects. Taking the time to plan now will help in prioritizing and budgeting each project on your wish list.

 

Start by looking around your home to identify rooms or spaces that you are unhappy with.  Write down the room or space, and next to it describe what you feel is wrong with it. Maybe it's the lack of color, lighting or personality in your space, or it may be that the space just does not feel very inviting.

 

Next, write down the items that you would like to change in that space (i.e. painting, accessories, new lighting, upholster or replace furniture).  If you have magazine pictures, paint or fabric swatches place them all in a large folder or envelope and label it "2012 Home Improvement Projects Wish List".  You can use these pictures and swatches for inspiration when working on your project or share them with your contractor to help explain the vision you have for your space.

 

Finally, take the time to set a budget to help determine your deadlines. Start by looking at each project, on your list, and writing down your best GUESS as to what the project will cost to complete.  Another approach is to write down how much it is that YOU are willing to spend on each project.  Knowing how much you're willing to spend can help guide your choices as you start working on your project. 

 

 Next, and this is were honesty is key, write down how much you can afford to spend each month on home improvement projects. If all your projects will not fit within your annual budget, then weigh out the pros and cons of doing it now or putting it off another year. With today's economy, it is wise to avoid going into debt to accomplish everything on your wish list.

 

Taking the time to create a  plan will empower you in accomplishing your home improvement goals. The key is to stick to your list and not waiver from your budget.

 

Area rugs are multifaceted. They can be decorative, functional or both.

Selecting the right rug for you is totally dependent on your needs.

 

When using an area rug for decorative purpose, select a large rug that will fit in the middle of the room's layout. This works best for living rooms where furniture are positioned for entertainment and conversation. Make sure that the rug is large enough to allow at least 1/3 of the front end of your furniture to rest on it. The style and color you select should be based on the decor of the room.  Avoid trying to match colors exactly; this effort is usually useless since different fibers take on color dyes differently.  If you have a monotone decor try matching just enough to give the room uniformity.  And if using multiple rugs in the room, instead of using the same size and/or pattern, experiment with coordinating colors, styles, sizes and shapes that will add interest to the room.

 

There is no limit to what can be done when you decorate using area rugs.  A living room rug can be one of the most important factors in decorating your living room. The right rug can determine the colors and accents, colors and tones, style of furniture and the overall aesthetics of your living room layout. It can become the center, the main factor that ties the whole room together.

 

 

There are 3 basic focal areas upon entering a room

 

Often times homeowners address the ceilings with beautiful light fixtures and wood trims, and the walls with paint finishes and artwork, but what's often overlooked in a home are the floors.

 

The floors, in a home, are blank canvases that allows the homeowner an opportunity to showcase their creativity. There are three different elements to consider when making your selections:

                Core -  examples:  Hardwood, Carpet or Tile

 

        Wearability - examples: Laminate or Natural wood

                                           Shag or Berber

                                           Ceramic or Natural Stone Tile   

  

                Finish - examples:  Matte or High Gloss

 

Once your selection is made, the final step is accessorizing your floor; this is where your creativity comes into play.  Floor accessories come in the form of area rugs, flooring medallions and the combination of different flooring materials, patterns and the directional placement on the core floor.     

 

Floor accessories add personality to your room; when they are left out of the decor it makes the room look unfinished, like a canvas with a solid background color and no picture. So, don't underestimate the effects of flooring accessories in your home's decor.

 

*Note: The above examples are just a few of the many different materials available to choose from for each element. Making the right selection is subjective, based on your individual needs. If you find it difficult to make a selection, consider calling a professional decorator to help with your decision. 

The sun serves as an important source to our  existence, but it's strong power can also have detrimental effects on home furnishings.

 

When decorating your home, one very important element to include in your plan are the window coverings. Besides aesthetic reasons, window treatment serves a vital role in protecting our interior decor investment. Just as we protect our skin from the sun, we also need to take precaution in protecting the furnishing in our homes from fading, drying out or cracking. Even if your furniture is not positioned in direct sunlight, over a period of time if sunlight is entering the room, you will start to see the fabric fade on your furniture and accessories, as well as on wall paint and wall arts.

 

When planning what type of window treatment to use, answering these 3 questions will help with your decision:

 

1. How much sunlight is your furnishings currently exposed to?

2. Can the furnishings be moved around in the room to reduced their exposure to direct sunlight?

3. Will the furnishings in the room be exposed to indirect sunlight at anytime of the day?

 

Window treatment stores can help with your selection, or contact a professional interior decorator to help with your decorating plan that incorporates your window treatments.

 

For additional information on selecting window coverings, read our blog "How to Make Window Treatment Selections"

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog entitled

The #1 Mistake Made in Interior Decorating, which revealed that the lack of planning your project can have a detrimental affect on the outcome of the project.  Unfortunately lack of a plan is also the #1 mistake, many people make, when furnishing a room.

 

Often times we allow the excitement, of furnishing the room, to overtake us emotionally, which often results in taking the premature step of going shopping (and often times making the purchase) before taking the time to develop a plan.

 

The average size of a furniture showroom is 100,000 square feet with ceiling heights averaging 15-20 feet.  The average home is approximately 2,500 sq ft with 8-10 ft ceilings......This means that the average furniture showroom can fit about 40 homes inside of it!  This explains why the furniture displayed in a showroom looks different when it is delivered to the home.

 

 

When developing a plan the first thing to take into consideration is the size of the room. Start by measuring the room and drawing it on a piece of paper; make sure to sketch in the location of windows, doors and other non-movable items (i.e. fireplace, columns, etc) in the room. Next draw in the furniture, using squares & circles to represent the shape of the furniture. This will help with furniture placement and also in determining size & shapes that will look best in the room. There are furniture templates that you can download free from the internet or purchase from local hobby stores.

 

 

Next is determining the style you're wanting to achieve in that room. Knowing your style will help narrow the section of the furniture showroom floor that you shop, making your shopping experience more productive and fun!

 

 

Once you know know the size & style furniture, the last item is your budget.  Although many would like to start with the budget and then shop for what is affordable within that budget, I STRONGLY advice against that.  Furniture, like your home, should be viewed as a long term investment that can transition with you and your family.  If your initial purchase is well thought out, it can save you a lot of money when you redecorate your home again in the future. Knowing your budget will also help narrow the furniture stores you will visit to ensure you stay on budget.

 

 

Shopping for furniture does not have to be a time consuming process or a drag...........IF YOU HAVE A PLAN!!!

When buying or selling a home,

most people will seek the advice of a Realtor and when planning their investments will often speak with a financial planner.......yet when remodeling or decorating a home they will go at it alone.

 

 

With the housing market still at a decline, many homeowners are opting to remain in their current home longer and are either remodeling or redecorating to get a fresh new look.

 

 

The average cost of a remodeling project is $20,000-$45,000.  The average cost of a decorating project is $2,000 - $6,000.  In addition, most consumers spends on average $1,000 - $1,500 per year on home decorating products. With the average home valued at $250,000, this means that homeowners are spending on average 5%-20% of the home's value on home improvement; and this does not include the  additional expense for the "OOPS" factor of mistakes made.  

 

This is a pretty big gamble to take, without professional advice, considering the average value of homes in this country have dropped close to 10% in the last 5 years alone.  

 

Consulting with a professional interior decorator ($150-$200 fee) can help eliminate the many mistakes made in most interior decorating projects.  Now that's a good return on investment!

 

 

Click here to learn more about our in-home consultation services

 

Which, do you believe, is the first step when decorating a room?

    1) Deciding the style & color for the room?

    2) Planning the details of the project?

    3) Selecting the furniture to go in the room?

 

If you selected #1 or #3 then you're doomed for failure; without a detailed plan it will be like playing Russian roulette - a hit or miss game.

 

 

 

 

 

Upon entering a room, one of the first human senses we use is sight.

Our eyes sends a signal to the brain that catapults our emotions. There have been many studies done confirming the correlation between color and the human emotions.

 

A monotoned (one color) room will often be perceived as uninteresting and provoke boredom. Neutral colors, such as white and cream, are consider to be colorless and are often used as foundation builders.  This is the reason why most home builders paint all the walls, of a new home, a shade of white.  White is a neutral color that evokes no human emotion; it causes the eye to continue moving onto other objects of more interest and color.

 

The most cost effective way to quickly transform a room is through the addition of color on your walls; but be warned..... selecting the wrong colors can also have a negative impact on a room's vibe or harmony.

 

There is an art to selecting the right combination of colors for a room, which includes understanding the design & architectural style of the home as well as the homeowner's personality and usage for that room.

 

Selecting paint color for your walls can be intimidating, but it does not have to be. Take the time to look through magazine picture and compile a file of pictures that you like. Then sit in the room, that you're planning to paint, and review the magazine pictures you've selected to help you envision how those colors will look and feel in your room. Once you have reached a decision, take your selected magazine page into your local paint store and have an associate help you find a color to match your magazine picture.

 

If you become weary with the process, you may want to consider calling in a professional decorator.  The benefit of hiring an interior decorator, for color selections, is their ability to provide you with a snapshot image (rendition) of your room with the new selected colors, making it easier for you to decide on your color selection before spending money on paint or a painting contractor. 

 

If you decide to call in a professional, make sure you verify that they will come to the home to work with you in the space you're looking to paint as well as provide you with a snapshot image or rendition of your room to help you with your color selection.

When hosting a special event, or a party, most people want to ensure their guest enjoy themselves and have fond memories of the event.

 

It is known that the human psyche is influenced by the 5 senses (seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting), but what is often overlooked is the most powerful of those senses, the sense of sight. There are studies which indicate that most humans form an opinion within 15 seconds of seeing an object. When that object is aesthetically pleasing, it is more likely to be enjoyed and therefore remembered by the person.

 

 

 

 

Staging is the art of creating an ambiance, in a space, that goes well beyond decorating.  By accentuating the home's (or venue's) key features, proper staging can create an illusion that makes a strong first impression and gives that "WOW" factor that is remembered long after it has been seen.

 

 

 

 

The holidays are quickly approaching. If you are planning to host a special event or party, this season, allow us the opportunity to help you create the perfect room decór that commemorates the day's festivity and leaves you and your guests with everlasting memories.

 

 

Walking through retail stores today you begin to sense the holiday season fast approaching, which also indicates the start of the busiest 8 weeks in the interior decorating industry.

 

If you have a decorating project planned, to be completed prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, now is the time to schedule an appointment to work with an interior decorator to help you execute your plans.

 

If you live in the south Atlanta area, please see our ad in this month's issue of the Home & Decor Ideas magazine inserted in your local Savvy Shopper mailer.

Or visit our website at www.theroomplanners.com

 

Fall is here, and if you're anything like me you're still trying to figure out how did the summer go by so fast. Transitioning your home decor, from one season to another, does not have to be a major expense; it just take a little bit of creativity for bringing the outdoors in!

 

Below are 3 inexpensive ideas, that can be incorporate in your indoor living space, to give the appearance of summer months inside, while enjoying the leaves falling outdoors.

 

 

 

 

 

Framed posters with images of summer gardens and landscapes are ideals and affordable. These should be easy to find in local art supply or home decor stores, or you can always find them on line in websites such as www.allposters.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                       

 

 

Branches and Dry Flowers                 

 

Replace your silk and natural floral arrangements with dry flowers and branches. Try using different household items, as containers, other than the traditional vases to showcase your creativity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change your home accessories (ie: throw pillows, bedding, window treatment) to green color. Like there outdoors, there are many shades of green out there, so find the right shade to compliment your existing furnishing and decor.

 

Rushing to the finish line is not always a good idea when decorating your home, especially if you do not have a plan. Yet this is exactly what many homeowners do when the interior of their home is affected by weather related circumstances.

 

With the many recent weather related events, that have occurred throughout the country, the odds are in favor of it either affecting you our someone that you know. So the question is....

           How would you weather the storm?

 

It is all in how you choose to view your situation.....either the glass is half full or the glass is half empty. This in no way is intended to diminish the seriousness of having your living space damaged by forces of nature, but it is to help those who are dealing with a bad situation, see the opportunity afforded to them.

 

Often times when a home suffers damage from a storm, the homeowner rushes to restore the space back to it's original condition. Instead, by slowing down the pace, they may discover the grand opportunity to create the space of their dreams.

 

Because these are stressful and emotional times, this is when working with a professional interior home decorator will be of tremendous value. They will be able to help you generate a plan that both you and your contractors can easily follow to ensure, that as repairs are made, they are being done in accordance to your interior design goals.

 

Dressing the windows is something that is often overlooked by homeowners when decorating their home. Yet, window dressing is one of the key elements to a successful design plan.

 

Your windows should be viewed as "wall art", another opportunity to showcase your personality.  Because there are so many styles of window treatment out in the market, it can become an overwhelming experience trying to select the correct treatment for your windows.

 

Start as any artist would....with a blank canvas; trust me, this will make the decision process easier. Start by deciding if you are want to showcase or hide your window.  Next, determine how much coverage you want; this will help determine how many layers you will need to achieve the results you're wanting.

 

There are basically three types of window treatment layers: 

1) complete privacy & furniture protection (ie: blinds, shades, drapery) 

2) semi-privacy (ie: sheers, light weight fabrics panels)

3) decorative (ie: panels, valances, cornices)

 

 

 

 

 

If you're looking to showcase your windows, and are not concern with the lack of privacy or direct light damaging your furniture, a window treatment like this may be ideal for your home    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

If, on the other hand, you're wanting to showcase your windows, but need a bit more privacy and/or protection for your furniture, a window treatment such as this one may work for your home.

 

It does not have to be complicated...is just a matter of preference and design style. Most stores, that sell window treatments, have professions on staff that can help you make your selections. You may also want to consider taking a photograph of your window with you so they can better help you make the right selections. 

 

Do you have difficulty selecting colors for your home?

   

Color is very subjective, therefore what inspires your color choices may not necessarily inspire your spouse's or other members in the household. So how do you select the right colors that brings harmony to the home?

Start with the family's favorite meal!

For example, if your family enjoys fun, spicy foods such as Mexican, then consider looking at energetic colors within the red or yellow color families. Each color family (red, yellow, blue, green, orange & violet) come in an endless number of shades, tones and tints; finding the right color for your family is just a matter of preference.  Example: the brighter the color the more energy that will be evoked in that space; therefore if you have a very energetic 3 year child, you may want to consider going with muted tones within the color family you've selected.

 

 

 

On the other hand, if your family's favorite meal consists of a nice juicy steak with potatoes, then a neutral pallet may be ideal for your family. Neutrals do not have to be boring....on the contrary, a properly decorated room, with a neutral color pallet, can be very elegant or playful. Using a secondary contrasting or complimenting color, as accent, will make any neutral color room come to life.

  

 

Color selection does not have to be stressful. Make it fun and just think food!

It is known that a person's psychic (or state of mind) effects their choices, and their choices effects their mood and/or emotions.

 

 

If your answer is no then most likely your state of mind, at the time that you were decorating your home, had a major influence in your decor selections.

 

When I walk into a new client's home, I am immediately tuned into their state of mind, based on how the home is being maintained, which often also reflects in their personality and/or mood.

 

Successful decorating starts with a plan, which consists of a defined decor style and color pallet. Rushing through the planning process is sure to have an adverse effect on the outcome of your final decor.

 

Because color is a key component to a design plan, choosing the right color is key to the success of that plan. The intensity (brightness or dullness) of your color selection will evoke your emotions, which effects your moods; that is why if you select a paint color when frazzled or rushed you are sure to be dissatisfied with your choice once you are rested and your emotions have settled.

 

Calling in a professional decorator is always ideal to help you make color decisions. Their training and listening skills enables them to sort through a client's present emotional stage and bring forth their true personality through color. When your home reflects your true personality it becomes a place where you want to be.

 

So, watch yourself......the colors your choose says a lot about you!