5 easy steps
January is always the month I want to organize and freshen up the house. The Christmas decorations get packed away and I love getting back to normal. I walk around the house thinking how cozy it looks, and maybe, if I just added a few more cushions, or cleaned out the book basket, it would look even better.
Here are my 5 easy steps to create a beautiful home.
1. Organize / Remove Clutter / Clean
iheartorganizing.blogspot.com
2. Rearrange furniture to create balance
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3. Paint and add wallpaper
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4. Introduce fabrics with texture and pattern
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5. Surround yourself with authentic accessories
elle décor
January is the month to get organized and be creative!
Wishing you a happy 2013!
If you would like to make good design a part of your life, email me.
Karen Fron Interior Design is a Calgary based design firm. We believe that a well functioning and beautiful home makes life better. It’s not about how much you have, it’s about using what you have to create beauty.
Give it a jolt
It usually starts with a phone call, ‘my house is missing something, it’s just not quite right’. So off I go to see what the problem could be. As soon as I walk in, it’s obvious that it’s missing the jolt…the wow factor…the edginess. Call it what you want, but it’s the opposite of matchy matchy.
warm brown bedroom
Have you ever been in a room that’s done all in warm tones and you literally feel choked up? Really…sort of like you can’t breathe. It’s over saturation with the browns, reds and rusts. Then there’s the opposite problem. Usually in the newer homes, all greys, whites and iciness. You immediately feel the chill.
house beautiful
What’s needed in both cases is the jolt of the opposite. There has to be a balance between warm and cool. That’s what makes a room feel comfortable.
elle décor
Every warm room needs a good dose of cool colours, be it cushions, wall colour, area rug or accents. Warm up greys with a punch of yellow, purple or magenta. If you have brown, keep it current with pops of bright colour. Mixing white or cream in lightens everything up.
via decorpad.com
Toss cushions are the layer that first catches your eye. Try adding some new colour this way. If it’s working for you, then think about changing the paint colour. It makes a huge difference to a space if there is a good balance between warm and cool.
If you would like to make good design a part of your life, email me.
Karen Fron Interior Design is a Calgary based design firm. We believe that a well functioning and beautiful home makes life better. It’s not about how much you have, it’s about using what you have to create beauty.
Sell your home faster, sell it for more
It’s important to package your home in a way that emphasizes its strengths and downplays its weaknesses. It’s all about creating a lifestyle for prospective buyers. You need to speak to their dreams and show them the wonderful life that awaits them in this home. Here are my top 4 ways to make your home resale ready.
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1. Pay attention to curb appeal and foyer impression.
houseandhome.com
2. Remove clutter, clean and repair.
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3. Add some colour to the walls and your accessories.
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4. Create balance in all rooms.
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The overall goal is to choose and arrange the furnishings, accessories, lighting and colours so that buyers will see themselves living happily within your space. If you would like a professional opinion on the readiness of your home for resale, please get in touch with me.
Karen Fron Interior Design is a Calgary based design firm. We believe that a well functioning and beautiful home makes life better. It’s not about how much you have, it’s about using what you have to create beauty.
Bold colour in a relaxing space
Here’s another example of strong colour and texture flowing together creating a peaceful, relaxing space. By using one strong hue against dark brown, the bold chartreuse doesn’t overwhelm. There is also an abundance of texture to create interest and depth.
freshhome.com
Bedrooms need to be peaceful and calm, but that shouldn’t equate boring. Often the master bedroom is put low on the priority list and this really is a shame. Move it up to the top of the list. A splash of colour and loads of texture will create a beautiful room. The wall behind the bed is a perfect place to hang wallpaper. A tone on tone pattern doesn’t become the focal point, but rather enhances the visual experience without being overdone.
If you would like to make good design a part of your life, email me.
Colour colour everywhere…trends for 2012/13
Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear international colour expert Leatrice Eiseman speak at Buildex Calgary. It was an exciting seminar, as she presented the Pantone View Colour Planner for Winter 2012-13. This is a forecast of future colour trends that will impact all colour and design decisions. This year’s forecast urges us to refocus and reset the spotlight. It encourages us to break from the usual and explore the abstract and unexpected.
image from pantone colour trends fall-winter 2012-13
Well I really had to take a break from the usual when I heard that mauve and pink and rose are coming on strong. Having lived through the dusty rose and country blue era, a shudder came over me when the word rose was mentioned. Visions of ducks with bows swam in my head. For those of you of a certain age, you know what I’m talking about.
image from pantone colour trends fall-winter 2012-13
However, when the colour images were displayed on screen, I fell in love with the palettes featuring vivid rose mixed with greys and browns. Colour is all about combinations, she explained. And there were some beautiful combinations and finishes.
image from pantone colour trends fall-winter 2012-13
Texture is huge and metallics are here to stay. What’s interesting is the shift to textured metallics. Sheen, texture and embellishment are all important. Light plays a role, and backlighting and illumination enhance colour choices.
image from pantone colour trends fall-winter 2012-13
Leatrice showed 8 colour palettes. My favourite was Composed. It consisted of subtle shades of nuanced whites and greys, to soft blues, mineral blues, foggy greyed greens, khakis and ending with warm neutrals and browns. Composed can be punched up with bright accent colours, or remain quiet, soft and dreamy.
image from pantone colour trends fall-winter 2012-13
Browns remain strong and encompass the shades of wood, earth, stone and leather. Butterscotch combined with black is both comforting and modern. Texture and finish are key when using a more neutral palette. Reclaimed wood is being used world wide, so the idea of mixing wood colours is becoming more common.
imagine from pantone colour view 2012
It was interesting to see that orange is remaining strong. Typically, orange and variations of orange are strong for a year and then disappear. Yellow is also showing up to add some sunlight to neutrals. Look for combinations of salty and inky blues with some yellow for warmth.
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It was a beautiful presentation and presented colour combinations in new ways. When it was over I kept thinking about the audible gasp when Leatrice mentioned the resurgence of rose and mauves. Can it be true, I wondered.
caesarstone supremo
One trip around the tradeshow floor confirmed that we will be seeing much more pink in our future.
caesarstone supremo queen of hearts
Designers Guild Bedding at MyHomeFaceLift.com
Yes, the time has come to refocus on rose. Before you take out your old quilted dusty rose placemats, keep in mind that trends always come back just a little updated. We’ll be seeing rose more and more in 2012, and like myself, you may be pleasantly surprised.
If you would like to make good design a part of your life, email me.
Saying goodbye to summer
Happy September Everyone! There’s no use crying over the end of summer…well maybe just one little tear.
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Embrace the change of seasons and enjoy the colours, textures and patterns of Autumn.
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As you start to move back indoors, resolve to make your home a cozy place that everyone wants to hang in – and maybe drink some wine in!
If you would like to make good design a part of your life, email me.
Don’t paint…that’s good wood
Usually it’s the men. They’re appalled that someone would want to paint over ‘good wood’. Maybe it’s the budget, or maybe some people just can handle a little reno but it’s out of the comfort zone to jump in all the way. Whatever the case, I have a lot of clients with oak cabinets wanting to update their kitchens without ripping out the existing cabinetry.
Be careful when picking a counter top. Granites are lovely and have great resale value, but beware. They need to be the star. Be sure to go to the granite place and look at the whole slab. What looks nice as a 2×2 inch square, can be overwhelming in counter size. Granite craves the limelight, so pick a back splash tile that’s quiet and calm. My favourite is the classic subway tile.
kolbconstruction.com
In this kitchen the wood cabinets are the star. The dark granite looks calm and luxurious and it all works together.
Here’s a kitchen with a newly installed granite counter top. Instead of downplaying the yellow of the cabinets, the choice of counter plays up the yellow. The red wall is awful and relates to nothing, nor does it pick up any undertone colours. But not to worry, there’s an after. The cabinets have been refinished which is always an option.
Yikes! The after is worse than the before. This kitchen reno doesn’t work. The granite is yellow, the wall is red and the formerly oak cabinets are white. Uggghhh…if eating in this kitchen it would be hard to keep food down.
If you are going to keep your oak cabinets, you have to combat the yellow or orange undertones with a strong wall colour and keep the counter, back splash and flooring all working together. Greys work best, and greys with a green undertone will quiet the orange in the cabinets.
If a kitchen renovation is in your future, it’s worth the money to call in a designer to help with these details. Everyone deserves a space that makes them feel calm, happy and at home.
If you would like to make good design a part of your life, email me.
That little bit of wow
Often what takes a room from nice to spectacular is the little bit of unexpected wow. Sometimes you have to break a design rule to get this wow going. Look at these red lamp shades – awesome and completely wow wow wow. Yet, there is no other red in the room. I guess the ‘repeat a colour three times’ rule just got stomped on and thrown under the carpet.
via elle decor
Love this room, yet it wouldn’t be everyones first idea to paint two chairs a bright glossy yellow. Somehow it all works and the chairs give the room the kick it needs. Imagine a recliner in place of the chairs…suddenly the room looks old, boring and dated.
tobi fairly designs
The fun arrived in this room with the installation of the turquoise chandelier. The best thing about Tobi’s design is that the room looks full and interesting but doesn’t have any extra ‘stuff’ going on. This is a room made for good conversation.
via house and home
The tall windows framed with draperies are very formal, but the zebra cushions and log table provide some fun. This is such a great room because it shows that the homeowners have a sense of lightness about them.
Now take a look around your home…have you got the wow going?
If you would like to make good design a part of your life, email me.
The word is neutral…not boring
So many people think they have to keep their home neutral because one day they might sell. Unfortunately, neutral usually means plain or boring or butt ugly. There’s nothing wrong with neutral colours, and honestly, I’m a big fan of purchasing larger more expensive pieces of furniture in neutral colours. Just don’t confuse neutral with dead.
elle decor
Using neutrals can be as tricky as using colour and pattern. Neutrals require some spice.
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Texture becomes very important ,as does using different finishes and materials.
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All rooms need something interesting and maybe a little quirky.
Deborah Needleman designs
If it’s neutrals you’re drawn to, then do your entire house in them. Don’t forget to add the spice though. If you’re doing your rooms neutral just to be safe, then that’s just sad. Sure, one day you may sell, but in the meantime you’re not really living in your own home.
If you would like to make good design a part of your life, email me.
Watercolour inspiration
When my kids play the best colour/worst colour game with me, I always say blue is my ugliest colour. Yet time after time I am attracted to blue. Love the blue prairie skies and the ever changing blue of Lake Superior.
turquoise tulips and bliss
So I have come to realize that it’s not the colour blue that’s the problem. It’s what blue is combined with.
katy elliott
via decorpad.com
When combined with fresh greens and muted yellows, blue can be simply gorgeous.
via decorpad.com
Turquoise, a combination of blue and green, is simply calming.
elle decor
Art is a good place to explore colour combinations. As you walk through an exhibit, or look at the old masters, see what colour combinations you are drawn to…it’s the adult version of the game best colour/worst colour.
If you would like to make good design a part of your life, email me.