submitted by: Jennifer Hicks
06/10/11
If your office is like many across our nation this year it could use a little…life. And it doesn’t have the budget to bring in painters, electricians and a slew of new decor hot off the Chicago Market. If your office manager’s idea of color was “Beige” and the fake flowers by the reception desk were originally purchased in 1985, take note. There’s hope for you and your colleagues yet and the accountant won’t be having fits over the bill.
1) If the existing seating is still in good condition but lacks a modern fabric, go for slipcovers which are available for everything from wing back chairs to love seats. This costs a fraction of what re-upholstery will and your options are still numerous.
2) Change the look of outdated lampshades using nothing but your hot glue gun (or fabric glue) and some beautiful trim you picked up at your local craft store (preferably when its 1/2 off, as it will be at least once a month)! Take the shade with you to make sure you get enough.
3) Ivy lasts forever so long as it has a bit of water to survive on which makes it the perfect alternative to baskets of the fake stuff, which gathers dust and screams “I’m an office that hasn’t been updated in ten years-at least”. Additionally, if any of your coworkers or clients suffer from allergies, keeping fake flowers or plants around will only add to their misery. Simply place a few vases around the office with a clipping of English Ivy or your favorite breed of low-maintenance greenery. A little touch with big results!
4) The standard office comes complete with a beige commercial-grade carpet. Effective, yes. Attractive, not always. Target and Brecheen Brothers are two places I head for savings on rugs of all styles, sizes and colors. Adding one in your reception area and in the common rooms will drastically change the space for the better. Just be cautious about going with too wild of a pattern or the wrong size. Using a rug that is too small will make your office appear tiny.
5) Another sign of an office space with zero personalization: no ceiling fans. If you own the building or if you have permission from the company you rent from, add a ceiling fan in common areas. An attractive model starts as low as $49 in most home improvement stores and will instantly make the space feel more comfortable and will improve lighting and air flow.
The suggestions above will work together or even alone to change the atmosphere of your office. Remember that every design element has a psychological effect. Your changes should improve the overall mood of the office so steer clear of colors or decorations that would turn someone off, like specific religious items or a bright red which insights hunger and hot tempers.
Tags: affordable interior decorating, commercial design, decorating, fan, ivy, lighting, office space, rug
Posted in Commercial Design, Design Trends, Eye on Color | No Comments »
submitted by: Jennifer Hicks
06/06/11
While I will never know what it feels like to invite someone to my house in the Hamptons for Fourth of July I can get a little coastal right here in my own modest abode and so can you. Just follow a few decorating guidelines and you too can fake it ’til you make it!
1) Skip carpets. Go for stained concrete floors instead which not only make a room appear larger but greatly cut down on the dirt, dust mites and pet dander that can trigger allergies. Need one more reason to crave concrete? Easy to clean! When your family is busy running in and out all day you don’t want to worry about stains, spills, etc.
2) Go monochromatic. This is the type of color scheme that stays with many variations of one color (example: light grey sofa, dark gray walls, pale blue accents). Stick with colors that you would see in a natural coastal environment like pale greens, blues and white-washed neutrals.
3) Shell out for big texture! I’m not talking about big bucks- I mean get your paws on some great shells to place on your mantle, bookshelves, the bathroom counter or a tray on the living room ottoman. Careful not to go overboard! Just one large shell or coral will make a huge statement. Too many will just look cheesy.
Set/2 Coral, Basset Furniture, $139
4) Glass, rattan and wood are your best friends. Steer clear of too many pieces made from trendy or man-made materials. The well-done beach home reflects its exterior environment on the interior so look for furniture in bamboo or rattan and end tables from a distressed wood. Old glass bottles, vases and candlesticks make a simply-stated collection that compliments the style without breaking the bank.
Carmichael Dining Table, Pier 1, $299
Tags: basset furniture, beach house, coastal living, color, coral, Hamptons, home design, PIER 1, sand, shells
Posted in Design Trends, General | No Comments »
submitted by: Jennifer Hicks
06/02/11
The day has finally arrived! Designing Diva Interiors is
partnering with Brecheen Brothers Area Rugs & Furniture to bring a unique booth to Showplace Market. If you’re looking for something quirky, something modern, something from a world away, this should be your next stop. I’ll be working on the booth this evening, putting finishing touches on tomorrow and we should be up and running by Saturday! I invite you to stop in and check out the hand-crafted furniture from around the globe and affordable accessories in the season’s hottest colors. If you make a purchase from our booth in June you qualify to recieve a COMPLIMENTARY Initial Consultation for interior decorating or home staging service ($85 value)!
To receive your complimentary Initial Consultation, just call 816-9716 to schedule with Jennifer, mention this blog post, and tell me what you purchased!
*Initial Consultation must be scheduled in the months of June or July in order to redeem complimentary initial consultation.
Tags: accessories, Area rugs, BRECHEEN BROTHERS, CID, decor, decorating, design, Designing Diva interiors, desk, furniture, hand crafted, interior, Jennifer Hicks, lamps, shopping, Showplace Market, solid wood, style
Posted in Home staging, Local shopping, Outdoor design, home improvement, new products | No Comments »
submitted by: Jennifer Hicks
05/23/11
I seem to be transitioning out of my Moroccan, BoHo phase and into a sophistocated country phase. Which is good news for my husband who is drawn more to a paint color called “Honey Wheat” than one called “Blood Orange”. More good news: when country decor is done right it ages gracefully giving the homeowner more time to enjoy their new look without worry of the latest trends going out of style next summer.
If you’re a regular visitor to Back Talk you know that Houzz.com is one of my favorite resources and I love to share a good resource! So check out one of today’s featured articles and get your own little slice of country charm!
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/409799?utm_campaign=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery0&w=11852
Tags: charm, cottage, country, decorating, design, estate sale, farmhouse, flea market, Houzz.com, interiors
Posted in DIY, Design Trends, Eye on Color, Fave websites/blogs, Favorite articles | No Comments »
submitted by: Jennifer Hicks
05/18/11
This article is just in from Houzz.com. Could author Kelly Porter have chosen a more headache-inducing topic? See how she simplifies this daunting task! You can check out her practical tips by clicking here and never have this inner monologue again: “Crisp White? Or Linen? Clear Sky or Ivory?” Yep, its maddening. Kudos for hitting the nail on the head, Ms. Porter!
The White Collection by Restoration Hardware
Tags: article, blog, cream, design ideas, Houzz.com, ivory, Kelly Porter, linen, off-white, Paint color, Restoration hardware, Sherwin Williams, tips, wall color, white
Posted in Eye on Color | No Comments »
submitted by: Jennifer Hicks
05/15/11
Tags: articles, decorating, design, green, HGTV.com, interiors, shopping, Traditional Home
Posted in Design Trends, Fave websites/blogs, Favorite articles, Green Design/Living, Home staging, home improvement | No Comments »
submitted by: Jennifer Hicks
05/12/11
Thanks to Geri for posting this frequently-asked question on Designing Diva’s Facebook page! ”How do you decide which pictures to hang on your wall? How do you decide it when enough is enough pictures?” While artwork is pretty subjective and everyone has a preferance (“Less is more!” to “show it all!”) there are a few rules I go by when hanging artwork and family photos for my clients. Read on to see what works for you!
1) When you prefer a bit less. The Rule of Three works with just
about everything but it really helps when trying to keep walls from looking cluttered. Examples: A mirror with one wall sconce on each side. A large family portrait with two smaller ones off to one side. One print closely paired with a lamp and a shorter vase (as pictured, courtesy of Hello Metro). Three prints of the same size hung paralell to one another either vertically or horizontally.
2) When you just can’t decide what to use. The Rotatation
method is your best friend! Your family is gorgeous and you want to show them off! But if you’re not ruthless with choosing which prints make it onto the walls you may quickly get a “shrine” look going on and nobody wants to be the wierd neighbor on the block. Your wedding portrait hanging above the fireplace is one thing. 90 pairs of eyes staring back at you in every room, well that’s just creepy. I keep only a handful of family prints out at one time but keep an organized folder in my office of great memories that I don’t want to scrapbook- I want to show them off! So about every two months or so I rotate the photos out which also allows for the most recent ones to get fair play as well. I don’t recommend this for households with more than twenty or so frames in a room as this gets tedious with the number like that.
3) When you like to get busy! I’ll give you a moment to get your
mind out of the gutter…. all better? For you artistic types you may prefer a more eclectic look with a mixture of portraits, hand-painted canvases and other forms of art to grace your walls. For this look there isn’t a stead-fast rule (but that’s okay because you creative minds don’t like rules anyway!) so I tell my clients to use whatever invokes the emotion they’re aiming for. If you want your home office to be a hodge-podge collection of local artists’ work because it makes you happy then so be it! If 100 black and white framed snapshots of things you find on your nature hikes calms you down, why not put those in your living room? My only recommendation is to watch how low and how high you hang pieces. Think eye level. And try to keep like art together (no abstracts with Western oils on canvas, for example). Art shown above/right is the 8″x8″ mini abstract “Radiant” by Oklahoma artist Mark Yearwood.
Tags: abstract, art, canvas, family photos, hanging, portraits, prints, wall decor
Posted in DIY, Design Trends, Eye On Art | No Comments »
submitted by: Jennifer Hicks
05/11/11
When I asked Facebook fans to chime in on the decorating topics that bugged them most, many of the answers were similar in nature. Walls-more specifically, how to dress them- seem to be top-of-mind for many DIY-ers. Below are a few of my favorite solutions. See which one fits you best!
1) The TV frame is growing in popularity and is readily available with a basic Google search (example: http://framethetv.com/) Going this route takes some of the pressure off to hang a lot of other decor around the TV because the TV becomes the art or focal point.
2) Going with canvas art is easy on two levels- you buy two, hang one on each side of the TV AND they’re a cinch to hang, requiring only one nail in the center. I recommend this look for people who like a more simplistic, minimalist look (the TV frame works well for this group also). This is a great way to balance out your TV, add color to the walls and not have to spend a ton in the process. You can even have personal photos scanned onto canvas! I recommend Affordable Art & Frame.
3) Wall sconces are another alternative to tons of framed family portraits. You can really use your imagination here and go with one of thousands of options. Movie theater-inpsired, traditional, old world wrought-iron, modern, vintage… the possibilities are endless!
Not sure which look is perfect for your wall? Let Designing Diva take the guess work out of the process, saving you time and money (fifth trip to Home Depot, huh?)! Email Jennifer today to make your appointment. A solution like one of the three mentioned above can usually be selected within a couple of hours.
405-816-9716 or Jennifer@decorateokc.net. Be sure to follow DDI on Facebook and Twitter (divainteriors)!
Tags: canvas art, flatscreen tv, LED tv, photos, plasma tv, sconces, wall decor
Posted in DIY, Design Trends, home improvement, new products | No Comments »
submitted by: Jennifer Hicks
05/04/11
You follow all the tips on the DDI Facebook page, you check out the blog from time to time to get trend alerts and you read my How-To’s in Edmond Active Magazine BUT you’re still not convinced. Come on… you need me… admit it… *nudge nudge*
All nudging aside, have you ever said/thought:
”I hate my house.”
“All of this stuff is so old!”
“I love running a store but don’t know how to make it all look good.”
“We have to sell this house-fast.”
“We have to get our asking price for this house.”
“I just can’t visualize.”
“I don’t know how to pull it all together.”
“I don’t know where to begin on my remodel.”
“Our builder wants us to pick out all of this stuff by Monday!”
“As a Realtor I can’t get my clients to understand the value of staging.”
If you fall into any of these catagories chances are you’re like the other homeowners, retailers or Realtors that DDI has helped. Professional decorating service is…guess what? For EVERYONE! Single, married, builder, Realtor, city, country, work hard, play hard- great design that meets you where you are both in budget and in functionality is a must. Not an option. If you can dream it I can help you make it happen. If you can’t dream it…well I can help with that too!
Tags: bathroom, building, design, Designing Diva, home builder, homeowner, interior decorating, kitchen, living room, new construction, NURSERY, oklahoma, painting, realtor, remodel
Posted in DIY, Design Trends, Eye On Art, Eye on Color, Green Design/Living, Outdoor design, Remodeling/Renovation, new products, organizing | No Comments »
submitted by: Jennifer Hicks
05/04/11
DDI is excited to announce a new partnership with
Brecheen Brothers of Oklahoma City, OK. Beginning June 1, 2011, we will join forces to bring our unique home decor and design expertise to Showplace Market in Moore. Shoppers will be able to see hand carved Moroccan accent tables, modern vases, hand woven rugs and everything in between! Not sure what your style is? Designing Diva can help you create the perfect space in any style! If you need a little (or a lot) of guidance for picking out that next dining table, paint color or nursery design, Designing Diva has you covered there, too. Initial Consultations are my own unique way of getting to know your home, family and decorating needs. Stop by our booth this summer in Showplace Market and schedule yours!
Tags: accessories, BRECHEEN BROTHERS, decor, design, Designing Diva interiors, furniture, interiors, moore, oklahoma city, outdoor living area, professional decorator, RUGS, Showplace Market, vendor mall
Posted in Home staging, Local shopping, Remodeling/Renovation, home improvement | No Comments »
DDI is excited to announce a new partnership with
Brecheen Brothers of Oklahoma City, OK. Beginning June 1, 2011, we will join forces to bring our unique home decor and design expertise to Showplace Market in Moore. Shoppers will be able to see hand carved Moroccan accent tables, modern vases, hand woven rugs and everything in between! Not sure what your style is? Designing Diva can help you create the perfect space in any style! If you need a little (or a lot) of guidance for picking out that next dining table, paint color or nursery design, Designing Diva has you covered there, too. Initial Consultations are my own unique way of getting to know your home, family and decorating needs. Stop by our booth this summer in Showplace Market and schedule yours!
