Does your home need some TLC from your favorite Diva? This week is your chance to score your very own one hour consultation with Designing Diva Interiors LLC plus a 22oz Woodwick Candle! Simply shop at Cedarburg Square in Bethany until 5 PM on Saturday, Sept. 10 2011. For every $20 you spend you earn one entry into the drawing! The winner will be drawn randomly and notified by phone by the end of the business day on Saturday. Need not be present to win.
We’ve all been there- the dreaded phone call or email at 3:30 informing you that company will be arriving tomorrow. You’ve been working all week, the kids still haven’t mastered the art of putting the laundry AWAY instead of merely wearing clothes off the bed until the pile disappears and your humble abode is looking a little…worn. Below are my favorite quick fixes for giving any home a little burst of style in a hurry.
1) Clear the floors! Purchase a couple of storage ottomans or cubes now so that when that doorbell rings all you have to do is hide those shoes/book bags/pet toys in a decorative, easily accessible place on your way to the front door. A room automatically looks bigger and cleaner if there is no clutter on the floor!
Target.com, $229
2) Empty all trash bins. You can easily fake a “just cleaned” bathroom or kitchen simply by taking the trash out. Its a visual thing- just trust me on this one.
3) Candles still rule. I know that reed diffusers and plug-ins are all the rage today but while they may make a room smell fresh they still don’t add anything aesthetically. Unscented candles gathered on a platter on your buffet or entry table create a very welcoming, relaxing environment. Be careful that you don’t use so many that it comes off as inconvenient (“I can’t lay my purse anywhere! It will catch fire!”) or creepy (“Are we here for coffee or a romantic dinner with the Adams’ Family?) and keep the scents limited so that your home looks designer-esque, not like a gift shop.
4) Entry way a bit lacking? If you can’t afford a table, either monetarily or space-wise, pick up some vintage doorknobs and hang them on the wall by the front door to give guests a convenient place to hang up coats, purses, etc.
5) Lighting is key in any environment but nothing says “Welcome! Sit and stay awhile” like complimentary lighting. (Psssst! A little hint? The right lighting will also help to camouflage your room’s flaws). Switch out the lamp bulbs with amber or pink bulbs which compliment skin tones. Make sure your overhead lighting isn’t too glaring or too dim, depending on the room and the purpose of that room. Make use of natural light by opening up blinds and draperies, which also makes a room feel fresher!
Everyone’s looking for a bargain these days. Houzz.com knows how we feel! Check out today’s hot topic for easy ways to make big differences without cutting a huge check!
Maybe it took tasting the sour milk in my fridge to realize it but I haven’t been home much lately. New projects and spring activities have kept my dance card full for two weeks with no end in sight. I’m not really complaining– I come from a long line of BBBCs (Busy Bodies By Choice). But that mouthfull of expired dairy got me to thinking about more than my itinerary. It got me to thinking that when I finally pull into the driveway for the last time that day, when I walk in, kick my shoes off and walk into our bedroom for the first time in 13 hours, I try to ignore all the stuff I didn’t get done that week and focus on relaxing.
I love my home, for what it represents, for how it makes me feel, for all the work that is still to be done. I don’t necessarily love the structure itself- like many first time homebuyers our budget dictated that we buy a 1980′s ranch rather than a custom cottage on ten acres. And for all the time I spend telling people how to make their homes prettier/more efficient/less cluttered, I never forget to remind them of the most important design tip of all:
Design should be simple. It should fit your lifestyle. It should make you happy. So while I need to replace the drawer pulls in the bathroom, finish painting the living room and get something-anything-planted in the flower beds, I still like coming home. My budget is small, my free time is smaller but our home is much more than decorated walls and trimmed out windows. Its a house that my husband and I paid for-together. We repair it-together. We choose the things that go in it-together. Its a house that we have made a home. Your clothes can hang out in a 900 square foot rent house in the plains or a sprawling two story cabin in the mountains but if it doesn’t feel like home when you walk in, if it doesn’t have memories that make you smile, you can spend money with every designer in town but its still just four walls.
So today my advice isn’t about choosing the right color or which flooring is right for you. My advice is this. Live your life in your home. Decorate with things that mean something to you. You may not get to enjoy your casa as much as your retired pal next door but whether your budget is $10 or $10,000, learn to love what you’ve got and the pretties that come along will just be “nice little touches”.
Tyler & Jennifer currently live in Yukon, OK with fur-child Duke.
1) Potted Plants. I’m all about the interior (obviously) but we can’t ignore the exterior! Potted plants are perhaps the quickest way to liven up a patio or outdoor living space. If you are lacking your black belt in Green Thumb be sure to ask a local nursery which plants are ideal for you based on the direction they face in relation to the sun, how high maintanance they are, etc.
2) Bedding. Now is the time to remove the heavy down comforters and quilts from the bed and replace with a light-weight duvet in an airy color or whimsical pattern. Keep your pillows to a minimum as well- spring isn’t the time for 15 decorative pillows. Less is more on a warm-weather bed! Left: Grey Vines Bed Linens by www.cb2.com
3) Scents. Plug-ins and Scentsy warmers are all the rage and for good reasonn. They provide a safer way to dispense fragrance when you’re not in the room to supervise the open flame of a candle and most of them are quite decorative. Try a scent like lavender, sweet pea or fresh linen to bring the smell of spring indoors. Certain scents-like certain colors- are linked to a person’s state of mind so if you’ve been feeling a bit down lately try one of the scents listed above to lift your mood.
I hear this question no fewer than three times a week. People know what my title is as a Certified Interior Decorator but few people know what that entails. Below is a detailed list of services I offer and it goes far beyond telling you which sofa looks good with which chair. The options available may surprise you…
Product Research, Selection & Shopping
This service is aimed at the client who is unsure about which items to purchase for their room(s). They know what they like when they see it but may not know how to put it all together for a stunning end result. This service is extremely customizable to fit the level of assistance the client requires. This means that for one client I may spend a few hours researching handmade rugs to find the highest quality, the right colors, etc. For another I may meet them at the showroom and walk them through their options so we can shop together and they have an expert present to bounce ideas off of. Some clients hire me to do it all- they don’t want to make the decision between eight different accent lamps nor do they want to spend hours driving all over town trying to pick a bed. For these clients I do the homework for them right down to having it delivered and even meeting the delivery truck on the job site to oversee placement and installation if required.
Home Staging
For those putting their home on the market. I’ve written multiple articles on the topic explaining why you need a professional home stager, what a home stager does, etc. I encourage you to check out the following links:
http://www.showmeokc.com/do-i-really-need-a-homestager-part-i/local-businesses
http://www.showmeokc.com/so-what-can-a-home-stager-do-for-me/seller-tips
http://www.showmeokc.com/anatomy-of-a-staged-home/home-owner-tips
http://www.showmeokc.com/a-staged-home-before-and-after/seller-tips
http://www.showmeokc.com/home-staging-tips-for-the-diy-crowd/how-to
Redesign
So let’s say you’re pretty happy with your current furnishings; you’re just bored with the layout. That same lamp has been on that same table in the same room for fifteen years. Time to shake it up a bit and that’s where I come into play! Taking an objective look at your rooms and your belongings I can help any household achieve the appearance of a freshly designed room using what they already own.
Organizing
Before any great design can really take place, the clutter must move out. Because this can be an overwhelming task for the family who owns said clutter, I offer this highly sought-after service to clients at competitive fee. For you this service may mean closets get a makeover. Maybe the kitchen needs to be wiped clean before the plans for the remodel can continue. Perhaps your hobby room is such a mess its hard to appreciate the great color on the walls you worked so hard to paint. Whatever your clutter issues, they don’t scare me!
Outdoor Living Spaces
Don’t ignore the outside!! This year people will spend thousands of dollars improving the interior of their homes without spending a dime on the exterior. For shame! Sure landscaping can get costly but it doesn’t have to. An affordable outdoor living space can be done if you have the right pro behind you and if you hurry, you can have a family-friendly patio ready for all those sunset BBQ’s before summer gets here!
Color Consultation
Your furnishings are fine. Your wall color is not. No problem! DDI will sit down with you and in about two hours you will have a new color palette to work with, whether it be for the entire house or just one room. Spare yourself the endless paint swatches over the next three weeks- let DDI handle this one early!
Furniture Layout
Does your room feel smaller than it is? Do you have to walk around pieces of furniture to get from point A to point B? Do you have too many pieces (or not enough) in one room? If any of these issues sound like something you’re dealing with DDI can fix you up in less than a day. Similar to what takes place with a Redesign but focusing soley on furniture placement rather than accessories. This task creates improved traffic patterns for a desirable ebb and flow from room to room.
Small Remodel Assistance
Working with multiple contractors is a necessary evil. Nearly every type of remodel requires more than one person on the job site and knowing how to work with these professionals can be confusing, time consuming and often times frustrating. At the client’s request I will not only find the right professionals for your project but will stay in communications with them throughout the job, setting up deadlines, placing orders, dealing with delivery and invoices, etc. The client remains in control of the final decision making but doesn’t have to deal with the hassle of coordinating a remodel. DDI already has preferred contractors for many projects like flooring, electrical, tile installation, wallpaper, etc. which are liscensed, insured and have a history of providing great service. However, the client is always free to hire whomever they choose and DDI will still provide the services mentioned above.
Jennifer (center) Patti Wommer & Lezley Lynch, drapery designer and specialty painter
Please be aware that Designing Diva Interiors’ services are completely customizable and are created around the client rather than making the client fit the service. If you are needing a design service that you do not see here please call me to inquire! 405.816.9716 or email Jennifer@decorateokc.net. I look forward to working with you!
My plight could be compared to that of a mechanic who’s car is always making a clanking sound or the nutritionist who’s a bit keen on the brownies. I’m a professional decorator and I can’t find the perfect color for my own living room. I choose paint colors for other homes every week, pairing wild metallics with subtle monochromatic color schemes to create the perfect ambiance for rooms all over the country. But its time I ‘fess up: my husband and I have lived in our current home for three years and those walls are still white. It isn’t that I’m afraid of color- at age 13 I painted one wall of my bedroom electric blue with a silver metallic glaze and in our first home the dining room walls were fuschia. I think its a combination of two things. One, the space is large- vaulted ceiling, long walls- and that’s a lot of work to paint once, twice, three times, so I want to make sure I have it right the first time. The second obstacle is that unlike many of my clients I married a highly opinionated man when it comes to the way our home looks. Sometimes I will be walking the isle of my favorite home decor shops and hear a man say “Honey, I don’t care, whatever you like”, and I get a teensy jealous. Of course I want my spouse to love our space and feel like he had a hand in it too. I just wish he didn’t know the difference between Persimmon and Salmon.
I was aiming for something bold and warm at the same time- a color that enveloped you as you walked in. I had grand visions of brushing a Pearl Metallic glaze over it so that it put off the most subtle glimmer when the sunlight hit it. Sounds romantic, right….?
So we began our first attempt to actually put our ideas into action this week and I now have a collage of “red dirt” shades all over the living room. My first two picks were too pink so I’m heading back to Sherwin Williams this evening to give it another go, this time adding more brown to my sample of “Persimmon”. Maybe by this time tomorrow my walls won’t look like a Picasso piece gone bad. Stay tuned!
Attempt #1: Benjamin Moore’s “Persimmon”. 
Jonah Takagi is taking the industry by storm with his innovative and outside-the-box creations, like this Subdivision LED table lamp which can be seen at the Civilian Art Projects Gallery in Washington D.C.
“Made of cast concrete and blackened steel, the Subdivision (Luminaire) is a limited edition LED table lamp inspired by the much-loathed public lighting that surrounded Takagi in the suburbs where he grew up and named after a song by the legendary Canadian rock band Rush.” -InteriorDesign.net
So what say you? Is this new addition to the lighting world too quirky for you or will it be added to your Christmas wish list?
The leaves are beginning to turn and we can finally sleep with the windows open! Fall brings about many of my favorite things and decorating for the cooler season is definitely one of them. That’s why I’m offering a
September Special!
$20 off first hour of Fall Decorating Service, entire month of September.
This service, like all DDI services, is completely customizable and includes anything from decorating fall trees to creating the perfect living and dining spaces for your fall parties!
As much as I am a proponant of custom window coverings that fulfill your every whim, let’s be honest: not everyone has the budget for them. At times it isn’t necessarily the issue of money that holds you back, but if you’re anything like me, your tastes simply change too often to commit to custom draperies. Whatever your reason, inexpensive store-bought window panels or drapes may be the answer to your decorating dilemma. Not sure where to begin? Here are a few pointers to get you on your way along with some of my top picks right now:
1) Start with your measurements. Store-bought draperies come in limited standard sizes so those of you with odd-shaped windows or exceptionally large windows will be out of luck. 84″ or 94″ is what you will likely find on store shelves and this is the typical window length. However, I always hang the curtain rod closer to the ceiling than to the top of the window itself which makes a room appear taller. This means you will need to 94″ panels for an 84″ window, or 104″ panels for a 94″ window.
2) Pick your color palette. While its true that custom-designed draperies offer infinite color and pattern choices, there are plenty of options for the person buying off-the-shelf these days. So that you don’t get overwhelmed when shopping, take a look around the house and pick one to three colors that you want to bring out in your window treatments. Using decorating blogs like this one, magazine photos or search engines online can be a useful tool here; simply type in your color palette to see what’s out there (for example, “Red and white 94″ window panels”).
3) Know what you need them to do. If you’re buying for a bedroom and prefer complete darkness you will want to look for black-out panels which are lined with an opaque fabric on the backside to keep sun out. If natural sunlight and privacy isn’t an issue, you may be shopping for sheer panels.
Ready to start shopping? Here are some of my favorites of the season; maybe one of these will be the the perfect fit for your naked window!
"Amelia", Pier1, $24.88
"Woven Floral", Pier1, $45
"Smocked Drape", Pottery Barn, $50
"Velvet Drape", Pottery Barn, $89
"Textured Belgian Linen", Restoration Hardware, $129
As much as I am a proponant of custom window coverings that fulfill your every whim, let’s be honest: not everyone has the budget for them. At times it isn’t necessarily the issue of money that holds you back, but if you’re anything like me, your tastes simply change too often to commit to custom draperies. Whatever your reason, inexpensive store-bought window panels or drapes may be the answer to your decorating dilemma. Not sure where to begin? Here are a few pointers to get you on your way along with some of my top picks right now:
1) Start with your measurements. Store-bought draperies come in limited standard sizes so those of you with odd-shaped windows or exceptionally large windows will be out of luck. 84″ or 94″ is what you will likely find on store shelves and this is the typical window length. However, I always hang the curtain rod closer to the ceiling than to the top of the window itself which makes a room appear taller. This means you will need to 94″ panels for an 84″ window, or 104″ panels for a 94″ window.
2) Pick your color palette. While its true that custom-designed draperies offer infinite color and pattern choices, there are plenty of options for the person buying off-the-shelf these days. So that you don’t get overwhelmed when shopping, take a look around the house and pick one to three colors that you want to bring out in your window treatments. Using decorating blogs like this one, magazine photos or search engines online can be a useful tool here; simply type in your color palette to see what’s out there (for example, “Red and white 94″ window panels”).
3) Know what you need them to do. If you’re buying for a bedroom and prefer complete darkness you will want to look for black-out panels which are lined with an opaque fabric on the backside to keep sun out. If natural sunlight and privacy isn’t an issue, you may be shopping for sheer panels.
Ready to start shopping? Here are some of my favorites of the season; maybe one of these will be the the perfect fit for your naked window!
"Amelia", Pier1, $24.88
"Woven Floral", Pier1, $45
"Smocked Drape", Pottery Barn, $50
"Velvet Drape", Pottery Barn, $89
"Textured Belgian Linen", Restoration Hardware, $129
