Making Life Beautiful

One of the key items for your interior decoration projects is the use of a rug.  Rugs are great as they can completely change the look and feel of a room.  You can use a rug to add colour, define an area, soften sound, provide insulation, be the focal point or a piece of art on the wall.

One of the first things to consider is where you want to place your rug, as this will determine the size for your rug.  For example, if the rug is to be used as an area rug in the lounge then it is advisable to leave a space of approximately 1 metre between the edge of the rug and wall. 

If the rug is being used under a dining table, then add approximately 1250mm to the dimensions of the table, so when chairs are pulled out for seating, they remain on the rug.

Colour affects the mood, so when it comes to selecting the colour and design of the rug, think about the look and feel you want to achieve.   Are you the vibrant fun-loving type? Or do you want a zen-like room with simple clean lines? Red, orange and black with abstract designs can be a good rug for a party person and for rooms that complement the colours. While black and white are neutral colours that can blend in any set of furniture.

If you are redecorating an active room, choose the vibrant and excited colours. Active rooms are those that have a lot of action like kitchen, living room and dining areas. If you are redesigning a more relaxed room, like the bathroom and bedrooms, choose the more casual, relaxing and serene colours.

If your floor is very light, you might want to put in a darker shade of area rug. On the other hand, if your floor is too dark, adding a cream coloured shag rug or zebra rug will right away turn your room into one with sophistication and elegance.

Should you go for area rugs that are monochromatic or multi-coloured? The answer will depend on your style.  If your room is designed as modern and rich with complementary colours, the modern multi-coloured area rug will tie in all the colours in the room. Be careful though because having too many colours in one room can make it look gaudy.

If you are using rugs to separate different sections of a large room, you can choose different rugs with either same colours or same shapes. Having area rugs with different designs will define the different areas. But since they are sharing the same large rooms, it is important to note that they should have some shapes or colours that tie them up together.

One way to make your room feel richer and whether you prefer it to be warmer or cooler; is by choosing the right texture for your area rugs.

Wool area rugs are a great choice for several reasons, they usually last longer and provide great insulation.  Shag rugs are fancier and provide some hip and yet sexy sophistication to ones room. Shag rug is one alternative that is becoming very popular because while it also provides many options as far as color, shapes and sizes, the texture truly attracts the eyes into it and invites guests to leave the shoes to feel the shag rug. Natural area rugs like sisal rugs, bamboo or jute provide simple, airy, cool feel for the feet and come in different colours.

Contemporary rugs and Modern area rugs are usually either bursting in colours or are in limited colours eg stark white or elegant black. Contemporary area rugs usually have geometric patterns, and are abstract art by themselves.  Traditional rugs include Persian, Oriental, Indian and Tibetan carpets that have fine details that will give your room a classic elegance without being overpowering.

Animal or zebra print rugs can be very versatile. These types of area rugs can go well with modern furnishings such as glass and chrome; and go well with wood and brass. Whether you have a contemporary home or a rustic cabin, zebra rug, leopard rug or a tiger rug can very well fit into your home design.

Whatever your budget is, the mood that you want to experience or the style of your living space that you want to project, an area rug will be one of the most important purchases that you will ever make for your home. Small as it may seem, it will serve a decor that will liven up your room for many, many years, if you know how to choose the right one for your home.

photographs courtesy of www.designerrugs.com.au

Clutter, some people can’t live without it and some can’t live with it.   If you’re trying to declutter your place and finding it hard to do, then hopefully these tips will help.  Also, I’ve included a video from YouTube that gives some great hints and tips to get you on your way to a ‘clutter-free’ life.

1.  ‘Stuff’ accumulates over time, so it’s time to stop procrastinating and start decluttering.  Quite often it is overwhelming and you just don’t know where to start.   Well, start with one room in the house or one cupboard or one drawer, just start somewhere and couple this with the mindset  ’it came in one piece at a time, it can go out one piece at a time’, and you’ll soon be on your way to a clutter free and organised space.  If you do a little every day or every week, soon that great pile of clutter will be gone.

2.  For each area that you need to declutter, group items into four piles, namely 1) donating 2) recycling  or selling 3) disposing 4) keeping.  One of the hardest things to do is to ‘let go’ of your clutter, a good rule of thumb is, if you haven’t used it in the last 12 months, then let it go.  Another tip is to put the item in a box and keep it for a specified time eg a month or six months, then if you haven’t opened the box and used the item within that time frame, then out it goes.

3.  Make a new rule for yourself, if you buy something you have to get rid of two things, then already you’ve made room.  Decide on where you’re going to put your new purchase and put it there straight away, where it belongs.  If you have ’stuff’ that doesn’t have a place, you should consider parting with it.  The old saying “everything must have a place and everything must be in its place” is a great mantra to use.

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Another big cause of clutter is paper.  How often do you receive mail, bills, letters and it just has a habit of building up in piles, all on its own…   A quick tip to avoid mess is to plan to touch each piece of paper only once.  This means, when you open and read your mail, you then file it or throw it away.  Putting it back on the table to be put away later is not an option.  It’ll also save you time, as you won’t be having to deal with the same papers over and over again.

These are a few simple tips to get you on your way to clutter free living, and start making your life beautiful, one space at a time.

Often the thoughts of using wallpaper bring back dim and distant memories of old fashioned rooms adorned with not so beautiful wallpaper, with the heavy traditional styles to the florals and chintzs. 

Well, over the past few years, there has been a revolution in wallpaper, and there are some fantastic designs and patterns on the market.  Recently at the DesignX show in Syndey, I saw a new range of wallpaper from Eurowalls, which looked like sandstone and slate.  This wallpaper is simply stunning for feature walls and can go around corners and curved edges. 

Using beautiful designs of wallpaper in bedrooms, lounges, studies and hallways is a great option to create a feature wall that comes to life and adds that unique ‘wow’ factor to your space.  You can choose from pastels, geometric patterns, textured or plain papers or strong vibrant colours.   Wallpaper makes a great alternative to paint finishes for a feature wall.  You could always add paneling to half of the wall and wallpaper above it.   Another idea is to cover the back section of an old bookshelf, so when you see the books, behind them is the wallpaper.  For a co-ordinated look, team up the wallpaper design and colours with fabric.  Then use the fabric for cushions, curtains, throws or even have an old favourite chair recovered.  It gives you so many options to mix and match, blend or contrast colours and textures in your room.  Also, you can throw in to the mix a combination of florals with checks or plaids…..you are only limited by your imagination.

Some of the truly gorgeous wallpapers can be on the expensive side, but, if you’re only doing a feature wall or a particular area, then it might not break the budget.  There are oodles of videos on YouTube on how to hang wallpaper, so spend some time and check them out so you get great a great looking result from your efforts.

Also, if you confused on how to put colours together, then sign up for my monthly  newsletter ‘Inside Interiors’ (on the right hand side of this page) and you’ll receive my ebook on Designing with Colour absolutely free.  By the way, the newsletter I put together has hints and tips on interior decorating and includes a selection of things I come across in my world of interior decorating, from funky furniture to classic fabrics and amazing new technology in fixtures and fittings.

good luck in finding that perfect wallpaper for your space.

Sharon

chief inspiration officer……

One area of a businesses physical presence, that is often not the best it could be, is the reception area.  Hard to imagine that this doesn’t get the focus and attention to detail as it deserves, as it is your window to the world.  This is the first area that your customers, visitors, partners, prospects and employees see when visiting your premises – and you don’t want to ruin the first opportunity you get to impress and portray a professional image that reflects the ethos of your business.

In this post, I’m covering 4 key elements to the overall design of the space, as opposed to the interior decoration of that space - that will follow.  Whilst reception areas within offices differ dramatically, there are some principles for the reception office design that are consistent for most schemes.

1.  It is important that security and reception staff have visual sight of the space, even when a travel route for staff doesn’t take them to the main Reception area.  Also, don’t forget that this visual control should also extend to visitors whilst they are waiting.  Ideally, the Receptionist and visitor can both maintain contact in the event of a prolonged waiting time.

2. Once a visitor is in the waiting area, then don’t forget the directional control i.e. how the visitor or new staff member is directed once through Reception.  For example, many buildings do not have the lifts in plain view, or internal lobbies may not direct people, assuming that once they’re in the building, then they’ll know where to go.

3.  Most businesses use the Reception area to display their name, brand or logo.  They also reflect the standards within the business such as the style of furniture, layout out and the colour schemes used.  In addition, corporate publications, newspapers and TV news is generally used to enhance their image.  Once these initial elements are in place, it is essential that they are well maintained.  If  TV’s are installed, then they better be working and on a channel that is in alignment with your businesses culture.  Similarly, any printed material, such as brochures, price lists, industry magazines and newspapers should always be current.  The principle here is, avoid putting anything into a reception area that won’t be kept up to date and well maintained.

4.  Reception furniture is designed with several good reasons in mind.  Soft seating shouldn’t be that soft, it should be comfortable yet firm enough to assist people to get up quickly, and avoid getting saggy or tatty from constant use.    Durability in the reception areas is very important.  Generally the reception desk, storage and seating is specified to a high standard so that they don’t deteriorate rapidly.  Consideration to corners that stand up tot he hoover, surfaces that don’t chip or lift, and durable fabrics are all standard practicalites.      Equally important is that everything is serviceable, light fittings must be easy to clean and easy to change the globes.  Corners can easily be knocked, so thought should be given to design them in a way that is either protected from traffic or constructed to withstand a knock.

So, if you are planning a remodelling of your reception area, or if you are locating your business premises, I hope that some of these principles are of use to you.  Once the intial draft of the design is in place, the interior decoration needs to be planned at the same time, so you end up with a practical, functional yet stylish and beautiful reception area to welcome your visitors.

One of the great joys of the work I do, is creating spaces that people truly enjoy.  I’m just about to start on a project which entails remodelling the main living areas of the home.  This includes a new floor throughout the majority of the house,  a new kitchen, colour scheme, furniture and window treatments.

I do spend a lot of time talking to the client at the outset to really understand the feel, look and style they are wanting to create.   Admitedly, not every one has an idea at the beginning, and look to me for inspiration, which is fine.  Anyway, back to this project, the client was thinking of remodelling as the colour scheme is a little dated as is the kitchen.  The project has now come to the forefront on the envitable ‘list of things to do’ because their current floor tiles have started to lift.   When I visited the home last week I was amazed to see how the tiles had risen up over a large area.  It was almost as though you had pushed the walls in, which resulted in the tiles being squeezed and raised in a ridge approximately 3 -5 cms above the ground. 

I found some beautiful new floor tiles from the local tile shop, as soon as I saw the tile I knew that would be the basis on which to build the client’s new decor.   Also, amazingly, the price of the tiles easily fit within the client’s budget and I know they will look magical in their home.  When I showed the client, his face lit up and the comment was WOW….  The floor tile has sat proudly on the kitchen bench top for the past week, with every member of the house getting excited about the new look and feel the home will have.

So, next week I’m meeting the kitchen cabinet maker and tiler on site to start the quoting and budgeting process.  From there its off to the fabric shop to hunt down beautiful fabric for window treatments and getting to work on creating the whole new design.   Just seeing the client’s face and hearing the comments when they saw the tile was awesome, that truly gives me satisfaction in the work I do, creating spaces that people love, and fulfulling my passion of making life beautiful – one space at a time.

For most homeowners, there does come a time when the decision is made to renovate………..

Changing lifestyles, for example growing families, starting a business from home or just realising that it is time to update your space can be the catalyst to renovate or restyle your home.  Renovating your home can add a great deal of value, and if you’re renovating to suit your needs, you can make your life more beautiful as your space will transform into one that you truly enjoy being in.

Simple changes, such as taking down a wall to open the kitchen into the dining area, or putting a beautiful bi-fold door through to the deck area can easily be tackled.  Conversely, larger projects such as adding a new room, raising a house or building a new level on top of your home will be a bigger drain on time and budget.  Whether your are renovating to make your home more useful, more attractive, or more suited to your growing family, you will find that renovating your space will be a worthwhile investment.

When considering the ‘renovation’ project, in the first instance, take your time to decide exactly what your needs are.  Start by writing down a list of your needs and then think about various ways you can achieve the outcome you want.  Once you have a clear objective, you can start breaking down the elements of the renovation    Will you need an architect to draw up plans for council?  Labour costs – will you need a plumber, tiler or an electrician?   Materials – what type of finishes do you want and how much will you need?  From this starting point you can then start to put together an very basic budget.  What you don’t want to end up with is a house that is half finished because you ran out of time, energy, money or all three.  Also, be realistic in the time you set yourselves to complete the project.  I know that by setting unrealistic time frames for renovations can cause many frustrations along the way.

The most popular subjects for renovating are the kitchen and bathroom; these are the rooms that tend to date the most easily, and renovating them adds the most value to the home.  Spotting an aged kitchen or a tired bathroom is usually easy by the type of flooring, the colours and the appliances.  However, these rooms usually require a reasonable budget, depending upon your selection of cabinetry, bench tops, appliances and tapware etc.  If you are thinking of selling your home in the near future, these two rooms are what potential buyers look most closely at in making their decision.

If you are handy around the home and prepared to ‘have a go’ yourself, or have friends or relatives who are, you may be able to do a great deal of the renovating yourself.  The labour involved in renovating is usually the biggest cost and materials the least cost factor, especially if  you shop around for bargains and sales.  Even though you may need to use a plumber and an electrician, you can probably paint a room and take away the debris, saving dollars on certain parts of the renovation.

Taking on a renovation project can be daunting and overwhelming, however with the right attitude it can also be fun, and the satisfaction at the end of the project will be worth it.   Just think about how much nicer it will look and how much easier it will be to live in if your upgrade and make the needed changes.

Statistics show that styled homes can sell 83% faster than non styled homes!

By taking the time and effort to prepare your home when you decide to sell is an important consideration as studies show that many buyers will form their opinion almost immediately. 

Styling your home is a process of ‘neutralising’ your home with the intent of appealing to as many prospective buyers as possible.  Basically you’re trying to eliminate as many objections as possible when buyers walk through your door.    The main problem many seller’s face is that they are unable to ’see’ the property with fresh eyes, this is understandable as your home and your space is generally how you like it.   However, not all potential buyers see things the way you do. 

You might need to temporarily put excess furniture in to storage or put away your prized possessions, if there is any chance that someone else may find them less attractive than you do.  By styling your home the objective is to create an atmosphere that appeals to the senses of as many prospective buyers as possible.  The desire is to invite an emotive connection that enables them to visualise themselves living in your house.  This is critical, as only about 5% of buyers can visualise the potential in prospective home.   Properly styling your home will help the buyer imagine what your house could, should or would look like if……….

Here is a comment from a client whose property we styled recently

“Sharon Ross Interiors was an extremely valuable resource when I was looking at selling my home recently.  I was looking to represent the property in its best light to achieve the highest sale price yet having work within a  budget so I would not over capitalise.  Sharon offered fresh, innovative ideas of colour, light, design and furniture placement and successfully blended the new extension of a study harmoniously with the rest of the home.  Sharon grasped the ‘feel’ of the home so I followed all of her recommendations and am pleased to say that I achieved the asking price for my home and came in on budget.  Sharon, thank you for your professional service and for understanding my needs.  Kelly O”Brien”

So, here are 9 great reasons why you should style the presentation of your home….

1.  Faster selling time – styled home sell faster than non-styled homes which helps you achieve your selling price.

2.  Impressions – first impressions DO count

3.  Only 60 seconds – research shows that buyers initially make up their mind in less than a minute – therefore ’street appeal’ is key

4.  Move in straight away – styled homes appear to be in ‘move in straight away’ condition.

5.  No imagination required – with only 5% of buyers being able to visualise, style the home so that the majority of potential buyers can see themselves living in the house.

6.  Competitive advantage – styled homes will have a competitive advantage over homes that are not styled.

7.  Well maintained – styled home reflect a well maintained and cared for home.

8.  Extra showings - even though the property may not meet the buyers’ exact criteria, styled homes often get showed anyway

9.   Higher sales price – the better the home shows, the more it will sell for, you may even have a number of offers and possible a bidding war over the asking price. 

So, take the time, energy and effort in styling your home for sale to maximise the sale!

I thought I would share with you a short video I’ve put together showing the end result of a recent project.  The brief was to create a space that had clean lines, a contemporary look and feel which flowed through from the lounge to the dining and kitchen area.  A restricted colour pallette was used, predominantly black and white with accents of Aqua and Silver.   The wall behind the TV unit was painted in silver, using a special roller, to give the effect of wallpaper.  In the dining room, the focal point is the arch light, giving a beautiful pattern on the ceiling at night.  The kitchen optimises the space, with the breakfast bar also housing the microwave.  Waterfall ends on the breakfast bar turns this functional item into a piece of furntiure.

Are you looking to decorate or remodel your home and not quite sure where to start?  Well, before you go trawling through magazines to get ideas and inspiration, a good starting point is to look at your lifestyle.   This will help determine the functionality the house or room has to deliver which in turn impacts where you spend your budget.  Just because a house is decorated in the latest colours, newest fabrics and furniture, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will work for you and your lifetyle.

For example, do you have a family with small children and pets?  does Mum and/or Dad work from home? do you like to cook and entertain?  Jotting down the key aspects that need to be considered  for your family lifestyle, will help shape your decorating style and where you spend your decorating budget.

If young children and pets are rattling around the house, then an elegant French Provincial formal setting is probably not a good idea.   Here, the budget would be spent on well constructed, tough fabric covered furniture, easily maintained floors and surfaces that can be easily washed and kept clean.  If you love to cook and entertain, then a well designed and thought out kitchen with heaps of work space and storage will be priority.   On the other hand, a large and flashy media room may not be the best way to spend your budget if there are two working adults in the family with children who are heavily into sports and spend little spare time at home.

So, by taking a step back and jotting down what your space has to deliver for you is a great starting point to help determine the style of your home and where you focus your budget.