America's Next Top Model (Home) - Week Four

WEEK FOUR - Add the Basics!

Here is where the fun starts! Adding the basics, exactly what are the basics? This is not the time to think about accent pieces like coffee tables, lamps, small chairs, etc. This step is for the "investment pieces" like installed light fixtures and large pieces of furniture.

Go back to the list you created at week one.  Think about the function of your room and consider the multi-function pieces needed (i.e. the cabinet that doubles as a home office, toy storage for the playroom "zone").  Now is a great time to take out photographs from the design magazines from your journal. What large pieces of furniture will work for your space?

Time to make some big decisions. Look at the furniture you already have. Will it function according to your needs? If not, get rid of it. Put it in another room, sell it (consignment stores really come in handy at this point) or donate it. After you have conducted a survey of what you have that will or won't work, make another list. What do you really need? Write down both the item and it's purpose, for instance, "sofa sleeper so room can double as guest space."

Now that you know what you need, where are you going to shop? You could always shop the expensive furniture stores and buy new pieces, but in this economy? Are you kidding? consider all of your sources. How about friends & family - does someone have an old desk they're not using anymore? How about that perfectly good sofa that is sitting in a neighbor's basement?

Next option is consignment furniture. Now, before you turn up your nose, remember that consignment shopping isn't what they used to be. Gone are the dirty old thrift shops and stuffy antique stores - consignment furniture is now all the rage with a wide variety of furniture styles that you cannot find in retail stores for prices you cannot believe! Inventory changes all the time, so you don't have to wait for the season to change for new items (like you do at most new furniture stores). Consignment furniture offers an inexpensive alternative to get pieces of furniture that are functional as well as stylish and unique - pieces that NOBODY else will have!  Even better, consignment stores can also take your old furniture and sell it for you and most have delivery services. Awesome, right?!

Did you know that the best consignment stores are now offering reupholstering services at reasonable prices? Use that service. They may even have the fabric on site so you can coordinate your fabric with the furniture piece at the same time. Talk about One Stop Shopping! You don't want to pass up the perfect dining set because of the ugly faded dining chair fabric - recover them!

BIG CONCERN - consider the scale of your room. Furniture always looks smaller in a large showroom than it does in your smaller space. Measure your room and take the measurements with you when shopping (include measurements of doors, hallways and stairs!). If you find a piece that is too big (or even too small) just walk away - even if you love it. An out-of-scale piece will only throw off the balance of the room. Be strong!

Quick tip on choosing your large pieces of furniture - THINK ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE.  Look at the pictures you so thoughtfully cut out of design magazines. Carefully consider how much pattern or color you are adding. Is this a statement piece that may be changed in a few years or do you want it to stand the test of time? A statement piece can be amazing, but remember, you want to make a statement, not a speech. Too many large statement pieces make a design confusing and cluttered. Remember you will soon have the opportunity to add smaller statement accessories (patience, little one!).

Last step, placing the furniture. Go back to the diagram/floor plan you created in week one. Where will the items be placed in the room? Remember your function zones. Go ahead and actually place your larger items in the room - don't leave them wrapped up in the garage. Have these important pieces in the space will provide you with valuable visual information to make the next steps infinitely easier...

America's Next Top Model (home) - A six week shape up guide to a brand new view!

It's a new year! Time for a new you and a new room! Does the thought of redesigning a room give you a raging case of hives? It doesn't have to be so over-whelming! We have developed a six-week shape up guide that will have you decorating like a pro in six short weeks. Start channeling your inner Martha Stewart or Thom Filicia and let's get started!

  

 WEEK ONE - SPACE PLANNING

Let's talk space planning! Not a difficult concept, space planning is simply how you want your space (room) to function the way you want it to. The goal is to make the room flow and look beautiful without being cluttered.

Let's start planning! First, grab the nearest notepad to create your very own design journal. Calm down - we're not asking you to create the next novel for Oprah's Book Club, just a few pages to jot down notes will suffice. Or, for you techy-types, grab your I-something-or-other ... whatever works!

Now, take a minute to look around your room. Look at the size, shape, and traffic patterns of your room. Choose an area for each function in the room: office, entertainment, conversation, etc. Consider the unexpected - a barely used closet could become your new home office! Create a rough outline of the room in your journal and mark the different zones within the room (this is where your multi-colored highlighters come in handy - one color for each zone).

Zones created? Good. Now think about each zone separately. What do you want or need in each zone to make it ideal?  For instance, in your office zone, do you need: space for a computer, writing surface, task lighting, storage or filing space, cable/phone/internet access? Make a list of your wants/needs for each zone.

Almost there ... now take a minute to think about the basic items you'll need in each zone. Seating for Entertainment Zone? Desk for Office Zone?  Storage for Kids' Play Zone? Now dig a bit deeper. How can each item serve multiple functions? Can the television also function as a computer monitor? Can your filing/storage area also function as toy storage? Would a console table behind a sofa also double as a desk? If you hang the TV on the wall does it create more space for seating/storage?

Congratulations! You did it and you barely broke a sweat! You now have a very general blueprint (or, in designer-speak, a space plan) for your room.  Now you know what you need to place in the room to make it work. Hold on to your pretty space plan - it will be your design guide.

"Floating" Furniture

Have you fallen victim to the FAW syndrome (Furniture Against the Wall)? Bet you didn't even know there was such a thing.  Don't let your furniture be sad wall flowers - move them out and create a FLOATING FURNITURE space plan!

1) Think about the purpose of your space - is it conversational? for entertainment? for activities?

2) Determine a focal point - this could be a television (hurray for flat screens!), a fireplace, or a beautiful view through the window.

3) Plan as much seating as possible around the focal point. Other furniture pieces (like consoles, bookshelves, etc.) can be dispersed along the wall.

4) Anchor the space with an area rug, even if you have carpet! This visually ties the space together and encourages the traffic flow around the area.

There now, you can see out your windows, get in and out of your doorways, and enjoy a conversation without yelling across the room!

No thanks necessary folks, we're happy to help!