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Invest in a More Inviting Home
(ARA) - With the stock market's volatility, and the financial insecurities of
the high-tech industry, consumers are opting to invest their money in their
largest existing investment, the home. Homeowners are revamping not because
their fixtures have worn out or more space is needed, but because they want to.
Some of the intriguing items on the market today are high-end sinks, stone
countertops and refrigerator and dishwasher drawers for the kitchen. Detailed
embellishments from crown mouldings and ceiling tiles to medallions, pocket
doors and windows are becoming popular. Not all improvements need to be
big-ticket items: there are many do-it-yourself options that will bring your
house into the 21st century that are easy, inexpensive and innovative. They will
not only refresh it but also increase its value.
A casual ambiance can be updated by moving from the shabby to a more
comfortable, chic look. One technique is to use surfaces that are finished to
show loving wear, but are not flea market finds. As part of this look, shuttered
doors and windows are still prevalent, but they are more solid and may be
pocketed into the wall. Hardwood floors have a clean appearance, and can
showcase furniture better than wall-to-wall carpeting. New prefinished products
allow this kind of floor to be a low-ticket item. To update a room, choose a
single piece of refinished reproduction furniture, such as a Shaker cupboard or
a Queen Ann chair painted a soft buttery yellow or a periwinkle blue. Sand the
edges and the piece will take on a worn, but gently aged patina. Hang a vintage
lace tablecloth with clips from a simple wrought iron rod and draw it back with
an old piece of jewellery to immediately add charm.
Hanging wallpaper, once a feared task, has been made friendlier with a product
that is strippable, pre-trimmed and pre-pasted. Borders are the ultimate in
do-it-yourself decorating. With a little planning, a simple side wall pattern
can be chosen, such as Chesapeake Wallcoverings' Tea Towel Stripe, from their
new Home and Heritage book and a border design depicting Blue Stoneware. When
you're ready for a change, the old border can be easily peeled off, and a new
border added, like Cheaspeake's Tin Hearts and Stars design. This is a very
flexible option and an inexpensive choice for the consumer, since the whole
process of hanging borders will take less than an hour.
Formality is even more evident in traditional décor. Crown mouldings and ceiling
medallions are being seen in model homes and shelter magazines. The easiest way
to update is to mix styles of traditional furniture from different rooms. A
Windsor or camelback settee could be moved from the foyer or living room and
used as seating at a Regency dining table. Decorators are not opposed to mixing
furniture styles and the homeowner shouldn't be either. Great style is not
confined to a single era or period; it crosses many. A room should be, above
all, warm and inviting and personal. It should not appear to have been lifted
from a showroom floor, but built with love and use over many years. When it
comes to accessorising the room, think of a bouquet of wild flowers. Nothing
matches, but each bloom blends with the next to create a harmonious effect.
Keep the background simple when combining styles by using a small print or a
stripe on the wall, such as Chesapeake Wallcoverings' Apple Blossom Toss or
Winterberry Spot, or use a border to unify the space. Include different textures
and trims in the accessories. Implement a variety of medium and small-scale
prints for the chairs, pillows, and lampshades, keeping the colours in the same
shades and intensities. For instance, if using a deep green on the sofa, pick it
up again in the small print on the wall. Because the print is small and diffused
by the background, the colour does not overwhelm. Introduce a large scaled
floral on the sofa in throw pillows, with only a small amount of the same dark
colour, but with one or two complementing hues of the same intensity. Trim with
a short bullion fringe in the main colour. On a side chair, use a medium print
of a fleur-de-lis or a tapestry, again using the main colour from the sofa and
also the secondary or tertiary colour. Trim with one of the secondary colours
from the sofa pillows.
Keep windows simple when using fabric patterns. If investment is the goal,
install plantation or pocket shutters. These allow privacy and need little
enhancement. Use only valences or cornice boards instead of heavy drapery
panels. A cornice board can be easily created by upholstering Styrofoam or
wooden boards, precut for this purpose. These aids are found at fabric and home
improvement stores. Another simple solution is to hang a beautiful remnant of
fabric over a decorative rod. These can be quickly changed for the season or
when a newer look is desired; it looks expensive, but isn't. Privacy with
top-only window treatments can be obtained with the addition of opaque or sheer
curtains. Use the same large or medium print on the windows that was used on
existing accessories to keep the area unified, but don't try to use too many
colours and patterns. Some decorators do this with success; a novice should keep
to three or less.
Contemporary décor calls for simplicity, unadorned lines, and either a unity or
stark contrast of colour. Starting with the walls, a faux finish design from
Cheaspeake Walloverings' Weekends on the Water is simple to hang and does not
require days of labour or fancy sponges. Using this all over pattern as a base,
extract a colour, such as sea foam green, to use on the floor with area rugs,
and again on the windows with sheer panels embroidered with a small design. A
possibility for the bedroom is to paint a pencil four-poster bed a contrasting
colour, such as lilac or blue, but in the same intensity as the walls and
windows. Then try hanging tie-dyed fabric from each post. In the family or
living room the largest piece should be a contrasting colour, a blue leather
sofa or a large painted bookshelf or chest. The accessories, kept to a minimum,
should be a couple of shades lighter, but in the same colour palette as the
accent piece. Leave patterns alone for contemporary décor.
Wallpaper, wood flooring and detailed mouldings are taking us back to what is
familiar and comfortable and forward into a future that needs to be flexible and
adaptable to the times. For all styles, the anchors of a large piece of
furniture, simple sidewalls and a wood floor don't need to change, only the
accessories. Updating is costly when new additions are built or expensive
appliances are purchased; but updated wallpaper, flooring, or detailed carpentry
embellishments are within everyone's budget and can be enjoyed immediately.
Courtesy of ARA Content |
