Living Well

Friday Favorite

Good Morning and Happy Friday,

 

I came upon this outfit as I was doing a little online shopping and while I love the outfit, I love the colors for an interior even more.

 

enno-top-cameo-pink
Image from Piperlime

 

Lilac, pink, and gray are big colors right now and I think this color palette would be beautiful in a bedroom. I love how peaceful and serene these colors read together, but the pop of color can really make a room come alive.

 

What colors are you into these days? I would love to hear from you.

 

Have a good one,

dana

 

Living Well

Five Tips For Prepping Your Garden For Spring

With spring right around the corner, I am ready for my garden to be filled with color and fragrance.

 

Before I go any further, let me assure you that I am no expert when it comes to gardening. I have been doing my homework, though, as I am trying to learn more about what I can do now to make it as pretty as it can be.

 

Below is a picture of my garden last spring.   It’s this time of year mine looks the best, and while I love it, life gets in the way so I do not always nurture it as I should.

 

Dana Wolter Interiors Blog | Thoughts, Tips, and Trends for Today's Design Dana Wolter Interiors
My garden last year. Image from Dana Wolter Interiors

 

I am trying to do better, hence the reading and researching.   Here are a few tips that stood out to me that I thought might be helpful to you as well:

 

1. Create a composting area

This is something I really want to begin doing.    The compost can be a ready-made compost bin or we can build a compost bin using spare bits of wood. Not only will we have somewhere to put  garden waste, but the plants will benefit from the rich compost created when it all breaks down! Make sure you have a good mixture of grass clippings, vegetable peelings, paper and woody prunings. To help the process along, we will have to turn the compost with a garden fork each month to keep it aerated.

 

How To Start a Compost Heap ~ it's really easy, affordable, useful, and sustainable.  Composting recycles kitchen and yard waste, diverting up to 30% from the trash and consequently reducing landfill waste. Compost adds nutrients and introduces beneficial organisms to the soil, and helps promote plant growth.
Image from apartmenttherapy.com

 

2. Prep the beds.
Remove winter mulch, leaves and any other debris from your beds. Cut back the old dead growth of deciduous grasses and perennials to make room for the new growth. Any weeds that appear in your garden will be easiest to pull now, as the roots are shallow.  I have done this and am making one more go around this weekend.

 

Gardening Tips for beginners
Image from grit.com

 

3. Fertilize the soil

Now’s the time to make sure your soil is properly balanced and ready for new plants. Once the beds are all cleaned out, it’s time to till the ground. This will help aerate and loosen up soil that has compacted over the winter, which will encourage the soil to absorb nutrients better. It will also make it easier to plant.

 

4. Prune

It’s time to prune back tree or shrub branches have been damaged by the cold, snow, and wind. Make sure to do so before buds begin to break into bloom or you’ll stress the tree and get a tiny crop, if any. Use a handsaw for any tree or hedge larger than ½ inch in diameter. Shaping hedges with hand pruners, rather than electric shears, prevents a thick outer layer of growth that keeps sunlight and air from reaching the shrub’s center.

 

veggie garden with formal hedge edges
Image from paradiseexpress.blogspot.com

 

5. Order bulbs and seeds

Decide now what flowers and plants you want in your summer garden. Order the seeds or the bulbs from a local plant shop like my local favorite Leaf and Petal or online. Hold onto the seeds and bulbs until the warmer weather arrives, but make sure that the seeds and bulbs will not deteriorate or lose quality if they sit for some time.

 

flower garden
Image from howardrice.co.uk

 

 

Let me know how it goes for you, and if my efforts pay off, I will share my progress as well.

 

Happy Gardening,

dana

 

PS If anyone feels extra inspired and wants to come to use these tips on my garden, I will happily welcome you, and I know my garden will too.

 

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Living Well

Five Ways To Make An Impact in A Powder Room

Maybe you like to play it safe with the interiors of your home, because, after all, your home is an investment and it’s expensive to make changes.

 

But if you are looking for a place to go bold and daring, the powder room is the perfect spot.

 

It’s all about the details in the powder room, and just because its the smallest room in your house, doesn’t mean it can’t have the most impact.

 

Below are five ways to make your powder a really special room:

 

1. Add a dramatic color or a unique wallpaper.

 

wallpaper
Image from The Enchanted Home

 

 

2. Make the powder room as cozy as possible. In my book, the smaller the better, as long as everything is to scale and can fit nicely into the space.

 

tiny bathroom in white, black, and gold.
Image from Apartment Therapy

 

3. Select unique lighting.  Incorporate a sconce or two, and if overhead lighting is a must, select a unique chandelier that fits the space.

 

Powder room
Image from Segret To Secrets

 

4. Make the sink as special as you can. I love using marble to create a vessel, and it also adds some texture to the space.

 

Image from Splendid Sass

 

5. Accessorize.  Pull in pretty linens such as a hand towel and use special soaps.  Fresh flowers instantly brighten the space, and cost very little to do so.

 

DanaW_Tuscaloosa_165-L
Dana Wolter Interiors

 

 

Make the smallest room in your house have the most impactful. Because powder rooms are used only briefly, they are the ideal place for drama and beautiful style. Their small scale allows you to indulge in lavish materials and bold effects that you might not dare otherwise.

 

Go ahead– take the risk, and be sure to let me know how it turns out.

 

dana

 

 

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Living Well

Lake House Retreat

With the weather turning colder, we are excited to be working on a renovation/addition to a condo at Lake Martin.  Yes, it’s still cold there, but at least it allows us an opportunity to think of summertime fun.

 

lake1

 

This retreat will have a new kitchen, bathrooms and outdoor living spaces. We are designing a custom banquette for the kitchen and the side porch to allow for lots of seating for family and friends.

 

Our client’s focus is all about making memories instead of being worried about making a mess, and we couldn’t agree more. The lake is supposed to be a place for less stress and more fun.

 

With a house full of children and grandchildren, we plan to use a lot of outdoor and durable fabrics.

 

As you can see below, our color inspirations are gray, plum, taupe and cream.

 

Rice_Nov20th

 

 

Stay tuned for more updates on this project.  Have a great day!

 

dana

 

Please don’t forget to vote for the Traditional Home/ Ethan Allen Pinterest Sweepstakes at http://newtradsweeps.com/. Check out the last blog post if you missed the information about this contest.

 

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Living Well

How To Find The PERFECT Paint Color

Have you ever chosen a paint color, knowing it is the “perfect” one, only to have it painted to discover it looks completely different than what you imagined ?!

 

If so, you are not alone!

 

Take the guesswork out of choosing a  color by following this process.  It will ensure the color you achieve on your walls is what you are hoping for.

 

The important first step in choosing a paint color is getting it out of the store.  Choose a handful of hues, or borrow the entire fan deck of colors, and bring the chips back home.

 

paint2
We like to make our own swatches so we can be sure the color is what we think.
Nothing will help you choose a color better than seeing the hue applied to the wall.
Take the samples home and brush them on the walls of your room.  If your walls are dark, paint the samples on a white piece of poster board so the current color doesnt interfere with the new ones.
Look at the colors at all times of day, from bright morning light to golden afternoon light to lamp-lit darkness. Sun, or lack thereof, can make a huge difference in how a color reads.
Always paint two very good coats to get a good idea of what the color is going to look like on the wall. Once the test sections are dry, hang artwork over them, push furniture in front of them, and stand back in the room to see how they look.
paint1
This image shows your the difference in one and two coats.
When choosing a sheen, remember that flat paint gives you color closest to the original cardboard paint chip, where semi gloss paint will have a moderate reflective quality.
Remember  with so many color choices available, it is necessary to take your color for a test drive before you buy.
paint4
These are some Sherman Williams and Benjamin Moore colors we tested for a current project we are working on.
Happy painting,
dana
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Living Well

A Few Favorite Pins Off Pinterest

Who doesn’t need some inspiration from time to time?

 

I am always looking for a new color palette or a subtle detail to add into my interiors, and Pinterest has become one of my favorite tools lately.

 

Not only does it inspire me, but it is a great way to share photos back and forth with my clients.

 

I encourage all of my clients to join Pinterest so we can collaborate on a board and pin together.  This is a great way to kick off a project and help me find the look that is best for their home.

 

Here are a few of my favorite pins of late….

 

This first interior speaks to me.   It could be a room that was installed yesterday, yet it looks like it has evolved over time.   What a great balance between old and new, shiny and matte, smooth and textural.

 

Eleanor Cummings
Love the mix of elements here. Wood, stone, and mirror against lush fabrics and old, crusty pieces. Beautiful!

 

The objects in the room below look like they could be pieces from the homeowner’s collection (instead of off a showroom floor), pulled together to form a seating area.  Again, notice the mixture of elements- stained wood, marble, metal, and painted wood.   Very little duplication of pieces of furniture, but enough to allow your eyes to rest.

This seating area blends beautifully together.  I also love how the fabric panels soften that big, gorgeous window without obstructing the view.

 

Feminine Alabama Home - Susan Ferrier Design - Veranda
Interiors by Susan Ferrier

 

 

Are you familiar with Ruard Veltman?  If not, look at his work here.  He is extremely creative and I bet you will find his work as inspiring as I do.   The kitchen below is from one of the homes he designed.

Ruard Veltman Architecture ~ Dutch Colonial ~ sleek

 

{ knits }
Casual yet chic

 

Kathleen Clements Design

 

If you aren’t using Pinterest to organize and collect your thoughts, sign up here. Follow our boards, create your own boards, and discover great things.  After all, can’t we all appreciate a little “eye candy” every once in a while?!

 

Happy pinning,

Dana

 

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Photo creds:

Pic One: Eleanor Cummings Interior Design

Pic Two: Design by Susan Ferrier

Pic Three: Ruard Veltman Architecture

Pic Four: Emerson Fry

Pic Five: Kathleen Clements Design

 

Living Well

What Does Your Home Say About You?

If someone were to walk into your home, what would they say about it?

 

Would they know your home is yours, filled with your likes and your personality?

 

I hope so because it is important to make your home is a snap shot of who you are.

 

When it comes to designing your living space, it is imperative for your architect and/or designer to understand your needs and your wants. Your living space represents you and should be in sync with your particular lifestyle.

 

Throughout my home, I have incorporated mostly neutrals.    I tend to naturally be drawn to more greige colors.  For me and where I am in my hectic life, I want my surroundings to be peaceful and calm.

 

Yet, I am finding myself using more and more color as an accessory.   Color is hot right now, so I am incorporating it in not such permanent ways.

 

DSC_0105
Who says I don’t use color?! This is a snapshot of my hallway.

 

 

 

You will also notice in this picture there are many layers in the space.  A grass rug, topped by an oushak rug.  Chairs and love seats filled with throws and pillows to soften the space.  A small occasional table placed in front of a larger one.

 

Though you may buy everything in a room at one time, you want your home to “look” like you have collected pieces over time.

 

Does this mean a room has to be complete in one day? Absolutely not. Some of my favorite pieces are those I have waited for and slowly collected.

 

You know the saying, “the best things are worth waiting for”.   This is true for your home as well, because it means your home will be a better reflection of you.

 

Remember, every home should tell a story, so make yours one you are proud to share.

 

Have a great day, everyone-

 

Dana

 

 

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