Living Well

Five Pieces of Design Advice To Ignore

When it comes to designing and decorating your home, you want to do it right the first time, and there is some advice given out often that, in my opinion, needs to be ignored.
It usually comes from a builder, a worker on your home,  or a well-intentioned friend.  Trust your gut, or better yet, hire a designer you can trust with one of the largest investments (your home) you will ever make.
So here goes….  A few pieces of friendly advice you should ignore:
1.  Don’t paint your brick –   If you have a new or cookie cutter brick home and you used the standard brick you see everywhere, painting your brick can be one of the best things you can do to make it look a little more custom.  Yes, you cannot go back, but who would want to when it’s the mass produced brick you see so much of these days?    Painted brick is so pretty to me and it is a great way to give your home a new, cohesive look.  See how gorgeous this home is below?
It is the home of Milieu editor, Pamela Pierce, as seen in Veranda magazine.    If you have not checked out Milieu, you must do so as it does not disappoint.
This Houston house was designed by Pamela Pierce. It was featured in Veranda magazine in the March 2013 issue, pages 122-132.
Pamela Pierce’s home as seen in Veranda. Image from decorator.com
2.  Using 6″ recess cans throughout a space  Heard of a swiss cheese ceiling?  Yep, this is exactly what I mean.
If you must incorporate recess, use the smaller ones that provide lots of light from a small bulb.   Yes, the smaller recess cost more than the typical 5″-6″ builder cans often speced, but the look far outweighs the cost. Use dimmers to soften the lighting, and use a variety of different types of lighting to create warmth and layering. Table and floor lamps that direct light in the living areas is best. It allows you to see things better, puts a nicer light on your face, and illuminates the colors and textures in your furnishings better.
Barry Dixon
Image from Barry Dixon
3. Selecting granite over marble because you do not think marble is durable-  This one is a BIG one and I am constantly having to educate my clients about this stone.  
I can only hope I am aging as well as marble does, because to me, there is nothing prettier than a well worn piece of marble after several years have passed.  I have had it in my house for almost eight years, and trust me, we live hard in  use my kitchen and bathrooms.   And guess what?  Do not tell my dirty little secret, but we are not the neatest group either.
The key is to choose a honed marble so etching wont take place if something hot is placed on it, and if you like red wine, don’t leave it spilled on the counter for days on end.   If something does happen and the stain bothers you (which it shouldn’t- it’s called patina), the material can always be resurfaced.
4. Hanging  artwork too high– Keep the center of your artwork at eye level or a little lower to create intimacy in a space.  In a room where people will mostly be sitting, artwork should be hung a little lower.
artwork
Image from Dana Wolter Interiors
5. Arranging all of your furniture against the walls– You never want to create a furniture arrangement that makes conversation difficult.  If you have a room that is big enough, be creative and float your sofa and add a couple of sitting ares to the space.   A sofa can look great off of the wall, so use open spaces to be creative and create intimacy.
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Image from Georgiana Design

 

What advice have you been given when it comes to your house that you wish you’d ignored? I’d love to hear from you so please share!

 

Take care,

dana

 

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Living Well

Need Some Direction With Your Home? This Service Is For You!

With it being a new year, I want to remind you about the one time consult service I mentioned a few months ago.

 

It has gone over really well, and the clients who have invested in this 3.5 hour meeting with me have been surprised over the amount of detail and information that comes with it.  Matter of fact, I have even gone on the road a few times to offer this service.

 

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On my way to Atlanta last week to meet with a client

 

While we tend to mostly work on full room or turn-key projects, this service is for the client who needs direction and help making decisions, but likes to do the legwork themselves.

 

carnaggio pictures of me doing things 013

 

 

This service works by you sending over to me a list of  what you would like to accomplish with your home.    We make an appointment, and I will then spend 3.5 hours of  uninterrupted time in your home, answering any question you can possible think to ask me.  We can discuss design dilemmas, furniture arrangements, fabric swatches, paint colors, to knock down a wall or not– you name it!

 

The more legwork you do before our meeting, the more productive our time will be together.   We will make a Pinterest board with specifics of what to look for when shopping for your home, and I will take detailed measurements so you won’t have to worry about coming home with the wrong size sofa, ever again.

 

After our meeting, you will receive a detailed synopsis of what was discussed and a list of all of the suggestions I make for the entire home.   This allows you to maximize your time with me while I take notes and write down all the specifics for you to implement at a later date.

 

This service is a great way to invest in your home by making sure what you are changing and buying is right for the space.  It also allows you the freedom to work on your project as your time and budget allows, all while following professional advice.

 

If you think this service can help you make your home the place you dream, email us at info@danawolterinteriors.com.   I would love to talk with you.

 

Have a good one,

 

dana

 

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