How would you like a complete room designed by us but with the option to complete the space in a timeframe your budget and schedule allow?
If this interests you, then the new service we are offering, Design Online, is for YOU!
What is Design Online?
Design Online is a great way for us to customize a room in your home according to your timeframe and budget, without us ever stepping foot in your door. You provide us with your budget, detailed measurements, pictures of your space, inspiration photos, and answers to a questionnaire we send over to you. Within four to six weeks, we send you a pretty little package filled with a floor plan, color scheme, lighting, furniture selections, accessories, and fabric swatches with all of the design specifications and information needed for you to implement the plan.
Here is an example of a family room we created. You will receive something similar with all of the specifications mentioned above.
The great news is that no distance between us matters, as this service is all online!
Also, don’t forget we also offer a one time 3.5 hour consult. This has been a fun addition to the scope of our work as I mostly do full room or home design. I’ve been doing a lot of these recently, and the clients seem to be getting a lot out of our time together. Click here to read more.
Think either of these may be the right service for you? Send us an email at info@danawolterinteriors.com, and let’s get started!
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.
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.
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 inuse 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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
These are some Sherman Williams and Benjamin Moore colors we tested for a current project we are working on.
This beautiful chandelier from Circa Antiques (one of my favorite stores ) in Birmingham, Al, has found a new home…..in the family room of a client’s home. We are giving the entire room a facelift, so once everything in the room is installed, we will share the before and after pictures.
