Stop Dreaming And Start Designing Your Home For The Holidays

Living Well

Stop Dreaming And Start Designing Your Home For The Holidays

Is your home holiday ready (can you believe I am even asking?!)?

If not, no worries- there is still time! You still have a few months to pull it together.

Are you stuck, knowing your home could look and feel so much better, but you aren’t sure what to do?

Let us take some stress off of you and give you a detailed plan to make dramatic changes to your home.

While we mostly work on full room or turn-key projects, this service is for the client who needs direction and help making decisions for their home, but they like to do the legwork themselves. Our one time consult service, which I have previously mentioned before, is the perfect way to devise a plan tailored specifically for your home.

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 -and in the air- to offer this service.

unnamed — On my way to meet with an out of town client

With this particular client above, she needed guidance on what colors to paint throughout her home, how to use particular spaces efficiently, how to arrange furniture, selection of lighting, etc….

I met her at her home, and we came up with a plan she can implement in stages.

The house has a lot of potential, so I have no doubt the home will be beautiful. The client has great taste but needed guidance to make sure she was investing wisely in her home.

web-kampakishome.jpg4 copy — Dana Wolter Interiors

Here’s how this service works:

You send over to me a list of what you would like to accomplish with your home. This helps me know what is important to you for us to cover during our time together.

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. No more buyers remorse as 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.

Here’s to making your house a home, one detail at a time-

dana

Like what you see? Connect with us on a daily basis….

Facebook- Dana Wolter Interiors

Twitter- DWolterinterior

Instagram- DANAWOLTER

Pinterest- dwolterinterior

Living Well

#BootcampTransformation: Ways To Make Your House A Home- Part Two

I kicked off #BootcampTransformation last week with ways to make your house the home you wish, and today I want to pick up where we left off. If you are just now reading, you can catch up here.

Now that you have chosen a room to tackle, you came up with five words to describe how you want this room to feel, and you’ve cleaned out everything you do not want to keep, it time to move on to the harder steps. This is where it sometimes becomes too much for someone to do on their own. Try these steps first, knowing you can always turn it over to a professional if needed.

Assess the room’s features

Decide what needs to be accentuated and what needs to be hidden.

For instance, if I have a client with a not so pretty stained, wood fireplace surround that cannot be changed- and it’s a feature that doesn’t need to stand out- I would have it painted the wall color to make it disappear.

Based upon how the room needs to work for you, layout a general floor plan.

Begin by measuring out the room, wall by wall, allowing for casing, doors, openings, etc… Assess the location of the doors, how the room needs to work, and decide where you may be able to add some sort of seating.

While some rooms may only have room for a chair (foyer), others may be large enough for a couple of seating areas. Add in where a seating area makes most sense and keep a 34″-36″ walkway throughout. Include in this plan any pieces that need to be placed in here or need to be reworked (such as a console that needs to be painted, etc….).

Choose your color palette

Do you want your home to be a retreat from the crazy world we live in…

lMary McDonald — so serene from Mary McDonald

…or do you want it to reflect your bold personality?

show the world your personality! by Jan Showers

Whichever you decide, make sure each room flows from one to the next. A retreat space will have more muted colors and softer furnishings, while one that is more bold may have pops of color.

Figure out what you need when you are at home. Perhaps you need quiet time, but your home feels loud and busy. Perhaps you need a little more energy in your life, but all your furnishings are heavy and dark-colored. All of these things make a difference!

lighten up and keep it simple… by Thomas Filicia

Accessorize

Add personal items that you LOVE and want to see each day. I have a plaster hand my youngest made several years ago that sits on top of some coffee table books on an ottoman. It doesn’t have to be a fine piece if it speaks to you.

If you have lots of little things, group them together to make them more cohesive. This post here from a few weeks ago gives some good tips on placing these finishing touches.

Your home can make you feel inspired and at peace, or it could possibly be draining you. Stop waiting and start today by applying the above tips and let’s see if you can make a change for the better.

I bet you will be amazed at how cleaning out and determining how a room needs to work for you can make all the difference in your home. As always, feel free to call or email us if you would like for us to turn your house into a home you love.

Here’s to a more peaceful home for all,

dana

Like what you see? Follow us for day to day inspiration-

Facebook- Dana Wolter Interiors

Twitter- DWolterinterior

Instagram- DANAWOLTER

Pinterest- dwolterinterior

Living Well

What’s Keeping You From Making Your Home A Haven?

I have been thinking a lot about simplifying lately.

I made “simplifying” my word in January for 2015. Maybe it’s my age, maybe it’s because my children are beginning to leave my nest…. I don’t know what it is, but I do know I want to take off the roller skates, relax and take time to slow down.

This certainly doesn’t mean I want to sit around all day. Not practical and certainly not my personality. It does mean, though, that I want to stay above the chaos of everyday life and say no to things that I don’t have to do or that don’t touch my heart.

I have been doing a lot of simplifying around my house this summer. If you could see the stuff- yes, all the stuff- my girls and I are taking out of my house, you would be amazed. As I have mentioned before, I do not like to let things pile up, but when I do, there is nothing better than cleaning out.

via stay positive | — Image from staypositive.me

Like my own home, I am running into a lot of homes lately where I see rooms that either serve as catch alls or rooms that are completely empty.

Sure, if you just bought a house, I can understand you having one or both of these kinds of rooms. But if you have been living in your home for a few years and you still have an unused room, ask yourself why?

What are you waiting on?

Stop a moment and take a good look as to how this room needs to function for you. Don’t wait- do it now. Life is too short and too stressful for your home to not be a place to retreat.

And while this home that a family of four recently moved into didn’t need simplifying, it needed a plan and a purpose for a few rooms, and we have been working on giving them a plan for each. I am still waiting on a few pieces to come in, but I love where it is going.

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset — Image from Dana Wolter Interiors

What do you think?

If you could use help turning your home into a haven, email me. I would love to talk to you about how we may be able to help.

Take time to simplify,

dana

Like what you see? Come see what we have to say-and show- on a regular basis.

Facebook- Dana Wolter Interiors

Twitter- DWolterinterior

Instagram- DANAWOLTER

Pinterest- dwolterinterior

Living Well

New Home, New Look

I thought I would share with you a project we began a few months ago.

It is for a cute, fun family of four who purchased a new home earlier this year. Like many who recently move, they had several empty rooms where their existing furniture did not fit nor fill.

I have known them for several years, and they are the best. Their two children are teenagers (one is in college), so they wanted a rooms with edge but that could stand lots of fun and casual entertaining among all ages.

Below is the furniture layout for the family room. It is a large room, and our goal was to make good use of the space while giving lots of seating for football games and movies around the television.

The homeowners love blue and wanted bright colors so we kept these things in mind when selecting fabrics for the room. I love all the textures in these fabrics as they will help create depth and dimension in the room. These colors scream cozy and inviting to me. What about you?

We also created a layout for their dining room.

We pulled darker browns and gray tones for the fabrics in their dining room. The richness in these fabrics will create a more dramatic feel that isn’t too overpowering, with sheers lining two of the walls. Again, lots of edge (an upholstered table ) but a casual, functional space to create memories with friends.

I am excited to see these rooms come to fruition. Stay tuned for more pictures of the finished product as we will be installing next month.

Have a great day-
Dana
Connect with us….

Facebook- Dana Wolter Interiors

Twitter- DWolterinterior

Instagram- DANAWOLTER

Pinterest- dwolterinterior

Living Well

Southern Living Designer Network is LIVE!

I am excited to share that the Coastal Living / Southern Living Designer Network website has launched.

If you remember, I shared a couple of months ago that I was selected by the editors as a member of this designer network for their readers.

I am honored to be one of the few from Alabama, and as you can see, I am in great company. Check out the live site at http://sldesignernetwork.com/ and let me know what you think.

Have a great day,

dana

Connect with us….

Facebook- Dana Wolter Interiors

Twitter- DWolterinterior

Instagram- DANAWOLTER

Pinterest- dwolterinterior

Living Well

Easy Ways To Create An Inviting, Outdoor Living Space

With summer in full swing and warm weather here to stay, I find myself wanting to spend a little more time outdoors.

Maybe it’s the Southerner in me, but I love the idea of grilling, sharing a meal, or even drinking my morning coffee outside.

Every home should have an outdoor area. It doesnt have to be large, just big in style to invite you to sit down and relax.

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset — Image from Dana Wolter Interiors

I always try to soften an outdoor area so it feels like an extension of a client’s home. Don’t be afraid to add accents and traditional indoor furnishings to your outdoor room. Outdoor upholstery, throw pillows for furniture, rugs, and other design touches will create a welcoming feel.
Below is a picture of my own outdoor space. As you can see, I have kept a similar color palate to the inside of my house and just added some greenery and pops of color in my throw pillows.

With all of the hard surfaces you find on a terrace, greenery is always a nice way to soften the space as well. I am a big fan of succulents because they are EASY to maintain and a great way to add texture to a table.

outdoor space — Image from Dana Wolter Interiors

I would love to hear how you’ve brought the indoors out at your home.

Happy outdoor living,

dana

Connect with us….

Facebook- Dana Wolter Interiors

Twitter- DWolterinterior

Instagram- DANAWOLTER

Pinterest- dwolterinterior

Living Well

Need A Plan For Your Home?

Are you the type of person who likes to work on your home, but you don’t trust yourself to always make the best selections when it comes to the interiors?

As I mentioned a few months back, I have begun offering a one time 3.5 hour consult package. It’s perfect for those who want to do the legwork on their own but need a detailed plan to follow.

After all, your home is one of the biggest investments you will make, and you want to make sure you spend your investment wisely.

How this consult works is simple. Before we meet, I have you send over a detailed list of what you would like to cover in our time together so I have an idea of what YOU want to accomplish. When I am there, we go over your questions as well as any other suggestion I would make if it was my own home. We can discuss design dilemmas, furniture arrangements, fabric swatches, paint colors, to knock down a wall or not– you name it!

After our meeting, you will receive a detailed synopsis from me of what was discussed and a list of all we discussed for your 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 has gone over really well and the feedback I have received is amazing. Here is what a few people have had to say:

“I thoroughly enjoyed our hours together and felt that our time was very productive.”

“I love your style and believe you have a real gift for scale, color, layout and practicality. I have been checking out your website pics, FB, and Pinterest sites for more ideas. Love! Love!”

Another super organized client found the overall plan helpful:

“The plan you created has been incredibly helpful. The biggest benefit was paint colors! The palette you helped us choose for the entire home has proven to be beautiful and very versatile as we continue to buy furniture and get ‘settled’.”

beautiful property — This picture was taken at a consult visit. Isn’t this a gorgeous piece of property?

If you think this is something that might be helpful to you, email us at info@danawolterinteriors.com for more information. I look forward to helping you come up with a plan for your home-

Have a great day-
Dana

Connect with us….

Facebook- Dana Wolter Interiors

Twitter- DWolterinterior

Instagram- DANAWOLTER

Pinterest- dwolterinterior

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

To Hide or Not to Hide- That is the TV Question

Is your television in plain view or hidden out of site?

Many times I have clients ask not only where should they place their tv in a room, but how it should be treated within it.

Not to show my age, but who remembers the bulky TVs with the rabbit ears? There was no hiding those big ‘ole things. Thankfully, televisions have become much more discreet.

Don’t get me wrong….. I do not mind a tv in plain sight, but I do try to tuck them away when possible or make sure they are not a big focal point. If they are placed as a major focal point wall, it usually calls for me to hide or dramatically soften it.

The picture below is from a client’s living room. Yes, I said living room, and that is a tv near the piano. They had this large room with incredible light that was- get this- pretty much a walk-through room. They have a large family with a revolving door to family and friends, so it made sense that when we redesigned this room to incorporate a tv in here.

I can’t show you too much of the room right now, but I can say it’s pretty incredible. We reworked the furniture layout to add more seating. The room is casual enough to feel comfortable lounging on the sofa, with your feet propped up with a bowl of popcorn, or it can stand formal enough to serve as a living room when having a dinner party. Either way, it works, and MORE IMPORTANTLY, the space is used by their family.

hidden tvs — Notice how the tv is tucked away into a side wall but is on a bracket to make it easy for viewing?

The picture below shows how I will sometimes try and soften the space around a television. Make no doubt about it, sometimes a TV needs to stand proudly in a room, ready to serve its purpose, but a little softness never hurts.

Put careful consideration into whether or not putting the TV about the fireplace is the best option. Most of the time, the TV ends up above eye level, and it is too high for comfortable viewing.

What are your thoughts concerning the tv? Are you a “let it hang on out there” and serve its purpose or do you like to tuck it away? I am interested in your thoughts.

Have a great day,

Dana

Like what you see? Connect with us….

Facebook- Dana Wolter Interiors

Twitter- DWolterinterior

Instagram- DANAWOLTER

Pinterest- dwolterinterior

Living Well

The Beginning Of A Beautiful Home

It’s always fun to be involved in a project from schematics to move-in day.

By the time the home is ready for my clients, I have put in so much of me into creating the home of their dreams.

I am as excited as they are when they can finally enjoy the home all of us have worked so hard to create.

When I am pulled in at the beginning stages like the project below, you really get to know your clients on a personal level.

Important personal matters such as budget, how they live, what’s important to them and their family, etc… have to be addressed over the two year time period. The relationships made and the trust my clients put in me, with one of the biggest investments of their lifetime, is what makes my job so rewarding.

You know the saying “It takes a village”? To build a beautiful, exquisite, custom home, it takes a team.

The project below is for an out of town client, and it is going to be one pretty incredible home. The rest of the team (builder, landscape designer) is in the process of being finalized, but I have been working with Jeremy Corkern of Bates Corkern Studio on these plans. There are some stunning details incorporated throughout.

Jeremy has done a great job in placing this home just so on this piece of property to ensure as much light as possible filters into it. Careful planning has addressed views inside and out. The flow is beautiful and the space is one that will function for them now and for many years to come.

This is the family’s forever home. They want something comfortable and pretty that will suit their current needs, but they also want to make sure the home will accommodate their needs down the road as their family expands with spouses and grandchildren.

This project has been a really fun one so far. We are incorporating some creative elements, as the clients have been open to trust us when stepping out of their comfort zones.

Here’s Jeremy’s rendering of the front elevation.

Stay tuned to follow alongas the project continues.

Have a great day,

Dana

Like what you see? Connect with us to see more of this project unfold on a day to day basis.

Facebook- Dana Wolter Interiors

Twitter- DWolterinterior

Instagram- DANAWOLTER

Pinterest- dwolterinterior