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Decorating Dilemmas/TrendsAre you in the middle of a decorating dilemma? Click on askloretta@classic-chairs.com and enter your question and obtain free design advice. Questions are chosen randomly to cover a broad scope of decorating issues. Q. Hi, I am building a new home with a 2-story cathedral great room. My style is traditional with a Georgian Colonial theme. What should I do with the walls in the second story of this room? Should they be the same color as the wall on the lower half of the room or contrasted with color or decorative moldings? It is such a large open wall that looks so empty. Help...C.B., Maine A. Thank you for your email and design dilemma; congratulations on the building of your new home, what a great experience! When it comes to making a home your own, I believe we must find a way tohonor the features that make our homes unique. Your two story great room offers a great opportunity to showcase the grand feeling that it gives to the eye and the experience of being in the room. Consider treating the room as if it were a one-story, allowing the wall color to complete the room rather than visually cutting the wall in half. You really don't want to force a two-story room into a one-story ~ it creates a chopped look and minimizes the intended glory of the space! Think scale! Your space seems to be calling for a larger scale fitting for the dramatic space it was created to be; consider 2-3 functional spaces rather than one central area for seating ~ use the space well and enjoy the process! L.J. Willis, Allied ASID Q. Hello, I want to paint my two story foyer a deep yellow or mustard. I want my guests to have a warm greeting when they walk into my house. I cannot find a color like that. Most colors have a lot of orange in it. I like the color in your decorated foyer on your webpage, but that color looks like a little green is in it. Can you recommend any colors? Also, I was going to paint the foyer and all the hallways the same color. Will this overwhelm the house or should I paint the upstairs hallways a different color? Thank you, J. A. Thank you for your email and design dilemma. The wall color featured on our website project is a deep, golden golden fleece yellow in a flat finish. I don't believe that it will overwhelm your foyer/hallways especially if you have generous ceiling heights throughout your home. Another great yellow is Anjou Pear by Sherwin Williams. Let us know how it turns out! L. Willis, Allied ASID Q. Hi! I sure hope you can help me. It has been five years and our new home that we built has one problem...the open floor plan! It has a fireplace on a 24' wall in a 14'x24' living room space. With sliders across the back wall next to the open kitchen I don't know what to do to separate the room into an area for TV/family space. Would some kind of dividers be recommended to separate the two spaces? Thank you for any help you can provide. Sincerely, M.S. A. While it is certainly a challenge to lay out an open space to meet the function and aesthetic needs of a family it can certainly be accomplished by considering a few basic design principles such as traffic flow, use of the space(entertaining, family room/tv, reading, play area/game table, etc.) and scale. Breaking up the space to accomodate your needs, the natural focal points in the room are great places to begin your space planning and placement of furniture. By keeping scale of the room and furnishings in mind you will end up with a room well suited to meeting your family needs! If this is not enough information to get you started you may send a photograph of your room so that I can offer specific direction/suggestions. Most of all, take the first step and enjoy the process! L.J.Willis, Allied ASID Q. I was wondering if you could help me out. I am building a new home and I am having a problem picking out a color for my kitchen. I am having dark cherry cupboards and black appliances. What color should I paint the walls? Thank you, Natalie. A. Thank you for your email! You have an exciting dilemma that usually accompanies building a new home. You did not mention other points of consideration when deciding a color plan for a home (i.e. choice of counter top and color, flooring, lighting issues that may affect color hue/intensity and the flow of color from one room to another. With this said, please consider your favorite colors; the rooms that the kitchen will flow in and out of; a pleasing contrast to your beautiful cherry stained cabinets…and I will end with a suggestion that greens, deep yellows/gold's and browns are very attractive alongside the two elements that you have given me. Please let us know what you decide! L. Willis, Allied ASID Q. Hello Loretta. My name is Najwan, I'm from Israel and I have a problem concerning my kitchen. It is not done yet but the problem is that it is open to the dining and living room area. I want a solution for decorative and designed counter that will fit with my classy dining table and chairs but at the same time I don't want to block the kitchen with the counter or bar or beautiful cabinet. A. Hello Najwan. Your dilemma speaks of a common theme theses days of families/couples desiring to create an open environment within the home that allows easy movement from one room to another. You are on the right track by desiring to consider function as well as beauty within your home. I believe an attractive divider such as a counter top with an overhang for extra seating is an excellent idea. You mentioned the importance of it relating to a "classy dining table and chairs;" then choosing a natural stone (i.e. granite or look a like) that plays right into the features of the adjoining room would be fantastic. Be careful to consider stains for the cabinetry and stone finishes that relate to your existing furniture, wall color and flooring. Leaving the top space open for a clear view into both rooms would address your concern over blocking the kitchen with a counter addition. We would love to see the finished project! L. Willis, Allied ASID Q. Do you have contacts or can recommend interior designers in the Cleveland, OH area? A. Thank you for the inquiry and interest in working with an interior designer! Please try contacting your local ASID Chapter office by phone or visiting our national website at www.asid.org and it will guide you to the referral page for your area. If this is not satisfactory feel free to contact our firm and we will help in any way we can! L. Willis, Allied ASID DECORATING TRENDS "The older we get, the more we become who we really are," I once had the privilege of hearing. The same reasoning seems to ring true for decorating our homes; "The older we get, the more our true decorating style is reflected in our home." When replacing furniture that was purchased "on a whim," or "met the budget restrictions," or simply donated during a season of "something is better than nothing;" it is best to take the time to purchase a piece or set of furnishings that reflect the style you are transitioning toward. All of us are consistently transitioning toward that place of creating a home that honors our uniqueness, just keep in mind function, scale, quality (the best your budget can afford), style and…a little bit (or a lot) of luxury! P.S. A word to the wise…custom furnishings can take 8-10 weeks to ship…start now on that project that you want completed before the holidays. |
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