Affordable Luxury For Your Home

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Veronica Solomon

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Affordable luxury is a big part of what drives my designs for my clients. I like to help my clients enhance their homes and their lives without breaking the bank. Keeping one eye on making a room look fabulous and the other on keeping it affordable has served me well in my business for as long as I have been practicing.

Family Room

Family Room

This is a family room that I recently completed for a family of four who desired a cool, calming effect but very comfortable and low maintenace. Certainly you don’t think white when you think low maintenace, but my clients loved a monochromatic palette of whites, soft grays, greens and blues and wanted to use that palette throughout their home. We used a pair of slipcovered sofas from Pottery Barn as the main seating. Slipcovers give them the option of cleaning the sofas for those inevitable spills. We also fabricated custom pillows with hidden zippers on the covers that can be removed for easy cleaning. We anchored the room with an existing dark wool area rug that can take heavy traffic. We considered bringing in a new area rug in softer, cooler colors, but since budget was a concern, we had to make this one work. By focusing on the blues and whites in the area rug, it worked very well with the rest of the room.

My clients loved the look of living rooms seen in shelter magazines, but did not want to spend alot of money to achieve that same look. They had a collection of folk art and religious sculptures from artists in their home country of Venezuela that they wanted to use instead of purchasing all new accessories. All these pieces were arranged in the built-in shelves and the tables in the room. These pieces were all colorful reds, blues, golds and greens that didn’t exactly work with our palette, and couldn’t be altered in any way, but to me what was more important was making their home about them and the things they love, and not necessarily trying to match a certain color palette. Sometimes we have to bend the design rules for everyday living :-) My clients were very happy with the results. Here is another view of the family room

Family Room

Family Room

Family Room

Family Room

Good design does not have to break the bank. There are tons of creative ways to achieve affordable luxury in your home. Here are a few ideas that I like to recommend:

Repurpose the furniture you already have or change the look to suit your personality. Example – Painting a dresser using a metallic paint, reupholstering a chair in a beautiful, rich looking fabric, or adding moldings or other architectural details to a room, adding decorative panels to furniture pieces. O’Verlays Decorative Fretwork Panels is a great resource for taking a plain piece of furniture and make it look spectacular!
Painting a room or creating one accent wall in a darker shade or even using wallpaper. Doing a decorative wall treatment such as horizontal stripes or a faux finish, goes a long way to making a room look luxurious. Paint is your best friend when it comes to decorating
Arrange your accessories in new ways, especially seasonally. Adding a few items with some bling (do people still say that? ) gives the illusion that they cost a bit more than they do. Do this sparingly and complement them with pieces that have visual texture, because you don’t want to end up with an 80′s Las Vegas lounge
The process of layering your rooms is what make them “sing”. It’s very much like getting dressed for a nice evening out. You start with a basic little black dress, and then layer on your jewelry, makeup, clutch etc. Same process with a room.
The use of color sets the mood and tone in a room, with paint having the biggest impact! There are so many other ways to bring color in for a luxurious look. I usually recommend keeping the big ticket items in a room neutral and add color through pillows and accessories, but if you have a favorite color that you’ve loved for years, why not go bold with a certain piece. For example orange is my favorite color and I would totally add an orange sofa in a room. How you use color is what makes the difference between affordable luxury and cheap & tacky
This is a big one that seems pretty obvious but most people don’t do – Re-arrange your furniture…. and frequently (maybe even seasonally). Moving furniture away from walls helps to make a room feel more intimate and create conversation areas. It’s amazing how different a room can look with a new furniture layout.
Shopping at flea markets, garage sales and estate sales is another great way to bring luxury in without breaking the bank. This is where your rose-colored glasses will come in handy. You will sometimes have to look past yucky finishes and beat up appearances, and see the potential for a diamond in the rough.
Look through shelter magazines and other publications for current trends in interior design. You will often find that the high-end fabrics and furnishings that are usually featured on their pages have knock-offs that look alot like the originals. Knock-offs aren’t really a bad thing if you can get the look of luxury far more affordably.

Everyone deserves a little bit of luxury every now and then in their lives. Why not make your home that dream space that you’ve always wanted. A few simple creative touches often does the trick. If all else fails, call on Casa Vilora Interiors to help you achieve affordable luxury in your home. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t local to the Houston area, our Mail Order Decorator service is available and may be just what you need – a professionally designed room that you can put together at your own pace and as budget allows. Often times, you just need a plan to get started! If you are local to the Houston area, you can take advantage of our HappyNest One Day Makeover…..because we all love instant gratification.

Please feel free to connect with me here and contact me here

Check out our Holiday Promo featured on our FaceBook page. Like us while you’re there!

You can view my portfolio here

…….And before I wrap up for today, please support small businesses in your community on Small Business Saturday (November 30). Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities. Here’s the link to my e-commerce site where you can purchase great items for your home.

…….And for the first time, I am participating in a couple of Bloggy Parties. I’ve always wanted to be a part of this community of creative minds who understand what it is to be passionate about decorating and design. Feel free to go check them out and subscribe to their blogs as well as mine so you never miss out on some great decorating tips, ideas and how-to’s.

First up, one of my favorite Blogs Serenity Now! This will be such fun!

……And The Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home Blog

……And Be Inspired @ Common Ground Blog
Have a Marvelous Monday!

Be Inspired!

Home Sweet Home

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Veronica Solomon

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This picture was taken during construction, and is not the most recent

This picture was taken during construction, and is not the most recent

Finally after a long roller coaster ride that seemed to have gone on forever, I am the proud new owner of my much smaller cozier home close to the country! Gone is the “mansion” to a new family of six, who I’m sure will better use all 4300 square feet of it. I got a phone call from the new owner today, and she is really excited about her new home. I know they will be happy there, just as we have been for the last 8 years!

It was definitely mixed emotions signing on the dotted lines (many dotted lines) at the closing of escrow on the sale of the old house. A part of me was really sad to let go, but for the most part I was really excited to get on with the next phase of our lives. My children are little troopers; they have adjusted very well to the move, and are actually looking forward to making friends in the new neighborhood. One thing is for sure, my daughter will have tons of babysitting jobs – The place is crawling with young families!

There is an active neighborhood association and lots of fun activities amongst neighbors, so I am looking forward to making new friends…..and who knows, maybe a special friend? I’ll be sure to keep you up-to-date on any happenings in that area

Most of all, I am looking forward to picking out paint colors, fabrics, furniture and designing great new window treatments, and I promise to take you all along for the ride. But first, I am taking a long break from everything home related and focus on business development, and summer fun with the kids…..Maybe even a summer vacation!

No new pictures to show you….I am waiting until the decorating begins. It will be worth the wait, I promise

In the meantime, here’s the front door I picked out…well close enough. The one I decided on has a reeded glass insert in the top half.

That’s all I have for today….I have a lot of unpacking to do. Wish you all were here to help

In the meantime, please contact me if you need help with your décor and window treatments.

Please don’t forget to comment and share

Be Inspired!

How To Hang Drapery Panels

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Veronica Solomon

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Purchasing and hanging drapery panels can be very overwhelming. There are a lot of little details that need to be considered, which we will talk about briefly in just a second. Most big box stores that offer curtain panels usually have them stocked at 84″ lengths or shorter, and if you are lucky, you may be able to order from their online stores up to 95″ lengths. But what if you have taller windows?

I have seen this happen so often on my in-home consultations. People usually move into a new home and are anxious to cover their windows whether for privacy or decorative reasons, so they run out to the big box store down the street to find an inexpensive solution. But is it really a solution if it is not addressing the problem? Store bought curtain panels rarely fit the windows properly. As I mentioned earlier, they are usually too short, not many choices available, usually unlined or inadequately lined, and little or no consideration given to aesthetic and your energy savings needs. As I always say, you are going to spend the money anyway, why not spend it right. Custom drapery panels are made to fit your windows, and are a beautiful and timeless solution when done right.

Here at No Naked Windows, we have made it easy to order custom drapery panels through our online store. You get to choose your fabric type (silk, faux silk, linen, cotton, burlap etc), your choice of solid or patterned fabric, your choice of header (the pleating at the top of the drapery panels), the finished length, type of lining, or even the choice of using two or three different fabrics for a color blocking effect. Visit our online store to see your options. They start at just $269 per pair!

Once you have determined that custom drapery panels are the way to go, you now need to know how to measure for them and how to hang them, which directly impacts the finished length to order. Measuring is simple – just measure from the floor to your desired height

Some additional tips for measuring:

The finished length is the actual length of the finished panels. To measure for the finished length of your custom drapery panels, simply measure from the floor to the desired height from where you want the panels to hang. A good rule of thumb is: If the space above your window is 8″ or less, it is usually more aesthetically pleasing to hang your drapery panels right at the ceiling. If the height is more than 8″ then you can determine how high above the window you would like to hang the panels. Please note if you have low ceilings hanging the panels closer to the ceiling gives the illusion of more height. One more thing to keep in mind is the hardware you will be using to hang your panels. The hardware will add approximately 1″-2″ to the overall length when hung. If you desire some puddling in your drapery panels, you can add 2-3″ for a trouser break look or 6-8″ for a formal puddled look.

Here are a few illustrations of the Do’s and Don’ts of how to hang drapery panels

In this example there are few don’ts:

Don’t hang the drapery panels right above the window. Hang drapery panels closer to the ceiling or crown molding to give he illusion of a higher ceiling
Don’t hang drapery panels so far above the floor. The minimum floor break is 1″. otherwise your drapery panels will look like high water pants
Don’t hang your drapery panels so far into the window. Hanging drapery panels starting at the edge of the window outward, helps to visually widen the window. Be careful that the edges of the window aren’t visible. Drapery panels should cover about 3-4″ of the window edges on either side. This applies to decorative drapery panels. If privacy is desired with your drapery panels, then you will need much more fabric for fullness, and room on either side of the window for stack-back ( The stacking back of the fabric when the drapery panels are in open position)

In this example, at least the drapery panels are touching the floor, but notice that they are still hung too close to the top of the window and the drapery panels are too far inside the window.

In this example, it’s finally done right:

The drapery panels are at a 1″ floor break
The drapery panels are hung closer to the ceiling
The drapery panels are hung at the window’s edges and outwards

I get this question a lot: What if I have double windows with drywall or trim in between both windows? Here’s the answer:

I recommend ordering a third drapery panel to cover the drywall between the two windows….especially if over 6″ wide. This helps the overall window treatment to flow better and look like one unit and be more cohesive. If you have beautiful wood trim casings around your windows that you wish to show off, then no need for the third panel, as long as there isn’t more than about 18″ between the two windows with casing included, in which case you may need to treat them as two separate windows with two drapery panels each.

Here’s an example of drapery panels I designed and had installed for my client about two years ago. Notice that there wasn’t a lot of room above the window, so we took it all the way to the crown molding.

A couple more examples:

These are actually drapery panels with handkerchief swags. I included this picture to illustrate what happens when we are working with a bay window. You still want the windows to be one unit and have a cohesive flow. Here we used three different rods, but added a special hardware called an “elbow” to join them together at each 45 degree angle. The elbow is quite flexible and works much like our elbows do. The drapery panels are then installed to wrap around the angles for a better flow and cleaner look.

So today you’ve learned how to measure your windows, where to order your custom drapery panels, and how to hang them. We will be running our summer special on custom drapery panels and all other window treatments starting June 1st through the entire summer – up to 20% off! You can use coupon code SUMMER20 at checkout beginning June1. If you are in the Houston area, lucky you! We can install your custom drapery panels for you at an additional charge, and even order your hardware for you!

maybe you have some questions before ordering. You can contact me here and connect with me on all my social media channels.

Please don’t forget to comment and share!

Be Inspired!

Veronica Solomon

Veronica Solomon

Design Dilemma: The Black Leather Sofa!

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Veronica Solomon

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I have to be honest with you…..It’s a designer’s worst nightmare to walk into a consultation with a client, and be informed that their black leather sofa set from college has to be a part of the new decor!

A few years ago I received a call from a newly wed couple in their early twenties. Such a cute couple they were. They had just bought a home, and of course just paid for wedding, so their budget was very limited. They wanted to have a nicely decorated home since they entertained a lot. Most of their furnishings were hand me downs in different styles from different design periods, garage sale finds, and stuff left over from college. Of course, my ultimate nightmare….a black leather sofa, loveseat and a reclining chair to match! Being the fabulous decorator I am, I accepted the challenge Since they were on a tight budget, I just helped them to come up with a decorating plan that they could tackle in phases on their own, and of course work around the black leather sofa set. I don’t have photos from that project, but I pulled some photos from various sources found on the internet to illustrate some of the ideas I shared with them to address their design dilemma.

So if you are the proud owner of a black leather sofa set, don’t lose hope…..Every design dilemma has a fabulous solution. Follow these five tips to making black leather look intentional and work in your home beautifully.

1. Offset the darkness of the black leather with lighter colors. Paint the walls a soft, warm white or a soft taupe or gray. Add lighter colored throw pillows in a nice mix of patterns and textures to breakup the large expanse of black leather. If you already have occasional tables in a dark finish, consider painting them a lighter color as well. Add a patterned area rug to pull some of the focus away from the leather goods. It also helps if the predominant color of the rug is a light color.

This sofa is a bit more elegant than the one we had to work with, but the same principles apply.

2. Playup other focal points in the room and shift focus away from the black leather. You can do this by adding large scale and colorful artwork on the walls, adding a tall bookcase that is styled very well, adding drapery panels in a great fabric, or highlighting the existing focal points in the room, such as a fireplace.

3. Consider using just one piece from the collection and moving the other pieces into another room. Not because they were purchased as a set doesn’t mean they have to stay together forever. It is very overwhelming to have a room full of matching black furniture. Breaking up the set will give the room a more collected and homey feel with a lot more personality, especially if you are working with hand me downs and pieces from different styles and periods. Just maintain a common color theme to tie it all together.

4. Consider re-covering the seat cushions. This solution probably won’t work with every sofa, but if you are going for a more traditional look, and the sofa isn’t too contemporary and streamlined, this might work great. Check out the remnant section of your local fabric store and choose an upholstery grade fabric with a color and pattern to complement the room. Find a good upholsterer and have the sofa cushions re-covered with a zipper opening for easy cleaning later. Re-covering the cushions will help break up the large expanse of black leather. Then add your throw pillows and a throw blanket to finish off the look.

These examples are dark brown and not black leather, but will hopefully give you an idea.

5. Color change or dye the sofa. Believe it or not, you can actually change the color of a leather or vinyl sofa to an easier color to decorate around, like dark brown or tan. I have never done this or commissioned this myself, but have found information than it can easily be done as a DIY project. (I am therefore not endorsing this method, but giving you food for thought). Here’s a link to a video I found that explains how.

Of course there is the option to completely reupholster the black leather sofa using a great fabric. From my experience, however, it can be just as expensive, or even more than buying a new sofa. If the sofa frame is of quality construction, then it may be a cost effective method in the long run and the options are endless to customizing the fabric. A master upholsterer can even change the shape and size (within reason). Care should be taken when selecting fabrics for upholstery. You can read my recent blog post about “How To Look For Quality Upholstery” here

As you have just learned, there are definitely clever ideas you can use to breakup the look of black leather and make it feel like it belongs in a beautifully appointed room. Leather does have great benefits like being easy to clean and comfortable for the family, so if function is high on your priority list – you can certainly have the best of both worlds!

Please don’t forget to comment and share

Be Inspired!

Veronica Solomon

Veronica Solomon

I am 40; Why Am I Not A World Famous Designer?!

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Veronica Solomon

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The title of my post today was meant to spark a bit of humor, but in all honesty, it is sometimes the way I feel. Everyone has dreams and goals for their life and career and I’m no exception.

My 15 year old daughter just started driving school this week. A very scary thought for me, but really excited for her. As if I wasn’t aware of her age, it hit me like a ton of bricks that my daughter is 15 and driving! Where did the time go? I thought by now I would have reached my career goals. It was a reminder that sometimes things don’t work in our timeframes. There are setbacks and obstacles on the road to accomplishing your goals. In my case, it has been many things including the loss of my husband to cancer. It has been 9 years, but having to raise 2 children and a Chiweenie alone, does shift your focus from a career and direct it to what’s really important – your family!

While I didn’t necessarily dream of being a world famous designer, I thought by now I would be much further along in my career. I work hard, I invest the time and effort and money into education and marketing and all the good stuff you are supposed to do for your business to grow. But the economy and other factors have really changed the way a designer needs to do business, and our survival depends on making changes along with the market conditions.

On the bright side, I can look back and be thankful for the progress I have made through hard work, commitment and dedication. It is a blessing to have children who are patient and supportive, It is a blessing to be able to wake up each day doing what you love. It is a blessing that I was able to move into my design studio, and although it is not the perfect space that I pictured in my dream, I am slowly getting there. Even though my family and friends think I am crazy, and some may even have disowned me, I press on to what seems an impossible feat. I do it everyday, because I know the burning passion in my heart. And oneday, I will be the world famous designer!

I read somewhere, that if you write down your dreams and goals, you are more likely to accomplish them (maybe that’s what I missed before :-)), but here goes:

I will have my design studio completed and magazine-ready in less than 6 months
I will have a clientele so large in the next year, I will need to hire more help
I will be published locally and nationally in the next year
I will have less tire-kickers and more serious clients who understand my value and my worth in helping them achieve their visions for their homes
I will continue to run my business being customer-focused, with empathy, honesty and integrity always
I will design and develop my own textile line in the next two years
I will be a leader in my community and give of my time and resources more to charitable causes always
I will spend alot more quality time with my children and dog always
I will take another trip to Europe and really immerse myself in the culture and design world
I will take more family vacations and maintain a good work/life balance
I will get more involved in my children’s schools through volunteering
I will meet a wonderful guy who loves me and my children, who shares my beliefs and values (too much? :-))

There’s my list! It’s now in God’s hands. I know I will keep working hard, stay committed and rid myself of all doubts and fear and negativity. Try making your list and see how good it feels.

Be Inspired!

Veronica Solomon

Veronica Solomon

What Is Home To You?

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Veronica Solomon

Reply

I recently saw this quote on one of the blogs that I follow, and it made me smile. I thought it was very cute, and admittedly, very true to my life

But it also provoked some much deeper thoughts; of what is home to me and my family.

These days, our home is a bit crazy with it being on the market for sale and having strangers walk through constantly - 4 a day at times! This is on top of our normal routines of kids and homework and dog and work……and the list goes on! My kids and I have had to leave the house several times at the most inconvenient times when a potential buyer wants to view the house – right at dinner time, or kids just getting home from school and I’m away at work. I sometimes get annoyed when this happens. “Don’t these potential buyers know that a family still calls this home?” I often whine. But it forces me to really put things into perspective. We are selling it, so really it’s not ours anymore. Is it that it’s hard to let go of something that you’ve poured your heart and hard work into for seven years? But I have realized that home is not the structure that we live in, neither is it the stuff that we’ve filled it up with. Home to me is wherever my kids are, where my dog is, and anywhere that we get to express ourselves and be who we are, and were created by God to be.

As an Interior Designer, I’ve had the privilege of consulting with several clients in their homes, and I have seen that while everyone desires a beautiful home and beautiful things, it’s ultimately their families that matter most. It almost sounds cliche, but really, think about it. In this memorable scene from the 2010 Amy Adams movie “Leap Year”, where she’s asked ”If there was a fire in your home and you could only grab one thing, what would it be?”. For most of us, there isn’t a thought first, instinctively and naturally it would be our families; the one thing that can’t be replaced.

I love to make homes beautiful, that’s what I am wired to do, and for each project I work on, my goal is to keep the family’s needs, lifestyle and personalities in mind. At the end of each day they need to come home to their escape from the crazy big world out there, let their hair down, be themeselves and create fond memories. We all have the natural, God-given desire to nest and make a house a home, just like birds and animals in nature. That’s why it is a great idea to enlist the help of a design professional like the ones at Casa Vilora Interiors and No Naked Windows. We create an overall plan for you based on your needs and goals, and save you valuable time and money. It’s our job to help you make your home functional, beautiful and comfortable and a true representation of your unique lifestyle and taste. So enjoy your home, make it your own and create those wonderful memories that you can take with you wherever life takes you.

Enjoy the memories!

Be Inspired,

Veronica Solomon

Veronica Solomon

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