Which Bed Would You Choose?

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Veronica Solomon

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It’s the start of another busy week of sourcing items for new clients, new consultations with prospective clients, networking events and meetings with Sales Reps. Wheewww! Busy is good

I am working on the master bedroom suite for a great client for whom I am decorating most of their home, plus an investment property they are having built.

It’s an exciting time for my business, especially when you get to work with wonderful clients who wholeheartedly trust your abilities to creating the home of their dreams. I will be sharing professional photos when all the projects we are working on have been completed.

In the meantime, I am curious to know, which bed would you choose for this master bedroom.

Here’s a little bit about the project

My clients observe Feng Shui principles, and so the bed had to be either metal or the color of metal. They loved the look of an upholstered headboard, but not necessarily the tufted styles. The bedroom had to be a great blend of feminine romance and a bit of masculinity. A low footboard, if any because the husband is really tall. They love clean lines and an uncluttered look with soft colors in the gray family.

The backdrop to this bed will be a beautiful metallic gray damask wallpaper on cork, in a very tone on tone color scheme. The wallpaper is a great mix of elegance, romance and a tiny bit of rustic…..exactly their style.

Metallic Damask on Cork Wallpaper

Metallic Damask on Cork Wallpaper

So which bed did we choose? Better yet, which one would you choose?

Here’s the lineup

First up is this beautiful bed from Stanley Furniture, available in two colors

Source: Stanley Furniture

Source: Stanley Furniture

Next is this French inspired panel bed from Lexington

Source: Lexington Furniture

Source: Lexington Furniture

Next is this unique metal canopy bed from Oly Studio. Available in different finishes and fabric options

Source: Oly Studio

Source: Oly Studio

Next is this clean lined, yet rustic bed from Restoration Hardware. Available in several finishes and fabric options

Source: Restoration Hardware

Source: Restoration Hardware

Next an upholstered headboard with nail head detail from Ballard Designs. Available in several fabric options

Source: Ballard Designs

Source: Ballard Designs

And finally, this romantic French style bed from Restoration Hardware. Only available in the finish shown

Source: Restoration Hardware

Source: Restoration Hardware

This king size bed, along with the wallpaper will be anchoring a very large wall that is over 21′ wide and 9′ tall. The bedding will be all white washed linen fabrics with a high thread count, and maybe 2 accent pillow shams pulling in the colors of the wallpaper. We are adding a long tufted bench at the foot of the bed. We are using two mismatched night stands – one is a large chest for his side and a vanity table for her side. A dresser will be facing the bed on the opposite wall and there will be a seating area by the windows. Of course window treatments will be added to complete the look of this master bedroom.

So, with all that said, put on your designer cap and tell us which bed would you choose to complete this master bedroom? Choose wisely

We are just in the beginning stage of this master suite, but I will be sharing with you soon which bed we chose. And of course, pictures when it’s all complete

Hope you all have a productive week!

By the way – I am #45 overall on Top Mommy Blogs and #1 for my category (Home and Garden). Thank you all for your votes so far and please keep voting by clicking the icon below

Happy Monday!

Be Inspired!

Veronica Solomon

Veronica Solomon

What DoThe BackStreet Boys Have To Do With Interior Design?

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Veronica Solomon

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Recently I found myself humming to a song that I used to listen to over and over but hadn’t heard in a while. My 11 year old son Joshua, was a bit curious and asked what song I was “attempting” to sing. I replied “BackStreet Boys – Shape of My Heart”. His first response - ”Who are the BackStreet Boys?”. Of course I had to give him a bit of education on one of my all time favorite boy bands. That education of course started on YouTube, and from there we were rocking out to a bunch of their older and newer songs. He was hooked! Seriously! I think he is now the biggest BackStreet Boys fan! :-).

Why did I tell you about that story? Well it got me thinking about Interior Design (like everything else seems to. Inspiration comes from any and everywhere :-)) What always amazes me is how what’s old can become new again, and appreciated by a whole new generation. The BackStreet Boys’ careers may be extinct, but a brand new appreciation for their true talent has developed in my home, and will certainly be shared with friends at school and through social media. Who knows? Maybe there’s hope for the BackStreet Boys being the number one boy band again!

Case in point – the watercolor trend for 2013. You can find watercolor patterns everywhere from the fashion runway, high end interior fabrics and furnishings to accessories. Click here to see a guest article I wrote recently for Refined Life Luxury Lifestyle Magazine about this trend.

Watercolor pattern was really big in the 80′s! I recall as a young girl seeing the floral chintz fabrics in all their “beauty”. Sure, when an old trend is back en vogue, it is usually with some improvements and definitely more updated. These days, those watercolor patterns are done on some of the most beautiful linens and silks; not so much chintz anymore.

Another new trend is grasscloth wallcoverings, (and wallpaper itself). These were pretty popular back in the 70′s. These days, grasscloth is back and bigger than ever!

A Project I Completed 2 years Ago - Grasscloth Wallpaper on Main Wall

A Project I Completed 2 years Ago – Grasscloth Wallpaper on Main Wall

Grasscloth is one of my favorite wallpaper treatments. In fact, it will be on a few walls in my new home. I just love the wonderful natural and rich texture. The picture above is a project I completed about 2 years ago with grasscloth wallpaper on the main focal wall. It definitely adds depth and warmth to this space.

Another trend from a few years ago that is really hot these days is jewel tones, especially in fashion. Jewel tones are rich saturated colors inspired by gemstones like sapphire, emerald, ruby and amethyst.

Photo: Zillow Blog

Photo: Zillow Blog

These days, emerald green is the new color trend. In fact, it was named by Pantone as the color of the year for 2013 and can be seen in everything from fashion to furnishings to home accessories.

What was old is new again is certainly true for fashion. My daughter, who is a budding fashion designer has been very curious about what my style was like as a teenager and what the fashion was like back then. I am quite certain I will be the inspiration for a future runway collection from her

Well the Back Street Boys have nothing to do with interior design, but they are certainly a great example of something that was great in the past providing inspiration for the present. True art form never really dies – “everything old is new again”

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What “old” idea or thing have you noticed is new again?

Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for - announcing the WINNER from my blog post contest than I posted over the long weekend “What’s Wrong With This Picture?” where you, my wonderful readers were asked to guess what’s wrong with this picture? The prize, of course, is a beautiful pair of 18×18 decorative throw pillows.

Before I get to the winner, I’ll tell you what was wrong with the picture: A few of you got it right – What was wrong is I had moving containers from two competing moving/storage companies! PODS and PackRat. Both were 12′ containers (although one looked slightly smaller to me). It is Quite a bit unusual, but believe me there is a long story behind it. Notice also that one container was even sitting at the curb instead of the driveway, which is deep enough to accommodate both. Moving is fun! NOT!

Ok, time for our WINNER: Three…Two….One…..

Debbie Conner come on down!!!! You are the lucky winner of the fabulous pair of pillows!! Congratulations!!!! Please click here to send me a private message on Facebook to claim your prize I am positive that you will enjoy them!

Thanks to everyone who participated!!

Please remember to comment and share!

Click here to contact me.

Be Inspired!

Veronica Solomon

Veronica Solomon

My 5 Biggest Decorating Pet Peeves

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Veronica Solomon

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Let me start out by saying that I am not here to judge, but merely to point out some of the decorating blunders I have seen throughout my decorating career, and to help you find better and more stylish solutions. After all, my job as a Decorator is to solve design problems and gently guide my clients to finding their design style and achieving beauty and comfort in their homes. So if you are guilty of any of the decorating faux pas on the proceeding list, please know that my constructive criticisms are coming from a good place – a heart of design love, so please – no hate mail

So without further ado, here goes my list of decorating pet peeves.

Toilet Rugs and matching lid covers - I am referring to those rugs that are used in the bathroom, that are contoured to match the base of the toilet. In most cases they come as a set with a matching lid cover. I guess I can understand why people would like them – they keep your feet warm when you need to spend some time on the “throne”. But toilet rugs and lid covers are germy little things and usually aren’t that attractive anyway. Definitely every designers’ decorating pet peeve.

Solution: Go for a small rectangular area rug or a runner instead, and keep them at a safe distance from the toilet. If you have to keep the little piggies warm when you go, just wear slippers!

Drapery panels that are too short – My next decorating pet peeve is store bought drapery panels that are often too short for a standard height window. Most big box stores stock them in lengths up to 84″; way too short!

Solution: You can shop for custom drapery panels starting at just $269 per pair through my online store. If you already own the short curtains you can visit your local fabric store and purchase a small yardage or remnant of a fabric that coordinates well with your short drapery panels. You can even use an old dust ruffle for this. Sew or use iron-on tape to add the fabric to the top or bottom of the panels, and voila, they look like they were designed that way. Beaux R’eves Blog has a step-by-step guide to doing this. Click here to see.

Art hung too high – This is one decorating pet peeve that I’ve seen more than my fair share of. Art should be hung at “eye level”, but whose eye level? What if you are 6’4″? Then clearly it would be too high for me, who is 5’2″ to comfortably view.

Solution: A simple rule of thumb for hanging art is to place the centerpoint of the art at 60″ to 63″ above the floor. From there you can adjust accordingly for the overall height of the ceiling or height of the furniture over which the art will hang. This measurement provides a great base-line starting point and a good foundation for staying away from the too-high syndrome. To find the centerpoint of the art piece measure the full height of the piece (if framed include the frame in the measurement) and divide by 2. Then measure the full width of the piece and divide by 2. The point at which these measurements intersect is the centerpoint of the art piece.

Room in a bag sets- You know the ones, found in department stores where the bedding matches the curtains that match the pillows that match the shower curtain. I understand where the designers of those sets were going with that concept – they want to make it easy for homeowners by doing the matching for them. Well the problem is just that, they lack personality and way too matchy, matchy. The one shown below is a 24 piece set! Yikes!

Solution: You can opt for custom bedding, where it’s all designed just for you with your choice of fabrics and trimmings. Custom bedding can be quite pricey, but another alternative is purchasing a comforter set and then choose pillows, bedskirt and shams in fabrics that coordinate with the comforter set rather than matching exactly. Our online store has a great selection of comforter sets. Click here to take a look. Also, try to avoid matching your draperies exactly to your bedding. A wonderful mix of fabric patterns, fabric types and textures is so much more interesting than fabric matching.

Wallpaper borders – I’m sure there was a time when wallpaper borders would make a wonderful statement in a room (can’t think of that time right of the top of my head :-)), but these days they make a room look very outdated.

Solution: Run the opposite direction! :-). On a serious note try doing an interesting paint treatment instead, like bold horizontal stripes, tastefully done faux painting, or a full wallpaper treatment on all the walls. Here are some examples

So there you have it, my list of decorating pet peeves. I am sure you all have a few that you could add to this list as well. In fact, go ahead and leave a comment with a list of your decorating pet peeves. Don’t hold back, I’d love a good laugh :-).

Of course I am here to help you find solutions to those pesky decorating pet peeves. I am just an email or phone call away

Be Inspired!

Veronica Solomon

Veronica Solomon

7 DIY Decorating Ideas Under $100

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Veronica Solomon

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You asked for it, and here it is – A list of practical decorating ideas that you can do yourself for under $100. So without further ado, here goes:

1. Ceiling Medallions As Wall Art

You’re familiar with those plaster or plastic ceiling medallions used for hanging light fixtures…right? Bet you won’t look at them quite the same.

They can be painted into whatever color your heart desires and can easily be hung with a picture hanging kit from Home Depot or Lowes. Hanging them in groupings have a much bigger visual impact. Take a look

2. Fabric Covered Boxes

If you have fabric remnants left over from another DIY or sewing project, you can use them to cover wooden boxes. You can find these at your local craft store like Michael’s and Hobby Lobby. Your local fabric and craft store may also have fabric remnants for very little cost.

Fabric covered boxes make a great decorative element when styling bookshelves or they work great for storage in other parts of your home. Here’s a quick how-to instructions on creating your own fabric covered boxes from Centsational Girl Blog

3. Children’s Artwork As Framed Originals

I have touched on this one before in a previous blog post “It’s The Little Things”. Kids create such wonderful and colorful art, that always have a fun or cute story behind them.

All you need for this project is artwork, matte boards and frames, which are available at Micheal’s or Hobby Lobby. Hanging them salon style or in a neat grid on one big wall has such a major impact, not just on your decor, but on your child’s self confidence and creativity.

4. Decorating With Burlap

It’s no surprise that these days burlap has become widely popular and in demand for home decor. You can now find burlap on fine upholstery, pillows, drapery and home accessories. But did you know that burlap was used for packaging coffee and sugar? The rustic, textural character of burlap is what makes it so desirable. It lends itself to a homey, cozy feeling, which is always welcoming in home decor.

It is now available in colors other than the traditional beige/brown color. In fact we have custom burlap drapery panels available on our online store starting at just $269 per pair! But if you have basic sewing skills, you can make your own for under $100.00. Or maybe a pillow, tableskirt or even a wreath is more within your comfort zone? Here are some inspiration photos

5. Wallpapering The Back Of A Bookcase

Built-in bookcases are a great architectural feature in a room. Why not dress them up with remnant wallpaper that you can find at your local wallpaper supplier quite inexpensively. Peel and stick wallpapers are widely available online in wonderful colors and patterns. Roommates Wall Decals is a great place to start.

One thing to consider when picking a wallpaper for this application, is to look for bold or geometric patterns or a pattern that will not get lost behind the decorative accessories that will be placed on the shelves. keep accessories to a minimum, as the wallpaper is the big feature and you want to avoid a cluttered, over decorated look

6. Painting An Accent Wall….. Or Four, With Large Horizontal Stripes

Painting an accent wall a darker or bolder color is a great way to add a focal point to a room that lacks any architectural interest. Instead of stopping at just a solid coat of paint, why not do a horizontal stripe detail?

Depending on the mood you want to create in the room, you can go with 2 colors with a high contrast for a bold look, or two colors that are close in value for a more monochromatic or tone-on-tone look. Metallic paints work great for this application as well, but keep in mind that metallic paints will cost a bit more. The stripes should be at least 8″ thick for a more updated look. Here are instructions for creating horizontal stripes in a room

7. Electrical Wire Spool As A Table, Stool Or Ottoman

This one is my personal favorite! Who knew that such beautiful pieces could be made from those not so attractive, industrial spools. Electrical wire spools can be found at electrical supply stores or do a google search and you will find many resources for where you can purchase them very inexpensively.

The structure of the spools themselves don’t require alot of rework. A can of paint is enough to transform them into something special. But if you want to take it a few steps further….check these out.

So there you have it – A list of seven fun DIY decorating projects for under $100. Now it’s time to go forth and decorate!

Please don’t forget to comment and share if you found these tips useful. You can also check out my monthly newsletter “Pocket Decorator” for more fun design tips, ideas and inspiration. Click here to subscribe. I promise I won’t flood your inbox with emails.

Be Inspired!

Veronica Solomon

Veronica Solomon

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