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Win a Dwelement Mini-Makeover!

Apr 27, 2010

What is it?

It's a condensed room plan that gives you space planning advice and several tips for further improving your space, along with a color palette you can apply to the whole room. This is a room design plan "lite" and is delivered on the blog. See what I did for Tracy's Massachusetts living room here.

How do I enter?

It's easy. Email me three photos of your room by Monday, May 3. The winner will be chosen randomly from the entries and announced on May 4 here on Room for Inspiration.

Why are you giving this away?

Because it's a new service, and I want to show everyone what a great value it is! Normally $95, this plan is ideal for rooms that feel "stuck" or clients who can't afford to start from scratch and don't know where to begin. Working mostly with your existing furniture, I'll recommend the best solution for your room design problems and devise a color scheme that fits your room and your personality.

What's the catch?

You must agree to allow me to display your "before" photos and the Mini-Makeover plan on the blog. No biggie. I might also ask you for more information or photos before I start the design.

Tell your friends!

The easy way is to recommend the Dwelement Facebook Fan Page to friends who might want to enter. Not on Facebook? Just copy this link and email it:

http://www.dwelement.com/blog.php?post=187

May the best (or, I guess, worst!) room win! —Diane

TAGS: blog contest giveaway prize edecorating e-decorating free room design plan

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High & Low: 10 Stylish Ceiling Fans

Apr 26, 2010

The fixture we love to hate: ceiling fans. No matter what you think of their looks, it's hard to argue with their benefits. They're one of the few home appliances that can actually save you money— up to 15% on heating and cooling, according to This Old House magazine. With the heat of summer ready to hit most of the country any day now, here's a High & Low round-up of stylish ceiling fans for every budget.

Designer Supreme Black Ceiling Fan, $108 (I)

When you're on a budget, understated is often the best option. This sleek black model won't call undue attention overhead.

Carmel Outdoor Ceiling Fan, $122 (G)

This indoor-outdoor option has a surprising amount of Craftsman style and a subtle lighting option for a very low price.

Casa Fusion Ceiling Fan in Brushed Nickel, $160 (B)

Simple and modern at a nice price.

Casa Vieja Escort Fan in Brushed Nickel, $180 (H)

I'd classify this one as a Style Steal! Looks a lot more expensive than it is.

Minka Aire New Era Energy Star Ceiling Fan, $200 (E)

Another understated option has sophisticated flair with gently curved blades and a minimal approach to hardware.

Minka Aire Chantal Energy Star Ceiling Fan, $200 (A)

An antiquey option for a traditional home, without the fancy price tag.

Hunter Beachside Ceiling Fan in New Bronze, $260 (C)

No, you don't have to buy one of those huge wicker-blade fans to get a beachy look! (Available in the Dwelement Shop, under The Look: Lakeshore Casual.)

Minka Aire Acero Fan, $350 (J)

The fan I'm working under right now (sans light kit)… I love its refined-industrial style. (Available in the Dwelement Shop, under The Look: Warm Modern.)

Hunter 1886 Limited Edition Fan, $480 (D)

An eye-catcher for an old house. I can see these lined up in a row down a huge, old kitchen with 14-foot ceilings.

Minka Aire Artemis Fan, $500 (F)

The fan I would buy if money were no object: This bent-ply beauty has modern style with a natural vibe.

Designer Tip:

Order your fan without a light kit. Overhead lighting is rarely a good choice, and fans look a lot nicer without them. Many fans come with a cap you can install instead of the light kit (such as the Minka fans shown above).

How to Run a Ceiling Fan to Save Energy in the Summer and Winter

You'll find contradictory information online about whether the fan should run clockwise or counter-clockwise in the different seasons. That's because some sources refer to the direction from the top of the fan, others from the bottom (as we see it). But it's easier than that, and you don't have to remember anything. Turn on your fan as fast as it will go and stand underneath it. If you feel a strong breeze and papers or lightweight items in the room are fluttering around, it's set for summer. If you feel a gentle circulation of air without a strong breeze, it's set for winter. Fans with remote controls have a "reverse direction" button on them; without a remote there's usually a simple switch on the fan casing.

TAGS: stylish ceiling fans pretty nice-looking affordable budget how to switch ceiling fan summer winter clockwise counter-clockwise which way to turn

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90-minute Redesign: Linda's Woodsy Living Room

Apr 19, 2010

I'm always amazed at the stuff people have in storage when I show up for a room redesign session. (What is Dwelement's Room Redesign Service?) My latest example was no exception. Linda called me, ready for a change in her living room. She had just purchased a new sofa and wanted to give the living room a fresh look to go with it.

Her driveway wound through the pines and led me to a veritable antiques storehouse. Lots to work with! The living room is open to the front entryway, very visible upon entering the house. Here's how it looked when I showed up:

The new leather sofa (from the Latitudes Collection by Flexsteel at Golden Fowler Home Furnishings) joined a collection of chairs: brown leather recliner, blue leather recliner, a neutral floral antique armchair and an off-white antique rocker. The focal point was surely the fireplace, but the furniture arrangement wasn't really reflecting that. A set of hunter green tables, an antique child's desk, and a beautiful Shaker-style bookcase rounded out the room.

There were lots of accessories—and lots of options for rearranging this large room. Right away I noticed that we needed to improve traffic flow, allowing direct passage to the dining area from the bed/bath hall without passing through the kitchen.

Linda took me on a tour of her house so I could see what she had to work with. Each bedroom and the basement were filled with possibilities, many of them interesting antiques. Then we rolled up our sleeves and set to work rearranging just about everything. The TV and bookcase stayed put because they were already in their best locations, but everything else moved, and a lot simply moved out.

My main goals were improving flow, enhancing the focal point, creating cohesion amongst the pieces, and decluttering to create more emphasis on the best pieces. The room immediately started taking shape when we turned the sofa 90 degrees and created a seating grouping with it and the brown recliner. From there, the ideas kept flowing and this is the final result, after just 90 minutes.

The new arrangement directs traffic around, rather than through, the living room and kitchen. There's plenty of space to pass from the hallway behind the sofa to the dining room. We removed the blue recliner and arranged the remaining seating into two groups. The sofa/recliner grouping is connected at the corner with an inventive side table arrangement, and the two antique chairs with their similar coloring now flank the bookcase.

The old coffee table was chunky oak with a painted wood base. Its style didn't blend with the look I was trying to create. I wanted to showcase many of Linda's beautiful pieces that were hidden in bedrooms or in storage. The new coffee table was actually a little-used game table set up in the basement. The height is adjustable, and its larger scale and round shape perfectly complement the new seating group.

This view (below) shows the new direction of traffic flow behind the sofa. This arrangement also creates more definition between the living and dining spaces.

Linda loves sitting in the sturdy and comfy antique armchair. Now it's in a better place for reading with its own lamp and a side table made from a repurposed piece she brought out of storage.

Any guesses what's hiding under the "tablecloth"?

It's an antique piano stool! The wood-and-cast-iron base has tons of character, but the red velvet and gold fringe were a little too "saloon" for the space. Linda brought out an old striped curtain that blended beautifully with the floral upholstery on the chair, and I folded it to drape over the stool. Then for stability of items on top, I capped it off with an antique tray I found in the dining room.

Still solving the table needs, I came up with this a quirky, yet elegant, solution for replacing the chunky oak side table that had no storage. Linda had a set of delicate and clean-lined bedside tables, one in a bedroom and the other in storage. We dusted them off and placed them right next to each other for a new side table that has both concealed and open storage.

The mantel just needed a tweak, and it was waiting right there in the same room. I picked up some nautical-looking metal lanterns off the floor near the bookcase and grouped them with the theme that was half-started with a boat painting and a vintage sailboat sculpture. The mixture of metals contrasts nicely with the oak mantel without looking like a matched set.

Once last corner deserved some attention:

The tiny desk and chair were no match for that tall wall. We cleared it out and replaced it with a desk more suited to the space, "stolen" from the guest bedroom.

This turned-leg desk fills the space just right, and the dark wood helps tie together the other antique pieces we brought into the room. A cast-iron lamp from the other bedroom and a large mirror found in the basement add needed height to the arrangement. A few accessories culled from the living-room mix add interest and character.

And that finished it, in a record 90 minutes. Thanks, Linda, for choosing Dwelement to help with your furniture quandary, and for being so helpful and open to new ideas! —Diane

Interested in seeing these kinds of results in your own home? Contact me for an appointment. Rates are $100 for the first hour and $50 for each subsequent hour. As you can see, I can work pretty quickly and achieve a big impact for as little as $125. Sometimes you don't need new stuff, you just need a new outlook! Email me for an appointment, or just to find out if a room redesign session is the right solution for your design challenge. There's never an obligation.

TAGS: room interior redesign work with me here dwelement traverse city interior designer grand traverse benzie leelanau interior designer michigan before and after photos living room antiques flexsteel sofa affordable decorating advice help

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Look for Less: "Custom" Bathroom on the Cheap

Apr 16, 2010

{Short & Sweet Friday}

PHOTO: Michal Graydon for Canadian House & Home.

I was inspired by the budget-minded yet stylish solutions in this bathroom renovation. Canadian House & Home senior editor Meg Crossley designed this look for her own basement bathroom. Inexpensive stock elements take on a luxurious custom look with savvy paint usage.

The vanity came as a unit from a big-box store. To create the custom feel, panel moulding was installed on the walls and in front of a dingy old bathtub. Crossley painted it all in the same beautiful shade of powder blue. Brilliant.

What sorts of projects are you tackling this weekend? I'm going to get some projects finished ASAP so I can go out and soak up this beautiful early spring. See you next week! —Diane

Have a friend who might enjoy my blog posts on budget decor, home style, repurposing and revamping? Suggest they become a fan of my Facebook page, where each blog post shows up in your daily news feed. You can also follow the same posts (sans enticing photo) on Twitter: @dwelement. Or RSS feed. My FB Fans are my favorites, though, and I reward them occasionally with Dwelement giveaways. Watch for one next week! —Diane

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Inspired Idea: Bold Walls for Renters

Apr 14, 2010

So you're renting your home and frustrated that the landlord won't let you paint? You don't have to live in a sea of renter-beige or stark white. I was perusing the website of Canadian House & Home and ran across this photo illustrating a brilliant idea. Apply wallpaper or the bold paint shade of your choice to a 4-by-8 sheet of lauan plywood (price at Home Depot today, $10.44) and lean it against the wall. Instant color, pattern and personality, without losing your security deposit. A few more pops of color in the furniture and accessories are all it takes to make this room look colorful and customized.

PHOTO: Kim Jeffery for Canadian House & Home.

Do you have a room that could use a little help? Need advice on space planning, color, and accessorization? The Dwelement Mini-Makeover is perfect for you. It's only $95, and it could be just the shot of inspiration you need to create a space that functions and looks better. See an example here. Ready to spiff up your space? Email me to order. —Diane

TAGS: renter wall color solutions removable wallpaper for apartments rental units temporary color for walls luan lauan painted wallpapered decorating apartment

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