Design on a Dime... errr, Nickel?

Most of you know of my obsessive love of apartment therapy- it truly knows no bounds.

Just had to share this great article about working with whatcha got! Listen, people, I know most of us don't have wads of cash to throw at our abodes, but having a lovely, comfortable, good-lookin' home is important! So try some of these tips for making some changes with what you have.

photo from Elle Decor via AT; interior decorator Georgia Tapert.

xoxo,

 

Metal Chair Love

I think I have a problem, you guys... 

Metal Chair Love

It's time to admit it to myself as well as to you: I might have an obsession with metal chairs.

Seriously. I would collect ALL of these chairs and not think a second about it (I have the urban outfitter one- middle right). But the design sense in me says to balance the elements. For example, if you have metal, add some wood and upholstery pieces. Insert some leather or linen or velvet for a nice contrasting texture. 

Wisteria does it so well:

See? Metal side chair (and coffee table) with wood frame settee and linen upholstered arm chairs and wooden side tables. There's a sea grass rug on top of wood floors and a sparkley mirror on the wall. This is a great example of mixing finishes. Check out the pieces here.

This one is great too: metal chair, wood top coffee table with metal legs, metal lamp. THEN add upholstered seating, and some rustic wooden pieces and some pillows in linen and velvet. YUM! 

I promise I don't work for Wisteria. They just had some primo examples of textile mix I wanted to show you.

If I didn't care about the finished room, I would seriously just buy a million metal chairs and probably show up on the next episode of hoarders. 

xoxo,

SG

What I learned from Domino: Top Ten Decorating Don'ts

Domino....
So many good lessons, so little time. Let's review some of the good don'ts:

1. Overdoing it. Stuffing too much of a good thing into a room can feel stifling, like a Victorian B&B. 

Take Tim Gunn's advice and edit!

via Paula Martha

2. Art hung too high. Avoid neck cricks: Center the piece at eye level.

An eye-level picture ledge puts art at the right height. Even art work leaning against the wall is laid-back chic.
 via Anthropologie

3. Curtain hardware hung too low. This crowds the window. Instead, mount the rod up high to let in the light and allow the window to breathe.

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4. Imposing a style that doesn't belong. In planning an overall look, consider your home's architecture and environment. Santa Fe style usually works best in Santa Fe. (Do you really need a picture of this to know what we're talking about?)

5. Too bright overhead lighting. It's usually unflattering. Better to have four 25w lamps than a single 100w ceiling fixture.

Layer your lighting!

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6. Matching every fabric in a room. Just like when you put together an outfit, you want at least one unexpected element.

 via Palmer Weiss

7. Pairs of everything. Duos are not necessarily bad by definition, but beware the Noah's Ark look.

Matching is not the rule. Variety with unity is key for a cohesive space.

via Metropolitan Home

8. Monotony of scale. Mix it up! A balance of big and small, tall and short accessories brings a room to life.

Employ variety in scale! This is so much more visually interesting!
Burnham designs via Lonny

9. Beds or sofas on a diagonal. A decorator trick you shouldn't try at home—it makes too much of a statement.

Keep it square. 

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10. Decorating for someone else's life. You eat takeout every night and have two huge dogs: Is a white-carpeted formal dining room really the way to go?

  

Darker floors if you can't keep it clean. Stain resistant sofas if you have little children. Don't focus on a magazine-like kitchen if you never use your kitchen. Design for your own lifestyle!

via CB2

 

Article source

Does this help? Remembering to layer lighting and edit are my weakest areas in my own space. I'm good about prescribing these things for design projects, but often forget these rules when it comes to my own space.

What about you? Any of these tips hit close to home for you?

xoxo,