my absence? That this site is languishing?

Well it is. 

It turns out that 24-hours in a day is not really enough for all I’m tying to do if I want to sleep a few hours every once in a while.

I haven’t given up on Inspired Spaces, but I’ve had to put it aside for a while.  Earlier in the spring, I had bandwidth issues because my picture files were too big, so I had to remove them from the site.  Now I have to resize them and take down the resolution and put them back up.  And all that takes time that I don’t have right now.  In addition to that, I’ve got an Antique Mommy-related writing project that is due in mid-June that I’m focused on.  I’m anxious to share that with you when the time is right.

If you sent in a design question, it’s still in my file.  I have not forgotten about you.  And hope you will not forget about me.  Keep me in your Bloglines or Google Reader and some day soon I’ll be back to wow you with another exciting paint dilemma.

In the meantime, keep working on making your home a beautiful shelter and respite from the world and a comfortable and welcoming place for those you love.  There really is no place like home.

Peace and grace to y’all and I’ll see you here one day soon!

I’m having a painting/decorating dilemma. I’ll admit the decorating will have to come later… much later…  but, I’d like to get the paint right first.  My downstairs is painted bold colors - clay red kitchen, dark sage living room and deep purple full bath.  My bedroom is a dark army green.  I want to paint my gameroom and my daughter’s room.  I love the dark/bold colors, but I’m afraid that if I go too muted and/pale that it will not flow.  ~ Erica

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Erica, paint is one of the largest design elements in a room and one of the easiest and cheapest wats to make a change. And it is tempting to want to do that immediately, to get started, to see some results.

However…

I know you said the decorating would come later, but I would discourage you from getting too far ahead and investing time and money in paint without first having something to based your color choices on — usually a fabric or a work of art that you love.  Paint can be mixed to color match anything, but if you start with a paint color, trying to find a sofa or fabric to match is much much harder. If you want to get the paint “right” then you should work on getting some of your larger furniture first.

As far as your bedrooms, since they are not public spaces, you should paint them whatever color you love. I usually start with my bedding fabric as a basis and then work from there in choosing colors.

As far as your gameroom, if it is visible from the public spaces of the house, such as your living room, then I would go with a color that is related in some way to maintain a sense of continuity and visual flow that you want.

Another way to take this fireplace from basic to beautiful would be to turn the mirror vertically, but instead of mounting it to the wall, simply rest it on the mantel and prop it against the wall. What I like about placing the mirror vertically, is that it visually lengthens the space above the mantel.

In Mamacita’s case, I think the mirror might actually be too tall to turn vertically, but for demonstration purposes, let’s pretend that it’s not.

In the previous post, Jolyn asked about placing sconces on either side of the mirror.  In that design, because the mirror was already set horizontally, I felt like adding sconces to either side would just continue to widen the space visually and therefore not contribute to the design. 

In this example however, with the mirror set vertically, I think the right sconces would be a great choice.  Another option would be to place six little decorative mirrors (or a six small black-framed prints) symetrically on either side of the big mirror, as I have shown here.

If I am working towards a traditional look, in front of the mirror I would put an interesting vase of some sort, perhaps one with a Chinoiserie motif, like this one on the right, and then into that I would place some tall dried berry branches.

For my eye, less is more when it comes to mantels, so I think you could stop right there and have a beautiful design, but I also think you could add a few other special things using the 3+1 rule (see previous post) if you were so inclined.

A collection of ginger jars of varying height and unified by color (two or three on one side and one on the other) or any collection of things that are interesting, colorful and weighty — would look nice.  Use books and decorative boxes to elevate where necessary to get variation in height among the elements. Things that will not work as well are small, uniform, delicate, transparent (glass) and nicknacky.

If this were your fireplace mantel, how would you design it?  Horizontal mirror or vertical? Mirror or painting? Sconces or no?  A collection of some kind? What kind?  Family photos?  Candles?  Or nothing at all?

I have a design dilemma.  My mantel - it’s plain and boring.  I have a big mirror that is propped up on it right now, mainly because I loved the mirror and thought it might look good there.  The only other little things up there are some candles off to the right.  What can I do to make it pretty? Any ideas?

~ Mamacita

Mamacita, there are probably about a million ways to skin this cat, but I really like the mirror that you have started with, so we will let that be the basis for our design.

Your mirror with it’s thick black frame works well for the space in terms of shape, color, style and size — so congratulations, you’ve covered all the design bases with just this one piece.  You are off to a good start.

Based on that information, I think the thing to do is to keep it simple – pair it with just a few other things that are also simple and modern in line and dark in color that refer back to the mirror. 

The obvious thing to do is to hang the mirror horizontally and centered just a few inches above the mantel. Then proceed with the standard 3+1 rule of design  - a collection of three related objects of varying height on one side, usually the left, and a single item on the other.  On the left, something like this collection of Misao vases would work nicely.  If you need to create height for visual interest, consider placing the tallest vase on a decorative wooden or laquer box. 

On the other side of the mantel, the right,  you could put something funky like this pair of horses.  I realize that the two horses violates the 1 part of the 3+1 rule, but as a pair they read as a whole  And? There really are no rules in design.  

Into this monochromatic design, we need a lightning strike of color, so consider adding some tall branches of dried burnt orange bittersweet or red berries to the vases and call it a day.

As you are on the lookout for mantel accessories, I would avoid small unrelated items, tiny pictures or anything fussy, cluttery and unrelated to the whole.  Look for grayscale in color and let that one colorful organic item take center stage. 

Next Time: A Fireplace Mantel - Case Study #2. We’ll look at the same fireplace mantel with the same mirror, but take the design a completely different direction.

I knew I could count on y’all to come up with some great ideas.

I think we are all in agreement that we should paint all of the furniture some shade of white to pop against the color we want to put on the walls.  I would also replace the knobs and pulls on the chest of drawers, vanity and any other pieces to a simple brown or satin nickel pull, a square or diamond shaped one would be nice if you can find one as it would refer to the geometry of the bedding fabric. Paint and hardware will go a long way in unifying any mismatched pieces.

I would like to put a coffee brown color on the unobstructed wall that will feature the bed. I know brown can be a scary color to put on a wall, but trust me on this, the visual pop of the white furniture against the brown will knock your socks off. The pink in the bedding and the art will take the “big” out of the big brown wall. On the other three walls I would pick out one of the lighter shades of pink in the bedding and put that on the walls.

Someone in comments suggested that it would be worth it to install crown molding and I agree with her. You can get pre-finished crown that’s made out of some sort of foam product at any home improvement store. It’s cheap, it’s easy to cut to fit, it’s lightweight and not too much trouble to install — and it will make a world of difference visually.

As far as dressing the windows, consider using both fabrics – the large brown and pink tile on the front and the small brown and white grid on underside (as opposed to plain white lining). When the curtains are pulled back, the brown and white will peek through to the front for a high-end finished look. Make tie backs out of the brown and white and then add a small hot pink trim. I would also add a crisp white sheer to soften the hard edge of the blinds and to provide some filtered light which will add a lot of ambience. If you still want to use the cornice board, I would probably use the smaller brown and white grid and again, trim it with a small hot pink braid trim of some sort to give it a bit more flair and refer back to the pink and brown fabric.

For pillows and the vanity seat, I would look for some pink and brown fabrics that coordinate. Since you will need so little, you will probably be able to find a yard of something like these fabrics shown here in the clearance stacks.  Solid fabrics with texture would work nicely too.

For art, I would buy six or eight small square canvases and cover them with extra bedding fabric, possibly turning the fabric in different directions and off setting the patterns, maybe even throwing in a solid pink or brown. I would hang these canvases over the bed in a configuration that complies with the width of the bed.

For a fun place to tuck photos and cards, I would buy an inexpensive bulletin board. Wrap it in medium weight batting and then cover that with a coordinating pink or brown fabric. Finish it off with a criss cross of pink ribbon and tack it down at the intersections with some pretty brown buttons.

On the floor, I would go with a big shaggy brown rug right over your existing carpet. Brown because in a few years you will not want to be stuck with a big shaggy pink rug and there’s a better chance that you’ll be able to use a brown rug elsewhere. And shaggy for the warmth, fun and texture.

Don’t forget to bring in some nightstands, because a girl needs some place to tuck her Nancy Drew books. You could could probably pick up a pair at a garage sale or thrift store and they certainly don’t have to match, they just have to be appropriate in scale. Paint them the same white as the other furniture and add matching hardware. Top the night stands off with some inexpensive lamps that you could spray paint brown and then with fabric glue, add either a hot pink beaded or eyelash trim to a standard shade.

There are probably a million other ways to jazz up this room.  I won’t try to cover them all here but I’d love to hear your ideas in comments.

My friend Jill is redoing her tween daughter’s bedroom.  Does that not sound like a fun project?!  Here are the specs we are working with – and by we I mean you, so listen up! (clap clap) Work with me people!

The room is a fairly standard bedroom — 11×13 minus a few inches. There is a window on one wall, a closet on another and the door on the third. This leaves only one unobstructed wall.  She has 8-ft ceilings with popcorn, which she is not interested in scraping at this time and who can blame her really. There is no crown molding.  The carpet is kind of an off white and she is interested in possibly replacing it.

She has come into some furniture for this room which she plans to paint - a full-size bed with a headboard and footboard, a small chest of drawers, a small vanity with a mirror and padded bench (I would have died for this when I was a tween).  

 So far, she has purchased this fabulous bedding with extra sheets to make curtains and  pillows and possibly cover existing cornice boards.

So then, what we need to figure out is what color or colors to paint the walls and furniture, what to put on the floor, window treatments and art! And all budget friendly of course!

What do you think? What shall we do?

I’ll be back with a plan on Tuesday.

I have a design question that has been waiting 4 years for an answer!  We live in 1970’s bi-level split. You walk in the front door and practically slam the door into the stairway–seriously, you can’t stand at the door and open it at the same time!  Space issues aside, we’ve got massive amounts of glass in that space. The door is standard size, and bordered by glass on the sides and top. I’d love some help making the most of it!

The upper glass used to be goldenrod with circles imprinted. We replaced it with 3/4 inch reeded glass. The side panels are just flat glass. They are hiding behind some panels on pressure rods to give us a bit of privacy and a bit of insulation in these no-degree (it was 10 below this morning) weather days.  ~ Ellen

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Good move replacing the 70s golden rod glass Ellen! I love the reeded glass.  The problem as I see it, aside from the lack of standing room, is lack of continuity.  You’ve got the door, you’ve got the curtains and you’ve got the reeded glass — and they are all large elements in a small space.

I think there are a number of products you could use to unify the space, depending upon your budget and taste.  In the picture below I covered the windows all in the same thing thing to show how using all of the same product makes the door and windows read as a whole. You could use shutters, matchstick blinds, duette shades or simple tension rod sheers. I would probably look for something with a texture and something that would allow a little light through.

The other thing that might help open up the space visually, is to remove the short wall that meets the floor and the first few steps and put in a railing and balusters to match the balcony. 

We have fairly standard size full baths in our home, not very large. Is it better to put a large tile or a smaller tile on the floor? I have found an 8×8 tile that I like but my husband thinks we should go with a larger 12×12 tile.  ~ Jacquie

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Jacquie, my philosophy on tile is this:  Tile good.  Grout bad.

What I mean by that is the bigger tile you have, the less grout you will have to deal with.  For as long as you have your tile, you will probably have to do nothing more than wipe it down with a mild soap to keep it looking nice.

Grout, on the other hand can crack over time and need to be repaired.  If you choose a light colored grout, it will show dirt and need to be cleaned or recolored once in a while.

So then, I agree with your husband – for the floor, a 12×12 tile would be better than a 8×8.  And if you can get away with an 18×18, I would go with that.  Additionally, a smaller tile with all the grout lines makes for a lot of visual noise and can make a small space feel even smaller.

If you find a smaller tile that you really like, I would recommend that you use it on the tub or shower surround and the larger version of it on the floor.

So then, here’s the other end of Jennifer’s living room, also painted that fabulous warm buttery yellow.  What I see here is a space with small problems and great potential. 

As I said in the previous post, the first thing I would do is dress the windows.  I would  coordinate, not match, the windows in the living room to visually unify the two spaces since they are essentially the same room.  I would also consider using a bamboo roman shade to bring in another texture and on top of that I would hang some simple panels on a chunky 3-inch dark wooden rod.

After that, I think the recessed area where the hutch is located is just screaming for some color and maybe even some texture. This is a great place to pull in one of the colors from the sofa fabric.  She has a rusty red club chair in her living room and I kind of like that color paired with the yellow.

In the mock-up above, you can see how the pop of color on the back wall and the curtains help to fill the space.

Above, I’m trying to show how a texure on the back wall will add visual interest.  Additionally, you can see how a rug defines and anchors the space.  What you will notice however is that the hutch looks too small.

Here I’ve solved the problem of the hutch appearing to be too small by adding a large framed mirror over the top.  I would then use only one of the tall natural floral elements. I would place it on the left and then add a group of lower items in the center and on the right.  Generally, in arranging accessories, you want to try to achieve an informal balance as opposed to precise symmetry. 

Additionally I would add some sort of art on either side of the hutch to help fill out the space.  I would look for something architectural like antique Chinese panels or something beyond standard framed prints — something unexpected.  And it might not be “one” thing - it could be a group of things that read and occupy the space as a whole.  Beyond that, I think some coordinating shades on the chandelier would add a lot of ambiance.  You might even consider turning your table the other direction to visually lengthen the space.

I didn’t go too much into specifics in terms of accessories and colors because I know y’all have great ideas and I want to hear them. Bring’em on! 

I need help! My formal living room is in need of your expertise. I have the room almost finished but I stand at an impasse. I know that there is more work to be done but I don’t know what the room needs to finish it out.  ~ Jennifer

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Jennifer, you are off to a great start. You have paint and you are not afraid to use it!   Now, as you said, you just need to pull it all together. And that is the hard part.  The “pulling it together” phase of design, for most of us, is a lifelong effort.

Since your ceilings are so tall, you really need to pay attention to scale — meaning that your accessories have to be BIG or they will look ridiculously small in the space. Things that are bigger and weightier will work better in this space than things that are small and delicate. For example, your coffee table in front of the sofa is chunky enough to fill the space, but the side table to the right, although exquisitely beautiful, is delicate and would work better in a smaller room like a bedroom.

When pulling a design together, it’s best to work big to small. That means the first design element you need to tackle are your windows. Taking color cues from the fabric in your sofa, I would shop for a fabric that pulls in these colors as well as the eggplant on the adjacent wall, something like the stripe shown below.  Look for fabric that has some weight to it as opposed to sheer and airy. I would repeat this fabic in a few pillows and then also add another coordinating fabric somewhere, maybe in a faux roman shade or something like that.

Because your ceilings are so tall, I recommend that you have panels made to hang at least 12-inches above the top of the window to keep the eye moving up. You could even get away with single-fabric width stationary panels since you have blinds for privacy and light control. 

On the wall on the right, with the two side-by-side windows, I would consider hanging one long rod across both windows with panels at either end and then one in the center to give the illusion of one big wall of windows.  I would also probably add some sheers to disguise the fact that the windows are not full length and to provide diffused lighting which adds ambiance.

As far as curtain rods, I would go with a 3-inch rod in a dark wood finish with pineapple finials.

The second purchase I would make is a rug which will anchor the furniture, help to define the space and add color/texture/pattern. I never mind spending money on a good rug because it’s one of those things you can move from room to room or home to home as your tastes and lifestyle changes. I would look for a rug that pulled out the darker vibrant colors in your sofa fabric – eggplant, burgundy, rust and gold. 

After that I would focus on lamps, again something big and substantial and in keeping with the mood of the room, and then beyond that, work on finding art and smaller accessories.

One thing that I would change in your existing design is the tapestry behind the sofa. It is too small for the space and the motif and color don’t really refer to anything else that is going on in the space. In place of that I would look for a group of things that read as a whole – four large pictures hung to make a rectangle, three wide but narrow pieces stacked vertically to make a rectangle.

Another thing you might consider is your furniture placement. The sofa between the windows on the back wall is kind of expected. Think about angling it in the corner by the two windows with something tall and organic behind it.

 Another option would be to put an armoire or bookcase between the two windows. This would provide a focal point and occupy the space in the same way a fireplace would. Add some accessories on top – a large framed metal grate or one large picture and some fat rustic pots with a bit of greenery — and you’ve solved the perennial “what to hang over the sofa” problem as well as keeping the eye moving up and around the room and absorbing some volume.  I really like this armoire to the right.  The dark wood refers to your other dark wood furnishings, it is chunky and substantial and the inset arched doors repeat the arches found elsewhere in your house.

In my next post,  we will look at what to do about the adjacent dining room and how to make the two spaces work together.