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.

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.

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

* * * * *

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.

Do you have any recommendations as to what color I should paint my bedroom to go with this new bedspread? There are two large windows on either side of the bed and I have tan grommet top drapes with brushed nickel hardware.

I purchased a quart of celery/lime green paint and brushed some on the walls to give me an idea of how it would look. I LOVE the color, but I don’t know if it would look good in such a large room.

Also, my husband is conservative (our last house was almost entirely one or another derivative of white). I want more color in this house, but I want him to be happy with it too. I’m just afraid our whole house is going to be white or boring beige!  ~ Katrina

* * * * *

First off Katina, I love your new bedspread! Aptly named Moroccan, it is fabulous and exotic and your new white furniture is beautiful as well. 

As the rooms stands now, there are two wrinkles in your design as I see it.  One is that your beautiful white furniture gets lost against your white walls, so I will take your side on paint  — you need some color on the walls to feature your furniture and bedding.

The second glitch is your curtains. I know that they are probably brand new and you probably love them, but I don’t think they are right for this room.  I would describe the mood of your bedspread as exotic (Hello? Moroccan!) vibrant and cheerful and the curtains as quiet and subdued — a definite conflict.  If possible, I would replace your curtains with something more in keeping with the spirit of the bedspread and use your curtains in another spot — one of your beige rooms perhaps!

Okay then, paint.  I looked at a couple of different paint scenarios for you. The first one is using a green similar to what you have described.  I think if you are willing to change out your curtains, the green will work okay and look nice, although when I look at your bedspread the bit of green found in it is too subtle to use in such a big way as wall color, at least for my eye.  In person, it may read differently.

The second paint color I looked at will probably make your husband sit down on the floor and weep - cinnamon!  I understand this color may be too overwhelming for some people, but to my eye, it is exotic and rich and romatic — everything I want in a Moroccan boudoir.  And your white furniture will definitely stand out nicely against it.

In the true spirit of compromise, and because I don’t think I can convince your husband to go with cinnamon, I really and truly think that if you will change out your curtains to something more similar in color to your bedding that, you could both be happy with a nice warm beige.

Zzzz….

Hello Antique Mommy,
 
I need help.  My husband and I just purchased our first home.  It was built in 1976 and has the original everything.  It’s hard to know where to start, but the two things that are bothering me the most are the ceiling and the fireplace in the living room.  The living room is the first thing you see when you walk in our home and it sets the tone.  The ceiling is a cedar tongue and groove and it continues down one wall.  We don’t know if we should paint, stain, or rip it off.  Also the ceilings are vaulted and there is a red brick fireplace that is floor to ceiling.  I’ve painted the walls olive and it looks terrible with the red brick and cedar ceiling.  HELP!!

 ~ Amanda

First off, congratulations Amanda on your new house! Let’s all stop and hum a few bars of “We’ve Only Just Begun.”  Seriously, so much ahead of you - broken water heaters and possibly even a front door that won’t pull shut just as you are leaving for the airport.  Homeownership is just a lot of fun.

Second of all,  from what I’ve seen, I LOVE IT! What a fabulous view you have and I just see a ton of potential in this space.

Let’s start with the fireplace and your options and then my recommedation.

There are many many ways to reface a brick fireplace.

You can lay big 18×18 travertine/slate/granite/ceramic tiles on the diagonal for a very clean, modern look.  There is also a great product out now that is a lightweight stone that comes in a variety of flavors.  It really looks like a piece of stone (and trust me, I would not tell you it did if it didn’t) except that it is flat on the back like a piece of tile and it’s lightweight.  You would find this product at your local brick yard.  It is applied just like tile, except by a stone mason.  It can even be used outside.

You can also reface your fireplace in panelled wood for an ultra-traditional library look, although I don’t think that would be a good choice for your house.  As you mentioned, you can sheetrock over your fireplace, and frankly this is my least favorite option.  I think it is just too modern of a look for this home.  And finally you can simply paint over the existing brick, and that is my recommendation - good old fashioned paint.

I think that probably the brick on your fireplace is the same brick that is on the front of your house, so I think it would be wise to maintain that small thread of continuity.  Since you have already painted your walls an olive green, I vote for painting the fireplace an olive green with a good bit of brown to it for a tone-on-tone look. Additionally, I would paint the half-bricks that surround the firebox  and the hearth an even darker shade of green-brown.

Also, I would really really like to see you get a mantle on this fireplace to break up that tower of brick, something chunky and wooden to go with the ceiling.  Any trim carpenter can easily do this for you.  If you win the lottery, think about putting in some hand-scraped hardwoods in a dark finish.  Until then a flat patterned berber in a rich green-brown would be great!

The next issue is the ceiling.  Quite honestly, I would just leave it alone. When I messed with your picture in my design program, I painted it white and it just looked… dumb.  If you paint it white, then it’s the only white element in the room. If you paint it green, then if you change your wall color, you are stuck with a green ceiling. No other colors look very good.  At least live with it a few years before you make a decision. If at some point down the road you are able to add some hardwoods in a similar color, I think it will make a world of difference in how you feel about the ceiling. 

 Abpve, Amanda’s den before she painted it.  I’ll bet that’s olive green paint in that bucket. 

  Amanda’s den after I painted it, laid some carpet and put in ugly curtains. The brown strip across the fireplace is supposed to represent a mantle.

Below is a swatch of the fabric you are planning to make into stationary panel curtains.  You mentioned using bamboo or matchstick shades for privacy and I think that is a great  choice – it will bring some interest and texture to the space, as opposed to standard two-inch blinds.  I think the window to the left of the fireplace is going to be a challenge to dress.  Maybe some of our blinds/window coverings distributors have some ideas? 

Be sure to pull in the red with your accessories — pillows, art, lamps, etc. — to make this fabric work. Also, I’m thinking adding another color to your palette would really make things hum in this room - maybe yellow? What do y’all think?

The journey of a home improvement project begins with a single trip to Home Depot. And then another trip to Home Depot when you get home and find out you bought the wrong thing.  And then a few trips to Lowes and maybe even one to Ace Hardware, the place with the helpful hardwareman. Come on! Sing along!

Welcome to the wonderful world of homeownership Amanda!

Christie’s got a Man Room in her basement and we need to help her y’all.  She writes:

“We have a very large room in our basement that we would like to change into either  a kid’s playroom or combined offices for my husband and me.

Problem #1 is that there is light colored wood paneling all around the room. One entire long wall has the light paneling with a hunting/duck motif on it. What’s the best way to lose the paneling? Paint, spackle, take it out? We don’t have much $$, but are willing to do some hard work.

Problem #2 is that there is also horrible black and white speckled Berber carpet in the room. It does not match at all with the paneling. I can’t imagine it matching anything we would want to do in there. Can we take out the carpet and paint the floor? Can you put snap in wood flooring in a basement?”

Also, can anything be done about the drop ceiling/fluorescent light combo overhead? Our style is contemporary.”

Included was this picture.

She also sent a shot of the carpet, but you’ll just have to take my word for it, it was yugly.

 Being the kind, sensitive and compassionate designer that I am, I quickly wrote back,
“Oh yeah. You got yourself a Man Room there sister. You need some help. Will get back to you. After I go bleach my eyeballs.”

So then, what to do about Christie’s Man Room?

The pictures I have don’t provide a lot of information about the space, so operating on a lack of facts as I am prone to do, I think the first thing you need to do Christie is decide how you want to use that space. A playroom? An office? Or both. Having said that, combining a playroom with an office is an odd marriage and a challenge to make work.

After you decide how you want to use the space, the next step is to settle on a color palette that appeals to you. I am choosing a calming creamy white, sable brown and muted blue on your behalf. 

I think it goes without saying that the ducks gotta go. Since a truck hasn’t backed up in your driveway and dumped a load of cash, let’s assume we want to spruce this place up for as little money as possible.

The first thing I would do is clean, prime and then paint the paneling a creamy white in a satin finish to neutralize it. Sure, you could rip it out and put up sheet rock if you don’t mind going to the expense and trouble and if the texture of the paneling really bothers you. Otherwise, paint is the least expensive way to address the paneling issue.  This will provide a neutral and clean palette for everything else you bring into the space.

If you choose to use that space as an office, then the snap-together style flooring will work as long as you put down a moisture barrier underlayment, but it depends on your basement. Check with a professional for sure.  If you go that route, then look for a dark pecan color to play off of the creamy white walls. 

If moisture is a problem, then another option would be to simply paint the floor with concrete-suitable paint. I would go with a dark chocolate brown, something like Sherwin Williams Sable. Then to cozy up the space, you could bring in a big rug, something like this on the right (5×7 $170, 8X11 $340).  You would then use the blue in this rug as a basis for your accessories -sofa or chair pillows, canvas baskets, art – and other furnishings.

If you plan to use this space as a playroom, I would think you would want an easy-care carpet of some type, a flat patterned berber or maybe even something industrial in nature.

As far as the drop ceiling, If you Google “drop in ceiling tile” you will find a number of ceiling tile  manufacturers that offer tiles in a variety of styles and colors. Beyond replacing them, I would be inclined to paint the whole kit and caboodle the same creamy white color as the walls in an effort to make them disappear.

Since lighting is always a problem in a basement, if you don’t want to go to the expense of adding some canned or track lighting, then make sure you’ve got plenty of lamps for task and ambient lighting. Look for icy blue crackled ceramic or metal and geometric in shape with simple shades.

Any other ideas for Christie’s Man Room?

Do y’all read Bub and Pie? If not, you should, that is if you like smart and funny all rolled into one.  If not, then go read my drivel.

BAP, as I call her in my head, sent in a great question on hardwood floors and a follow up question on paint:

“1) Let’s say I can afford some hardwood in my house.  Is it better to go with hardwood in the living/dining room and tile in the kitchen, or put carpet in the living/dining room (which becomes more of a living room/den) and hardwood in the kitchen?  (The kitchen contains a large eat-in area, in which I could put a table with leaf.)”

First off, a primer on hardwoods. If your house is on a slab, putting hardwoods down in an area like the kitchen or a bathroom is not a good idea and I don’t know a builder that will do it.  One plumbing leak and you can kiss those expensive floors goodbye because that water has no place to go.  Once it absorbs into the wood, it buckles and bubbles and you’ve got yourself a lifetime supply of kindling.

If your house is on pier and beam, then the water can drain below and your hardwoods “probably” won’t warp and swell.  Too badly.  Yes, I know that you see hardwoods in kitchens in model homes all the time, but I assure you, the eventual buyer of that home will sign a big fat disclaimer.

So then, I think tile is best for kitchen, and in my opinion, the bigger the better, 13×13 at a minimum, 18×18 preferably depending on the size of your kitchen. 

I personally don’t like carpet in a dining room.  What a pain to keep clean and vacuum and most dining rooms are not all that spacious so you end up with a foot path around the table or through the room in short order.

My recommendation is to go with a big (low maintenance!) tile for the kitchen and contiguous hardwoods for the dining and living room which you can warm up with some nice area rugs.

And now for her paint question:

“2) The kitchen and dining room are connected by a door, but there are otherwise no vantage points from which both rooms can be seen simultaneously - they’re pretty separate.  Is it better to go with blendy colours in those two rooms, or to go for a contrast - or does it even matter?  If I put pumpkin in the living/dining room and sunflower yellow in the kitchen, would that make everybody’s eyes hurt? ”

Since the two rooms are not open to one another, I don’t think you need to go “blendy” (I love that word) but if you decide to go high contrast, the colors need to have some sort of relationship - like both being warm in tone, or muted in mood.  Also, I like to see a color thread in public spaces in a home and what I mean by that is that you accessorize the pumpkin room with at least one thing sunflower and vice versa. 

I think pumpkin in the living room with a dark hardwood floor would be stunning.

Sherwin Williams, left to right:   Marigold, Armoire Hickory Stain, Sunflower.