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published by KatieDid Design
May 2000
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April 25th, 2000 - May issue
Hello Dear Readers!
Spring is coming! Can you feel spring in the air yet? Isn't it great?! How is your spring decorating going? This month I've got part two of 'Achieving Balance in Your Decorating' for you to enjoy.
Congratulations go to Michelle of Florida! She was the lucky winner in the free drawing among the March subscribers! The prize was a free fabric-covered fan. She chose a beautiful floral print in roses, greens, and ivory. This month's prize is also a fabric-covered fan (see http://www.katiediddesign.com/fa-fan.html ), but the prize for May subscribers will be a Potpourri-filled Decorative Umbrella! (at http://www.katiediddesign.com/ezine.html.
Also, I will slowly start adding small advertisements to this ezine. I promise to keep them short, inoffensive, and small in number. This a standard part of most newsletter and magazines, online and offline, so I trust that this will not be a problem for you.
Finally, is there anything specific you'd like to read about? Tell me at katie@katiediddesign.com. Feel free to forward this on to your friends who may enjoy it. On with fun stuff!...
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. THIS MONTH'S SUBSCRIBER'S SPECIAL
- Crochet Boxes
2. TIPS & TRICKS
- Keep the mail neat & tidy! (more!)
3. GUIDELINES AND SUGGESTIONS - FEATURE ARTICLE
- Achieving Balance in your Decorating. (Part 2)
4. CHALLENGE OF THE MONTH
- Paint!
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1. THIS MONTH'S SUBSCRIBER'S SPECIAL - Crochet Boxes
This month I'm offering specials on Crochet Boxes. These pretty little floral accents are great for bed-side tables, desks, dressing tables, gift wrap ornaments (to tie on the outside of a gift), Christmas tree ornaments, and anyplace that needs a little personal, romantic touch. They come in round, oval, and heart shapes, and in three sizes. And they really look great when you combine two or three different sizes and shapes as a set! I can add flowers, ribbons, tulle, lace, or just about anything to the top to coordinate them with your decor! Your subscriber discount through May 31st, is $1.00 off each crochet box. That may not sound like much, but these little accents are all between five and eight dollars, making them quite affordable. So if you order a set of three, you save over 15%!
And here's an added bonus... Since these look so great when they're made to coordinate with another floral design, I'll also take 15% off anything else you order from the Florals Department when you order them all together. You choose the other items! For example, if you order two Crochet Boxes, and a floral accent to match, you will receive $1.00 off each crochet box, and 15% off the floral accent!
And don't forget... there's still a few days left to take advantage of the April special! You can still save on Decorative Hats and Flower Baskets! I'm taking 15% off the price of any hats or baskets that you order through the end of April! Hats come in straw and crocheted, and are great for walls and front doors. They can be decorated with many different types of flowers and ribbons and in many different styles. Flower Baskets must have custom quotes, so if you'd like one, let me know the type of basket and flowers you like. I'll do some shopping and e-mail pictures of a few possibilities. When I find what you like, I'll figure the quote and take off 15%!
These offers are available to anyone who is already a subscriber, or who subscribes when they place their order. Just tell me what you'd like and mention that you're a subscriber!
2. TIPS & TRICKS - Keep the mail neat & tidy! (more!)
Last month I shared my tips for keeping the mail tidy. I got another great idea from Ralph, in Connecticut. Here's what she says...
"I wanted to tell you that I had been using that principle with the baskets. Let me tell you what works for me! I've always had a hard time with the mail! It just piles up, and bills and other things to respond to, or read, get jumbled up together. My front door is steel (and magnetic). I bought a few magnetic "pockets" at the office supply store and attached them to the back of the door. So, now when I get bills, they go in one pocket. Things that are ready to be mailed go in another. Things I want to keep for future reference, that I know I need to keep an eye on, will go in yet another. This system really works for me, and is so similar to your system, that I just had to let you know! It may not be eye-appealing in my house, but we rarely have company - and those that do come understand and think it's a "neat" idea!"
Do you have a tip or trick that you'd like to share with us? Write! We'd love to hear!
mailto:contact@katiediddesign.com?subject=share_tip
3. FEATURE ARTICLE - Achieving Balance in your Decorating. (Part 2)
Do you ever look at a professionally decorated room and wonder what exactly makes it look so good? There are many aspects of decorating that come together to create the perfect room... but there is one element that brings it all together into a harmonious whole. That all-important element is balance. I talked about colors and materials last month, and this month I'm going to talk about furniture, accents, and the entire room. ( If you missed last month's article and wish to receive it, just drop me a note and let me know. katie@katiediddesign.com )
All furniture and decor must be arranged in a balanced manner. Have you ever walked into a room where it seemed like everything was at one end, while the other end looked empty? Or have you struggled with this in a bedroom where all your furnishings have to be on one side of the room because the other end is all closet doors? (see Achieving Balance in the Entire Room) Some rooms are laid out so that balanced furniture and decor placing is difficult to achieve. Here are some tips and principles.
First you need to decide what the focal point of your room will be. This is something that not many people think about. Or if they do, they misunderstand the term and think that they don't want everyone to notice one particular object. A focal point in decorating isn't something to dominate the room. Rather, it is the starting point for your decorating layout. It is the object that will determine the placement of many of your other decor items. For example, a common focal point in a family room would be a TV armoire or cabinet. The focal point in a bedroom is usually the bed. And usually your focal point object will have other items naturally associated with it.
You must place your focal point item and its associated items before you decide on the placement of your other furnishings. You have probably always done this without thinking about it in your family room. Before you decided on anything, you decided where your TV (focal point), and sofa and chairs (associated items) would go. Why? Because the TV is the natural focal point, and the sofa and chairs obviously must be placed where TV viewing is comfortable and easy. In the bedroom, we all will usually decide where the bed belongs and where the bedside tables will go before we decide on the dressers. This process is important in all rooms -- it is just a little more difficult in rooms that don't have an obvious focal point. Here are some steps to make it easier:
1) Decide on your focal point. Possible items include: TV cabinets, beds, large paintings, elegant bookcases, a table and chairs, fireplace, piano, large aquarium, etc...
2) Identify the associated items. Many focal points are often accompanied by different types of seating and end-tables. Beds will usually be accompanied by night stands and maybe a chair. You may also have pictures or other wall hangings that were purchased to go with your furniture and therefore are associated items.
3) Decide where these items will go. You will want your associated items to be balanced around your focal point. ... two chairs on one side and a sofa on the other. ...one painting on either side of the fireplace. ...a wooden night stand and wall lamp on one side of the bed and a cozy chair and small table on the other. Make sure you allow the correct amount of space between your focal point and associated items. You don't want them so far away that conversation or TV watching is difficult. Nor do you want them so close together that your space is cramped. So if your room is large, pull your furniture away from the walls and closer together to create a comfortable sitting area. If your room is small, turn some of your object at an angle to help the room feel larger.
4) Now that those are in place you can decide on the rest of your major items. Look around the room and identify the 'empty' spaces. Decide which items will look best in those places. If all your empty spaces are on one side of the room, create a lesser focal point or sitting area there. For example, if your fireplace focal point is at one end of the room and your sitting area is arranged around it, your empty spaces may very well all be at the other end of the room. Consider a bookcase, a small table, and an easy chair grouped at that end. Do not attempt to connect the two sitting areas; allow them to be themselves, and they will be comfortable for you and your visitors. Also be careful not to place something somewhere just because you can't find any other place. I know that we are sometimes forced to do this, but this will damage that 'professional' look. Consider moving the item to another room or giving it away. If it must go in the room, then use your imagination and work in your accents to help it belong. Perhaps adding a tablecloth, lamp, and a few photos to your sewing machine cabinet will help it look like it belongs in your living room as an accent table.
5) Next will be your wall decor. Arrange them to compliment your furniture pieces. In the above example, try hanging a medium sized picture or a grouping of small items over the table and beside the bookcase. If you have several small pictures of wall decor items, group them together. If you've got a nice mirror or painting and nothing to coordinate with it, consider a floral accent to hang above, below, or on a corner.
6) Finally you are ready to place your accents, such as bric-a-brac, photos, collectibles, etc. Don't just scatter these all over the room. Arrange them in groupings. ...two candlesticks with a vase, ...photos grouped together, ...collections grouped by type or style. Make each grouping of at least three items, and don't attempt to even everything out. If you've got just a lamp on an end-table, add a large lace doily under it and a ceramic figurine and a crystal confection bowl the base of the lamp on the doily. Be creative. Don't just stick everything on there. Experiment with different combinations to discover what suits your style best. Try moving something half-way off a doily or table scarf to balance a larger item on the other side. Maybe bunch all your family photos together across your mantle. There's tons of combinations, and they're easy to re-arrange... no heavy lifting! Just be careful not to break them! ;-)
Finally I want to address balance in your room as a whole. This is the total sum and substance of everything we've talked about. This is where we address the 'all closets wall' problem above and the 'what color do I paint?' question.
You want to make sure that the colors and visual weight on the left portion of the room are balanced with those on the right. You want the view from the far end of the room to be just as pleasing as when you first walk in. You want to make sure that your wall color is balanced with your fabric and furniture colors. You want to make sure that your wall decor is balanced around the room rather than all on one wall. Paint, wallpapers, and decorative items can actually help fix other balance problems. For example, if all your furnishings are on one end of the room due to space constraints, you can even out your look by choosing the correct wall colors. If the furnishings are dark, add some darker wall hangings or paint on the other end to balance the color in the room. But if your furnishings are light, then painting or papering in the same colors will help to carry the look of those furnishings around the room.
I have an example from my own past decorating that worked for the closet problem. My old bedroom had two double-door closets filling one end of the room. That was also the end of the room that the door was on. Consequently, the bed, dresser, everything, had to go toward the other end of the room. I solved the problem by placing a large desk close to the closet doors on the wall opposite the door. This not only balanced the dresser (which was on the other side of the room), it also brought some visual weight down the closet end of the room. Then I painted the moldings along the floor and around all the doors a peach color. The additional trimwork then stood out and added more interest to that end. Finally, I hung a small swag over each set of doors, and I designed a custom floral piece about 18" long and 5" wide that fit snugly between the two sets of closet doors. These small touches went a long ways toward balancing the look of the room. And since my focal point (the bed) was in the opposite corner of the room, it was okay that there was still a little more visual weight down at that end.
The whole goal in balancing your decorating, is to always keep the rest of the room in mind when you're arranging. Apply your idea to the room as a whole before you work out the details. It will go far toward getting that professional look that we all love.
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This article Copyright 1999-2003 - Kathleen Peters, KatieDid Design. Reproduced with permission.
Kathleen Peters - 'Katie' - is a custom window treatment and bedding designer, and owner of KatieDid Design, her online shop. She is also the editor-in-chief of Decor, Decorating, and Design, a free bi-monthly ezine filled with articles, tips, and guidelines to help with your home decorating.
http://www.katiediddesign.com
4. CHALLENGE OF THE MONTH - Paint!
Spring is the best time of year for painting. That's why it's such a great challenge for May! The windows are open, the breezes are flowing, and you're getting that urge to do your spring cleaning... maybe. ;-) But seriously, even if spring cleaning is a much dreaded and put-off chore, you have to admit that the beautiful weather makes you want everything to be bright and crisp and clean. That's why now is the best time to re-paint (or paper) your walls! What else can make such a drastic difference in your home? And for a relatively small amount of money? You may as well do it now while you can comfortably leave the windows open to let the fumes out!
Here's my challenge for the month. Just pick one room. Sometimes it's easy to start thinking, and before you know it, you're overwhelmed with 7 rooms and yards of molding and dozens of doors that all need it. Sure they do, but you can't possibly do it all at once, so don't let it bother you. Which room have you been focusing on lately? Which room do you walk into and think, 'I really need to do something in here!' Start with that one. You'll have more of an idea what you want to do than if you pick a room you don't think about. And your reward will be greater.
Go over all the colors that you're using or planning to use, and figure out which one would be the perfect backdrop for your other decor. Go over the principles of balance in the article above and check your decisions against them. And if you're not sure what the color would look like on the wall, do this. Go get the smallest can possible, and paint a square splotch on your wall where it's readily visible... about 3' by 3'. Make it good and obvious. Then wait a couple weeks. By the end of that time, you'll know whether you want that color on your walls or not. If so, you've got extra peace of mind. If not, you've saved yourself the money for extra gallons of the wrong paint, as well as the time it would have taken to move all your furniture, mask everything off, and paint it, only to find you don't like it on the wall! After all, it's much easier to re-paint over a 3' by 3' square, then to re-paint 100 square feet of wall behind everything! And when you're ready to finally paint the whole room, do it in four steps.
1) The day before, move your furniture and wall hangings away, wipe down your walls and trim, mask off your moldings, and protect your flooring and furniture. This makes it much easier to...
2) Get at the painting bright and early on painting day. If you paint quick enough and it dries quickly, you can...
3) Do your moldings later the same day, otherwise do them the next day. Make sure everything sits long enough to be totally dry, then...
4) Move your furnishings back in place.
Have fun, enjoy the difference, and don't hesitate to ask me if you'd like to get another opinion on your color choices! katie@katiediddesign.com
That's all for this month! :-) Remember, if your decorating isn't fun, it isn't worth it! So enjoy it!
-Katie <><
KatieDid Design
www.katiediddesign.com
e-mail: katie@katiediddesign.com
Custom Home Decor Design and Giftware
PO Box 381235
Murdock, FL 33938-1235
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