Simply Chic Decorating

Simply Chic Decorating - Bathrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Simply Chic Decorating) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:08:00 +0000

Lately in our store we've consigned a lot of bathroom accessories from a single wicker trashcan to complete sets. As I gathered items to make the bathroom display, it occurred to me there are other cool treasures in the store that would work for bathroom accessories. The next thing I know I have a beautiful imaginary bathroom.

Here is how it all came together.

Before I could do anything I would have to paint the wall in Sherwin Williams – Sassy Green – a personal favorite.

Since this is imaginary, I'm going to buy a new vanity from HomeDecorators.com. I love that this vanity has room underneath for storage. The wicker baskets are perfect for "beachy texture" and for storing towels which would be in white. By the way, white towels are the best with hand towels in your accent colors. Hand towels are cheaper to replace when they

Now the fun begins... accessorizing!

I found these seashells and wanted to uniquely display them. These glass vases worked perfectly and would also be good for holding candles. I will place them on the tub along with the silver footed bowl with bath salt and rocks.

Then I found these prints which will be perfect to hang on the wall.

I found one more print.

I think I can add a few more unexpected touches such as a crystal bowl for a soap dish, and the rose bowl for fresh florals when I have guests.

What about a silver platter on the back of the toilet to hold the tp.

If you allow yourself to be creative there are endless possibilities. All these accessories totaled under $150 with plenty more options. Not bad for a quick inexpensive and chic way to update a bathroom.

Have you done something clever in your bathroom? Tell us about it!

How To Update An Outdated Dining Room

noreply@blogger.com (Simply Chic Decorating) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 20:15:00 +0000

How do you update an outdated dining room when the dining room furniture can't be replace? Here are a few suggestions to update this dining room:

The all white walls do nothing for the furniture except make it say "I'm dated." The chandelier is dated and can easily be replaced. Also be cautious of the height of the chandelier as this one is too high. If the dining room is only used a few times a year, remove the extra leafs and chairs from the room. We always recommend adding another light source such as lamps on the buffet for soft lighting.

Keep in mind that dining rooms along with powder rooms should always be dramatic. Whether it be old or new add paint, add a centerpiece, and set the table.

Why You Need To Hire A Decorator?

noreply@blogger.com (Simply Chic Decorating) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:36:00 +0000

Why hire a decorator? It's simple - they make your life a lot easier. Decorators can take all the guess work and questioning yourself as well as arguments you may be having with someone else (ie, significant other). Below are comments we hear on a daily basis from our clients you may be one of them:

I haven't looked for a couch in 12 years or longer.

A decorator might say, "It's time for the curb. It looks like you got very good use out of the couch, but it's life is over." Decorator's will not always tell you have to get all new.

You like flowers and your husband is over flowers.

A decorator would give you options for neutral couches and how to use floral prints in other ways that maybe you did not think possible.

Does this style go with my grandmothers antiques?

Sometimes difficult questions have to be asked, "do you really love your grandmother's antiques?" If the answer is yes, then a decorator will talk about the style that you chose and how antiques will make this style look a lot different, and then how to proceed.

Do I match the carpet to the paint or the paint to the carpet and will it go with the new bedding?

There's a lot of issues in this room. First, a good decorator would address the paint color. This is when it's good to get a consultation before you paint. Once that is settled the bedding will look a lot better as well as the rug and window treatments. Sometimes it's just a matter of getting the right color on the walls to make it all work together. This is not the right color.

We can't seem to get the couch to work?

A decorator would talk about how the TV and couch placement are really important, but also the placement of tables, lamps, and art. The focus in this room is the quilt, but loses it's beauty by not being displayed as part of the room, instead it's just hung in the center of the wall, and this is how people will see it as - just hanging there. Things like this need the attention of the entire room not just the quilt. This is the difference in that "decorator touch."

I'm traditional and like this look?

A decorator will explain different styles, and be able to pin point the exact style you have before making a purchase to avoid costly mistakes. Sometimes we like the look of a room but wouldn't want to live in that room. A decorator will help pull out what features and help you decide what might need to be edited.

To sum it all up, a decorator can you pull a room together, help you find the right colors, the right couch, and arrange the furniture to help you accessorize prized possessions.

How to Choose the Right Paint Color For Your Home

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:31:00 +0000

Find your Inspiration

I think you should always start in a room that you feel most comfortable in. A room that has your favorite upholstered chair in it or a colorful area rug that you found while on vacation. There is a reason you are drawn to different items, so it seems logical to me that you should start with those items as your inspiration.

In the photo to the left, we used the blue/green color from the rug to inspire the wall color. From there we continued to use the colors from the rug to complete the room.

Once you have your inspiration, look at lighter colors on the same color "stick" to continue throughout the common ares of your home such as the foyer, stairs and hallway. Another way to make sure your home flows is to take another color from the inspiration piece to use in other areas of the home. In this case, we took the neutral beige colors from the rug and that is what we used in the hall and stairway areas.

Accent your Architectural Features

Do you have a niche or set back in your room? A not so dramatic fireplace wall? Look at the color stick that you used for the main walls in the room. Then, pick a color that is two or three shades darker and use that color in the niche. Or, go bold as we did in the picture (right) and choose one of the accent colors in the room to paint your fireplace wall. Add a large print and you now have an instant focal point!

Decorating Around a Big TV in The Bedroom

noreply@blogger.com (Simply Chic Decorating) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:20:00 +0000

It's a fact of life, most people have TV's in their bedroom. I'm guilty as I know most of you are so let's get real about it. How do we decorate around a TV in the bedroom?

Most of the time we find TV's on top of the dresser or on top of a nightstand shoved into the corner. Why not think of the TV as you would in a family room or great room?

Here's another thought, do you really need all that drawer space? Can you eliminate the dresser? Think about how you use your dresser. The reason for this thinking is to replace the dresser with an entertainment unit for your TV.

As you can see, in the above photos the dresser's were replaced with an entertainment unit. It's a great solution to what is an obvious white elephant in the bedroom. Instead of just throwing the TV on dresser or small table take advantage of the dresser space and replace it with a purposeful wall unit especially made for the TV.

Decorating A Lonely Corner and Big Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Simply Chic Decorating) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:08:00 +0000

We get faced with this challenge all the time - big rooms with big walls and furniture that seems out of place.

In this corner, the chairs are not to scale with the entertainment center and the print is hung too high. It's not a friendly corner as well as no ambient lighting to offer up a warm mood. What this wall needs is color with bigger art, a lamp for mood, a substantial table to hold the lamp, and a tree to round out the corner.

What a difference! The chair came from the clients mom which is beefier than the two chairs combined. We added a tree to help bridge the gap in the corner between the entertainment center and the chair. The bigger print was found in the foyer and adds the punches of deep color the room was needing. The print size is a much better scale and now acts like part of the furniture. The table and lamp is from JC Penney's and the pillows from Pier 1 and HomeGoods.

If you have a big wall, don't be afraid to go with big art.