Typically, there are lots of wood furnishings and wood flooring – the main opportunities for color or pattern are chair fabric, window treatments, and wall color.   If the wall color is a neutral, the dining room can really lack personality.  Here’s the “before” state of a recent client’s dining room:

Dining Room Before

My client has lots of lovely antiques that unfortunately don’t have a lot of presence with such a colorless backdrop.  A rich, moody color was prescribed by The Decorologist:

 Dining Room After

Now her wood furnishings look rich and the room pulls you in.  Here’s another view from the entry of the room “before.”

Dining Room Before

New color and furniture rearrangement made all the difference in this dining room.

Dining Room After

We haven’t yet changed the fabric on the chair bottoms, but I’m thinking something like this to update the overall look:

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or maybe this:

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Don’t be afraid to inject a little color into your dining room.  It might be just the pick-me-up it needs!

If you need help finding the perfect colors for your home, contact The Decorologist to schedule a Color Consultation today:  kristie@thedecorologist.com

 Lovely, Non-Contemptuous Fireplace

In the photos I’m going to share with you below, the wall color stayed the same and no new furnishings or accessories were purchased.  A lot like that old show on HGTV, Decorating Cents (that I still miss!), this makeover is what most people refer to as an “interior redesign,” aka, “working with whatcha got and not buying anything new.”  Here’s the “before” of the living room.

 Living Room Before

My client had a lovely, white fireplace surround/mantel set in the ideal central location in the room.  But do you feel like something isn’t quite right about it?  Let’s look a bit closer.  In spite of the dreadful photography, I think you will recognize that the granite tile isn’t doing this fireplace any favors.

Fireplace Before

The granite tile is the same granite that’s in the client’s adjoining kitchen, but it just doesn’t relate to the bright white mantel and trim in this living room.   So, do you rip out the granite? Apply something over it?  What could I do to make my client fall in love with her fireplace again?  It seemed to me that the answer was to stop fighting the granite tile – instead, paint the surrounding trim and mantel black so that the competition between the bossy granite and the stark white trim comes to an end.

 Fireplace and Granite Tiles – Harmony Prevails

Again, the wall color remained the same – don’t let the difference in lighting conditions, time of day, and my less-than-stellar photography distract you from the point of this post:  besides the rearranging of furnishings and accessories, the only difference here is a $10 pint of black paint on the fireplace.  Let’s step back and see the difference that little change made.

The Cheap Fix Can Often Be the Best One – HaHa!

My client is feeling the love for the heart of her home once again, thanks to a little guidance from The Decorologist and a few coats of black paint.  For more things you should consider painting black, follow my Pinterest board named “And I Want to Paint It Black.”

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Sometimes I’m surprised by the attention The Decorologist (the blog, not the person) gets – the contacts I make with people is kinda astounding, especially when it brings unexpected opportunities.  If you are addicted to design and decorating and/or read design blogs, you have probably heard of  Houzz.com.

Houzz is the internet’s largest database of design and decorating ideas – it’s an amazing site full of inspirational rooms by over 60,000 top designers.   Way before Pinterest, Houzz gave us a way to collect images in ideabooks for reference when remodeling and decorating our homes.  They also provide awesome articles about how to make your home look fabulous.

Houzz contacted this little ol’ Nashville decorator a couple of months ago about writing some of those awesome articles for their site, and today my first article debuts!  It’s the first in an eight-part series about how to create a specific mood or feeling in a room.  This series is going to be chocked full of my best tricks-of-the-trade, the first one focusing on how to make a small room feel larger.  I guarantee if you follow my advice, you can add visual square footage to any room! 

So here’s the link: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2212033/list/Mood-Makers–Small-Rooms–Spacious-Feel

This is not the title that I came up with – I’m seeing that I’m going to have to give up a little control because of editing and all that jazz.  It would be great if you left a comment on the article or add any tips you have for making a space feel bigger.  Me, a paid writer?  Who knew!

Virtual Design Inspiration Board by The Decorologist

If you want to see the Inspiration Boards that helped us narrow down the options (rugs, lighting, and dining room furnishings), check those out in my prior article here.   What’s really exciting for me is when a Virtual Design client sends me “after” photos of the finished design, which Emily did a few months ago.  Let’s take a look at the REAL “before and afters.”

Living Room/Dining Room Before

Remember, she wanted to keep the dining room wall color (Benjamin Moore’s Turquoise Mist). I suggested we pull that color throughout the open space and add a richer accent color to the backs of the bookcases and the area above the fireplace.  Emily ordered the new furnishings and light fixtures I suggested for her space, and look at the results:

Living Room After The Decorologist‘s Virtual Design

The walls in this room were previously a light lemon yellow and the previous sofa and large chair were dark and overstuffed.

Living Room Before

The thing I’m most proud of is the way that Emily grouped her books BY COLOR!  Doesn’t it look smashing?

After Virtual Design

While the dining area was cute before:

Dining Area Before

But now it looks stinking amazing!  The light fixture, drapery panels and painted ceiling make this room feel finished and fabulous.

Dining Room After The Decorologist‘s Virtual Design

Emily did such a great job bringing the design to fruition – I love that she now has a fantastic entry area topped off with this fabulous little quatrefoil mirror (from Lowe’s!)

Entry Table + Quatrefoil Mirror

So you can see, Virtual Design CAN work beautifully when your designer knows how to design a space that will work for you – no matter where you live.  Nashville is just a phone call away!

 Real Brass Lampbase

I’d say it’s at least 40 years old, and probably cost a pretty penny when first bought.   I paid $15 for it.  It had a dusty cream pleated shade in a triangular shape, which I discarded before I left the sale!  This blue/green drum shade definitely is better – I really can’t abide triangle shades, even in a room sporting a vintage vibe (like mine).  I think the touch of gold ties in well to my gilt coffee table – I wrote about that paint  transformation here.

 Gilt is Good

I am loving this round coffee table so much – there’s so much room to make pretty vignettes!

Tabletop Vignette

Did you notice those beautiful flowers on the table?  Mr. Man was out of town for over 2 1/2 weeks for business – he sent these last week after a phone conversation during which I was very stressed about my and the kids’ schedules, as well as some computer difficulties.   These showed up on my doorstep the next afternoon – he must have been concerned that I was LOSING IT.

 What You Get For Having a Melt-Down

Maybe I should lose it more often!  He’s home now, so this week should be a bit more manageable.   But you never can tell . . .

Staged Dining Room

Jim and Melissa Allen are my favorite local Realtors, specializing in the areas of Brentwood, Franklin, and Nashville, Tennessee.   Because they’ve seen the power of good staging in the many jobs we have done together, they now provide their clients with a Staging Consultation or Speed Staging by The Decorologist as part of their listing agreement. For FREE!

Staged Bedroom by The Decorologist

The Allens know how to sell houses – they already have brought in 2 offers on this very home – and it’s not even listed on MLS yet!!!

Staged Kitchen

Looks like quality Realtors and a quality Home Stager may have this home sold without even having to put it on the market officially!

Staged Living Room

If you want to experience the staging process and see some “before” and “afters” of this beautiful home, read my post called Speed Staging with The Decorologist.  If you are looking to buy or sell a home in the Greater Nashville area, contact Jim and Melissa Allen.   And tell them The Decorologist sent you.

Joan Schlinder

One that made the list was not taking your cabinets to the ceiling.  Leaving a space above the cabinetry typically results  in a breeding ground for faux ivy covered in dust.  Am I wrong? Anywho, do check out the rest of House Beautiful’s no-no’s for kitchen design here.  It’s Decorologist-approved!

Newly-Painted Black Front Door

I recently did a Color Consultation for a Nashville client who needed to get her home ready to sell.  The outside needed a pick-me-up, as you can see:

Tired Oak Door

This oak entry had been battered by the elements.  When I suggested painting the entire thing black, I think my client was taken a little aback that I didn’t suggest re-staining it instead.   A little black paint can be a powerful thing:

Updated House Exterior

The area around the double windows in the front, as well as the boxes below all the front windows were previously painted in a pinky-beige color.

Exterior Before

I specified a slightly different neutral with a more current undertone (green), which makes the house look more sophisticated and current.  Oh, and I also had her spray paint her existing worn sconces black.  I was so happy to see how well it turned out:

Fresh and Current Exterior

The makeover extended past the front door into the entry.  This is what the entry looked like before – notice the floors and how they don’t seem to fit with the faux-finished wall treatment.

Entry Before

And this is a view of the entry from the open front door.  The door you see straight ahead leads into the main living area of the house.

Interior Entry Before

I had my client just remove that awkward door so that it opened up the space.  The black door ties into the grout of the flooring, and the new wall color is lighter and more welcoming than the previous dark faux-finished color.

Updated Entry Colors

I think this project was definitely a success and goes to show you what a little paint and a little know-how can do!  If you want to improve your current paint color scheme, contact The Decorologist to schedule a Color Consultation.

 Staged Historic Property

So, a balance must be struck.  I’m going to share 3 things  that were important to freshening up this older home.  These tips are applicable whether you are selling your home, or you just want to update without losing the character of your older home.

If the wallpaper in your home was put up in the 1970′s or 1980′s, chances are it doesn’t look historic.  It looks like the 1980′s version of historic.

Victorian Dining Room Before

Replace wallpaper with a historic-appropriate wall color.  Some great historic colors include Benjamin Moore‘s Palladian Blue,  Georgian Green, and Adams Gold.

Staged Dining Room

Ok, next tip:  pair down any fussy draperies and window coverings.   I know they were used historically, but they block natural light and views to outside.

 Bedroom Before

Too much lace and window sheers can make rooms feel darker and gloomy – just take them down.  It’ll make everything brighter and more inviting!

 Staged Bedroom

And finally, put the focus on the architecture by toning down the patterns and ornate decor.

 Living Room Before

By painting the bright pink room a color that is easier on the eye and  removing busy patterns and rugs, the room is now all about the beautiful architecture:  the wood floors, the tall ceilings, the pocket doors, the gorgeous trim.

Staged Living Room

This beautiful home still retains its historic charm, but it can now stand up to the competition in the real estate market.  Any other ideas for freshening up an older home?

 Dated Brass Nipple Light

My decorating experience here in Nashville and with online clients has certainly forced me to find some good alternatives to the builder-grade fixture.   While the options are a bit limited in this price range, here are a few you can score at big box stores (either Lowes or Home Depot) for under $100:

 via Pinterest

 via Pinterest

Drum shades are great for a contemporary or transitional look – choose one with a linen or pleated shade if you want it to tie in with traditional decor.

via Pinterest

via Pinterest

Any light fixture with seeded or bubble glass gets my vote – the light is diffused, rather than glaring.  I’d still use frosted bulbs, though.

via Pinterest

Retro or schoolhouse lighting is also an option:

via Pinterest

For a little bit of bling or old-world glamour, try these two:

via Pinterest

via Pinterest

Small lanterns or carriage-style lighting works nicely with almost any decor.

via Pinterest

via Pinterest

If you want to find out more about the lighting I featured here or need even more options for the builder-grade light fixtures, check out my pinboard called I Light It Like That on Pinterest.  If you aren’t following The Decorologist on Pinterest, what are you waiting for?  And yes, I do realize most of the lights here still have a nipple. They just don’t look as boob-like overall, so that’s an improvement!