31 Days to Decorate Confidently. Day 25: Tips for Accessorizing

Posted on October 26, 2012 by DishOnDesignGal

Not sure how to accessorize your room? Here are some tips…

A vignette is a group of items placed together to tell a story. A vignette defines a relationship among objects and creates interest. Rather than placing one item by itself, group it with several.

Pay attention to balance and scale and how they work together within a room. For example, a small picture hung by itself will look out of proportion on a large wall… a large sofa next to a tiny lamp will look out of balance.

Step outside your comfort zone and explore both symmetrical (equally balanced groups) and asymmetrical (non-balanced groups) arrangements.

Make it special by grouping similar objects, adding personal details or using items you adore.

Create some fun by adding something full of personality, a unique item or with an unexpected twist.

Assignment: Pick a room in your home and completely clear out the accessories. Keep what you love, search your home for anything else you could use in the room and re-accessorize it according to the tips above!

Enjoy! Amy xo

To start at the beginning of the series, click here!

31 Days to Decorate Confidently. Day 18: Developing a Color Scheme

Posted on October 18, 2012 by DishOnDesignGal

Now that you understand color, the next step is developing a color scheme…

Follow these steps and you’ll find that developing a color scheme is easy!

Pull out your inspiration object or photo and use as a starting point for selecting your colors. Take into consideration any objects that you will be incorporating into the space.

Select paint chips that work well with your items and that appeal to you. Make sure to look at the paint chip under the light in your space. The lighting at the store may be very different then your lighting at home. Also make sure to tape it on the wall and look at it in the morning, afternoon and evening as a color will look different throughout the course of a day depending on the light source.

Choose one color for your walls and keep the others for reference when choosing accessories, draperies, fabric, etc.

Assignment: Pick out the colors for your space and staple the color chips to an index card. Store in your purse for reference when shopping.

Worried about if you chose the right color? We’ll talk about that tomorrow! Amy xo

To start at the beginning of the series, click here!

31 Days to Decorate Confidently. Day 2: Explore and Create

Posted on October 2, 2012 by DishOnDesignGal

I hear it all the time… “I just don’t know where to start”. Today is about getting started. Here’s how…

Designer’s know that a beautiful room starts with inspiration and inspiration is found by opening your eyes to the world around you. You’ll discover it through exploration of nature, the arts, a favorite possession, a pillow, magazines, etc. The resources are endless, you just need to take the time to explore.

When Exploring, look for things that catch your eye. Don’t overthink it. If you find something beautiful or interesting, clip it, print it or take a photo of it. Stop and really look at your surroundings. Make a point to search for beauty and you’ll be rewarded. Inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places but you have to take the time to see it!

Assignment: Grab a cup of coffee or tea and explore. Look through magazines and catalogs; clipping photos that catch your eye. If you look online, print favorite finds and bookmark the link in a folder. Store your inspiration items in your binder or folder for tomorrows assignment!

Amy xo

P.S. If you missed Day 1 click here

I Spy…Aesthetics: It’s Often About the Little Things

Posted on June 2, 2012 by DishOnDesignGal

I am in the middle of about 20 projects this weekend. I made a list of unfinished projects I want to complete by Sunday and so far I’ve crossed off four – laundry, a trip to Lowe’s, drop-off to GoodWill and grocery shopping. I figured I’d sit and blog for a few minutes because my back is aching from moving a dresser the other day, so dumb. I took 2 Advil gel caps (the best, don’t you think?) and thought I’d say hello as I wait for it to kick in. Do you want to play a quick game of Interior Decorating I Spy?

It’s a fun thing we play at Decorate Fabulously Workshops and it’s one of my favorite design-related things to do. I first “played” it back in college at The Fashion Institute of Technology in an aesthetics class. I don’t know why, but it stuck with me and it’s something I probably do sub-consciously almost every day: I examine things and figure out why I do or do not like them. In class, my professor would show us slides of buildings, rooms, statues, lamps, furniture, etc. and we would discuss our thoughts. Did we love it? Hate it? Either way, the object of the exercise was to evaluate why we felt the way we did. Usually, if we didn’t like it, it was because something was aesthetically wrong. Just as important as identifying what we felt was good or bad, if we didn’t like it, we discussed how we could fix it. I think it was one of the most valuable lessons I learned.

Aesthetics (spelled æsthetics or esthetics) is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, with the creation and appreciation of beauty.^[1] It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste.^[2] More broadly, scholars in the field define aesthetics as “critical reflection on art, culture and nature.” ~ Wikipedia

So let’s play a quick game. Before we start, I should point out that you don’t have to agree with me… it’s okay to have a different opinion in the world of decorating – that’s what makes it so wonderful! I’m going to show you two photo’s. Take a look at both and then tell me if you think one feels more “right”. To me, there is a world of difference between the two. The lamp was a gift, but something was really bugging me about it. The other day I took a second to really look at that lamp and it hit me as to exactly why It was bugging me. Something was wrong. Once I identified it, all it took was a quick run to Lowe’s for a $3.98 purchase and now I adore this lamp. Do you know what it was? Take a look…

Can you spy the difference?

Here’s a close up…

I know it’s hard to tell in photos, but the finial on the left was a bit too tall and plastic with a bright shiny finish. It stuck out like a sore thumb. A finial should complement your lamp, not distract. The new one on the right (which was less than four dollars) is pretty, yet unassuming and the finish is the same as the rest of the lamp. The crystal top compliments the original design. In person, it’s such a huge difference!

This guest bedroom is a ~~neverending~~ ongoing project. I’ll share it when I get finished

Have a great weekend… hopefully you’ll get to relax like our resident neighborhood night stalker who slept in my laundry basket all day. Meet Beanie…

He loves me. In the last three days he’s brought me a dead bat (which I almost picked up thinking it was a leaf), a dead mole which he smuggled into my dining room and a live baby bird which I rescued before he brought it into the house and sent it on it’s way. Lovely. xo Amy

Free Advice Friday!

Posted on September 9, 2011 by DishOnDesignGal

Have a decorating question? Ask away!

Yesterday I started Three Tip Thursday, so today I thought…Hey! Why not a Free Advice Friday? I love answering all of your decorating questions so I though this would be a great way to have some fun and answer some pending questions! Addressing decorating questions is actually one of my favorite things to do! Here are some answers to some of your questions…

Valerie asked…

Q: I want to have an arrangement of Greek tiles and plates over the fireplace mantel. Is it okay to have the arrangement be a little wider than the mantel?

A: My initial thought was no, but as always, you have to sit back and think outside the box. The problem is not going wider than the mantel, it’s creating an arrangement that is “heavier” than the mantel. By extending the arrangement outside the width, you automatically are creating a “feeling” that it is heavier than the mantel which then takes the focus off of the area as a whole. BUT, as always, there are not rules to decorating – just rules of thumb. What I would suggest is if you want to go outside the area above the mantel, make sure you “extend” the width of the mantel with something to the left and right that balances it out such as furniture, large vases with arrangements, low bookcases that look built-in, etc… The one thing I would avoid (unless it’s built-in looking bookcases) is putting anything too “hard” next to the already “hard” fireplace. I always prefer alternating hard and soft. When I say soft I mean upholstered furniture, plants, etc.

Shirley asked…

Q: In my living room, I have a large window that is in a recessed area that is 88″ wide x74″ tall. It’s sort of like a bay window, but not curved. I would like to hang drapes on the outside, from floor to ceiling, but the problem is that across the top of the opening, it’s just the ceiling – there is nothing across the opening at the top, if that makes sense. The ceiling goes straight through to the recessed area. So, even if I hang a rod as close as I can to the ceiling, there will be a gap at the ceiling that goes through to the opening – won’t that look weird? Any suggestions?

A: This makes perfect sense Shirley. I actually have the same situation in a guest bedroom that I am working on in my home. You really have two solutions. The first is to locate the rod on the walls to the left and right of the window. The key is to hang the rod as high as you can and to use a drape that will have some material above the rod. Hang it so the top of the drape will almost touch the ceiling. The only issue you have is you really can’t use a support in the middle with a traditional rod, so the rod needs to be extra long so the extender in the middle doesn’t sag. Also, the drapes cannot be too heavy or they will cause it to sag as well. The second option and probably the best one, is to get a ceiling mounted rod – JC Penney and Ikea both sell them. This will allow you to put a support in the middle and will avoid any potential sagging problems.

Example of ceiling mount rod

Carol asked…

Q: My great room has 1 love seat (solid fabric) and 2 occasional chairs(solid fabric). I would like more seating. Do I purchase another loveseat or 2 more chairs and solid or print?

A: This is probably better answered if I could see your floor plan, but generally speaking, here are my thoughts… When planning your seating, there are three considerations. 1) traffic flow, 2)) conversation areas and 3 beauty. Your first consideration is make sure that you know where your main path of traffic will be and to not interfere with that. The second is that you never want to put a single huge seating area around the perimeter of your room. Ideally, you want to create a main seating area with one or perhaps two smaller conversation areas with the same room. The first is perfect for your immediate family or a small gathering.The second and third areas are great for reading, writing in a journal, playing games or intimate conversations.

I like two loveseat on either side of a fireplace with two chairs that are facing the mantel. I also like a love seat with two chairs across from it. I would avoid a love seat with four chairs in the same conversation area unless you have a really large room and can have additional conversation areas as well – it’s really too many chairs in one place I think, but they could go in a smaller arrangement. Maybe a loveseat and three chairs would work better. I worry about four chairs overpowering the loveseat. Additionally, think of creative ways of adding seating such as ottomans tucked under a side table or in front a hearth or even hung on the wall as I did in my house.

Thirdly, this is where the beauty comes in…as far as solid or print, I’d say add some punch with either a print – floral, plaid or stripe or introduce some nice textures. If you do add chairs with a pattern, make sure to balance it out on your solid upholstery with complimentary pillows or throws!

Good Luck everyone and let me know how your rooms turn out! Amy xo

The Two Week Re-Do

Posted on April 9, 2010 by DishOnDesignGal

What do you think I can get done around my house in two weeks, working only nights and weekends? I only have 3 weekend days and 9 week nights as I am going to Columbus next Saturday for a meeting/fish fry and will be driving to Columbus to up a house guest at the airport on the 24th. Yikes!

As you may know, I have declared that I will have my house organized top to bottom by the end of the year. I also have some serious decorating to do along the way as I have put my house on hold for way to long to start a business. As I set these goals in January, I thought I had a year to get a lot of this done, but a very good friend of mine who I went to Butterfly World with a month or so ago, has decided to meet me in Columbus for the Spring game on the 24th and come visit that night. To say I am in panic mode is an understatement, although I have to say I am very excited about her visit! It’s not that she won’t love me if it’s not done, it’s just that she’s never been to my house and I want it at least semi-done. This is going to make me get some serious stuff done or at the very least started. I figured I would just go ahead and share it with you along the way…the good, the bad and the ugly.

Some things need to get done so that I have room for other things, so if they seem like silly things, there is a reason behind it. Here’s some of my to do list:

Find a place to store my daughters stuff. She moved back in for a bit and has lot to put away. I need to find a place for it.
Work a bit on the garage and pantry so I have room for things above.
Figure out a color scheme and inspiration for the two bedrooms. Will not have time to paint, but need to have a plan.
Select carpet for two bedrooms, stairs, a hallway and study and schedule a measure.
Tear up the old and seal the plywood floor. A beloved dog of ours died and had a bit of a potty problem in his last days. Quite sad and very yucky.
Get the carpet installed by the 22nd.
Schedule a painter for April – need to get carpet laid first. More on that later.
Clean out the two bedrooms and study.
Make sure the Bathroom is ready for a guest.
Clean…that will happen along the way.
Find a table to go with my new chairs for my new cocktail area.

I can tell you that without the paint, it won’t be finished in two weeks, but the new carpet will make a huge difference. Stay tuned, I’ll be posting updates, photo’s and thoughts for the next two weeks. It’s getting a little crazy around here, haha! xoxox Amy

The Case for a Flame Free Candle

Posted on February 25, 2010 by DishOnDesignGal

Assorted sizes and styles

Purchasing a flameless candle was not on my list of things to buy until I recently saw them in person. I realized how nice it would be to have few of these in my home. These candles are safe and create an amazing ambiance as well.

Reasons to want them…

1. Fire Safety. It’s a no-brainer: If you fall asleep and forget to blow them out…the house won’t burn down.

2. Safety for children. If you have children, and need candles to relax, look for flameless candles that have a gentle flicker, use actual wax and come in a variety of scents.

3. Warm welcome home on a dark evening. I don’t know about you, but I hate walking into a dark home. Flameless Candles give you the option of a timer with up to 350 hours of battery time. Wouldn’t it be nice to come home to a candle-lit home every evening?

4. Protect your house. This goes hand in hand with number three. Not only will you walk into a cozy home, anyone outside looking in will see candles lit and think you’re home. Flameless candles are a simple and inexpensive safety feature.

Miss the flame, but love the timer and the flicker

Don’t get me wrong…I’m not giving up the real thing, but check out the flameless candles at Candle Expressions and Amazon. After a while, you forget they’re not real. xoxox

An Organized Life. The Goals

Posted on February 3, 2010 by DishOnDesignGal

So it’s been a month since I embarked on this journey and although at the moment, I don’t really have a set plan, I do have some goals and rules that I am following. I’ve decided that I’ll choose projects as I go and see how it evolves. The truth is I’m not just cleaning our closets. I am cleaning out my life. My hope is that by the end of the year I will have accomplished or be close to accomplishing each goal I list below. Don’t worry, this year I’m still be talking about decorating, in fact I’ll take you along as I tackle some projects in my home, but I do hope you’ll join me as I dish about re-designing my life and surroundings. Below I’ve listed my goals and tomorrow I’ll share my rules. But before I do that, I guess I should come clean…

THE CONFESSION: I think every bad habit needs to be owned before it can be tossed, so here goes…I am not attached to junk, I just don’t make time to get rid of it. I know that everything should be put in it’s place, but I don’t make time to create that place or put it back. They say that a cluttered desk is a sign of creativity – I must be really creative…haha! Does that make me more creative by having a cluttered purse and a cluttered car? I don’t think so. The truth is I think better when I start with a clean desk and a clean space. I am less stressed when my kitchen counters are clear and I eat better when I know what I am going to eat in advance. I actually have an extremely organization mind and have been granted two patents for organizational products (shameless product plug). This year, I am going to put into action the things that I know. I hope you’ll join me!

THE GOALS:

1. Organize my Surroundings and KEEP them that way. This includes my purse, car, garage, office, etc. I think that will be the easy part. I imagine that organizing is much like losing weight and eating healthy; it has to become a way of life.

2. Organize my Projects, Bills and Paperwork. I once took a job for a year or two that was so mundane I could clear off my desk at the end of the day and not worry about a thing until I arrived the next day. It was nice for a bit, but it eventually drove me crazy. I need the exitement of creating new things, tackling new projects and taking risks, but there should be a happy medium. I will pay attention to the things I don’t like to do, so I can be successful at what I love to do.

3. Organize my Schedule to Design a Healthy Me. (3 part)

a.) I will take Iron. I am anemic. I’ve needed to take iron for years…I’m thinking I really ought to make time to take that stupid little white pill once a day so I have the energy to get this all done. My teeth will thank me. If you are an ice chewer, get tested for anemia – your teeth will thank you.

b.) I will exercise. I hate it. I just do. I hate to make the time, I hate to sweat, I just don’t like it. My doctor says I have to do it, I guess maybe she might be right. I am going to start with walking in my house (because it’s cold outside) with Leslie Sansone ( on DVD) at least 3 times a week. I will also play wii fit- I do love my wii. My kids bought it for us for Christmas and I need to maintain my first place status in multiple events, but I will branch out to more athletic events instead of just the balancing ones, which are my favorite

c.) I will eat healthy. I need to prepare food on Sundays…chop, cook, etc…anything that makes it easier during the week. I need to know what I am going to eat tomorrow before I go to bed, so I don’t make bad choices…aka: stuff a lot of pointless things in my mouth that make me fat. I am going to cut out sugar and white flour and lean towards clean eating. It will be a work in progress, but at the end of the day…or hopefully the year…I will be at a healthy weight. I’m not going to lie…I want to fit into my Calvin Kleins. I bought them in the designer department at Macy’s on 34th street in the 80′s. I looked hot in them…at least I thought I did. They’ve been to Studio 54, Tavern on the Green, Serendipity and Sunday afternoon breakfast in the village. I just want to be in them one more time. I’m not going for hot, just in them. Well maybe a little hot…but I digress….till tomorrow…xoxox

All About Ceiling Medallions

Posted on October 22, 2009 by DishOnDesignGal

Look up at the ceiling.

Is there anything special up there? The surface that everyone seems to forget when decorating is the ceiling and my bet is you’re looking at one that’s been forgotten as well. Let’s face it, we give our full attention to selecting the flooring, choosing treatments for the walls and windows, but more often than not, we forget about the ceiling. Oh yes, we choose lovely lighting and hopefully we’ve chosen it for both beauty and function - but what about beyond the lighting?

There’s endless decor ideas for ceilings such as faux painting, stenciled designs, tin tiles and more; typically, we just don’t think to use them. One of my favorites accents to place a ceiling medallion above a chandelier. Medallions are affordable, available in all shapes and sizes and can be hung as-is or even better; painted.

I have a medallion sitting in the corner of my dining room that I’ll post about when I get around to finishing it, but in the meantime I photographed a project that my friend painted one day when I was visiting. Here’s some helpful tips for selecting, painting and hanging a ceiling medallion.

Selecting a Medallion. Medallions come in all shapes and sizes. Your local home depot or Lowe’s, will offer a choice of assorted white medallions which be mounted as is or hand painted to match your trim or decor. You can also find medallions in a bronzed finish to match your chandelier. They can range from $18.00 to $200.00 and up. Some are very lightweight and others are heavier. Once hung, you it’s pretty difficult to know if it was inexpensive or not. It’s about choosing the style and finish that is right for you.

You can get a simple classic design like this..

Or a traditional, ornate style such as this...

Here's a medallion finished in bronze...

Another that's dome styled

Giclee bronze medallion

Wrought iron

Above are just a few of the many styles and finishes available. The photo’s are from LampsUSA and additionally, you can find lots of online sources.

Once you decide the style you prefer, size is your next concern. Now it’s all about proportion. If you have a larger chandelier, you want a medallion that is big enough to provide balance – too small, and it will look out-of-place. The reverse goes if you have a small chandelier. You want to select a medallion that is proportional in size – anything too big will over power a smaller light fixture. I’ve been referring to chandeliers, but you can really use medallions with many styles of lighting fixtures; even ceiling fans. According to LampsUSA, which is where the medallions above are from, here are some thoughts on sizing:

Sizing rules of thumb:

A ceiling medallion should be two-thirds the diameter of the chandelier.
Larger rooms and higher ceilings can accommodate larger ceiling medallions.
For a typical dining room with an 8′ – 9′ ceiling, a medallion that is 18″ – 26″ in diameter will usually work well.
20″ – 28″ ceiling medallions work well with 52″ ceiling fans.

Coming up: Follow along as my friend paints a medallion for her home to complement the chandelier below…

This Chandelier is going to get a Painted Medallion...

Step Five: Adding a Wood Floor- a Kitchen on a Budget

Posted on May 20, 2009 by DishOnDesignGal

: After Photo: New Wood Floor

The Kuster’s are just about finished with their kitchen remodel, which means I’ll do the full unveiling soon, but in the meantime, here’s a sneak preview of the new wood floor. They used prefinished planks they found at Sam’s that fit their budget and their needs. I’ll talk more about wood floors in my next post, because I’m going to see it in person tomorrow evening and want to take some close of photo’s to show you what I’m talking about – I like visuals

Below is the before picture – amazing what a difference a new coat of paint and a DIY wood floor can make! Stay tuned for the final pictures…