AbbeyK — On Interior Design

Matchy-Matchy Finishes

Please, please, please match finishes in your bathroom. Please don’t mix brass and satin nickel. If you can, stick to one finish all the way from towel bars to faucets to toilet tank lever.

Pay close attention: satin nickel and brushed nickel are sometimes synonymous, but one manufacturer's satin nickel may be another's brushed nickel. Some lines carry both in which case one may have a yellow tint to it and one silver.

When to break the rules?

• OK to mix a (shiny) polished chrome and a (matte) satin nickel. For example you can put chrome on the light fixture over satin nickel finish on the faucet. It's far enough away and they are both "silver" in tone.
• OK to use a chrome shower curtain rod when all other fixtures and fittings are satin nickel Why? My favorite brand of accessories Ginger does not warranty the finish of satin nickel on a shower curtain rod as it may chip.

Basement not in the dark

Common misconception: Basements so dark and drab. Paint them a bold color.

The biggest mistake people make is painting their basements bright bold colors thinking it will make them brighter. Actually, correct lighting will make a dark room brighter. Track lighting used here is a great choice for a basement. Todays fixtures are not giant white cans like in the 70's.

For paint colors stick to colors that are soft and light. Too bright and they'll advance at you and feel shocking and jarring.

Another tip for a basement? Use flooring suitable for a basement (below grade.) Vinyl composite tile (VCT) used here is a great choice for the art area. Were this basement to ever flood, it's easy to take up.

It's good to have a designer on your side

There are the myriad of decisions. What sized dining room table do I need? What size should the new door opening be? At what height should the toilet paper holder be? Sometimes contractors and electricians have ideas that are not really based on how people use space. So it’s really nice to have someone to help you think through decisions. Someone who can say no, that doesn’t make any sense, let’s think this through.

If construction is involved, it is also helps to have another set of eyes to insure that what is on the construction plan is followed, or when construction issues arise, to rethink what is in the original plan. You can run into problems that can potentially damage your home, and you’re just not sure how to deal with them.

Working with a designer saves you the stress of not knowing how to solve the problem or whom to call. Not to mention the time it takes to solve a problem. What do you do when the wrong sofa arrives at your home?

I have really good relationships with my vendors. They want my business, and they want me to keep doing business with them so I do not get much of an argument when there's a problem with a product.

Polyester can be a girl's best friend

Adding a bit of synthetic fiber to cotton, wool, silk, and other natural materials can add strength, reduce pilling, and help resist stains.

The concept of poly conger up visions of perma-pleated elastic pants advertised in circulars? Consider these details:

• When choosing upholstery fabrics, look for some polyester in the make up.
• Microfibers and ultrasuedes are made exclusively from polyester and extremely popular for their wonderful durability and wide range of colors available. Originally only available in solids, there are stripes, patterns, and textures of late. They resist staining and hold their shape well over time. That's why microfibers and ultrasuedes are a great choice for families with small kids.                                                                                                                   
• Faux silks made of poly and poly blends can be affordable alternatives to the real thing. They resist fading and burning, a reality for anyone with silk drapes in sunny windows. The fauxes are also more stable and won't shrink and expand like silk.   
• Contract fabrics (those for commercial settings) often contain high percentages of poly. Designs have come a long way. They won't leave you feeling like you live in a bank. Contract fabrics must pass rigorous durability and flammability tests and are also a great choice where performance is a must.

Murphy Beds

Today's Sunday Boston Globe Magazine focuses on small spaces.

There'a piece on Murphy Beds.

I find Murphy Beds intriguing. Many of my clients, especially city dwellers, need rooms to do double duty. An office that also fucntions as a guest room is a common need. Murphy Beds are the perfect solution for the space starved as they allow home owners to use the room for it's main function most of the time, with a bed  taking up real estate only when needed.

But that's me. When I have presented this idea to clients, Murphy Beds seem to congure up visions of swinging New York City bachelor pads.

I am hoping this article will help to change that perception so that more people consider Murphy Beds as viable solutions for their homes.

Bang for your buck

One way of dealing with a budget is to choose wisely. I had a client who fell in love with a sofa fabric that was $125 a yard. We needed 20 yards for the sofa, so that choice made for a very expensive sofa. To be budget minded, we made pillows out of the expensive fabric and then found a more basic, but still beautiful fabric at a lower price point for the sofa fabric. She still got the pleasure of seeing the stunning fabric on the pillows.

Click on the picture for a larger view.

Small scale tables

Small scale tables can be a space-saver when space is tight.

I love finding the perfect small scale table and popping it next to a chair. Sometimes only 15", they fit a book and a cup of coffee and not much more, but they get the job done. This one is from the Martin Group at the Design Center and available off the floor!

It's all about the details

Good design is all about details. By changing specific details, small details — the doorknobs, a backsplash, the color of your hinges, getting the right sized rug in your space. Hitting the right proportion of window treatment — those kinds of small things really have a large impact. They make you feel better in your space.

They make you feel physically better every day, and you can relax. And people feel

comfortable. If I get an e-mail from a client that says: “We love our space and so do all our family and friends, thank you." That’s great.

Dressing up a fireplace

Fireplaces set the stage.

My advice? Keep it simple. Vary your materials. There are no rules, so to visualize what sizes things should be, I take out my tape measure and then make a shopping list.

Here we did:

• A large mirror -- Cherry and gold trim add elegance and warmth.
• Jute covered balls in a boat shaped dish-- colors echo the sconces and add texture
• Grass in a glass canister -- creates a strong diagonal.
• Candle sticks -- can't go wrong there. One set only please!

It's pretty inside

Do you have a dining room built-in? It's a place to have some fun while showing off favorite items.

Here are some tips:

• Group like things together: glass with glass/ceramic with ceramic.
• Limit your color palette. I had an art teacher once who said: salad bowls are great places for many colors. For art, limit your palatte. When in doubt, edit.
• Paint the back wall a contrasting color. This sets a lovely backdrop for your objets.