Author Archives kathyregini

Just love this room!

Nothing wrong with bright orange pumpkins, cornucopias and plates with painted turkeys at Thanksgiving….but if you’re looking for a change, there are other ways to make your home extra beautiful this Thanksgiving!

First, choose a fall color palette that works with your existing décor.  Rather than the traditional colors of bright orange and yellow, try deep cranberry red, plum, aubergine, wheat and chocolate brown. These colors are a little more understated, and easier to work into your existing color scheme.

Next add a touch of  bright color…maybe flower blossoms or brightly colored autumn leaves on the table.

Incorporate natural items such as branches, cranberries, apples and pears, acorns, & chestnuts. They look great in clear glass bowls or tall glass cylinders. I call it “ rustic/sophisticated”. It goes really well with more modern décor…a little more hip!

Also, keep the Thanksgiving table simple. One way to do that is choosing solid colored table linens.

Patterns can overwhelm the table really quickly. Go for uncluttered. Maybe cream colored mini pumpkins and candles. Gorgeous.  Add a roaring fire, and you are good to go!

Your home is exactly that….yours. A place you can be comfortable and still express your style. A place you love to come home to. But what if you don’t know how to make that happen? That’s where a Home Stylist (that’s me) comes in. From helping you rearrange the furniture for optimal placement, picking paint, and choosing art & accessories to pull it all together, I can style and update your whole home, one room at a time. I can connect you with local stores and trades people to help you get any projects done fast. I will show you how to incorporate new finds with the things you already own and love.  Make the choice to redesign your home…you won’t be sorry.

“To design your house, you need to know who you are, how you live, and most important, how you dream of living.” Moll Anderson, The Seductive Home

I frequently arrange furniture on the bias because it can make a room feel larger. And when you are trying to stage/sell a home, the feeling of spaciousness is very important.  Diagonal placement is also unexpected and interesting, making a boring room come to life.

You can do this successfully in your own home, but just be aware that it eats up a lot of space, so it is not meant for really small rooms.  The trick is to keep it simple, with just a few pieces. By not placing furniture along the walls, open floor space is created in the corners, and it’s a great place for additional lighting. Up-lights work well. Also the room needs to have a focal point such as a fireplace or picture window. One can be created with a beautiful armoire if you don’t have one. Placing the sofa and chairs at a 45 degree angle draws the eye right to that focal point.

Are neutral walls colors boring? Most designers feel that as long as you have small bursts of color and contrast with furniture and accessories, you can stay with a neutral backdrop. I don’t actually suggest brightly colored walls often…I pretty much only incorporate them if clients request it, and even then I try to steer them into painting only an accent wall. I’d rather the color in the room come from fabrics, rugs, art & accessories. I do love dark grey, taupe or brown accent walls to add drama… still neutral, but really interesting. A dark accent wall is a great weekend project: talk about immediate gratification.

1.  Hang most everything 57″ on center. This standard represents the average human eye height, and it’s what the galleries and museums use. This also applies to groups of pictures…just think of the collection as one piece. Most people hang art too high.

2.  Relate art to wall size. Smaller pieces are for narrow walls and bigger pictures (or groups of pictures) go on large walls. Seems pretty basic,  but often I see a tiny picture on a huge wall.

3.  Relate art to the furniture that sits below it. The art should not be wider than the furniture. As a general principle, the art looks best when it’s about 75% of the furniture’s width.

Today is the first day of Autumn and just like clock work, the mornings and evenings are becoming cool and crisp. You will be spending more time indoors now, and it’s time to make your home comfortable and cozy with rich textures and colors.  Velvety throw pillows on the sofa, a warm blanket on the reading chair, poufs, spice-scented candles, tea lights, stacks of firewood by the fireplace.  All these things makes gathering spaces comfy.

But…if you are a little tired of the traditonal colors that usually go along with fall decor, read on!

Pantone Inc. is considered to be the authority on color trends. This is the collection of current colors for 2012, used both in women’s fashion and home interiors.

You are not meant to incorporate all the colors, by the way.  Use the neutrals ( gray, brown, and off-white) and add one or two of the bright colors for a little punch of interest here and there.  Bright Chartreuse is my go-to pop of color with an occasional touch of Rhubarb this year.  Here are some pics with some of my favorite new (non traditional) fall color palettes.

I’m into stainless steel carts right now.  They are super versatile and look great, too. A cart can be an extra work station in the kitchen, providing extra counter space for food prep. It’s also excellent for entertaining/parties as a beverage cart or a place to set hors d’oeuvres. It can store cookbooks, pots & pans, baking supplies. There are so many uses. Best of all, it can be moved around to where it’s needed…kitchen, dining room, living room, even roll it outside when you’re having a BBQ.  And after, push it up against a wall or into a corner. I feel like everyone should have one!  

Soft goods are a  vital part of creating everyday well-being in the home. Curtain panels, bedding, linens, towels, rugs, pillows, throws. They add warmth and comfort and improve acoustics.  They are the cozy touches that give you the feeling that you are home. Be generous with them!