From the monthly archives: "January 2011"
Angelina Jolie / Hollywood Regency Style

Golden Globes 2011 Best Dressed Interior Design Room Style

posted 857 days agoComment

When watching the Golden Globes or any Hollywood award ceremony, I can’t get enough of the fabulous fashion on the red carpet.  Below are a few award wining dresses matched up with glamorous room designs. Which celebrity style wins your vote?

Natalie Portman People.com

Best Actress winner, Natalie Portman wore a feminine dress with a striking red rose.  This floral room has a soft shabby chic look with bold red accents.

Mila Kunis People.com

Mila Kunis is so sophisticated in this emerald green gown. Get her look with traditional elegant furnishings and dramatic drapery.

Halle Berry People.com

Halle Berry looks amazing in this sexy black dress.  This sleek modern room with symmetrical clean lines definitely represents her red carpet style.

Anne Hathaway People.com

Anne Hathaway looks like a Golden Globe in this gorgeous shimmering gown. This vintage glam lobby glitters in gold just like Hathaway’s dress.

Kyra Sedgwick People.com

What a cheerful dress Kyra Sedgwick wore to the Globes. It is only fitting to pair her attire up with a bright contemporary room with bold orange accents.

Olivia Wilde People.com

Olivia Wilde looked like a modern day princess in her glittering black and crystal gown. This grand baroque revival room is fitting for royalty.

January Jones People.com

Mad Men star, January Jones wore an eye catching red dress which matches well with an ultra-modern geometric room design.

Scarlet Johansson People.com

What a gorgeous sparkling dress Scarlet Johansson wore down the red carpet. Her interior style is contemporary mixed with Italian Renaissance.  These chandeliers resembles the cascading bead work on her dress.

Angelina Jolie People.com

Angelina Jolie is absolutely stunning in a bright green Versace dress. This Hollywood Regency design reflects her elegance and bold color choice.

- Day Design & Decor

KellyPrizelPhoto

Get Organized!!

posted 867 days ago2 Comments

KellyPrizelPhoto

Being an artist, I naturally follow the stereotype of having poor organizational skills. That is precisely why there are professional organizers in the world like Coriann from www.brightlivingnow.com to make sure your home is operating like a fine tuned machine. There are many reasons why you should consider hiring a professional organizer at least once in your lifetime. An expert can set up a working system to help you get on the right path to keeping your place neat and tidy. Professional organizers see it all and aren’t judgmental about their clients level of organization so don’t be embarrassed about your mess. I asked Coriann her thoughts on what everyone should know about organizing.

Tip #1 – Baby Steps

If you think you have to tackle all your clutter at one time it will feel overwhelming and chances are you won’t do it. Start with one pile, one corner, one closet, etc. Each step will bring you closer to your goal of being organized.

Tip #2 – Purge Your Clothes 2x a Year

To help you figure out what you wear and what you don’t, turn all your hangers the opposite way (hook facing out.) When you wear something hang it back up correctly (hook facing in.) In a few months anything hanging on hangers that are facing out you know you aren’t using and could donate.

Tip#3 – Organizing Won’t Break the Bank

Don’t feel like you have to spend a lot on money on organizing products to get organized. Organize your desk drawers with plastic food containers, they come in all sizes perfect for paper clips to note pads. Organize bathroom drawers with clean tin cans, perfect for cotton balls, Q-tips, and hair bands.

Tip #4 – You Don’t Have to Be Perfect To be Organized

Life is crazy and hectic and sometimes you just don’t have time to put your shoes away that very second. Let yourself off the hook, there is too much pressure to be perfectly organized 100% of the time. The key is knowing exactly where to put those shoes away when you do have a second, and knowing exactly where to look when you need them again.

Visit Coriann’s website and check out her marvelous transformations of before and after photos as well as more helpful tips on keeping your home in an more orderly fashion: www.brightlivingnow.com

Here’s to an organized home and year!
Day Design & Decor

Paint Your Walls Like a Pro

posted 868 days ago1 Comment

Ever wonder why your paint job doesn’t look quite as nice as a professional? I asked an expert house painter, who happens to be my brother, his advise on what every amateur painter should know before they start smearing color on their walls.

Tip #1 – Selecting Paint

When choosing paint, don’t skimp and buy the cheap stuff. Stick to better brands like Dunn Edwards or Sherwin Williams. They have great quality paints that make painting easier and the job go by much faster. The problem with cheaper brands is they tend to dry out your roller, making the paint absorb less and causes splatter marks. In other words, generic brand paint means more work and coats for you. The sheen is also an important factor when selecting paint. Here is a helpful graph on which gloss to pick depending on the room from Dunn Edwards:

Tip #2 – The Right Stuff

When purchasing brushes and rollers, it’s important to get the right ones for the job. For most rooms, you will need one 4 inch brush with a straight edge, a 2-4 inch angled brush for edging, and a 2 inch for trim. Look for brushes that have various lengths that are split at the ends. This helps the brush hold more paint for better application. When it comes to rollers, size matters. Larger rollers are best for big walls and smaller ones are great painting tiny areas and small spaces. The knap is important too. The thicker knaps work wonders for ceiling because it holds more paint, although it can be quite messy. A medium knap is perfect for regular rooms and a light knap is great for trim and moulding.

Tip #3 – Best Way to Start

Clear the room of furniture so nothing can interfere with your painting. This goes for removing hardware like electrical plates, hardware, and wires. Safeguard your floor and furnishings with plastic or cloth drop cloths. You can use blue painters tape to secure the cloths from moving. For slippery floors like tile, use a combo of plastic and a heavy canvas to avoid sliding accidents. After the area has been prepped, it’s time to start painting. Section off a large wall in 5×5′ sections and begin with dipping your roller in the paint and drag it in a W, starting at the top corner and ending at the opposite corner. This helps with making the paint application even and lessens drip marks.

Tip #4 – Edging Crisp Lines

When edging ceilings, baseboards, and corners try using orange or blue painters tape and a bottle of clear acrylic gel medium, found at any art supply store. Adhere your tape to the area you don’t want painted. Then paint clear gel medium with a disposable brush over the edge of the tape meeting the space to be painted, so the gel is covering part of the tape and the wall. Wait a few minutes for this to dry and then start painting one to two coats, going over the tape just a smidgen. After your walls are completely dry, remove the tape and be amazed at your crisp clean edge lines.

For help in selecting paint colors from professionals, try our Color Palette service and let an expert colorist pick the right shade for your home.

Happy Painting!

Day Design & Decor

Brighten Up Your Home

posted 869 days ago3 Comments

Jacek Magryta

Don’t be left in the dark, brighten up your space and enhance your mood as well. Poor lit spaces can really have an effect on your emotional state, causing you to feel as gloomy as your home looks. Here are a few tips on how to lighten your room and lift your spirits.

Tip #1 – Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

So, you have a nice big window that lets out a pretty decent amount of light in, but its still not bright enough? Try hanging a large mirror directly across from the window and reflect the natural light into the entire room.

Tip #2 – Colorize

It’s time to kiss your lifeless painted walls goodbye and say hello to a new vibrant paint color. Select a shade that is paler with a slightly cooler tone to illuminate your space, especially when painting your ceiling.  White and pale hues reflect light, while dark colors like black, brown, and orange absorb the light making your room appear smaller and underlit. For assistance in picking the right shade of paint for your walls, check out Day Design & Decor’s Color Palette Service.  The same colorizing principle applies with home furnishings. Swap out dark furniture with lighter colored pieces to create an open and bright new room.

Tip #3 – Lighting the Edison Way

The secret to lighting up a room is variety.  It is better to have a few different light sources in a room than one main light. Try adding floor lamps that shine up to the ceiling as well as a few table and accent lamps.  My mom is the lighting Queen with over 35 lamps under one roof, not counting the stationary can lighting or fans with light kits.  She has done a wonderful job of layering all different types of lamps to brighten up ever square inch of my parents home which creates a warm welcoming mood.  I especially like how she placed small accent lights in dark corners behind potted plants.  This highlights the plant, generating a nice glow with cool shadows on the wall while illuminating a dim space.

Hope your new year is bright and cheerful!

Day Design & Decor

A Clean and Green Home

posted 870 days ago2 Comments

This year make a pristine difference in your home and the environment by cleaning the eco-friendly way.  Choosing green products will help safeguard children and pets from accidental poisoning, improve your home’s air quality, and protect the environment and water table.  Here are a few tips on how to go green and keep clean.

Tip #1 – Use green cleaning products

Many conventional cleaning solutions contain harmful chemicals like ammonia, chlorine bleach, petrochemicals, and VOC’s. These are not only harmful when in contact with skin or ingested but is also harmful to the environment.  Try using all natural non-toxic products from brands like EcoConcepts (www.ecoconceptsusa.com) or Meyers.  I really like Meyers Clean Day all purpose cleaner in the lavender scent.  If you are on a tight budget, you can still go green with out spending a lot of green. Here’s a nice recipe for an organic cleaning solution from Organic Authority.

Green Goodness All Purpose Green Home Cleaner 1 spray bottle
1 ½ cups distilled white vinegar
2 cups of water
10-12 drops of your favorite essential oil, i.e. lavender, eucalyptus, jasmine (optional)

How To:                                                                                                                                                                                                       Fill your spray bottle with all ingredients. Shake to combine (and give a little shake before each use). Use to clean surfaces in and around the house like kitchen counter tops, refrigerator handles and appliances, to keep porcelain and fixtures shining bright. Follow with a clean cloth for a bright shine.

Tip #2 – Hire Green House Cleaners

If you have a busy lifestyle and need a professional cleaning service to do all of the dirty work consider employing a Green cleaning service.   They only use eco-friendly cleaning products, which cuts down on toxic solution use and disposal.

Tip #3 Combat Odor Organically

Keep your home smelling oh so fresh and clean with an organic air freshener. Awake and Living, my absolute favorite organic lifestyle resource, suggests placing spices like orange peels, cinnamon sticks, or vanilla in a pan on the stove to brew a lovely aroma.  The foul stench fighter for your fridge can work well in your home as well.  Baking Soda works wonders for your carpet, especially for pet owners. Sprinkle baking soda over your floor covering and vacuum up smelly odors.  Houseplants are great for filtering clean air and increasing oxygen circulation.

For more tips visit: Planet Green, Family Circle, or Oxyboost

Here’s to cleaning the environment and your home for a healthier fresh new year. Stay tuned for tip number three tomorrow on how to brighten up your space.

Day Design & Decor

Get Rid of Clutter

posted 871 days ago2 Comments

Happy New Year everyone!  I am so excited to ring in 2011 with a fresh new start! Each year, I create a list of  resolutions and work my tail off all year long trying to achieve them.  Kick off this bright new year with a few of my favorite interior design resolutions, beginning with tackling one of the beast of all beasts, clutter.

Do you know the dangers of clutter?

Clutter triggers stress – a messy environment makes you feel like there’s an overwhelming amount of work to be done.  Stress can be very harmful to your body and actually cause illness so why not get rid of clutter now for healthier happier you.

Clutter decreases your energy – Have you ever noticed when you are in a clean organized space you are much more energetic? Your home is a sanctuary and mess is obviously not something you are proud of, so clutter brings you down into a melancholy state.

Clutter can make you less productive – If there’s a messy stack of papers and supplies scattered on your desk, chances are you would spend a longer time looking for the one paper you need than the few minutes it would take to have placed that paper in an organized file.  The same idea applies to closets, cupboards, and bookcases.

Do these all sound a bit too familiar? If so, it’s time to declutter!! Here are a few of my favorite tips on organizing your home for the New Year:

Tip 1.  Three Boxes, One Big Pile

Start by clearing a space in the middle of the room. Place all of the cluttered items in a big pile in the center of the room.  Label each of the boxes – Keep, Maybe, Give Away. The ‘Keep’ box is for all of the things you absolutely love and use regularly.  Place all the items you are torn between into the ‘Maybe’ box. The ‘Give Away’ box are the memorable pieces that don’t quite fit your décor and feel like someone else can appreciate them who are less fortunate.  Stick to the rule; if you haven’t used it in the last 6 months get rid of it.  After you have sorted all of the clutter, go back to the ‘Maybe’ box and determine if it will go in the keep or give away box.  If you’re still having trouble getting rid of sentimental things that you know in your gut you should let go, take a picture of it so you will have the memory forever.

Tip 2. Make Decluttering Fun!

I know, cleaning and going through things that have accumulated dust for years is not the most enjoyable activity. So try setting aside an hour to declutter with friends or family while playing your favorite tunes and dance while you’re sorting everything. After you’re all finished organizing, take a moment to enjoy your hard work and the new beauty you have created. (and yes, you can keep dancing) Reward yourself with a tasty treat and feel good about giving and starting 2011 in a clutter free environment.

Tip 3.  Create a System so Clutter Doesn’t Creep Back Up on You.

Now that your home has been declutterfied, it’s time to create strategic systems to stop clutter from coming back. Start by figuring out why you had a cluttered mess in the first place and brainstorm ideas on how to solve this. For example, if you had a stack of mail that always seems to pile up on your kitchen table, create a designated mail drop off table or area next to your main entry door.  Place a small recycling basket for junk mail next to the table and purchase a tabletop or wall hanging mail organizer for all of your bills and important mail. Set aside one day a week to rummage through your mail. Only this time it will be easier and much faster to go through since you already have pre-sorted the mail as you walked in the door.

Cheers to 2011!

Day Design Decor