Maximize House Appearance with Minimum Budget

Nowadays, it is not trend anymore to have a high budget to make up good flooring in your home. You should get another way to give a blow up to your flooring with something different from Champaign Flooring America. With vast range of choices in this store then you will not have to maintain your flooring without any taste. You can pick anything that you want from their collections in this store. By getting the best one that suits your taste and house design then you will be able to save some money that you should use to buy flooring that costs an arm and a leg. Choices can help you to decide whether your flooring and the price can match each other for your house design or not. You can also pick some other ways in order to make your house looks grand not only from the outside but also inside. 

For this reason you should see different kinds of floorings that can both suit your imagination as how an ideal house should look also you can harmonize your house color with your flooring. This will really help to broaden your choice to pick your flooring even with minimum budget. There is no need to push on the wrong button by pushing your luck too far without knowing what might happen to your financial condition just because this one need. There are other necessities that you have to buy and because of that you do not need to pick this time to spend all of your money without thinking of the risk. Flooring is indeed important to make a valuable house for your family. Yet, if you can optimize your choice with minimum budget then you will have two benefits in this tight condition. You can save money thoughtfully without have to sacrifice your house appearance.

Have Some Flooring Choices at the Finest Store

Everyone wishes their house to look as the most magnificent one. For this reason then they should do some extra work to pick the things that should be included inside the house, such as flooring. R.E.C. Flooring America Johnstown will be the perfect place for you to buy your flooring. There are many options that you can take from this place. You will not only limit your flooring choice to tile, hardwood or laminate but you will also have carpet and vinyl as your reference. This store will provide you a broad opportunity to pick the best option of flooring that you prefer to have. With so many options that they have for each category then you will be able to feel so free to broaden your image.

You can imagine your house to have a warm feeling with carpet as the flooring. And as it has said before, with various kinds of carpets you can take the one that you intend to place in your house. You might wish to have different kinds of floorings combined in your house too. That will be magnificent too if you can figure out what you really want clearly. By having different kinds of flooring in each room then you will be able to get dissimilar impression one to another. You can be skillfully played with the flooring material or even the pattern you have in it. When you have the instinct to pair some flooring materials in one house then you can get your desired appearance there. There is nothing impossible when you have multiple choices to take as floorings. You should also take your house theme into consideration before take any flooring options to perfection your house. That will help your flooring preference to not going to the wrong direction from your house design.

Make Dreamy House Comes True with High Quality Flooring

When you look for a place where you can shop your house’s materials then barnardsflooring-america.com is one of the places where you will get great things there. It is a shop where you can have high quality floorings stored up so that you can pick one of them becomes yours. As you know that when you are making up a house in your imagination and you want to make it to reality then you should work so hard firstly so that at last you can make it just the same as you have imagined it before. If you can have reliable store that can give you high quality things as you references then you can manage to shop your house materials there.

The originality of your house will be able to get when you shop for the materials by yourself and not letting the house designers do it for you. That’s because when you let anyone else does that for you then there will be a chance that they will use the same concept for another house. This will reduce the percentage of your house’s originality by a half and you can’t do your house as you want it before since other people will also have the same as yours this way. If you want to create some distinctions into your house then you have o keep your designs to yourself and make it into reality with your own two hands. By doing this thing, such as to make your house, then you will be able to obtain it without any hassle. In the end you will be able to get a great and marvelous house that you create with your own efforts since you use your imagination to make the design and build it with you as the architect.

Delicious Silk Swags

These assymetric swags really are delicious. Luscious cream colored silk from Bach International. Lined and interlined. Beautiful hardware by Paris, TX. Gold bullion fringe.
And here's the little secret. The whole design was determined by the fact that we didn't want the large dogs to be able to reach the window treatments. An elegant solution to a mundane problem.

Here's the drawing my client found online that we started with:

Lessons from a Model Home

I haven't had a Field Trip Friday in awhile, mostly because I haven't been around too many Fridays. But, on Sunday, I did visit a model home, one of my favorite things to do. To me it ranks right up there with shopping.
Of course, for the last couple of years there have not been as many model homes, as there have not been that many new home sales. In my part of the world, Northern Virginia (and for you out-of-towners, we always differentiate ourselves by saying Northern Virginia - there really should be 2 states - but that is a story for another blogpost)the economy has been bouncing back and we are starting to see a lot more home builder signs. New developments are popping up and some others that weren't quite complete are starting to fill in.
I love all the new ideas I get from my "tours".Plus it is a great way to gauge design and color trends.
I visited Huntleigh at Creighton Farms, which I believe is an Aldie address. The builder is Stanley Martin. Hey, if you are a golfer, they have a really good deal right now. If you buy one of their new homes, they pay the initiation fee for you to join the golf club at Creighton Farms. The clubhouse is nearing completion and it if SOOOOO beautiful. And Aldie is perched on the edge of Virginia Hunt Country. Views of the Blue Ridge Mountains could be seen from the neighborhood.
This particular model was a study in the use of black, white and blue. Really sophisticated. I was only able to take a few photos - and so sorry; as usual with model homes you don't know who the designer is, so I am unable to give credit.

I loved this piece of furniture. If anyone knows where it came from let us all know! This was set up as a casual wine bar. It was also a bit of design strategy. This piece is sitting where your kitchen table would be. See the sunroom/breakfast room on the right of the picture where the table is? That is an optional room, that you would pay extra to get. It certainly made the entire kitchen more grand.
Another view of the wine bar:

Here's the kitchen. Don't you love the mix of black and white cabinetry? You can't see the granite which was beautiful and subtle. I really like the barstools and those nailheads fit the scheme perfectly. Where can I get that gigantic centerpiece with the fake artichokes??

Here is a view of the optional breakfast room and my favorite idea of the day. Look at those XXL boxwood spheres! They are hung from tiny white hooks in the ceiling on fishing line. There is also a huge silver candleabra on the table. By now you may have noticed that most of the accessories and artwork are oversized.

A view of the master bedroom and it's gentle mix of black, whites and gray-blues.
Here's a closeup of the bedroom window treatments. It is hard to see the wallpaper, which was only in the sitting room area, but was so discreet and pretty.

One of the bedrooms, decorated for a child, was cute and introduced a little of the color red. Love the burlap bunnies.

Finally, this triptych of photos that is shown at the beginning of this post is actually hung in the upstairs hallway. A view of the hunt - very Virginia.

Is Curvy Better?

Sometimes, oftentimes, it is better to float your furniture in a room instead of lining it up against all the walls like a doctor's office. I know, sometimes you just don't have the space for that.
Here are some great looking pieces I found when I was researching a curved sofa. Floating a curved sofa is so much more interesting than a straight sofa. And think how much cozier and more "conversational" it looks.

Curvy AND with great legs! This sofa was shown in the Luna Bella showroom at High Point Market.

Curved settee from Schnadig.

From the Charles Ray showroom at High Point Market.

Also from Charles Ray.




These two small pictures are from the Lazar catalog.


And here is one of them in real life - a living room I did with a beautiful view.

More Window Treatments

It was a busy week last week. Lots of design consultations and 2 drapery installations. You have already seen the traditional dining room valance. Here we are in a bedroom.
The homeowner is a fun, spirited woman,who, suddenly finding herself in an empty nest, decided to go for it in terms of fabric choice. We didn't even run it by her husband.

This lovely print is from Kravet. Since no bedding had been chosen yet, we only had a deep green wall color to coordinate with. I am not a huge fan of green, but I liked this one. And although this is a very deep shade,this bedroom had cathedral ceilings so instead of feeling closed in, there was a certain amount of airiness so it was more cozy than claustrophobic.

We installed new pleated shades for light control - and these double honeycomb shades are really insulating. The biggest trick was deciding where to start the shade on the arched window and where to hang the rod with the stationary panels.
Then we matched the height to the side window. That is a little design trick so that your eye travels around the room at the same height. It also visually lengthens the smaller window.

We made a little matching pillow for the bed, but can't show it since we threw it on a bed, that had the old comforter, that didn't go with the new fabric at ALL! What color bedspread would you choose? Lavender, the palest green or yellow matelasse would be nice. But I think a crisp cream duvet cover with an embroidered edge in lavender would be my choice.

Babycakes

I got it for Christmas. It sat in the box for a month. And once I started using it, there was no stopping me.

For friends coming over on Friday I made Apple Cider Donut holes. Those are in the forefront of the picture, under the dome. On Saturday morning, I made French Breakfast Puffs on the green plate in the background. I favored Saturday's version - so much denser and better taste. I think the apple cider gave the donut holes just a little too much kick, although the texture was really light and fluffy.

I had made Cake Pops about a week ago for a party. You call them Cake Pops, but we called them Cake Balls because, face it, that's more fun to say.
The machine comes with recipes which I am working my way through. These are really easy to do.
You just fill the little reservoirs with batter (I use a melon ball scoop)close the lid and cook them for 5-6 minutes.
To buy your very own Babycakes maker,click here ! But don't wait a month to use it once you get it.
Beware! Very addictive! To make AND to eat!

Traditional Valance

Take a pretty blank canvas, add a traditional valance in a traditional print fabric and what do you get? Sounds boring, doesn't it? Keep reading.
My client has trusted me with her window treatments for so long, that now we count houses, not years. This is house #3, downsizing from house #2, which was huge and we worked on about 8 years ago. House #3 is not small at all, but feels that way in comparison.
My client has very traditional taste and a color palette that she chooses not to deviate from, due to so much of her "stuff" purchased within the palette.
We started with a dining room window that already had cafe shutters. She did not want long panels, just a valance. We decided on the valance style pretty quickly. Finding the right print was not so easy.

We finally chose this Duralee print because it had the colors we wanted, plus it coordinated with the fabric we had already used in the living room. You might remember that room from a previous post.
The print in that room was more of an updated traditional, with a younger vibe, that we found at Kravet.
So you see, you don't have to buy your fabrics from the same places for them to play well together.
The client had a rug in the dining room with quite a bit of blue, so to repeat that, we lined the side cascades in the same blue. It stands out quite nicely.
We were also lucky to find this beautiful tassel fringe in red and blue from Stout Brothers.

The whole thing looks soft and pretty and adds a lot of interest to the room, without blocking out more sunlight.

Flower Gift

Here is a Quick and Easy for all you DIY'ers out there.
My friend had some minor surgery and I wanted to take her some flowers. OK, I bought the arrangement at Costco. It was pretty but I am not one to leave well enough alone, so I dolled it up a little.
I liked the square vase. I wrapped it with a piece of burlap ribbon, then topped that with a pink satin ribbon, the color of one of the flowers in the arrangement.

New Furniture I Love

In my studio, we've just started carrying a line of furniture I adore. It is called Caracole. There are some pretty traditional pieces and a few crazy ones. While I love traditional furniture and rooms, I DO love a crazy piece thrown in there.
Here are a few creative pieces that would certainly give your tired rooms a lift!

This is a fun chair in an animal print, but the most important thing to note is that it is 47" tall! That's almost 4 feet tall! That's practically up to my chin!

This pretty sette is really not too far out there, and would fit in so many room styles. Love it's clean lines. While it has the look of a chaise, I wouldn't limit it to a bedroom.

I love this storage piece. There is a bit of a reference to a French piece with the metal "grill" over the doors. In fact, it reminds me of a wine/bookcase I saw in a French themed restaurant the other day:

Look behind both the woman in green and the woman in red. It is hard to see the grill but you get the idea.

Two New Ideas in Kitchen Design

It seems we are all concerned with the state of our kitchens. I am frequently asked questions like,"Are granite countertops still "in"? or "Do I have to replace my appliances with stainless steel?" Some of the questions are motivated by our desire to be on trend, and some are concerns about maintaining the value of one's home.

I LOVE kitchen design. I'm fascinated by all the different finishes, from custom cabinetry, to countertops and appliances. Since I like to cook, I fantasize about all those toys, um, utensils. I visualize a kitchen full of people enjoying good food.


Recently I was in a kitchen appliance showroom, ADU in Chantilly, VA. Here was a cool trend I learned about: glass over stainless! Think about it, stainless appliances have become the standard, but the one issue with them is the maintenance of the stainless front. With glass over stainless, you simply clean it like you would any piece of glass.

This wall oven is by Gaggenau. Inside there was another kitchen trend, that I was told that they have been expecting for awhile. A rotisserie for meat.
Look carefully at the rotisserie inside the bottom oven.
Now, my outdoor grill has a rotisserie and I love using it because you don't have to babysit it while it works. And it is kind of fun. Imagine coming home from a long day away and being able to put some main entree on the rotisserie and let it work while you change clothes and get the rest of the meal ready. What took those appliance people so long? To see a really quick video of the Gaggenau at work (and a sneak peek at the glass over stainless front) click here.
Now, I bet you suddenly have a craving to go buy a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store. While you are driving, think about how much longer you will keep your current oven before you replace it with this one!

smajlis

smajlis

Kitchen Showroom Decorating

Last week I was honored to participate again in the Open House at Kleppinger Design Group in Merrifield, VA. Enjoy this montage of work by other Northern Virginia designers.

The Harvest Touch

Here's a quick little low-cost update I gave to my foyer. On the foyer wall is a wreath of cherubs, made to look like it is carved of wood. I wanted to add a bit of something to reflect the season and came up with using a little berry wreath in Autumn colors inside the larger wreath. I had just hemmed a burlap table skirt and instead of throwing away the piece I cut off, I made a ribbon of it. Then I used the burlap ribbon to hang the small wreath from the larger one. So simple, so pretty.

Movin' & Shakin' Things Up

Oh, how I wish I had taken a before picture!
One of my favorite clients is on her 3rd house, or rather her third house with me! Now with her boys all grown, she and her husband have moved to a lakeside golf community and loving it.
The house was a resale. She liked the layout and even kept some of the paint colors. The house also came with a lot of window treatments that were very nice, but not in her taste. So yesterday we installed new draperies in the living room. What a difference. First of all, the original drapes were a very dark, red faux silk. My client chose a fabric printed with a stylized suzani design, very bold and cheerful. So cheerful, in fact, that when her husband came in and saw the gorgeous treatments at the windows he said, "Wow! That looks SO much better. It looked like a funeral parlor in here before."
Notice the serendipity of the printed pillow on the sofa. I call it the Little Sister print of the drapes. The funny thing is, that pillow matched the drapes in the living room of house #2! The homeowner likes a particular color palette and sticks to her guns! That is one way to keep continuity in your home, whether you move or not.

We kept the hardware from before. The shutters were installed right after my client moved in. The fabric is from Kravet and the trim from Stout Textiles.