Ten years ago, I saw a lamp in a catalog and liked it enough to order it.  It arrived as I was moving into my new home…without opening it, I put the box aside and promptly forgot about it!  Several weeks later the box reappeared…I got excited and ripped it open, anxious to see a newly found treasure!  I pulled out the lampshade first…I can’t tell you how dismayed I was, because I really and truly hated it!  My thought was…maybe it would look better on the lamp and proceeded to attach the shade to the lamp.  Still hated it!  The problem now was, too much time had passed for me to return it…I was stuck with an ugly lampshade and lamp.  Packed it back up…stored away until I would have that good intentioned garage sale…which never happened!

Five years later, I needed a lamp for my home office…I remembered the packed lamp and pulled it out again.  Still hated the shade (it was gray with black fuzzy designs on it…major dust catcher).  However, this time I had an extra shade that was just plain, boring white…put it on the lamp.  I stand back…discover I like the lamp, which I hadn’t noticed before because I had been so distracted by the shade!  How did I not realize the shade should be a focal accessory to the lamp and the room!  An epiphany moment for me!!  I also discovered how easy it is to make a plain, boring white shade more fun and interesting…with minimal cost!

The moral to the story is, lampshades are an important accessory…be more attentive to its size, shape, texture, color and potential for customizing.   

Here are some tips on shopping for that great lampshade:

1) It is generally accepted that a round lamp base looks best with a round shade, square with square…etc.  This is an area I encourage thinking outside the box!  Play around with other shapes…my favorite shape is the drum, because it is sleek, simple and provides a lot of light.

2) The height of the shade should be 1/3 to 1/2 the height of the lamp…the widest part of the lampshade, measured at the bottom of the shade, should not be more than 2” wider than the base width.  To simplify...your lamp is 24" from bottom of the base to the top of the finial, which means the shade should be 8" (1/3 of 24") to 12" (1/2 of 24").   The best method to determine if the shade is the right size is...step back and look at it…does it look good?

This Works!
AB Home



Too Big!
AB Home

 

3) Choose a lampshade that fits with its function in the room.  Round/drum or barrel shades disperse a lot of light in all directions.  Ribbed/rectangle/bell shapes will push light down to a focused area.


Ribbed Bell Shade

Real simple

              



Drum Shade

 Channel 4

                            


4) Choose a color that compliments your décor…see above.

5) Remember, I am not a clean freak…however, lampshades collect dust easily, plus certain textures can be more difficult to keep clean.  Just saying….

I’m thinking my next blog will be about how to personalize your lampshade!  I love it when I have an excuse to pull out all my fringe, sparkles and glue gun!!  What do you think…or, better yet, do you have pictures to share of your own custom shades?! 

See, even just a lampshade can turn your home into a place…where Design meets your LifeStyle.

Talk soon…Laura

Alright, you have decided you want to add an accent wall to your home, you have even decided which wall or walls.  Now, you must decide what kind of color statement you desire…dramatic, soothing, subtle, cozy or spacious?  This is where the difficult decisions start rearing their ugly heads and only the brave will go to the next step.  As I mentioned in my last Blog…take a really good analytical look at your room.  What are the rest of the colors you are using in the room?  Does it have a lot of natural light?  What is your family’s LifeStyle in the room?
Here are a few tips about the effect of color in your room and your lifestyle…

Dark tones will usually bring the wall in…can make the room feel smaller or cozy…depending on your perspective.  Darker tones will also add more drama to your space.  I must also warn you…if you live in an area as dusty as the Phoenix area…the dust will show on these walls for sure.  My master bedroom that I painted burgundy needed to be dusted frequently…and to be honest, I am not a clean freak.  If I noticed that the color lacked vibrancy…it was time to dust!  Another FYI…the darker tones will also show mistakes and nicks…so if you have a toddler riding their tricycle in the room…you may want to reconsider using a dark color.  Just saying!

Lighter tones will typically make the space look more spacious…brighter.  These tones are usually more forgiving of mistakes or dings and the dust isn’t as obvious.

I suspect, because I have lived the majority of my life in the Southwest and see brown/beige all around, I want to use deep…jewel colors in my home.  I am not afraid to really make a dramatic statement…again, remember…it is just paint!

So, let's say you have decided to paint the wall a sage green…a safe mid-range color.  Now, I am picturing you standing in front of the paint chip displays at Home Depot or Lowe’s…who knew how many shades of sage green there are?!!  Remember when I mentioned this was not for the faint of heart?!  Also, do you remember what I have talked about before concerning cool and warm tones…well, this is when you will use that information.  Hopefully, by now, you have decided which direction you lean…cool or warm.  Again, in my case, I prefer cool tones (no yellow undertones)…which means I will only look at the cool toned sage greens.  I strongly suggest you don’t confuse yourself by wavering and considering all sage greens…if you do this, I guarantee you will overwhelm yourself and will give up on the whole project!  It may take awhile, but if you can narrow your preference colors to 3 or 4...that would be outstanding!  If you get stumped between some colors…ask yourself, “which do I like the least?”…I have no clue why, but this question helps eliminate colors faster than “which do I like the best“.

Light Sage Green w/Warm Tone

Sage Green w/Cool Tone

Darker Sage Green w/Warm Tone

Ok…now you are down to your 3 or 4 favorites…go to the nice paint person and order  a sample.  I love that most paint stores now sell very small containers of paint samples…for $5.00 or less!  If you aren’t already at Lowe’s…go there and ask where they have the cut 2x2 drywall pieces for sale (I know for a fact they sell these…not sure about HD).  I would purchase one for each color you are considering…BTW, if you don’t have primer at home…get some.

At home…prime, then paint one or two coats of color on each board.  FYI…number each paint container…then the back of each board with the corresponding number.  I say this, because one time I forgot to do this…then once dried I couldn’t remember which sample went with which board!! 
Boards are now dry…take them to the room you will be using the accent color, lean them on the selected wall.  The object of this exercise…is to see all the colors in the room during the morning, noon and night.  The lighting in your room will change all day long and the only way to know which color you can really live with, is to see it at different times of the day.  When you look at all your choices…once again, ask “which do I like the least?”  This process of elimination may take a few days and some patience.  It will all work towards a successful end result…an accent wall that you will Love!  Now…roll up your sleeves and start to paint!!!!

I hope that over the last few weeks you have been inspired to transform your home into a place ...where Design meets your LifeStyle.

Take care...Laura

Let’s revisit our discussion about the use of color…I am frequently asked about painting accent walls.  I love the idea of making a strong, confident color statement in your home!! Especially, since most of us over use “beige”.  I have often told my clients “don’t Beige yourself into Boredom!“  This happens in your home purely by accident, the reason being almost everyone is afraid to make a bold color commitment.  The result being…beige on beige with a little more beige as an accent…uh huh.

So, let’s think outside that beige box!  Take a look at the room you would like to add a “Pop” (I hate it when I use cliché terms like this!) of color…frequently, it will be the room in which we spend the most time…such as the living or family room.  Ask, what color will enhance your furnishings and accessories?  Really pay attention to the “color” you repeat the most often in your room.  In my case…that color would be burgundy, it is in my throw pillows, candles and artwork…I think I really love burgundy!  My next questions would be…do I  love this color enough and do I have the courage to go with such a bold color?  In my case, that would be a yes!  My theory is, really and truly it is just paint!  If, afterwards, it’s discovered it was a huge mistake…don’t panic…paint over it!!!  I have actually had to do this recently, my son and I painted his daughter’s room a “soft” green…then we discovered it wasn’t so soft.  Oops!  So, we repainted it a lovely yellow…problem solved.

It‘s time to determine which wall or walls to paint.  Hmmm…this could be a challenge, because the wall/walls chosen will be the focal point in the room.  The decision to paint 1 versus 2 walls in a room depends on a couple of thoughts…is it a dramatic effect desired (1 wall), or is the aspiration to “accent” all the tones in the room?  This decision will also depend on the size of the room.  For example…my personal preference in a large space, such as a Family Room, is to choose 2 walls that are connected.  Especially if the room has high ceilings…it can handle a bold color statement.  In a large room…to my eye, if only 1 wall has an accent color its like a postage stamp on a white envelope, it will pop out, but does it look like it belongs there?  The goal is for the accent color to look like it belongs with the rest of the room, not just a “pop” of color.  However, in a smaller room such as the master bedroom…1 accent wall may be a better decision.  Again…it all goes back to what the desired effect is!  I‘ll let you in on something, in one of my homes, I painted all 4 of my bedroom walls burgundy...loved it!!


As a side note, I prefer keeping the baseboards and ceilings an off white, this gives a crisp look to the room.  Swiss Coffee is my white of choice. 

　


I have much more to share on this subject, but I am going to save it for the next blog.  I hope this will inspire you to add some color in your own home.  Now to decide on what color that will be?!  Check back next week when I continue my mission of helping you create a home...where Design meets your LifeStyle.

Talk soon, Laura