So shrew...

Isn't this the designer's plan?  At least it is in Powell Brower Interiors. 

In scouring the latest glossies, I have an aversion to the rooms that have all the trends in one room...so overkill, so impersonal, so 'retail' looking.  Opt for:

simple & understated

clients own collections

personal touches

antiques, heirlooms 

lived-in look

fresh & up-to-date

{pet friendly}

Enjoy the process!

Pinned Project Loves

I keep an eye out for great solutions to decorating dilemmas. 

 How about the bulky cord-under-the-carpet problem?

1

I have alot of mid century teak furniture that has a veneer that is in need of reconditioning. I tried this and it works! Vinegar helps to remove musty odors from old wood and the eraser acts like steel wool. Amazing! 

2

Are your boots crumpled at the bottom of your closet or folded over and out of shape? Try screwing cupholders into the cedar boot trees and hanging them!

3

Something as simple as rubbing a walnut on dings in wood!

4

My son and his GF hate their cabinets in their apt. and want to cover them.. Try starch on fabric and ironing for easy removal!

5

I'd love to know of any dilemma tips or shortcuts you might have! Have a great week!

Smoke and Mirrors

Another tip we find ourselves doling out is to use mirrors to add light and bounce it around.

I always wonder if people think we're vain.  We use mirrors everywhere.

In my western-facing, low-light bedroom, I placed my mirrors behind the nightstand lamps, to amplify the light.  I even added mirrored chests underneath the lamps to hyperboost the light.  It works!

Do you use mirrors more than the occasional sunburst?  

Right Angles

I want to sincerely thank everyone for the outpouring of support I received after my post on Tuesday.  Putting it out there was so uneasy for me (will I be judged, will they think I am fishing for compliments, self-doubt -  all of those things go through your mind).  You made me feel empowered and certainly energized to keep going.  Thank you.

After a recent trip to visit a client, I noticed a particular 'tip' that Mom and I often give that keeps emerging as we visit more and more homes.  We often tell our clients to soften all of the right angles in a room by adding oval or circular elements.

via

Unless you live in a turret, most rooms are comprised of right angles.  When you add in furniture and soft goods, it usually adds to more right angles.  A rectangular TV, rug or sofa, a square coffee table or side table, a blocky media console, and certainly frames and millwork on the walls... they are all so angular.  It can do a number on the eye when just following only angles through a room. Adding curvilinear or round elements can really give the eye a break and soften the feel of a square or rectangular room.

If your sofa is a big rectangle, flanked by square end tables - try an oval coffee table.  A drum shade or round light fixture on the ceiling will also soften the edges in a room.

via

via

If you have a lot of art on the walls and very straight-lined furniture, try a French-style settee or a demilune accent table. And certainly Reason 102 that gourd lamps are so popular - their organic shape can really accent a room.

via

You might think this is pointing out the obvious but you'd be amazed at how many pictures you'll now notice with only right angles!

Do you have a lot of right angles in your home?

Decorating Styles PART V: Updating any Style

Decorating Styles 

    by Powell Brower Home 

During the last few days, Mom has covered a host of different styles.  We've covered Traditional, Contemporary, Eclectic and Country.  This theme could continue for weeks - getting more granular with Coastal, Vintage, Bohemian and everything in between.  But that's going too far down the rabbit hole   I'd like to wrap this up and talk about how all of these themes blend into personal style. Any one of these attributes can personalize your look:

The most popular styles today seem to be transitional and eclectic.  Less of a commitment to one particular style over another and more friendly towards blending different styles.  Our friendster and taste-maker Christine of the glamorous Bijou and Boheme aptly said she despised the word eclectic.  We really associated with that comment, not because we despise the word, but because I feel like we limit ourselves when we label everything.

Boho Chic.  Vintage Modern.  Modern English (no wait, that's a band).  Rustic Traditional.  Farmhouse Glam.  Tailored Coastal. Equestrian Prep

The funny thing is, with ubiquity of blogs and the affordability the DIY scene has provided, almost all styles nowadays are collected, contrived, mixed and eclectic at some level.  Craigslist and eBay makes high-style accessible.  The world is adapting a varied style and we, as evolved human beings, are less likely to follow one style 'blindly'.  We appreciate more, we like a variety of things and we break rules.  Decorating rules can be outdated, just like the no-white after Labor Day rule!  Specifically the rule about not mixing finishes or old with new.  Some rules beg to be broken. Lonny did a great article on which rules to break here.  One of the telltale signs of someone who is timid in design is matchy-matchy.  It shows a lack of individuality to their decor.

Popular designers like Nate Berkus and Emily Henderson have made their names by popularizing a collected look on the average wo[man's] salary. Mom recently quoted a super-poignant article pointing out that America hasn't been this obsessed with decor since the 1950's. When women primped and fluffed their homes and spent their days making it suitable for receiving company.  But design is more affordable and approachable than it's ever been.

We are here because we love style.  We constantly hone our own style.  And we appreciate the style of many different categories.  We're in the midst of a movement focused on mixing old and new and the voyage to find one's personal style.  This personalization movement even carries over to food.  The emphasis being put on buying local and buying handmade.  Even fair-trade.  A deeper connection to our nourishment and surroundings and an appreciation for unique.

              Part V: Updating any style

Have you ever walked into a home and thought "Oh my God, this home is decorated to the nine's.  But probably about 10 years out of date."  We can really appreciate the time and effort that went into feathering a nest, but everyone needs a little updating now and then.

One of the best ways to do that is by researching and implementing current color schemes.  

The addition of relevant fabrics will dial up any room to current almost immediately. Pillows are the easiest thing to add!

Paying attention to trends in metal hardware.  Just about five years ago, the decor world heaved a sigh of relief when they finally finished updating all of the shiny golden brass fixtures to stainless steel and brushed nickel.  But knock knock, it's BAAAAACK!  This time the focus is on the less in-your-face polished brass finish and more of it's subtle cousin, brushed brass or gold tones.  It can be exhausted to keep up, not to mention bank-breaking.  

Jewelry and accessories will always bring a simple black dress up to date like adding luxe finishes will do.  Some glass tile here, new lighting or some stylish mirrors there will really play it up.

But above all else, be true to what you like when you attempt to update your home.  Real Simple put out a great article about looking for a unifying theme in the things you already have and making it work.

Now that your brains are sufficiently fried - happy weekend to you all!

-Bethany

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Looking for help with your home? We have consulting services starting at $50. Contact us today for information.

A brief primer on paint

Painting is like a drug.  It's addicting.  When you start painting one thing, you want to paint more things.  I'm starting to feel less enthusiastic towards paint due to the number of projects I'm juggling simultaneously that involve it.


Mom and I spent countless hours at the local hardware store Sunday morning picking out paints for the One Room Challenge.  From my other dissertations on paint, you must know that I'm a bit of a paint nazi.  I won't say 'snob' because it's not about name brands or price.  It's about finding a color that conveys on the walls as it does on the chip.   If you aren't a total spaz or didn't envelope yourself in the art education track, you may not be as fussy about tones, hues and shades as I am.

Fact:

I abhor paint. The aforementioned drug reference is oh-so-true for me, especially as I go from brand to brand hoping to find my  fix.  When I tested out Sherwin Williams/Duron paint after many botched projects with Behr, it was like a beacon of shining light. An upgraded seat on your flight.

When the color I chose for my guest room remodel turned out to be Benjamin Moore, I tracked it down at said hardware store and gave it a whirl.  This time, it was like going from a good, solid Japanese-made sedan to a maneuverable European sportscar.  It came out like mousse in the paint tray and went on like butter.  We went with the mid-grade petrol of Ben's lines and were super happy with the result.  The coverage is remarkable and the $15 increase from the mid-grade at Sherwin Williams was well worth it. 


Here's the thing:
Everything in life has a scale.  There's always an economy class and a first class within almost any category of things in life.  Cars, plane tickets and paint.  
If you are happy running up to your corner home improvement store and getting a can of paint for a project, go right for it.  There's no right or wrong.  If you're happy with it, there's no reason to change.

If you are looking for a professional finish and immediate, mind-numbingly thick coverage, you're not going to get it there.  If you are extremely picky about what actually comes out of the can and goes onto your walls, their paint isn't always true to form.


You can spend $15, $30, $50 and upwards of $80 on a gallon of paint, but as with most things in life, you get what you pay for.


The best example I can give is Mom's kitchen.  Ten years ago, she decided to personify her love for blue and white porcelain on the walls of her kitchen.  She choose an intense royal blue from our local chain store and went to work.  One coat of primer and seven coats of blue paint later, you can still see some streaks on her walls if you know what you're looking for.  And what a labor of love.  Luckily for her, her love for blue transcends most of the trends, but we both rue the day she decides to get rid of it.


Yesterday, we painted my builder's grade matte finish walls with B. Moore's midgrade paint (about $35 more than a can of the other stuff) and got full coverage and deep color in one coat. The difference in the texture and the viscosity of their paint is better, but their richness in the finish is what was the kicker for me.


Just like switching to Yves St. Laurent make-up, I was hesitant to do it because I knew there might now be any turning back.  I will hold off on Farrow & Ball for the same reason.


There are always a million rules you can follow while painting.  And if you listen to all of them, they just start to contradict each other. My advice is to break them all.  If you want to put a signature on something, do what makes you feel good.  Like white after Labor Day… hello… winter white…  

See what I mean?  Rules are meant to be broken.

Two unrelated observations:

#1 - You must never wear perfume or a sports bra into a home improvement store unless seeking a husband. 

#2 - 'You can do it, we don't help' is not the way of the local hardware store.  Much more helpful and knows a thing or two about your project.

-Bethany

If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you! Contact us for a listing of our services and prices. 

 Nancy and Bethany

the holy trinity

Have you ever heard someone talking about something they want to do to their home and you cringe?  I often think my friends think I'm off my rocker when I talk about the outlandish things I want to do to my home.  But if you are a risk-taker, then just go for it and go all the way.  If you aren't, stick to your safe-ground and don't push the envelope. Half-assing it ('scuse my French) will always show.  Do what makes you feel good, and is within your comfort zone.  But if you are looking to make your mark, put all your chips in!

Where people get into trouble is taking some risks in an otherwise low-risk environment. The lack of confidence in their risk will always show through.  The wrong piece of stylized furniture in an otherwise Pottery Barn house.  Or a bad paint color with really classic or traditional furniture. 

There are some rules of thumb to keep in mind when looking to make an impact in your home.  Remember Mom's post on the BRAGG theory?  There are some elements that make or break a room.  We call them the Holy Trinity.  I know, I know… it's just decorating.  But these things can really make you say 'oh my GOD' when done right.

First up - LIGHTING.

This is true of all of these categories, but lighting is especially worthy of spending a bit more money to get just what you want.  Even if it means making sacrifices in the budget for other areas, lighting is supremely important.  Lighting is one of those things that can be extremely costly,  especially if you have a lot of fixtures to replace.  But choosing impactful lighting will increase the allure of your space arguably more than any other element of decor.

Jan Showers is famous for her murano lamps and fabulous lighting in her interiors

Numero dos - RUGS.

So many crazes out there like over-dyed or the Beni Oushak trend.  But whatever you are into, spend a little bit more to get a quality rug.  It will make all the difference in the way it 'wears' and how much impact it has in a space.  Poor quality rugs shed and pill and show wear much easier than ones designed to weather the test of time. And one of the biggest mistakes I see people make with rugs is SRS.  Small Rug Syndrome.  We all make this mistake at some point.  And after a while, it nags at you that none of the corners meet the furniture or the walls and eventually you bite the bullet and upgrade to the bigger rug.  There are far too many 5 x7 and 6 x9 rugs in large lofty living rooms. And maybe that's a function of the number of those size rugs being sold in the big-box stores.  The pocketbook takes a huge hit on a custom or large room rug, but just make sure your rug grounds your room and fills the space its meant for. 

                   Lastly, CHAIRS.

Occasional chairs and dining chairs are some of the most sat in when company calls.  They are also the most noticeable.  And there's nothing worse than an uncomfortable chair.  Saving your pennies for a few more months will be well worth it in the long run when you avoid the Ikea chairs and splurge on the real hardwood framed chairs.  I regret my Ikea Parsons-esque dining chairs every night while we eat dinner.  They always creak and shift and the legs often loosen. Oddly though, the Lucite Ikea chairs I have intermixed are not as bad as the cheap softwood Henriksdal chairs we also have.  A chair is all about sitting.  Sitting should be comfortable.  Not rickety or unstable.  

And when you have all three elements together… BLAM.  There's your impact!

Do you have purchases that you regret not spending a little more on? 

-Bethany

FOR SALE!

Happy Monday blogosphere!  Hope you had a great weekend.

As our site goes through changes and we continue to push content every day I don't want to overlook our initial mission - which is to provide an online marketplace to buy, sell and swap fine furnishings for the frequent redecorator.

We've all made a purchase that was trendy or that we never were totally in love with, and a year later, there it sits in the basement or the garage.  

Don't you ever wonder if someone else may be looking for just that thing?

Chances are YES.

And one [wo]man's trash is another [wo]man's treasure.  

Better yet, one woman's mistake is another woman's dream.

We're sort-of like:

So if you have items you are tired of in your home, or are considering changing around one of your rooms, we'd like to offer you a channel to sell your goods to other frequent redecorators.

Last week we sold two items.  But we're running thin on our own items to list.  And as we gain traffic and exposure, our site will be a great place to advertise some items you simply can't afford to store or value too much to just give away.

Contact us today for rates and details!   Bethany.Brower@gmail.com

Lesson Learned: Sofas

Bryn's recent post inspired some introspection on my first big sofa purchase last year.  And while not regretting it one bit, I learned some valuable lessons about furniture.  I now know what I will avoid next time:

Down-wrapped cushions and loose back pillows.

Next time [wait, how many chances do you get at this?  I'm pretty sure buying a new custom sofa every few years isn't in the cards] I want a tight-back sofa; no detached pillows on the back to mess with and no down to refluff.

I love down.  But next time, I'll re-up on the down comforter instead.  The down feather fill in my seat cushions and back pillows is super cloud-like and was just what we wanted when looking for the perfect 'sink into' feel.  But in real everyday life, it's not practical.   Our couch sits in our living room, which also functions as the family room and dining room in our small cottage.  It gets a lot of action.  And I have a husband and a bulldog who love nothing more than to lounge away on said couch.  This makes for serious migraines when primping the area because the cushions flatten and sag.

Our first sofa is still the most expensive piece of furniture I have purchased to-date.  And it was well worth it.  We had the fabric custom ordered which tacked on a few clams, too.   Leather would've been the smartest choice for my household, but I couldn't get past the initial chilly shock when you sit on it.  My second choice would've been a neutral danish linen, but knowing my bulldog and husband, I'm sure it would have stains before it came through the door.  I ended up with a gray herringbone suede that I am crazy about.  It's very durable and heavier than a cotton or linen and I love the pattern in it.  I have never been a fan of anything microfiber, and the suede can be a bit reminiscent of that, but either way, I love it.  And knowing what I know now, I'd take a poly-blend or down-wrap on the cushions and attached or no back cushions at all, because of the frequency which I have to rotate everything around to wear evenly.

And, while we're on the subject…

I like to think sofas come in three distinct categories.

1- inexpensive

2 - moderate

3 - custom


The first category really describes what you can get from any large retailer that specializes in bulk furniture.  Around here we have Room Store, Value City and Ikea.  Despite the low price, these goods seem to hold up reasonably well with normal use.  These are perfect buys for folks just starting out or on a budget, but the quality is generally compromised.  The cushions are typically filled with a poly-foam or stuffing and the frame is not benchmade and is made of soft woods.  The leather options tend to be dominated by bonded leathers versus real hides. Not a bad investment if you only plan on having it for a couple of years and you can certainly find imitations of current styles.  Plan to find a sofa around $500.  This is your economy car class.

#2.  These stores include Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Room & Board and many other well-known names.  The quality is pretty good and you're still going to pay about $1500 for your seat. They have sofas that are available either immediately or by delivery and you can generally choose from 5-10 colorways and fabrics per design on their stock models.  Many of these stores also offer the option to choose your own fabric, for anywhere from $500-1000 more and about a 4 - 8 week lead time.  These sofas are usually benchmade and have solid coil structure and hardwood frames that are often kiln dried for extra durability.  Many people opt for this variety due to quickness from store to home and the variety of customizable options.  The quality is good and will last for about 10 years or so, depending on use.  These are your Hondas and Toyotas of the sofa world.

Lastly, we have the custom category.  The European driving machine of sofas.   These bad boys will run anywhere from $4000 and up.  They are the best quality you can buy and will last a lifetime if you so desire.  When you make an investment like that, go for strong bones and classic style so you can reupholster or recover when the trends change.  High-quality custom craftsmen like Lee Industries and Hickory Chair make phenomenal seats and have the best names in the industry because of their durability, classic design and custom options.  You can pick or provide virtually any fabric you can dream up and have just about any kind of welt, piping, trim or nailhead added or removed.

They all look the same right?  That's why no option is right or wrong.  It's all about where you are in your life and your current phase of decorating.  You buy what suits your home and your family.  If it gets no use and you need a simple white couch, who cares if it's from Ikea.  But if you plan to buy a nice piece of furniture that will last through the trends and as your tastes change, go get your Lee.  Personally, I can barely commit to a career for ten-plus years, much less a couch so I doubt a Lee is in my future.  But if I think about my dream couch, it's probably a navy velvet tight-back with an English roll-arm or the perfect distressed saddle leather Chesterfield.

-Bethany