Sunday, April 15, 2012

What you should never say to your living room furniture: "Everyone up against the wall."


I am always somewhat bemused and slightly bewildered walking into a client’s home for an initial consultation when I see every single piece of their living room furniture pressed up against the walls.  I always wonder if a hoedown has occurred and I have not been invited.  I am teasing, but there does seem to be a common misconception out there about how to arrange furniture.

Flip through any shelter magazine and you will see pleasing arrangements of sofas, chairs and occasional tables within arms reach of one another.  Frequently entire compositions are put in the center of a room, which in decorator jargon is called “floating” the furniture.  Then the wall space can be freed up for tall bookcases or hutches and side tables to hold lamps.  The key is to place your sofas and chairs along with the occasional tables that make up a grouping close enough together that your guests do not have to shout at one another to be heard.  You want to create a comfortable room that invites you to come in, sit down and have a chat.

Every room has its own geometry but there is a guiding principle to start with and that is to find the focal point of the room and arrange your seating towards it.  A focal point could be tied to the architecture, like a fireplace or window with a stunning view, or it can be a dramatic piece like a marvelous hutch. Use your imagination in creating a focal point thinking of it as the star of the room.

Before rearranging your furniture ponder what you are actually going to do in the living room.  If you are going to spend a lot of time reading then make sure you have a comfortable chair and good reading light.  If your family watches TV, accommodate this activity in the most aesthetically pleasing way as possible. Perhaps a flat screen TV surrounded by a built in bookcase to the right of the fireplace would do the trick and keep the focus in the same direction as the main architectural element.

Another good trick is to throw a party and observe your guests for clues as they move chairs closer together and find places to put down their drinks.  This will give you tremendous insight into the function of the room and will give you some guidance on the changes that need to be made.

And if you are planning on dancing at one of your parties then by all means push the furniture out of the way temporarily and go for it. You can rearrange it in the morning.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Selecting paint colors. When art meets science.


Peel back the layers of any wall and I am sure you will find a few mistakes in the selection of paint colors.  Even experts, on occasion, select the wrong shade now and then.  Let’s find out about the science of paint so that we have more confidence in selecting “mistake-proof” colors for your home. 

What’s in that paint can anyway? Paint is made from four components: pigments to give the paint color; solvents to make it easier to apply; resins to help it dry; and additives for fillers and antifungicidal agents.  While the basic white pigment is titanium dioxide, the whitest material known to exist on Earth, other colors are made from natural and synthetic pigments such as iron oxide for reds, metallic salts for yellows and iron blue for blues.

Did you ever wonder why you have to apply more than two coats with less expensive paint?  It’s because cheap paint has more solvents per volume and therefore less pigment and resins than better quality paint. You are applying more water, which evaporates and leaves less pigment behind.  In the end, you may not be saving as much money as you thought because you will need more product and it will take twice as long.

Another factor to consider is the number of colorants in paint. Most paint makers use 12 colorants but superior paint manufacturers create paint with more colorants, which gives an intense saturation rate creating deeper hues.  This creates complex colors that vary all day long with the changing light of the room, making for a very interesting visual experience. 

Most important of all when selecting paint, bring your swatches into the room that is being painted to see the color in the actual light.  According to Mya Kagan, a color expert: “Color is the way our eyes interpret the energies contained within a beam of light! When light touches an object, some of these energies are absorbed and others are reflected back. It’s the energies that are reflected which your eyes collect and then interpret as a specific color.”  Doesn’t that sound magical?  That is why your paint chip will look different in the store, under fluorescent lights, than it will in your home.  Another common mistake is evaluating the color on one of those multi-colored strips from the paint store. It is best to cut away the chip you are interested in and look at it on its own, because it will be influenced by the company it keeps.

I realize that this has barely scratched the surface on the story of paint but perhaps knowing a bit about the science behind such a common household product will demystify it and lead to a less frustrating experience in the paint store.

TURTLES carry their homes on their backs.


My mother-in-law and her best friend recently set out on an epic journey to visit all 50 states of this great country. They are traveling in a red Honda CRV named Gypsy. This winter they will complete their journey with a trip to Hawaii, I guess saving best for last.

Let me back up a bit to say that when they announced to their family and friends that they were selling their homes and most of their earthly possessions, moving what was left to storage and hitting the open road, not many of us really thought it would happen.  You see my mother-in-law’s house in Burlington was dubbed “Grammy Land” by her grandchildren who astutely surmised that they could get away with just about anything once they crossed the magical threshhold of Grammy’s kingdom.  It was filled with sugary breakfast treats, toys and children’s books aplenty and late night movie watching marathons complete with all the popcorn they could eat.  The walls were lined with the family story in photos and the cupboards were filled with a treasure trove of cups, saucers and dishes collected over a lifetime.  Christmas was when Grammy’s house really shone, decorated with reckless abandon that made even Macy’s envious.

The debate among the siblings, whispered quietly in the hallway outside of the kitchen, ranged from disbelief to a dawning awareness that they were actually serious about this little adventure.  I bought them a book on weather patterns that year at Christmas in the hopes that they would read it cover to cover to learn about the danger signs for storms.  Looking slightly quizzical, they politely thank me.

It took Mom and Sue about a year to sell both houses, time they used wisely to plan their route and stock up on provisions for a life on the road. They bought a new computer and started a blog to post photos so that their families could stay connected while tracking their slow crawl across the country.  They set up a deliberate routine to handle the change of a different motel room each night.  Their car became the most important possession they owned, treating her like royalty, stopping often for full body tune ups.  Mostly, they had each other to share the day with and to plan tomorrow’s adventure.
 It has taken them two years to complete their 50 state journey.  They tell us they are seeing the world with different eyes after all they have experienced.  We asked them if they are ready to settle down now.  Looking at each other, in low tones they mumble something about their curiosity in our Canadian neighbor to the north.

Here they go again!