Filed under: 1 | Tags: advice, color, confidence, fun, interior decoration, re-model, style
Just sitting around tonight, thinking about the changes I am making to my house. It got me to thinking about an article on color in the home that I read this week.
It was chock full of conventional wisdom (soothing blues in the bedroom, fun yellows in the bath, etc.) I think it was meant to make people feel comfortable about adding splashes of color to their interiors.
I deal with women terrified of color on a daily basis. Take my mother for example: She told me about how she wanted to add some color and fun to the guest bedroom she was re-doing. The room is now black and white with a lime green ribbon on one pillow. Ooh! Exciting color, Mom!
I don’t mean to make fun, I just wanted to illustrate the general mindset among those who adhere to a more traditional school of room design. It seems to me sometimes that they float around in a sea of beige!
Don’t be afraid! Break the rules! While paint costs more than it used to, it can still be the cheapest room makeover around. Try just adding it to one wall; the whole room does not have to be marigold to make a statement.
And as far as color psychology is concerned, adhere to your own psychology as opposed to some general rule. Yes, red is a strong and powerful color. But if it makes you feel sexy and you love what it does to the way the light hits your skin, slap some on your bedroom wall(s)! The right shade can make for a vibrant kitchen, a mellow sitting room, or a relaxing bath.
Try painting only your baseboards and windows. You can always paint over it if you don’t like it! Or, for the more faint of heart, buy some large canvases and paint them in the color you want to experiment with. Then hang them like an installation (try behind your bed or maybe on the wall behind the sofa in the living room, even the ceiling) for a pop of color that is anything but a commitment.
The point is, you spend a huge part of life in your home — have fun with it, experiment! Color is an easy way to do just that. Don’t be afraid! You don’t have to be a designer or have an “eye” for design to know what makes you feel good, confident and happy. Take your house and use some color to make it YOURS!
Filed under: 1 | Tags: art, color, custom furniture, fun, love it, vintage-modern
I would love to use this as a palette for a living room/ den. There is just something haunting in the way he uses color. Imagine those blues in fabrics… And the painting itself, by Leonid Afremov, is like a window into another world.
This is too cool. It is an art photo by Chema Madoz, but it is also a great idea for an old chair. Take a traditional chair, re-upholster the seat in some fabulous fabric, steal dad’s suspenders and apply. I would think you could use several methods to adhere the suspenders. One way might be to use drawer pulls, they come in an amazing variety — not counting the ones that can be rescued from old furnishings.
And I leave it at that!
This is beyond fabulous. Found this on ooh-shiny.net while listening to Billy Idol. I call that a moment, folks. Imagine what this could do to your dining room? Or bedroom? Or man-cave?
Filed under: 1 | Tags: CarpetWorld, decor, interior decoration, interior design, new project, re-model, rural living, style
Starting sometime this weekend, I will be posting pics of a project we have going on at Paris Landing, TN. It was a start from scratch sort of thing. Picture a basically empty house and a beige microfiber sofa.
So far, we have sent about 3 truckloads of fabulous and the head designer and shop owner of CarpetWorld have worked their fannies off. The whole process will be up from start to finish.
If you have ever wondered what it would be like to take an empty house and make it a stylish home in about 48 hours, you should check back and take a gander!
Filed under: 1 | Tags: frustration, furniture, home decor, interior design, rant, recession
I work in the design/home furnishings industry. Right now, with the housing market being what it is, my job is to grab any apple I can off of an increasingly threadbare tree.
People do not seem to get it: right now is the time to buy that sofa/bedroom suite/ floor covering/whatever that they’ve been considering. An item that cost $3000 last year can be bought for $1999 this year — even though retailer costs are higher. Interior designers are so desperate for work that you can usually get at least one free walk-through to get your home priorities in order. That, in and of itself, can save a customer a bundle. It is common practice right now at CarpetWorld.
Add to these facts that in the current trends in design, there really is no right or wrong! People seem to be afraid of making choices, yet there are no rules right now aside from the basic rules of common sense (example: I wouldn’t spend money on a delicate designer piece if I had 3 kids under 10 years of age.)
I could talk about “hot colors” or the great new contemporary looks in chairs, but all of that is nearly meaningless if people are too afraid to invest their money in the home they live in day-in and day-out. Besides, now the hottest thing going is that things shouldn’t match; blend any styles you want; and the hot color schemes change at a rate of approximately 5 times as fast as any soul would redecorate.
Of course, this is just a rant. And I know that my sentiments have a great deal of company in the industry. It is a frustrating time. People are still buying, and people still want to be proud of a home that they feel comfortable and happy in. Its just that those people are fewer and farther between.
In closing: BOO on recessions and housing market melt-downs! Oh, and if you are interested in seeing what someone is doing to a new home right now, check the Works in Progress page in the coming days. We have a lakehouse project in the works (and it has been a workout!) that I will be posting on as soon as I have the pictures to get online.
FABRIC!
Whether you are talking about clothes, curtains, bedspreads or sofas, it can be your most important choice. Often, it is tempting to forgo quality for a funky color or pattern, or just to save a few bucks.
However, the quality of your fabric is one of the most easily noticed markers of the quality of your piece (of clothes, furniture, etc.) Not only that, it can make all the difference in the world in the durability of the item as well. So, here are a few things to look for when choosing your upholstery materials:
1. Appropriateness: Yeah, that silk dupioni is stunning. It is sure to turn heads, and all your friends will know you paid a mint for the chair it will be applied to. But suddenly you have a chair that you are afraid to sit in — and forget about kids, guests, and pets! Now if you want an art piece instead of a piece of furniture, go ahead. If you actually like to use your furniture, pay attention to the wearability rating on the swatch. Quality, beauty, and durability do not have to be mutually exclusive. Save the dupioni for the drapes in the guest room!
2. Feel: Seems like it would go without saying… But how many times have you tested how a swatch of fabric feels on the back of your bare thigh? Not to suggest doing anything, um, unsanitary with the materials, but be realistic. You are not always going to be clothed from head to toe on your sofa. Some gorgeous materials are not much fun to sit on in a nightgown! Test them on the soft parts of your skin (think throat, inside of your elbow, you get the idea.) If you just love that rougher weave, that’s what coordinating pillows are for.
3.Quality: I cannot stress this one enough. Do not be afraid of the higher grades of fabric. Frankly, an inexpensive sofa frame can look quite posh with a quality fabric. The opposite holds just as true. That microfiber may price out nicely, but does it show off the shape and form of the item? Sometimes it can be advantageous to have your sales representative seek out simpler, less expensive frames — so you then can dress it in the highest quality fabric you can get your hands on. Think of it like clothing: cheap materials look cheap, even on cover girls!
I would include pictures, but that would negate the whole point! Feel, touch, rub — get your hands on those fabrics. There is no other way to choose ‘em.
Filed under: About Nowhere | Tags: art, furniture, home decor, interior design, rural living, style
Ms. Mojo’s Nowhere is a blog dedicated to those, like Ms. Mojo herself, who adore style and interior design. Coming to you from a small town in Western Kentucky, we understand how hard it can be to create the look you want with both limited outlets and limited budgets For all of y’all who find yourselves surrounded by cornfields and cow pastures, Wal-Marts and Dollar Generals, and a blue recession mentality — we are here to help! Your home decor can be fabulous, rural location and limited funds be damned!
Now this is not to suggest that Ms. Mojo does not like a bit of luxury in her surroundings, be they funky and contemporary, tea-party traditional or country chic. Just the opposite. She simply believes in luxury for the real homeowner/renter. You know her, she’s the one who actually wants people to sit on her sofa and use the ”good” dishes! Around here, we are the kind of folks who think approachable luxury can be worked into any home, apartment, trailer, or even dorm room!
Ms. Mojo is affiliated with CarpetWorld & Furniture Gallery in Puryear, TN. However, that does not mean the purpose of this site is to sell you on their fabulous home goods. We will be featuring Q & A’s with the in-house designer, as well as pictures of home interiors in progress. Also, Ms. Mojo loves to read interior design publications; as such, we will bring you real life versions of those beautiful rooms from your favorite decor and design magazines. The items found in those vignettes will, of course, be available for purchase. Finally, Ms. Mojo wants to see your homes, answer your questions, and show you some great DIY projects for your real, lived-in home!
There’s lots more to come and regular posting, so check it out!
