Add some Spring indoors

Spring is here...sort of.  I know it isn't that warm out, but we are all itching to do a little something with our homes to spruce them up from the long cold winter.  Outside you can see the plants sprouting and the trees budding.  There are lots of ways you can bring this new growth into your homes and make it feel refreshed.

 One option is to bring budding branches into your home.  Branches have a much different look than a vase of flowers and they will usually last longer. Branches have a variety of shapes.  They can be long and straight or others are crooked with lots of little branches attached.  Long branches can be arranged in floor vases to make a dramatic impact in your foyer. Or a large arrangement can be placed on a dining room table to add a more organic look. These branches work well in any home, but they are especially suited for contemporary and transitional interior designs that are currently so popular.

Branches are available to everyone.  Your local florist can provide them or you can cut them yourself.  For example, Forsythia is a bush or hedge and is native to New England.  Most of the year it is green, but in the spring it produces thousands of small yellow flowers.  They grow very quickly, so there is no worry of cutting off to many branches.  When I was a kid, every spring my mother would bring in large bunches of Forsythia, Pussy Willows, apple blossoms and some times Dogwood branches throughout the season.  She would cut them prior to the buds opening, put them in water and wait.  Once the branches were warm inside the house, the buds would start to bloom.  She called it forcing the blooms.  The florist has access to more specific looks that may not be available in your yard.  

  

The wall sconces pictured are a great option if you want to change their look every few months.

Natural elements are easy ways to enhance the look of your home.  I don't have much of a green thumb, so these types of arrangements are right up my alley. 

Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.

Consignment Shopping follow-up

I got some terrific feedback regarding my blog on consignment shopping.  People really like getting unique quality furnishing for their home without going over their budget.  Several friends have mentioned that they have found things recently or in the past, at consignment shops. 

Consignment shopping does require some patience.  You will need to review online websites with pictures or stop by the shop periodically to find what you are looking for.  Some enjoy the hunt for that perfect item.  It is not for everyone, but it allows many of us to keep things fresh and interesting.

I have taken additional clients to consignment shops to search for unique things that we just couldn't find at Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel or other home furnishing stores.  Many times a newly decorated interior can look too perfect if the client doesn't have aged items of their own.  Used accessories add a little personality and depth to the space.  I find when I go to the Boston Design Center many of the shops sell antiques or used items as well.  Designers look at the shape and scale of an item.  They can update it with paint and/or fabric for today's use.  It's all about blocking out the ugly and finding the perfect item.  Just because it isn't an antique doesn't mean it won't look great in your home. 

A few popular consignment shops in Southeastern, MA are listed below.

Go Simple (within Floral Scents Florist)
515 Washington Street
Canton, MA
 (781) 821-5500 ‎
http://www.gosimple.info/

Boston Consignment
238 Needham Street
Needham, MA
(781) 449-0900
http://www.bostonconsigns.com/

Furniture Consignment Gallery
756 Washington Street
Hanover, MA
(781) 826-5114
http://furnitureconsignment.com/

Remember consignment shops are a great option if you want sell quality furniture or accessories.

Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.

Shag carpeting is back

Shag carpeting is back and of course with a new twist.  It's not the same shag I grew up with in the 70's, with all the bright colors and long strands.  Today's shags have lots of lush texture, a thicker pile and the strands are a little shorter.  The colors are more neutral and multi-colored for today's homes.  I was surprised to see how many options and price points that were available as well. 

Shag carpeting has a cut pile, the yarns are slightly twisted, with a much less twist than the frieze. The individual yarn strands are longer and spaced further apart.  The shag gives a "grass type look" because the strands lay in a different directions.

A client of mine is redecorating her family room.  We are changing the paint color, selecting fabrics for window treatments and pillows, and purchasing a new carpet.  This large family room has beautiful oak hardwood  floors, but we wanted to create a fun casual and comfortable feeling.  The shag rug is a great solution.  We plan to treat the shag carpet as an area rug.  It will be cut to size and bound around the edges.  The thick plush shag will stand out against the hardwood creating tremendous impact for the room.  I really like using the shag carpet as an area rug.  It keeps the rug from overwhelming the room and it keeps things looking fresh.

A few tidbits I learned at the carpet store;  Shag carpeting is easily seamed without needing to match a pattern.  This allows for very little waste and a cost savings to the consumer.  The seams are undectible creating an even more beautiful rug.

Please send along any comments I would like to hear from you.

Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.

Consignment Shopping

Have you ever considered shopping at a consignment shop for interior design items for your home? 

Recently, I went into the Canton consignment shop "Go Simple" and was pleasantly surprised with the selection they had to offer.  The owner, Janet Conroy, had many decorative items, as well as, serving pieces for your kitchen or dining room.  You do have to hunt for the right pieces, but the rewards are big and the price tag is small.  This is a place where it is easy to take a risk, since items are usually sold at a fraction of their original cost.  She has lamps, clocks, glassware, prints and furniture pieces.  I liked this shop, because it wasn't all furniture or large items.  I was able to purchase a working marble lamp base for $20 that just needed a little cleaning up and a shade.  I think the lamp will work well with the new lamps my client has purchased over the past several months.  Another item I saw was a grandmother clock.  This is a beautiful decorative piece that will add tremendous interest to a room.  This is something no one else will have and looks like an heirloom that has been passed down.  Consignment shopping can be a great way to find unique items that add character and age to any newly decorated space.

I plan to go to some other consignment shops in Needham and Hanover.  These shops focus more on furniture.  I will let you know if there are any interesting decorative pieces to be found.

Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.

Kitchen remodel completed

The kitchen remodel project is nearly complete and I wanted to share some before and after photos with you. As mentioned in previous blogs, this kitchen remodel consisted of replacing the gray tile floor with oak hardwood, adding molding and painting the existing oak cabinetry, replacing the white tile backsplash with marble subway tile, painting the walls and ceiling and upgrading the stove and sink.

 The first pictures are views of the refrigerator and small counter area.  The microwave was relocated to this seldom used counter space and was given a built in appearance with side brackets.  Notice the large moldings that were added to the tops of the upper cabinets and the molding on the sides of the cabinet boxes (upper and lower).  These additions make these cabinets look more custom.  Feet have been added to the toekick  as well.  The black granite and the tile add to the traditional and timeless feeling of the new kitchen.

The next two views are of the kitchen sink and cabinetry around it.  The crown molding and molding along the bottom of the upper cabinets add detail and they become a focal point for the kitchen.  These pictures show more of the movement and color changes in the marble tile.  Marble is beautiful, but it can stain.  Using it as the backsplash allows you to add it to a new kitchen without the worry of damage.

 The black stove has been replaced with a white one that blends in seamlessly with the painted cabinets and now matches the other appliances.  We moved the microwave next to the refrigerator, opening up additional counter space in the important work area of the kitchen.

The desk was transformed as well.  The crown molding adds architectural detail and interest to the upper portion of the desk.  The glaze settles into the ridges and makes them more defined.  The feet at the bottom make it look more like a piece of furniture.  The final change was replacing the formica counter top with a white marble that coordinates with the marble backsplash.  Since this is the desk area there is less chance for it to be stained.  You can see the oak flooring and taupe walls in these pictures which makes the desk look great and warms up the kitchen.

 

Finally, I have included a few close up pictures that show some of the detail added to the kitchen.  The corbels under the extended island top adds the appearance of support for the granite overhang.  We added molding to the top of the cabinets, but also added 7 1/2" baseboard molding to the floor.  This a great detail and helps to disguise the radiators.

I hope these before and after pictures of this kitchen remodel have inspired some ideas for your kitchen.  Please send me any comments you may have.

Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.

Christmas Decorating - Throw pillows

My final Christmas decorating idea is to add festive throw pillows to your family room or living room.  This is an easy way to add holiday spirit in unexpected places.  Decorating for the holidays can be done in layers taking advantage of all the surfaces in your home.

The family room shown in these pictures, I have added green and red pillows on a neutral sofa.  The pillows have a satin sheen to them which gives the room a subtle festive look.  The colors coordinate with the room's color scheme which makes it possible to put the pillows out early in the holiday season and you don't need to put them away until well after the new year.

 

The leather sofa in this picture has a hint of the holidays with a brown and green pillow and a red throw behind it. The petals on this pillow has a lot of texture and adds interest to this dark sofa.  All the pillows above were purchased at TJ Maxx in the pillow section not the holiday section.  I searched for the colors I wanted to use, not what the store deemed holiday decor.

I have included some other pillow designs to help you choose the right pillows for your holiday design.  The beaded white pillow adds sparkle and shine.  The red, green and brown pillows are a more contemporary options.  Have a great holiday season.

Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.

Christmas Decorating - playful window

When decorating for the holidays you want everything to look perfect, but don't forget to have a little fun.  I have created a simple treatment for this kitchen's box window that everyone will enjoy, especially the kids. 

These handmade inspired plush decorations look great grouped off to one side of the window looking at a simple pine tree. Each of the three characters I put together has similar colors, but they are not exactly the same. The reindeer came from a different collection and it adds some interest and keeps the grouping from looking like it is a matched set. Also, notice each of the characters is a different height. Grouped decorations always seem to work better when each has a different height.  The little Christmas tree off to the left fills the remaining space of the large window sill.

Another idea for this group of characters is to put them on your fireplace.  You could put the trio on either end of the mantel and hang your stocking in the center.  Adding some burlap fabric, gathered up in places would add to the rustic feel of this decoration as well.

Keeping things simple keeps the stress away.  These whimsical decorations make me smile every time I look at them.  I guess that's why I put them on my kitchen window.  They were not expensive and very accessible.  The characters are at T.J. Maxx and I got the tree at Target.

Have fun.





Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.