Dee Hurford Designs lends us a few tips for making over your house for the holidays
It’s that time of year again and the holiday season will be here before you know it. If you are voluntarily or involuntarily hosting family and friends for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanza, here are some decorating tips to help you wow your guests with your tastefully decorated home if not your culinary prowess.
I have always said that painting is one of the least expensive updates you can make in your home. Try these colors to spice up your dining room:
- Wythe Blue – Benjamin Moore historical collection (HC-143) while this color actually looks a little more green that blue it’s elegant, timeless, and will pair well with most wood tones especially darker ones. Use Ivory White (925) for your woodwork.
- Borscht – Sherwin Williams (SW-7578) this color is dark and saturated and will make you like you are wrapped warm bowl of borscht like its name or glass of sumptuous red wine. If an entire room of this color is too intense for you try doing a focal wall or painting it above or below a chair rail. Try Creamy (SW7012) for your woodwork.
- Maison Blanche – Sherwin Williams (SW-7526). If you want to keep neutral and bring in your colors in art and upholstery this is a classic, subtle, and neutral color that goes well with everything.
Don’t forget the ceiling and floor. The ceiling is considered to be the 5th wall and is often neglected. It is true that painting the ceiling a light color adds height especially in older homes with lower ceilings and painting all the ceilings throughout the house ties it together. Be daring! Try these complimentary colors to the ones listed above on your ceiling:
- Mystical Blue – Benjamin Moore (792) this soft blue will make you feel that you sitting under a perfect sky.
- Evening Shadow – Sherwin Williams (SW7662) adds a great contrast to the Borscht and just enough color so that you know it’s there.
- Sable – Sherwin Williams (SW6083) or Garden Sage (SW7736). If you want to be really daring go for the deep rich Sable. Mix up it even more and paint a ceiling medallion Garden Sage to add another dimension of color or just go for the Garden Sage, either you way you can’t go wrong.
The floor also deserves attention. Choosing and area rug is not always the easiest task. Like paint colors, the possibilities seem to be endless.
Area rugs range in price from under one hundred dollars to thousands, style, size, and materials. They can be purchased on line and in a range of stores from Target to specialty high end rug stores and range in materials from synthetic to wool and silk. Your budget will guide where you choose to purchase and what material you will get. But, check out stores like Home Goods and the Dump. They often have great styles in all materials at unbelievable prices. Dhurrie rugs (hand woven wool/cotton blends usually reversible) are in vogue now and priced very reasonably. Sisal and jute rugs are also very reasonably priced but color is usually only captured in the trim only.
Here are few tips to help select an area rug:
- Know the size of the room for which the rug is going to be purchased
- Select a rug with the color your room in mind, choose similar or complimentary colors.
- If your furniture has a pattern choose a smaller or larger scale pattern in the rug.
- Rug size:
- Hall rugs – have 6 inches of floor showing on either side
- Dining room rugs – 18 inches beyond the edge of the table to allow chairs to slide back and remain on the rug
- Living room rugs – personal preference you can choose a rug large enough to sit all of the furniture on it or have the front third of the furniture on the rug
If you find that you need furniture at this late date check out furniture stores that offer 30 days or less delivery like Bassett. Again based on your budget, you may want to try stores like Pier One or IKEA where you can take it with you. Check out the clearance room at mid-high end stores like Ethan Allen and Sheffield’s and don’t forget about the consignment shops.
Still need help pulling it all together? Contact me for a free consultation today dee@deehurforddesigns.com or 610-420-6537.
Thanks for reading.