Holiday & Year End Wrap Up

Happy Holidays, All!

Full of eggnog and Christmas cheer,  I hope no matter how small your home is that it's full of love and laughter this holiday.   I'm headed out on Safari (yipee!) but I'm leaving you with 3 final thoughts for this 2011.   (See you in 2012!)

#1: Download these FREE adorable labels from Eat Drink Chic for holiday presents. (How cute would they be as placecards too??)

#2:  How fun are these Merry Christmas dish covers for all you folks making handmade things...Adler & Co.  They'd spruce up any dish. 

#3:  For the good or bad, this was one heck of a year.  Buzz Feed did a great job of summing it up visually.  Insanely deadly weather, fierce anger and uncertainty seemed to mark 2011 but also some seriously cool things like the Middle East revolutions and the pull out from Iraq.  Mostly, it's a good reminder that the best gift is that of a home and for those of us who weren't hit by a hurricane, tornado, tsumni or financial devastation then help support those who were.  After all, we're all in this life together. 

(Man being comforted by his mother after his home in Concord, Al was destroyed)

Live large and with a generous spirit-

Frances

House Paint Low Down

One of the side effects of working at a lifestyle magazine is the itch to decorate comes up a lot.  As I posted a few weeks ago, I recently painted my apartment after one too many years and it's like getting the best high lights (that will mean something to you blonds out there).  Having worked with lots of paint companies and with designers who are passionate about a particular hue, I practiced what I preached and took my time making the final selection.  More than any other thing, I get questions about paint color.  Everyone (even interior designers & stylists) seem to get a touch nervous about what to do.  The standard advise is to pick a few colors and paint them on your wall (or get large swatches) and live with them for a few days to see how you feel before making the plunge.  Good advise that no one seems to follow.  Watching Bravo's Millionaire Decorator show one evening, I was struck by how even they didn't yield to this advise.  In one scene, fancy pancy designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard walked in as a second coat was being applied and didn't like it so much yet he had to deal with it since the clients were on their way in.   Another blogger friend recently told me she advises everyone doing a renovation to include a paint "redo" since at least one room won't turn out right.   Fair enough but considering how important paint is, it's still better to try and get it wrong than not paint at all.

Here are a few things that I have learned from years of paint stories and my own recent painting experience.  Hope they help to make a happy painting experience!

#1  Color Confused?  Another blog I'll talk about paint selection but definitely bring home samples of colors (either swatches or small bins of paint that you can paint a wall with to see how you feel living with it.  Look at it in the morning and night.  Look at it with your furniture and fluff.  Does it go cold on you?  Or turn another color as the light pales?  Does it seem "off" or not as sunny as you wanted... Consider all this after living with the color options for at least a few days.  Not just painting the walls but the ceiling, wainscoting, floors or exterior?   That affects which paint you should use as well.

There are so many different paint companies so check out a big box store's selection with the big boys (Benjamin Moore, Sherwood Williams, Behr etc) and also the smaller paint companies like Farrow & Ball, CB2, Sunny's Paints, Yolo.  Like beauty companies, everyone has one standout color or product and different price points.  Is it a kids' playroom that you want to be no or low voc (aka eco friendly) or is it an area you want to splurge a bit?  A gallon of paint can range from $25 -140; that's quite a difference.

#2  The final result is only as good as the time you (or your painters) took to prep the walls.
While painting the walls is the fun part, it's not the most important.  Take  everything off the walls and check the condition. Fill in the holes if you have them.  Do you need to skim coat?  If so, apply a thin layer of plaster to improve the wall's appearance.   Some paint has primer in it but if not, put one down. It'll help the paint be its best.  Also, consider your baseboards or moldings and prep them as well. Seriously, this is where people skip or get lazy but it's like a lined pair of pants versus unlined; it makes a world of difference.  Factor in a day to do this part. I promise you, it'll be worth it.

#3  Hire someone.  I know, I know.... it's just painting, right?  But unless you are Really Meticulous, I would recommend hiring someone to get that professional look.  If you can't score a painter recommendation from a reliable person,  explore CraigsList which has tons of service folks. Check out their websites first and call a former client if possible.  I HIGHLY recommend a face to face visit to walk through the area with the painter so they'll really be in to give you a proper estimate and foresee any roadblocks.

#4 Keep some extra paints for touch ups as accidents do happen.  Also, keep the color swatch somewhere safe in case your memory fades and you want to repaint the same color.

Now, step back and enjoy your gorgeous new hue! I know that I am... 

Live large, 

Frances 

Have a Seat

Heading down to High Point to see miles and miles of sofas, chairs, tables, lamps and rugs at the monster furniture show.  It's always good to see what waves this industry is making.  Trends are started here and these companies set the pace for others to follow.   That said, there's a lot of well designed and well priced pieces out there so sharing a few favorite finds in case you're on the hunt.  These aren't future heirlooms but solid pieces that offer some personality.   Here goes....

Urban Outfitters got this adorable chevron chair that comes in a few different colors and all for under $300.  

Nate Berkus's ottoman is pretty great at $119 from HSN.  Having lugged one home from a trip to Moroccan, I am impressed with this look for less. 

Leave it up to Martha Stewart to try and get us all crafting.  Her table for Home Decorators gets me dreaming about all the projects that I could do on it-the painting, the sewing, the computer surfing.... And priced at $229, it's a "getable" dream. 

Leave it to West Elm to update the already classic parson's table. It's perfect for us who need to consolidate the cords in our lives.  It's a bit pricer at $399 but with it's built in speakers and docking station, it gives small space dwellers a nice two in one piece. 

Live large, 

Frances 

Laugh Worthy

Lately, it's seemed design has gone all high brow and seriously or maybe it's just the conversation at my watering holes but today's post is about getting the laugh back.  Sometimes we just need some silly in our lives.  We need something in our home that makes a smile every time we see it and that starts off conversations.  I call this the wacky factor.  Here's several things that would serve that purpose well.

Ceramic pig speaker from West Elm.  Seriously, never met a pig that I didn't love and this is not exception. Even funnier, this little piggy can be monogrammed so personalize your pig and make it your own.

Haus Interiors has laugh out loud cards that can be framed for instant, funny art. 

Check out these sticky notes from Fred Flare.  It'd be way more fun to write the day's to do lists on these. 

Put some state pride on that couch with this pillow from Etsy.com.  

Ok, I can't help myself-what about having one of these laying around to give a laugh from Regas.

Instant smile maker from Curiosity Shop.  Who doesn't want to put their pens in a monster truck holder?  Wouldn't it make writing bills that much more fun?

Live large and with loads of laughs, 

Frances

Art is so personal.  What makes a Picasso is a discussion I'll let others lead but I am grateful to art and people who live with it.  In my recent apartment spruce up, I looked around and realized that like having an aol email (yes, it's true and yes, it's still in business) and mom jeans, art can get dated or no longer represent my current "vibe."  

So I did something really effective;  I took every single piece down.  Suddenly my freshly painted walls were feeling like a blank canvas and I allowed myself to think of new ways to arrange my favorite pieces and I parted with a few that had supplied their joy and needed new homes.

I found that some pieces just needed a new frame while others needed new arranging as some pieces were just ok or even silly on their own but in a pack, throw a punch.  As a big believer in the gallery wall for art,  it shows instant personality, especially when the gallery is full of personal articfacts and pitcutres.   West Elm has the best frames with lovely linen backing that look much more expensive than alternatives found at Target and start at $12.  Keeping the frames all one color like black or white crossed another decision off the list  (though I love to mix in some metal like below too).

A mass of frames is nice but adding in a few non framed items to keep things more interesting.  Here's a picture of a cool picture tacked up with Japanese tape that makes instant art so charming.

Need art but wondering where to go?  Art isn't something that I go to the mall and get but rather pick up a piece here and there and it tells the story of my travels in ways that words don't. On the hunt for new pieces, I've been hitting art schools like SCAD which features student works and ships nationwide. If you are lucky enough to have an art school in your town, consider contacting the school to see when their next student show is.  You could be buying the next great thing for a song.

Like Match.com for dating or streamline.com for ordering takeout, 20x200 brings great art home. They give artists a way to sell their creations as prints but still retains the cool factor because only 200 are actually printed.   (You'll also be seeing their program with West Elm this fall but definitely check out their own site as well for the very best selection.)

 Zatista is another online retailer that brings art to your front door and has a wide collection of art presented.   Lastly, VintageandModern has terrific art too.  Am a big fan of their photography in particular.


Life large and with great art,
Frances

Thank you, Mr. Jobs

You'd be hard pressed to pick up a magazine or newspaper without some nod to Steve Jobs and his influence this week.  While others debate his place in history and try to rank his importance,  I was just a fan.  An apple was my first computer and from that purchase, I was a convert.  For folks who care about design, he just made things better.  And like most New Yorkers, my iPhone isn't often far away.  His ability to make technology Simple and Intuitive while wrapping it up in a deceivingly cool design made people like me sign up and pay.

Saturday, I popped into this Apple Store in the Meatpacking District and touched at the personal notes left by others.   I wonder if there has ever been a CEO who was as loved as he was.  He made things personal and we, apple fans, loved him for it.  When Sam Walmart died, was it the same way?  Or the founder of McDonald's?  I know no one will be crying over the death of Wells Fargo's CEO (well, at least not the general public).  

Stories have been coming out over his obsession with keeping Apple designs truly steam lined. I wish everyone edited their home as well as he edited his projects to be the simplest design that worked incredibility hard.  With that as a design motto, we'd all live better.  

But it was his business sense that made sense to me as well.  In an era of focus groups and lack of vision from companies, his NY Times Obituary summed up his leadership, "Mr. Jobs' own research and intuition, not focus groups, were his guide.  When asked what market research went into the iPad, Mr. Jobs replied: None, It's not the consumers' job to know what they want."  

He summed up his life creed to the Stanford 2005 class, "Stay hungry. Stay foolish."  

Will do, Mr. Jobs and thank you. 

Live large, 

Frances 

Guest Post on Small Bathroom Design Inspiration

Hi, I'm Susi, a writer for Design Shuffle, a fabulous social media site that promotes interior designers and their work from around the world. Frances of 400 Square Feet was nice enough to invite me and Design Shuffle to come visit this week to guest blog about small bathroom interior designs. So I'm sharing tips and tricks on how to turn these closet size rooms into well designed jewel boxes. I hope you enjoy these small but stylish bathrooms.

 

 Storage is key in a small bathroom. Building in storage shelves between studs or creating shelves around the tub adds more storage to a tiny footprint.

 

 Dark walls, like really dark navy or black, will recede and make a small bathroom feel larger. White matted artwork and gold accents stand out more against the dark walls.


 

 A trick to make a small bathroom feel bigger is to carry the shower tile along the walls. This gets rid of the visual break between shower and the rest of the room. Glass enclosures and shower doors help too.


 

Along with patterned wallpaper, add some big design statements, like an ornate mirror or chandelier, to make small bathroom designs feel like a jewel boxes instead of closets.

 

 Tiny bathrooms and powder rooms are perfect places to go bold with a wallpaper or paint color. Hang artwork to add interest.


 

 Carry color onto the ceiling. Adding stripes to the ceiling draw the eye to the vertical space of a small room. Bold vertical stripes can work in a small space.

 

 A vanity with an open base feels visually lighter in a tight space. Adding mirrors opens up the room and reflects light. Both are clever bathroom design ideas.

 

 If wallpaper seems like too much of a commitment or you are a renter, add bold pattern and color in a stylish shower curtain. Love this one! [ Images 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 ] This content was made possible by Design Shuffle, a network of talented Los Angeles interior designers to New York interior designers who upload their work to serve as inspiration to design enthusiasts.