Interior Design Tips Archives

10 Tips to Freshen Up Your Home

By Jane Lockhart

April 16, 2012

Refreshing your home is a great way to change the look of your interior spaces without the massive cost of renovating and the mess of rebuilding. A clever refresh can make as much impact to the look and feel of your space without the hassle of a larger project. Here are some quick tips to make this easily achievable.

1. Change Your Wall Colour

Painting is the fastest way to change the atmosphere of a space. It is inexpensive and relatively fast to do. If you have been living in dark colours, switch to lighter ones so you experience the full impact a change of paint colour can bring.

2. Add Throw Pillows

This is a simple way to bring an old sofa or chair back to life. Pick a few toss pillows with lots of colour or pattern and layer them on top of furniture as this will help to distract from what’s below it. And to help tie a room’s colour scheme together, pillows can be a great way to make the whole space flow better, so overall, the room will look larger.

3. Change Your Kitchen Countertop

This is slightly more costly than some of the other options, but it can have a large impact, particularly on a room that has so much influence on the rest of the house. Adding a solid surface counter top can increase the value of your home and make the room more functional. Options like quartz or granite are durable and beautiful and really do make a kitchen look more expensive! Remember though, with this option you will have to change your sink to one that is an under-mount and a new facet made without a top plate; again, two additional features that add to the quality and look of your kitchen.

4. Add Colourful Art

There are so many options available now to source artwork from, including original pieces by local arts to big box retailers that sell large scale reproduction pieces. This is an easy way to get colour into your life without having to paint your walls. To create a focal point using art, be sure to buy a large piece with strong visual elements so it is easy to read from a distance.

5. Add Lighting

Lighting is one of the most over looked design elements when you want to add life to a room. Lighting draws your eye to the area that is most lit so it’s a key way to create focal points. In addition, more light means a brighter space, and this is important everywhere in Canada when we can have long and dreary winters. Remember when you are adding overhead lights, put them on a dimmer switch so you have more control of the lighting level of the room.

6. Keep Window Coverings Light

To keep a space open and airy it’s important to allow as much light as possible to filter into the room. One way to do this is to use sheer drapes rather than heavy lined drapery. Sheers come in every colour today and can be installed so they look fresh and modern. Sheers let some light into the room which keeps it feeling big and spacious. This can be a very good solution for a condo, rather than heavy window coverings, so a small space still feels expansive.

7. Decorate With Fresh Flowers

Such a simple addition to any room in the house, decorating with fresh flowers adds wonderful colour and texture. This is an easy way to liven up a room and they don’t require any real work. Remove as many extra green leaves as possible and cut the stems shorter so it’s the flower that your see the most. This will also help the flowers to last longer.

8. Group Accessories

Often the challenge is not which accessories to purchase, but how to arrange them. Group accessories in 3s, 5s or 7s and place them together on a large tray. This will add a more powerful statement, create a focal point and keep the space less cluttered. Without the clutter, the room will open up and flow better. Have a look at our Accessories page for more ideas.

9. Add A Mirror

It's no secret that a mirror reflects light or draws attention, but it also a great tool to create drama! Adding mirrors on walls across or adjacent to windows will create the sense of a secondary window and can add depth in otherwise flat spaces. For more interest, choose a mirror with a chucky or detailed frame as this becomes a feature as well.

10. Buy A New Area Carpet

Area carpets are the perfect way to unit a space and to brighten a room. If you have dark wood floors, a light carpet can add the sense of light. If you lack colour, put colour in the area carpet so it draws people to the centre of the space where the carpet is placed. And carpets add warmth and dimension to any room, as they are often pieces of art themselves!

Categories: Interior Design Tips

Coffee Table Decor

By Jane Lockhart

December 5, 2011

I was asked to contribute to the site HomePortfolio about coffee tables (my tips are listed on this great site). This got me thinking about how hard it is to find a good coffee table!! We are always serching for these and we really struggle to find just the right look. That said, we are now trending towards doing double rectangular coffee tables in large areas so that the middle area of a room is filled and it allows more seating areas access to a table top.

We also search for large square coffee tables that are at least 3' by 3'. I love a large table in the centre of the room as it anchors the space and creates a centre focus!

If you prefer a large ottoman, that works as well, especially if you have childern as this makes the space super kid-friendly!

Or if you need more flexibilty in the room, add four upholsetered cube ottomans so you have a centre 'table' but also have the flexiblity to pull these apart to provide everyone with their own table/cube!

So that's my quick thoughts on "table talk"!

Categories: Interior Design Tips

5 Tips to Keep Men Happy in the Bedroom

By Jane Lockhart

September 3, 2011

Ok, aside from the obvious, there are many things that I have observed which are important to men when DESIGNING the bedroom. Here are the top five things to remember when designing your master Bedroom that seem to keep the 'Men' happy as well:

1) Add a TV

I can hear you all shrieking 'No!' to this option and of course, all the sleep experts agree, this is not a good thing to add to your bedroom. But many of my male clients REALLY want a tv in the bedroom. So, if you decide with your partner that you both can live with a television in the bedroom, then add it, but lets follow some basic rules.

Make the Tv size-appropriate: this is not the room for a big screen.

Put the Tv on a wall-mounted bracket so it is easy to move and hopefully maneuver out of site when not in use.

Make sure you purchase a television with a sleep-timer option so you can set this at bedtime. (And learn how to actually use it)

Set some sort of rules about watching television too late into the evening. It can be very stimulating so sleep becomes difficult. (Maybe even make a no sports zone in the bedroom??)

2) Create a "Drop-zone"

This is somewhat more important for men than women, particularly for men who regularly wear SUITS to work. Unlike women's clothing, which for some reason doesn't have pockets, menswear is filled with pockets. In these pockets are kept everything from change, to notes, business cards, gum etc. At the end of each day, these small items need to go some where.

If you want to keep your shared bedroom neat, find a space or area where all this miscellaneous stuff can be dropped and eventually sorted. A large table-top tray or shallow drawer is a good start for placing these items as it is all contained and still accessible.

3) Create Easy Hanging

I don't think this is an issue only for men, but again, I have noticed my male clients spend NO TIME at all hanging up jackets or ties when it requires more than dropping them over a chair or throwing them on a hook. For this reason I say, if you want to at least stop the spread of clothing all over the floor, create areas where items can simply be hung up on a hook or stashed in a clear-faced drawer or open shelf. (Hangers seem to represent a lot of work to some un-named men!!)

At the most basic, this may mean adding hooks to the back of all doors, and even hooks mounted within closets on walls. A more costly but definitely superior option is to opt for closet organization where maximum space is used and your partner gets his own area, just like you.....ok, maybe the shoe area won't be equal to yours, but give him some space too!!

4) Make the Room Dark!

I have many clients who tell me they don't need a dark room to sleep, but studies consistently show that a lack of complete darkness at night can result in long term health problems as deep sleep is not achieved. In addition, daily 'crankiness' seems to be an ongoing result!

Now before you get excited and start designing fancy drapery to add over your windows for "health reasons" what I mean is for you to add room 'blackening' blinds or fully operational drapery panels with lining. This includes Blackout Roller Blinds and floor to ceiling drapes through which no light can pass when they are closed. So NO shutters or wood slat blinds on their own as they don't block the light enough. (Perhaps now, a certain someone will wake up in a better mood!)

5) Lose the Pillows!

Ok, even this one is hard for me to accept but...put a cap on the number of pillows going on to the bed! Be selective and choose the ones that will make the most difference to the overall design of the room.....

....Of course, hide your sleeping pillows behind decorative shams, and of course, add some toss pillows but try to hold back from adding many more.

It is important to avoid the following types of pillows :

Those with cute sayings like "A Princess Sleeps Here", (although it maybe true)

Resist adding fluffy, furry, bedazzled, lacy, frilly or otherwise "girly" pillows to the bed as you will find they are the first to have an anonymous "accidental cat incident" for which an explanation is not quickly forthcoming.

Of course, none of this may apply to you if you live in a home where the basic motto of the household is "Happy wife, Happy Life" which means you have a free pass to decorate the bedroom however you want, no matter what the men in your life think!!

Categories: Design Philosophy , Interior Design Tips

Estimating Design Fees

By Jane Lockhart

August 17, 2011

Forecasting Design Fees for Budgets

One of the most difficult and perhaps even contentious issues in design is how much should design services cost a client? Or at the very least, how do you estimate the cost?

There is a variety of ways that designers and decorators charge depending on the type of work being preformed and the skill level and experience of the provider. Many design professionals charge by the hour which is used to cover not only their time and knowledge but also to pay their rent, keep the lights on, put paper in the printer etc. But for clients, the challenge with this common billing style is how many hours do you estimate so that you can be on budget?

For anyone who knows me, they will know I am practical and fairly conservative when it comes to money. I don't like not knowing how much things will cost and I certainly never agree to anything 'open-ended' when it comes to hiring other professionals. So I am well aware of the uneasiness that arises from not really knowing what a designer will cost overall. (This article will not challenge the value of designers as that is another topic altogether!)

A General Estimate of Time

So after 15 years of experience in the field working with clients daily, I have taken the time to basically figure out a way to estimate what design fees will generally amount to in residential design projects when the billing is hourly. (This is based on the work WE do as a firm so it would be a good idea to check with your designer before you move ahead.)

Essentially, I have noted that the total cost of designer fees on a job from beginning to end will total approximately 5% of the entire cost of the job as estimated by the contractor.(This number can go as high as 10%) So when doing your pre-renovation budget use the total renovation estimate and take 5% of this total for a number to install in the design fees budget line. Remember, this is just an estimate, but at least it gives you a reasonable base-level expectation of cost.

For example if your contractor looks at your main floor and concludes that to fully gut it, add new lighting, a new kitchen, new flooring etc, will cost approximately $150 000, you can estimate the design fees to add up to be around $7500, including onsite visits, CAD drawings, colour and material selection, furniture layouts etc. This does not include the other materials that designers offer such as window coverings, furniture and accessories. These are usually additional costs added on top of renovation costs.

Decorating Estimates

This type of estimate really applies to the design professional who works in the reno and cabinet building side of the business rather than the accessory and furnishings side. In decorating, fees vary much more widely. For this service, its a good idea as a client to set a cap on the number of hours you are willing to pay for if your decorator is looking for accessories or fabrics for you. This is a way to control the cost of the project without going over. If your decorator is experienced they should be able to tell you if your number of hours is realistic, after all they know how long it takes to complete a job.

Always Create a Budget Before you Swing a Hammer

When it comes to renovation, it is essential to plan first! I can't tell you how many times I end up on a job site with a client AFTER they have begun work with a contractor who doesn't have drawing and has just had basic discussions with the client. Although it may seem like a great way to save $7500 up front, it will cost you at least that much in planning mistakes and missed opportunities as the project continues. This is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL when it comes to kitchen or bathroom design. There are so many new items available today, without proper planning you will miss the chance to at least consider what your options really are.

You Have Control

I know some of you are freaking out right now thinking, ok, no matter what value design professionals add, it's still a lot of money! This is true BUT you have control here! You can employ a designer who charges hourly as little or as much as you want so this helps in keeping to your budget. But if a designer is good and is helpful, it is worth spending more money on them as they will save you money elsewhere with their knowledge and expertise.

Home is Where the Money is

Home ownership is about shelter, a place of pride, and of course, about money! Don't be foolish and proceed without great advice first! Even a couple of hours talking with an experienced designer can be very enlightening and help you make some fast decisions which will save you money. We will always be happy to consult with you just for one time if this makes your project go more smoothly in the end.

Categories: Interior Design Tips

Hire Good Labour for a Great Job!

By Jane Lockhart

February 16, 2011

It never fails to amaze me when homeowners, even clients, hire ‘cheap’ and potentially unskilled labour to do construction work in their most important investment: their home!

Know When Where To Save

My Scottish grandmother always had a phrase which I think truly applies to this bizarre decision making process. She used to say: “penny wise, pound foolish!”. I think this is a great way of pointing out that people will spend wildly on materials and products and yet they will skimp on the skills (and cost) required to install these expensive items properly. In essence they penny-pinch in the wrong area thinking that they are racking up great savings and yet the potential damage to their new investment can be huge. By not employing people who are not only qualified but care about how a project or job is constructed you risk not really getting a job well done, no matter how little you paid for it.

I know we all want to save money and most of us will search out a bargain where ever possible when decorating or renovating the house but this should not include workers! Let’s face it, these are people who you are allowing into your home to access your utilities, your personal goods and your family....why would you ever allow someone in to your sanctuary if you didn’t completely trust them and feel they were worth this opportunity? When someone is potentially under-paid, why would they care as much about your home as you do as they really have very little to lose if the job doesn’t go well?

In addition, good and qualified workers are your guarantee that a job can be repaired or warrantied in the future. We all assume once the work is finished that its over and we will never need to think about it again. But when you are a homeowner, it’s about long term investment so you never know when you may need assistance in the future. Having a good work crew or small labour team that is qualified means you have someone that supports you when you need home repair help at any future time....but only if you hire (and pay fairly) in the beginning.

The Real Cost of Cheap Labour

Over twenty years of being in my practice I have seen clients hire the cheapest person they could find to do work for them and then have run into a variety of unhelpful and even dangerous situations.

For instance a client I first met when I was just beginning (and who remains a good client and friend today) was just starting out and hired a painter to finish their newly acquired home. They felt this should be a cheap cost and that painting really required no skill so they took the lowest quote by far. Once this painter began he was initially careful with the house but as the job went on he became less interested. When the job was mid-stages and the house upside down with materials and tools everywhere, he asked the client for more money...he explained he had underestimated the work. This client complied but again, the same scenario happened as the job progressed. Although this was clearly not a good situation, the client felt compelled to finish the job as it was more of a disaster to stop midway. So what seemed ‘cheap’ became as much as the other quotes provided by other more professional painters.

Inexpensive General Contractors

I’ve also seen people hire an inexpensive general contractor, who may himself be qualified, but his workers are clearly not. They either aren’t fluent in English or just don’t have the knowledge or training in construction to meet the proper codes.

It’s not to say that the highest quote is the best quote, but that you need to check references and think about whether you really do think a person working within your home is someone you actually want to be there. Long jobs mean you are going to be facing these people constantly so you need people (not just the head worker) who you trust and can deal with daily.

Some guidelines to follow:

Get recommendations from other people and see who they use for jobs. Ask how much the work was but also ask about the daily process of the work schedule to see if it will work for you. Also get several quotes and meet with each contractor to see is their cost and manner matches you expectations.
Check the language skills and qualifications of the people who will be within your home if they are the ones you need to explain things to on a daily basis or be sure to set up communication with one person directly who will then handle all your questions and concerns.
Ask for documentation of insurance to make sure they have their own liability insurance and workers’ compensation.
Ask for an itemized list of every single thing included in the job. Use this as part of a contract so that you are both clear of the standard and quality of work to be done, by when and the payments required.
Google the company as you never know what you will find out!

Skills Matter

I can honestly say, skills matter if you really want your project to enhance the value of your home. And it is essential to understand that workers with skills deserve to be paid a salary reflective of the work they are doing!! You can’t under pay someone what the market will bear and then complain the work wasn’t the best.

We must be fair and accept that physical work done within our homes today is important and is not “less than” other jobs! People must be paid what they are worth and this will ensure good work and happy results in the end.

Categories: Interior Design Tips