Can You Layer Rugs on Wall to Wall Carpet??

A great way to add texture and dimension to a room is by layering rugs. It can also be a very clever way to hide unsitely stains on your carpet. People may be hesitant at first, to layer an area rug over wall to wall carpeting, but it's a great way to add a splash of color and pattern to the floor and sustain the life of your carpet for a bit longer. When I started thinking about this topic, it occurred to me that I already have this look in our master bedroom. When something is there for so long, you tend to get so used to it that you no longer notice it's there. But we have a small oriental rug over our cream wall to wall carpet and I am thinking about doing the same thing in our family room. Our house is almost 20 years old, and the original carpet is still there! {I guess being crazy about having people take their shoes off at the front door pays off.} So to keep the life of the carpet for a few more years, an area rug that is cleverly positioned is the way to go! It can also be a great room divider when you want to create a specific zone within a space.

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So my answer to this question is YES!! Definitely go for it. I forgot that I already tried this in one room. Now, on to the second!

Sneak Peek of Our Finished Basement!

The time is finally here! The construction part of our basement is finished!! I named this post sneak peek because the carpet still needs to be installed next week. But, I couldn't resist showing these pictures, since it now looks so much like a regular space. I will do a proper before and after once the carpet is in, but for now, here are the almost complete after pics...

We will truly have more storage than we know what to do with, but I am sure it will fill up quickly. Baskets are a wonderful thing, because anything can fill them and no one would be the wiser! We kept everything super light down here with the paint colors, since it can be a rather dark basement. The support posts are painted the same pale blue/gray as the walls, to help them blend in and fade away. In person, there is a definite difference between the wall color and creamy white trim, although it's hard to see through the pictures. We have chosen a sandy/camel color for the carpet, which will work with our furniture and be an overall neutral choice. All of the doors and the stair railings were painted a dark gray/black. I love how that came out! The contractors doubted me on that decision, but in the end, they loved it! They might not think I am that crazy, after all.  :) I am over the moon excited to get this carpet installed. I am even more excited, though, to start using this space and make it our own. Count on many basement posts for the future, as I style this place up! To catch up on the beginning of this project, visit here.

{E-Design Progress} The Painted Desk

In a recent post, I showed the wonderful progress my client has made in her office. She already had most of the existing furniture pieces and was looking to add some modern touches through paint and accessories. To recap, here is the design board I came up with...

 The Plan {click on image to make larger}

One of the things we wanted to do in this space was paint her desk. It was a deep espresso finish that also matched the desk chair. We wanted to lighten up the space and a great way to do that is through paint. Here is what her desk looked like before...

Before

There are various dark wood tones in this room, so by painting the desk a lighter color, it brought a new bright, airy feel to the room. I chose a creamy gray/white color. She plans to use the other colors on this swatch for rooms throughout her home, so we kept it cohesive and stuck with a color from the same color strip. We also painted the bench legs in the same light color, too! Here is an after shot of the newly painted pieces...

After

There are still some accessories to add and paintings/art to move around, but we are so excited about this amazing progress! Never underestimate the power of paint for any space! Thanks so much to my client for allowing me to share these pictures.

Have you taken out your paintbrush lately??

More Basement Progress

I hope you wonderful moms had a great Mother's Day! My mom came over and we had an amazing Mushroom and Sausage Risotto made by the hubby. It was a great day! I have some basement progress to show you! The walls have been painted and a special treatment has been done to one wall. Let's get right to it...

Painted Walls

Soon to be Bookshelves

The walls have been painted Horizon by Benjamin Moore, which is a super pale blue/gray. We chose a light color because the basement is already dark and we wanted it to feel bright and airy. We have this color on our ceilings on the first floor and one shade darker for our kitchen, family room and master bedroom walls. So, the basement will flow with the rest of the home. There will be built in bookshelves for the space under the stairs and shelves along this long wall that you see in that last picture. You may have remembered a recent post where I discussed my shelf dilemma and whether I should opt for the gas pipe shelving unit or go with white cube (IKEA expedit look alike) built ins. I hope you're not all going to be mad at me, but I chose the latter. I thought and thought about this and it really came down to the use for the space and the upkeep in this moisture rich basement. My husband is super supportive and still wants me to have my gas pipe shelves, so we're going to work on it together and install them in our office! It will be a fun project and in the end, the office location will suit us better. In the beginning of the post, I mentioned a wall that will be getting a special treatment. And here it is... an entire chalkboard wall!!

One Coat of the Chalkboard Paint

It will be pretty dramatic when it's complete! Maybe I could find the inner artist in me...



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With chalkboard paint, you can choose any color and have it mixed with the chalkboard paint. I chose Dragon's Breath by Benjamin Moore, which is a deep gray/brown/black color. I already have this color on the interior side of our front door and love it! We will also use it on the doors downstairs and for the railings. {The doors and railings won't be mixed with the chalkboard paint, though!} And in other related news, I have chosen the horse print for our family room wall! To recap, there is a giant empty wall space above our sofa that needs a giant piece of art. With much deliberation and so many great options to choose from, here is the winner...

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The name of the print is "Once Upon A Dream" and I love it! It's ordered, and I can't wait to see it in person. And mom, if you're reading this, I'm sorry that I forgot to tell you this when you were over!  :) I will make sure to take lots of pictures when she is framed and up on the wall! Thanks so much to all of you that weighed in on the decision! I was torn for a while on whether to go light or dark with the horse print, and with a darker frame, I think this will be a perfect compromise for our space. I say compromise because my husband is not too keen on this art idea, so with a washed out print on our light walls, it won't stand out too much, yet still make the dramatic effect I was after. I just had to go with my gut on this one. Every room has to have a touch of the unexpected, right?? I hope Mike agrees when it's up!  :)

I'll be back later this week with a client's painting project that you won't want to miss!

{E-Design} Progress Pictures

My clients are the best! My last post showed an office design board that was completed recently. My client has already hung the chandelier and added some of the new accessories! Here are the progress pictures...

Office Progress

This space is already beautiful to begin with, with the tall ceilings, crown molding and great existing furniture pieces. I just came in to add some modern fun, with gold accessories and hints of texture. The first picture shows the stunning new coral chandelier. I love that it draws your eye up, allowing you to fully appreciate the height of the ceiling. Her existing wall art that is currently behind the desk will move to the dresser wall and will be a gallery of art with her burlap corkboard. The middle photo shows the grand, new ginger jar! I love the large scale of this piece. We have created a pretty desk vignette with her small ginger jar and a new gold vase. This vase holds pencils well and any small office supplies she may need. The desk and bench legs will also undergo a makeover with creamy white paint in a glossy finish. I love how this space is coming together!

I have also worked with this client to add some modern elements into her dining room. She has a pretty bar cart that we decided to revamp with a deep charcoal paint. After adding a new tray, vase and fresh flowers, this side of the room is so cheerful!

Dining Room Accessorizing

She did such a great job bringing the plans together in these spaces! Thanks to my client for letting me share these amazing progress pictures.

To work together to create a space you love, click on my 'design services' page at the top of my blog to get started. I have some spots left open for June!

{Office E-Design} Adding Hints of Gold and Sparkle

It is no doubt that the gold/brass trend is here to stay for a long time. I wrote a post a while back for Design Shuffle about this trend, and I'm happy to see that it's still going strong. So when my e-design client wanted to update her office with some modern accents, I quickly thought about using some gold accessories! I also took into account the style in her nearby rooms, as it's important to create flow in your home. Each room will be a bit different, but when they can all be tied together through a common theme, there is continuity and it all makes sense. Here is the accessory board I came up with...

The Design Plan {click on image to make larger}

She is very excited about the plan! I can't wait to see it all come together.

When the Blog Comes Before the Business

I have been thinking about this topic for some time! When I started my blog back in 2011, it was with the intent to nurture my love for design and possibly open my own on line decor shop. I thought it would be fun to start a blog and 'chat' with so many like minded individuals who could talk about pillow fabrics and wall colors to abandon. I went back and forth on what to name my blog. Some of the earlier names I had pondered were: The Painted Chair, The Chic Farmhouse, Posh Dwellings, Blend to name a few. Hey, Blend would have actually been pretty cool. But, I digress... I decided on Simple Dwellings and that was that. I have been very happy with that name, but as I decided to shift from an on line store to on line decorating services, the blog name got in the way. For the first year, my design business was called Simple Dwellings Interiors, to match the name of my blog. As I started to grow my business, I wanted to name it after myself. I just liked the personal aspect of that. So I decided to go for it and name the business Amber B Interiors. I liked the ring to it and it feels more me, if that makes any sense. I would like to grow my business further and am thinking about a web site with my blog link off of the site. In doing that, my thoughts go to turning everything to Amber B Interiors, rebranding the busniess. I already have all of my social sites as this name already, so it's just the blog that is different. My blog friend Abby is going through this same process, and I could totally relate to her recent post here on the topic. I will make sure to update you on this journey, but right now, it's more of an idea for the future. I'm probably focusing on this and worrying much more than I need to, but it's been on my mind. And maybe you have gone through similar business changes that you would like to share! 

I will leave you with a recent dining room e-design that I completed for a client. She was looking for a rustic farmhouse style.

{click on image to make larger}

She is very happy with the design. We are going to make minor adjustments to the gallery wall, but keep the overall look and feel the same. We are on to her living room, next!

Have a happy weekend and see you back here on Monday!



{Choosing Art} I Need Your Help!

I may have said this before, but I can be very indecisive when it comes to the decor of my own home. When working with clients, it's easy for me to choose what I think is right for the space. My own spaces, on the other hand, can be a different story. Maybe it's because I over think too much, when I should just go with my gut feeling. Maybe it's because I will look at it everyday, so I better make sure it's an investment worth having. Either way, I need your advice! We are back on the topic of the art above my sofa that I talked about here. I think I am looking for a hint of nature and one large piece, as opposed to a grouping of art. I love gallery walls as much as the next person, but I just took down our massive gallery wall and want a change. I am thinking about art that is at least 30x40 insize, which can get expensive. The below options, however, are very reasonably priced! To recap the space we are working with, here's the massive empty wall that is begging for some art...

The Empty Wall

Here are some of the options, in no particular order...

Option 1- Equestrian Art

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Option 2- Equestrian Art

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Option 3- Equestrian Art



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Option 4- Equestrian Art

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Option 5- Equestrian Art

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Option 6- Equestrian Art

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If I am thinking about art that might be more meaningful to us, I could go with a snowy landscape, like the option below. After all, we do get snow here almost half of the year! How about that for meaningful art??

Option 7- Snowy Landscape

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Coincidentally, this wintery landscape is from the same etsy shop as most of the above equestrian art. I guess I like her style!

It did occur to me though, that I have liked horses for a while. Here is our dining room...



So actually, it wouldn't be that far fetched to add another horse to the mix! Seems I like them already and forgot I did!

Which one gets your vote? Brutal honesty is needed!!  :)

Sectionals Can be Chic

Since we are moving our sofas into the (almost) finished basement, we bought a sectional! We have always loved the loungy feel you can get with sectionals. They just welcome you in and seem so cozy. That, to me, is what a family room should be, right? Sectionals sometimes get a bad wrap and I don't know why. But I think there are so many great options that would fit any design style. Here's proof that they are chic...

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Here are some quick snapsots of our sectional, bought from a local furniture store...

It's a deep brown color, and we love how soft and comfy it is! There is that huge empty wall staring me in the face, ready to get some new art. But, I really want to be patient with this art and find something we really like. Since I had so many wall holes from the previous gallery wall, I spent a few hours spackling and painting this entire wall, giving it a fresh start. I have learned the hard way, that just painting small patches on the wall gives a different sheen than the rest. Our local paint store clerk advised I just paint the entire wall when recovering patches. It might take the extra effort, but in the end, it's a seamless paint job.

So now, comes the art! I am still thinking about the horse art. We'll see...

Time for Some Equestrian Art

Now that we are getting our basement finished, {are you sick of me talking about this yet??} it's time for some shuffling around and moving furniture to different spaces. Our old sofas are going down to the lower level, making way for our new family room sectional. {More on that, later.} When I was looking at our large gallery wall of photos above our family room sofa, I knew I wanted a fresh start there, too. Instead of a gallery wall, I want to hang one large piece of art. I am leaning towards a black and white horse print! This might sound silly to those that know me best, considering I have hardly ever been on a horse, much less talk about the beautiful animal. But there is something about art and large scale photography that makes me lean in this direction. Art is definitely subjective and sometimes you know it when you see it! In this case, I'm not sure I have found 'the print' just yet. I am just thinking about this style of art. So here are some great spaces that use equestrian art to perfection...

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For my space, I am leaning more towards a vertical print, since I have two floor lamps on either side of the sofa. A vertical image would draw your eye up and nicely fill the space. If you love equestrian art, this etsy shop sells beautiful prints with so many sizes to choose from. I was also browsing allposters.com and narrowed it down to these two beauties...

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Or maybe this...

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So how about you... do you choose art that you just love or do you stick to meaningful pieces?