“Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome”
The good news is chaos is treatable and there is a 5 step program that will help get you on the road to recovery and inviting your friends over.
Step #1 - Let’s Use the Room
Do you have rooms you don’t use?
Well, you are not alone….99% of the time the reason people do not use their rooms is because the furniture is placed incorrectly…..it’s not necessarily the pieces you own; it’s where you have put them. So before you take a match to your room and start over with all new furniture, check the placement of it.
- Is your furniture all lined up against the walls similar to a doctor’s office?
- Is your huge sectional greeting you like a wall when you walk into a room making it difficult to easily enter and sit?
- Is your furniture spaced so far apart that having a conversation with someone requires a megaphone?
You know, it doesn’t matter how comfortable, beautiful, or expensive the furniture is, if you haven’t set up the foundation of the room with correct furniture placement that welcomes and encourages conversations, then people will not use the room.
So it is not so much the furniture you have…..it is where you place it that gives a room its functionality.
Step #2 - Let there be light
How many lamps do you have in each room?
Every room should have at least 3 lights in it and ceiling lights do not count! This is one design tip that can transform a room. Having proper lighting not only creates warm and welcoming spaces it also can determine whether the room is used or not.
- Is there a room in your home that always seems so dark you find yourself not using it?
- Is there a room in your home that everyone walks by because it is not warm or inviting?
Lighting can be an important key to setting up a room. Lighting determines the mood and helps to execute the function of a room. For instance, the older someone gets the less mood lighting they may want in their rooms. They may trade mood lighting for very bright lights to see what they are doing (master bathrooms).
Perhaps in the family room you may want to keep the lighting moderate and flexible. You may want to include task lighting for reading, as well as mood lighting for entertaining and TV watching.
In the master bedroom you may want to use your 3 lamps to create an all mood lighting that fosters relaxation and rest.
If you need to purchase lamps think big and tall. Lighting shining down on you is much more functional and attractive than lighting coming up on your face (think Frankenstein effect). Ideally, the bottom of the lampshade should be ear level when you are seated and all shades in the room should similarly match.
Since the goal of redesign is to use what you already have, try to resurrect an old lamp with a new drum lamp shade. Some of the ugliest ceramic lamps from the 60’s have been turned into incredible looking one- of- a- kind art pieces that can bring pop to a room.
Step #3 - Let’s Showcase You
Accessories are an important part of a redesign. They are what makes your home different from anyone else’s and they are unique to you. Everyone can have the same fantastic couch from Pottery Barn…but what makes it unique to your home is the choice and placement of the accessories that adorn it!
Your displayed accessories should represent your history, your travels and your loved ones. Your accessories should invoke wonderful memories, stories and help start conversations. Our goal in redesigning is not to only make the room pretty but to make sure we have reflected and honored the people who live there. After all it is your home and you want it to be unique to you and memorable to others.
- Put all your small collectables together and create an impact in one spot rather than polka dotting them all over the room.
- For a neater look in the bookcases, take off all the book jackets and arrange your books in order of size.
- When accessorizing a table mix up textures and contrasts for visual interest. (Shiny/Dull, Soft/Hard, Smooth and Rough)
When accessorizing don’t worry about what is in the magazines think about what is important to you and your family and showcase them.
Step #4 – Let There be Some Breathing Room
Does every wall in your home have something hanging on it?
Unfortunately, many people think their rooms are not done unless there is something on every wall of the room. Often times this creates a great deal of eye noise coming at you and we become overwhelmed and appreciate nothing. It is important that each room have some empty space or breathing room on the wall so we can appreciate the entire room and its art.
When you are deciding on artwork for a room consider the frame color and the theme. They should all work together with the furniture and accessories. I always tell my clients when they are shopping for artwork to buy what they want to look at, make it large and don’t hang it too high. (Or call me and I will hang it)
Like accessories, your art work should be unique to you. It should portray your likes, loves, travels and beliefs. Often times it is the artwork that sets the tone or feeling of the room.
Step # 5 - Let’s Invite the Painter Over Last
Do you paint your room first and then decorate it?
In a perfect world, paint color should be chosen last in your design. It is like buying a pair of shoes and then trying to find the perfect dress to go with it.
The first thing you want to do in a design is set up your room correctly. Start with placing the foundation of your furniture first, than place your lamps, plants and accessories etc …because these will all in the end affect the colors you choose in the room.
Actually choosing a paint color can be tricky. Paint color should be chosen in the room they will reside in. They should never be chosen under fluorescent bulbs at the hardware store nor should your color be chosen because it looks great in your mother-in-laws home.
Also consider the colors you like and the colors you look good in. If you are a blue person than you may not want to paint your family room red. If you do not personally look good in yellow than painting your bedroom yellow may not be a wise choice. Also consider the effect a color may have on people.
- What color encourages you to eat? (Red)
- What color triggers hormone relaxation? (Blue)
- What color alleviates depression? (Green)
By choosing our paint color last in the decorating process it seals and finishes the design. It is just like finding the perfect dress and finishing off the look with a fantastic piece of colored jewelry.
Are you tired of living in Chaos?
“Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome”
Then we encourage you to make a few small changes in your home, using the steps above. It is our hope you will fall in love with your home all over again and start to entertain with confidence.
Debbie Correale
Redesign Right, LLC
Iris Professional Interior Redesign and Home Staging Trainer
“Helping others fulfill a dream of owning their own interior redesign/home staging business”
www.redesignright.com
debbie@redesignright.com
610 955-8202
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