Archive for January, 2009

5 Reasons Why Interior Staging Makes Such A Difference

Only a small percentage of homeowners can afford the services of an interior designer. So if one needs help decorating their home, what can they do wi...

 

Only a small percentage of homeowners can afford the services of an interior designer. So if one needs help decorating their home, what can they do without spending a small fortune?

The answers are easy and very affordable according to interior staging expert and trainer, Barbara Jennings, who is director of The Academy of Staging and Redesign. “Just about everyone can afford the services of an interior redesigner. The emphasis is on the “re” because most of the time the problem in the home is not what color the wall is or if the furniture “works” – the problem is usually poor placement.”

Interior redesign concentrates on placing your belongings in the proper places, and this is an art unto itself. Unfortunately, this is an area of design that the average homeowner has never learned how to do and most of the time huge improvements can result in a matter of minutes or hours, depending on the situation.

Here are 5 of the most common problems redesigners must address:

1. Furniture ignores the room’s focal point. Most rooms have a focal point that is natural or created by the architecture of the home. If there is no natural focal point, one must be created. The seating arrangements should then feature the focal point.

2. Furniture is placed too far away. When seating arrangements are scattered or placed around the periphery of a room, it often creates “screaming distance” and the room feels unpleasant and uninviting.

3. Scale and proportion are not considered. The Greeks devised the perfect proportions centuries ago with the Golden Mean Theory. The best ratio is 1:1.6. So when relationships fall well below or well over this proportion, the design loses balance, harmony and beauty.

4. Rooms lack unity and flow. In keeping with the Golden Mean Theory, many homeowners place very tall furniture next to low furniture creating a “cliff-like” illusion. This is disturbing to the mind and eye. By reducing heights in more gradual increments the visual shock is greatly reduced, thus bringing a rhythmic unity to the room.

5. Room lacks sufficient greenery and artwork. Most people do not realize that personality is expressed more precisely through the accessories than by any other element in the house. But it is the accessories that have most often been ignored – particularly in the area of plants and medium to large sized artwork.

By learning arranging furniture and placement of accessories, it is possible to significantly improve the look and functionality of a room, diminish clutter and make any room more attractive and professional.

Barbara Jennings has over 20 years experience in the interior redesign and home staging industry. Barbara’s Academy of Staging and Redesign is the world’s largest and most affordable home study interior redesign and home staging training center.

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1950s Kitchen Furniture For The Home

 

The 1950s were a great time for most Americans. The economy was thriving. Jobs were plentiful and the idea of a car in the garage and a chicken in the oven was achievable. My how times have changed. One way to reclaim the joys you remember from the 50s is to redecorate your dwelling with 1950s retro themed furniture.

The center of every home is the kitchen. The kitchen is where the family comes together to eat most of its meals. Having this room with a retro theme is a great place to start when building your 1950s retro home.

The center of any retro kitchen is the table and chairs. When I think retro table, I think about a table with lots of chrome and a high-pressure laminate top. Around your retro table, you are going to need some 1950s kitchen chairs. The best retro style chairs are made for restaurant use. I definitely recommend purchasing commercial grade tables and chairs. If it can last in a restaurant under heavy use, it should last just fine in your kitchen.

After you have taken care of the table and chairs, the next area to attack in the kitchen is the kitchen counter . This is where many of you eat breakfast or when in a hurry. There are two ways you can go with this. The first is just buying standard retro style bar stools. The second way, and the way I recommend is by permanently installing counter stools into you floor right in front of your counter.

There are many benefits to permanently mounting your bar stools to your floor. The first and best is that it looks great. Your breakfast counter will look like the counter of a 24 hour roadside diner . The other added benefit is that they last forever and become a permanent part of your home. Another advantage of using retro style upholstered furniture is that it is really easy to keep clean and keep in good condition.

The trick to purchasing commercial furniture rather than residential furniture is to search websites geared towards restaurants, cafes, and diners. There are many website for food service equipment dealers. You should be able to by your furniture from the same large food service equipment dealers. You probably won’t get the same price as if you were a large hotel but you should still get a better price than if you purchased it from a dinette set.

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