5 Easy Ways To Mix Up The Look Of Your Dining Room

It used to be that people bought "suites" of furniture. If you were shopping for, say, dining room furniture, you would go to the furniture store and choose a dining room suite that included the table, the chairs, the china cabinet, and the buffet. (sigh).

Garanimals for furniture. In theory, I can see why this is attractive to a lot of people. It eliminates the anxiety that comes with making thoughtful decisions for each design element, and it eliminates the fear of getting it "wrong".

But at what cost? Where's the personality? Where's the joy?

Are you struggling with mixing furniture styles? It's okay, we're going to break it down in baby steps! If you're in the matching furniture rut, here are a few things you can do to change up your look and add a little pizzazz.

1. Paint those chairs! It will brighten and refresh the entire room. Can you imagine how different the room below would feel if the chairs were the same brown wood as the table?

Add a pair of upholstered or slipcovered host chairs. If your chairs are all wood, this is a great opportunity to add some texture in a room that normally doesn't have much. Bonus: Upholstered chairs create a feeling of luxury, too!

Swap out a few of your dining chairs for a bench. This will lend a more casual feel to your dining room.

4. Add an small upholstered sofa or settee. Talk about luxury - and comfort! This move alone could transform your dining room from a once a year meal destination to a frequently used, multi-purpose space.

5. Replace a few of your dining room chairs with chairs in a completely different style. Next, sit back and enjoy your new role as trendsetter.

But you don't have to stop at one of these changes. You can incorporate a few or all of my suggestions. The payoff will be big!

See? Mixed trumps matched. Every time.

Design Trends 2016

Really? Just when we added all of that brass, tiled everything with white subway tile, and painted everything gray (or white) a new year comes along with new Design Trends?

Don't worry. The world of Interior Design doesn't change all that quickly - and even if there are some new things on the horizon you should really stick with whatever makes your little design heart sing. And if you simply MUST have some of the latest and greatest, it's usually pretty easy to work some trendy accents in with whatever you've currently got going on.

So first we'll talk about color. Pantone has revealed it's color forecast for 2016 and it's this ridiculousness:

Mmmmmmkay... Rose Quartz and Serenity. Shades of Donna Mills circa 1983.

No doubt this combo will go over about as well as last year's Marsala.

Benjamin Moore, on the other hand, announced that their color of the year is Simply White. I think Simply White is appropriate since white walls and white everything are still enjoying tremendous popularity.

So what else?

The trend I'm most excited about is the re-emergence of plaids and tartans. And that's not really anything "new". Design trends are mostly recirculated/reinvented trends of the past. We wait until everyone's nearly forgotten about them and reintroduce them so they feel new again. Pretty clever!

Tartan is as old as the hills but you have to admit that it feels pretty fresh in this little powder room.

Welcome to my dream home office. Note the plaid roman shades. WAIT - is that Serenity in here? It sure looks like it. And while it looks great in this space, I would probably NOT combine it with Rose Quartz in the same room, unless you're going for a Knots Landing Revisited look.

Another trend - although you can't really say it's a "trend" - is less junky painted furniture and more antiques.

Bring it.

No one does this whole Modern with Antiques look as masterfully as Ashley Goforth.

Finally, I think the use of raw and natural materials will continue to grow in popularity. No doubt a lot of this popularity can be attributed to Lauren Liess.

She has a talent for making raw, humble materials look modern and cutting edge instead of drab and frumpy- and that's not an easy thing to do.

See what I mean? I think she's single-handedly going to bring back 1970's chic - only way more chic than it ever was in the 1970's.

And so that completes my observations on Design Trends for 2016. Feel free to take it or leave it. If any of these trends speaks to your soul - I say embrace it! If it all leaves you feeling uninspired, then for heaven's sake, pass it up and stick with the things you love! Your home should be filled with things that lift your spirit, not a meaningless collection of trends.

Happy 2016!

What I'm Working On Now - Father Of The Bride House Foyer Plan

You remember the Father of the Bride House project I'm working on? It's a recent purchase of some favorite long time clients. The home was built in the 1920's and my clients are only the second owners.

She's quite the charmer, isn't she?

You'll be pleased to know that renovations are complete and my clients have recently moved in. Now we start decorating, which is really the most fun part because we start making the house into their home.

So what about the direction? Right from the beginning we knew that we wanted to honor integrity of the home while bringing it into the now. After all, they're a young family and their modern sensibilities should be represented too.

We're starting with the foyer. And what a foyer it is!

There are so many wonderful period details. The floors are original, as is the mill work, doors, hardware - and it just oozes with charm!

As you can see it's a generously sized space so it's the perfect opportunity to make a statement about the homeowners and what to expect as you go through the rest of the house. The challenge is to marry the classic architecture with modern style so it all makes sense together.

Here's what we came up with, and - happily - my clients have approved the design!

Currently we're on the hunt for a classic Sheraton style sideboard, which will anchor the design in tradition. The Sheraton sideboard is one of my absolute favorite pieces of furniture. Ever. Even though it's super traditional, the lines are so clean that it feels current, and it will NEVER go out of style. Other classic design elements are seen in the blue and white porcelain and brass/gold accents. To put a modern spin on the foyer, we added the antelope runner (which is installed and gorgeous!) a modern mirror, and a modern gold olive leaf chandelier. My clients wanted the house to feel comfortable and welcoming so we'll knock the formality down a bit with a seagrass rug and a few other natural elements.

I'm so happy with the direction we're taking in this period home and I hope you'll check back to see what we have planned for the other rooms. As we get rooms completed I'll share "after" photos too!

Thanks for stopping by!

If you're in the Chattanooga area and struggling with design decisions for your home, I can cut through the confusion and help you create a home that feels like "you". Call 423.653.3186 for details.

The Undecorated Room - It's A Thing And Harder To Achieve Than You Might Think!

How's that for a blog post with a long name?

Today I want to take a closer look at rooms in an "undecorated" style that I find so appealing. It's harder to successfully pull one of these spaces together than you might think, because traditionally there is some sort of jumping off point for a room's design that dictates the all of the remaining selections.

The image above comes from Thibaut, and everything in this bedroom is perfectly coordinated. The floral print on the settee is the jumping off point for the entire room. The colors of the wallpaper, the trim on the drapes, the lamp and the pillows are all found in the floral fabric. This room is looks very decorated - perhaps a little too perfect!

By contrast, the "undecorated" room is a space where coordinating colors and furniture styles are not the highest priority. Instead, it's about bringing the unrelated pieces together as a whole - where comfort and mood trump everything else.

Below is one of my favorite living rooms of all time. It's Kristen Buckingham's living room, and it's perfectly undecorated.

What makes it so hard to break this down is that there is no particular style, color palette, or common thread that unites these pieces. And somehow it all works.

The two rooms below are by Ben Pentreath.

Again, there's no obvious color palette that was adhered to, no period or particular style of furniture that can pinpointed - just collections of unrelated elements that speak to each other.

The undecorated room is more about the feeling it evokes. Nothing is too precious, and it wouldn't matter if something was moved from it's original location in the room. Each piece brings something special to the room's design, and it's ultimately about how the unique pieces come together as a whole. Undecorated rooms feel timeless because they usually incorporate a broad range of furniture styles and a fluid color palette, so there's no pinpointing exactly when the room was created.

Want to try this at home? My advice would be to start small - maybe work in a few pillows that broaden your current color palette. Keep the big picture in mind (as in don't get too obsessed with finding the exact shade of green to match the leaves on your curtain fabric). And mix in a few timeworn accessories - old books, a vintage footstool, a framed piece of art or an antique occasional table.

If you're in the Chattanooga and feeling overwhelmed with decorating your home, give Kim a call at 423.653.3186. I can cut through the all confusion and create a home you'll be thrilled to come home to!

The Wish List - Floor Length Tablecloth

I can't believe it but Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away! I love Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday because it's just about spending time with family, sharing a great meal together, and reflecting on all of the blessings we have in our lives. What could be better?

Hmmmmm....since you asked, what could be better for me is a Thanksgiving table with a floor length tablecloth. There's something so luxurious about a beautiful floor length tablecloth and someday I hope to have one for myself!

This image of Aerin Lauder's dining room that appeared in Elle Decor a few years ago sealed it for me. I especially love a big round table with a floor length tablecloth. The entire space is just magical.

Admittedly that rich shade of purple isn't for everyone (that took courage!) but the entire setting is even more luxe and cozy thanks to the floor length tablecloth. Also note the classic details like the bullion fringe at the bottom of the banquette and the tape trim on the tablecloth.

Meg Braff's dining room above as seen in House Beautiful features a vibrant yellow floor length tablecloth. I have loved this dining room for years.

Tablecloths can be simple:

vibrant:

or not a tablecloth at all!

Which leads me to another item on my wishlist.

Bookcases in the dining room. Don't get me started. We'll save that topic for another time.

Are you ready for turkey day at your house?

The Green Room Interiors provides residential decorating services in the Chattanooga, TN area. If you need some assistance with the design of your home, contact Kim at 423.653.3186.

What I'm Working On Now - New Project In Alabama

Most of the clients I work with are in the greater Chattanooga area, but a few weeks ago I got an email inquiry from a potential client that lives in a small town in Alabama - about an hour's drive from Chattanooga. My first instinct was that I probably would have to turn it down, but after a phone conversation with her I knew it was a project I very much wanted to take on. You see, during our conversation my client was so enthusiastic and excited about working with me, and the portfolio photos she saw that spoke to her the most were the ones of my own house.

Naturally, photos of my own home are the truest reflection of my personal style - a classic/modern mix that is achieved by combining layers of design elements from different time periods.

I'm very much drawn to the whimsy of Chinoiserie (Asian) design elements, as is my adorable client. How could I resist the opportunity to work with a perfectly lovely gal that shares a similar design style? The short answer is : I couldn't!

And so we agreed to meet. Imagine how delighted I was to see this when I pulled into the driveway:

Hello gorgeous!

And while the inside is a blank slate, it's just full of potential! We're starting in the living room, seen below.

Another plus is that my client has really has a vision for the look and mood she wants to create in the space. Well intentioned friends have encouraged her to keep the palette light and neutral, but the heart wants what the heart wants. And her heart wants a rich, moody space with navy walls, built-in bookcases (they have a huge collection!) mid century modern accents, original art, and a little leopard.

Here's the mood board I created for her:

And we've already made our first purchase! I spotted this Chippendale sofa while doing some local vintage shopping and it's currently getting reupholstered in a durable, neutral fabric.

And yes, there will be leopard pillows.

I'll be excited to share our progress here on my blog (and on Instagram (thegreenroominteriors) as work moves forward.

I hope you'll check back in and watch it unfold!

If you're in the greater Chattanooga area and would like some help with the design of your home's interiors, give Kim a call at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

A Good Alternative To Fiddle Leaf Figs

There is simply no denying the beauty and drama that a big, healthy fiddle leaf fig brings to a space.

What's not to love? They're sculptural, and they bring a little bit of nature in. Side note: that rug (!!!)

The big leathery leaves are textural and so beautiful!

The bad news is that I hear they're hard to keep alive. I haven't tried one myself, but I've heard the sad stories and witnessed the struggle in keeping them looking healthy and bright.

So if you haven't yet met, allow me to introduce you to the Bird of Paradise.

Big, leathery leaves? Check

Strong, sculptural form? Check

Mother Nature on the inside? Check!

And they're easy to find. I've seen them in the Wal Mart garden center and they were very reasonably priced.

Think you want to give it a go?

Here are care instructions.

1. Place your plant in a sunny location. They need 5-6 hours of sunlight a day.

2. Although they stay green year-round, Birds of Paradise experience a dormant period where growth will be slower.

3. Birds of Paradise are tropical, so during the warmer months they will enjoy a daily misting of water. (Mist once weekly during cooler months.) The same is true for their watering schedules. During the warm growing season, they require more water than when dormant. While dormant only water when the soil is dry.

4. Fertilize bi weekly during the growing season and just once monthly while dormant.

And here's a little bonus. If you keep your Bird of Paradise happy, it might even reward you with some blooms!

Happy indoor gardening!

Chattanooga people - if you need some help creating your personal oasis at home, give me a call at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

From The Archives - Historic Restoration On Lookout Mountain

Just so you know, this is kind of long post, but it has lots of good pictures so I hope you can take the time to read it through to the end. Today we're going way back to a project we completed 8 years ago. It involved the total restoration of an historic home at the top of Lookout Mountain. Here's how it looked upon completion. From start to finish restoration of this house took about 8 months.

Isn't she lovely? This home was built in the 1920's. When we bought it, it had the original slate roof but it was in poor condition. We replaced the slate shingles with a asphalt and then we replaced the original terra cotta accents to stay as true to the original design as possible.

Here's a small, not-so-great photo of the house when we purchased it. Not our most horrific beginning, but definitely a house in need of a little love. The biggest change we made was returning this house to a single family home. When we purchased it, it was divided into an upstairs apartment and a downstairs apartment.

You can't see it in the photo above, but the window on the far right of the lower level had been replaced with a door that led to a stairway to the upstairs apartment.

Another big change we made to the exterior was the redesign and replacement of the front porch. We removed the obsolete brick columns and rebuilt the porch with wood columns, balusters, newel posts and steps. The windows and other architectural details were given more depth with some strategic painting in a cream, olive and black color scheme.

Yikes! Check out the mold from the old leaky windows and leaky roof on the right side wall. This is what the staircase looked like upon entering from the modified door on the porch. The steps led to the upstairs apartment. We opened up the wall to the left and turned the bottom portion of the staircase, as it was when the home was built in the 1920's. Here's what it looks like now - with the staircase restored and put back in its original location.

Most of the other rooms looked like the "before" staircase photo above in terms of damage and neglect. I'll spare you the agony of looking at a bunch of ugly before photos. Instead, feast your eyes on these "After" photos of the completed downstairs rooms.

The walls in the main living area are painted Benjamin Moore Grant Beige, one of my favorite neutral colors!

The mantel and tile seen here are original to the home. Most of the lighting is antique - it was restored and rewired for safety. Can you see where the original pocket doors slide out of sight in between the living room and dining rooms?

Here is the dining room with it's bank of four giant windows. Although these windows are replacements, they are wood and they were custom made to fit the original openings. Using wood replacement windows in the same size as the original maintains integrity of the home's architecture while making it a little more energy efficient. Isn't the natural light gorgeous in here? The walls are painted Benjamin Moore Hollingsworth Green. I love this color!

You can catch a small glimpse of the kitchen through the doorway. More kitchen photos below:

The kitchen was completely redesigned with a new layout, cabinetry, flooring, counter tops, and appliances. As you can see the wall oven had not yet arrived when we took these photos. To the right is a small addition we put on the back of the house with a pantry, mud room and laundry room.

In the photo below you can see where the addition begins by looking at the floor of cased opening. Lindsay replicated the original woodwork for a seamless look throughout the house. Walk-in pantry is on the right.

In the photo below you can see the addition on the back of the house. Rafter tails, windows, and trim are painted in contrasting earthy colors to bring out the outstanding architectural details.

Back inside the kitchen, antique lighting coexists with recessed lighting, modern cabinetry and appliances. Walls are painted Benjamin Moore Man on the Moon.

Upstairs, the biggest change we made was the creation of a huge master suite. We redesigned three rooms to include a master bedroom, a master bathroom, a walk-in closet and a sitting room.

Seriously. This is the "Before". (#ohmy!)

A wider shot is of the space is seen above. This is taken from what is now the master bedroom looking into the master sitting room. The arched opening was eliminated in favor of a wider cased opening. The photo below was taken from the same perspective, after renovation was complete.

How's that for an improvement? Floors on the upper level are Heart Pine.

This shot was taken inside the sitting area of the master bedroom. Another spectacular original mantel and original tiles were restored.

See those windows across the front of the house? Here's the view from this room:

The photo below was taken right inside the entrance to the master bedroom from the hallway. The name of the color I used in the Master Bedroom and the Sitting Room is Benjamin Moore Sweet Dreams. I think it's a perfect name for a perfect bedroom color! The entrance into the master bathroom is on your right. The sitting room entrance is out of range on the left. The chandelier is antique and I bought it on eBay.

And below you see the master bathroom we created from another room, which if I recall was being used as the upstairs apartment kitchen when we bought the house. The entrance to the master closet is just out of view on the right.

The bathtub is antique and is not original to the home. The sinks are reproduction and sadly no longer available. Lindsay did all of the tile work in this bathroom and throughout the home. This floor tile is available at both Lowe's and Home Depot. It's budget friendly and looks great with gray grout. I use this tile all the time! The lighting is antique and was rewired before it was installed. I love those big antique milk glass shades on the sconces.

The final shot from the Master Suite was taken from the entrance of the sitting room through the Master Bedroom and looking into the Master Bathroom.

And here's one last exterior shot:

I hope you enjoyed this little house tour as much as we enjoyed transforming this historic beauty!

I wanted write this post to demonstrate how much change is possible and to show of some of the work we have done, the quality of that work, and what we are capable of doing. If you live in the Chattanooga area have a renovation, home improvement or decorating project you're thinking about - large or small - we would love to talk to you about it! Call Kim at 423.653.3186.