The DECO-Zone

Inspired At County Fair For Decorating

Inspiration is everywhere. As an avid photographer from early on, I always carry my camera.

This past week we went to the Lorain County Fair. This is still a rural county fair. So many amazingly talented folks.

It was hard not to be inspired by everything we saw.

The colors are so vivid & fun.

Looking at these wagons filled with flowers had me thinking as a Stager. Given the right property, these wagons filled with flowers would be awesome Curb Appeal.

These colorful baskets are a great way to see color, scale & texture used in a unique yet creative decorating display.

Inspiration and creative ways to express ourselves is all around us.

Okay, where can i and my camera go today to find inspiration?

Till next Monday,

DesAnn Collins

DSA Trainer & Staging Director

www.DesignByDesAnn.com

Budget Decorating: Redesign For An Office

A client  needed a “space-lift” for his office. We needed new waiting room chairs, art and something to hold their office supplies. The budget was small. Actually I LOVE hearing that. A small budget equals large creativity possibilities.

The “hunt” was on. We scowered the Flea Markets, Consignment stores, big retailers and a few garage sales.

We found an old Radiator ($10) an Isaac Mizrahi placemat($1.37) and ordered great new leather chairs.

You, like me, have probably faced a radiator that needed a redesign. The challenge is to blend them into a space and to re-make their image into something beautiful rather than utilitarian.

We put the Isaac Mizrahi placemat into an old frame. We then hot glued that frame on top of a long wooden empty rectangel frame and hung it between two Ansel Adams prints for their conference room.

Do you like to hear “Tight budget” I do. We would love to hear about your amazing transformations of Trash To Treasure!

DesAnn Collins

DSA Staging Director & trainer

www.DesignByDesAnn.com

Largest Garage Sale for Interior Decorators

Need Purple glass bottles?

The Rt 127 corridor garage sale is perfect for Staging, Decorating and just pure fun.

My husbands worst nightmare would be me going next year, with a large truck. Actually a fantasy for me. Hundreds of miles of treasure to try and capture.

The sale starts in Michigan and follows I 127 all the way to Alabama! HGTV usually has a “special” every year on what two of their reporters journey is like and what treasures they find.

You can buy everything there, even “Cracklins” and Hot Dogs. Pure Americana. From Purple glass bottles to old metal signs.

Look, even Darth Vader is a collector!

Anyone else out there a Garage sale Junkie? Perhaps next year we could caravan together with our 18 wheeler behind us to carry our “treasures”!

treasures at The 127 Corridor Garage Sale

 I’m going to plan to go to this unique sale next year….sshhh..don’t tell my husband.

DesAnn Collins

DSA- Staging Director

Creating One-Of-A-Kind Spaces

Creating a one-of-a-kind space for clients is exhilarating! Interior Decorating a room from the top to bottom is always a joy. In Home Staging we are always looking to entice the buyers. It has to be all about “them”, our target market.

Creating an all out design of work to be truly good needs to function and be about the client.

We have been working on this project for a few months now. There were a few things the clients want. One, they LOVE their chandelier. Two, they want to display a few prints in the room. Three, the furniture needed to stay. Four, their window’s architectural features make it challenging to change.

One- Chandelier. Patti expressed her love for it and said, “You’re going to make me get rid of it right?”  Well after a little research we found almost an exact match to a Murano Italian Glass Chandelier. It stays.

Dining room beforeInspiration prints

 These prints are fantastic. They are Cool colors and we need to incorporate them into a Warm palette.

My GREAT painter, Rikk Mayr, is doing my Faux work.

Here is a “SNEEK-PEEK” of our ceiling. This is only at the half way point of the ceilings completion.

Creative way of bringing the Cool Blues into a Warm space

I must also say that if it weren’t for my confidence with Color this would be a scary project.  I am boldly moving forward with the design as I have my DSA Color With No Regrets education.

I found the most fabulous 100 yr old shutters. We will be using them as window treatments. They are rough, chipped paint and perfect for this application. I’ll post on them next week.

Fearless…No Regrets Design.

Happy Decorating,

DesAnn Collins

DSA- Staging Director & Trainer

Decorating Dos and Don’ts-Part Four

The tips I have been sharing are perfect for the DIY, as well as the professional who is seeking new ways to build business.  Creating a beautiful home begins with awareness of both the good and the bad. In the day to day of life, it is easy to be forgiving and not notice signs that show a room is tired.    Little changes can make a huge impact, so let me share a couple more don’ts today. 

Decorating Don’ts Continued

The Impact of Lighting

#4.  Don’t select color in a paint store.  Color and light are interdependent.  Even with the light boxes supplies at most paint stores, it is critical to bring home the swatch to observe it with lighting in a space. Determine what time of day is the room most used?  How does the room’s lighting impact the space?  Simple changes with added lighting and bulbs can make a huge impact in the space.  The impact of metamerism and simultaneous contrast can completely change a color in a space.

#3. Don‘t forget the simple ratio of 60-30-10. When selecting color in a

The 60-30-10 Ratio in Action

space, keep in mind that balance is always an important aspect of creating a beautiful room. A well done room is a mix of texture, color, visual weight, and more.  Creating balance will make the space more visually pleasing and emotionally satisfying.  A color harmony composed of 3 colors is always a great way to go. Once deciding your harmony, simply make one color the star, (60%), the second color the co-star, (30%) and the last color the unexpected pop of color that gives a room interest.  (Props-Vist sites that allow you to “paint” a room virtually and show the audience how simply changing the 60-30-10 lineup can greatly impact the space.)

Come back for more tips to implement in your home, your jobs, or to use as a presentation.

JoAnne Lenart-Weary

Creative Director, The Decorating and Staging Academy

Decorating Dos and Don’ts-Part Three

Presentations are a great way to build your business credibility.  Many of you have heard me promote FaceTime over FaceBook.  In other words, get in front of the people who may be interested in your services.  To help you do that, I am creating a series of blog posts that you can use as an outline for building a 20-45 minute presentation.  Let’s continue with the Decorating Don’ts and then I will share the Top Ten Decorating Dos!

Tacky Theme Space

6. Don’t be the Theme Queen-Creating a beautiful room inspired by travels, culture, or a hobby is a common fallback for the non-professional decorator.  There is a huge difference between being inspired and redundancy.  A little goes a long way when creating a theme space. Think of unique ways to showcase the theme instead of the predictable.  i.e. instead of a series of golf pictures on the wall, use golf clubs as the rods for a window treatment. 

5. Don’t let someone else tell you what you like. The sign of a true decorating professional is one who doesn’t tell you what you need but helps you discover what style best fits your personality.  A common problem for the DIY, is the well meaning opinion of friends, which are skewed by their likes and dislikes.  Soon, you have a hundred opinions and you don’t know what to do.  Take time and create a style file, filling a folder with pictures that appeal to you.  Once you have filled your folder with a variety of pictures, go back and analyze what appealed to you in each picture.  i.e. painted ceiling, nickel hardward, wood floors, etc.  If you have enough pictures, you should be able to see a trend.  (PROP NOTE:  Give each participant a decorative file folder labeled with your contact info.  Share magazines with group and allow them a few minutes to tear out photos.  Give them 2-3 minutes, then trade magazines.  After a few minutes, gather magazines and tell them they have started their own style file.  Your label is key to remind them of you whenever they pull it out and hopefully call you when ready for their next decorating project.)

Hope you are enjoying my tips. 

 JoAnne Lenart-Weary

One Day Decorating and The Decorating and Staging Academy

It takes more than talent

Still Learning from Design Star

I missed the Sunday evening viewing of Design Star as I was being a Mom and Grandma.  But thank goodness for technology as my recording waited for me.  Week Three was a redo of a New York City rooftop patio.  The inspiration was musical instruments.  Well, decorating a space is about creating a harmony, a cacaphony of texture, color, and creativity, and…alright, I will stop there.  The key was to create a great composition blending your personal best while performing as a team.

Let’s talk about the personal side of Design Star. Many of you know my main business is gathering together talented people and encouraging them to create a beautiful space.  Trust me, sometimes it is difficult to blend  creative egos and allow them to blossom without causing harm to one another. When you are creative, you LOVE your

Hey, they can smile on Design Star!

 ideas and think they are the best. In class, I encourage my students to learn, not only from me, but from one another.  In a reality show like Design Star, we have WAR!  After all, there is only one winner.  Some are able to juggle civility and even kindness while showcasing their talents.  Others may be more demanding with a look at me attitude.  Hey, that’s reality TV, after all, have you seen Danielle on Real Housewives…wait a minute, that is another blog.

So what did I learn this week? 

1. I learned people and talent can easily get swallowed up in the din.  Just like business, you need to find a way to make yourself unique, distinctive and honorable.  Trent Hultgren was one of those people, I am sorry he was dismissed this week as I felt like we never had a chance to see his true potential.  His online portoflio shows a totally different person.  But hey Trent, burn the hat! 

2.  I learned I am very tired Venetian Plaster Walls  that look like what I have been seeing for the last 5 years.  Come on this is Design STAR, gimme some star stuff.

3.  I learned that just because you get on D.S. you may not remember the Golden Rule of Decorating, measure, measure, measure.

4. I learned Tom Vecchione decorates the way he dresses, don’t get me wrong, I like what I have seen, but I hope he stretches beyond his comfort zone.  A designer/decorator shouldn’t have a signature look.  That isn’t decorating for the client but creating mini-me spaces.

5.  I learned so far, no one has earned my vote, but I am hopeful.

6.  The women won this week, their space was more harmonious than the men’s but can’t say I was shaking my pom-poms (that too is another blog) watching the Design Star Game. 

Sh-h-h, don’t tell anyone, here is a sneak peek at next week.  It was made available just to me (okay, and anyone else who visted the site) See you next week!

New Issue of The DECOpolitan FREE Online Magazine is Here!

The DECOpolitan July 2010 Issue is Here!

Hungry for Decorating Ideas, then don’t miss The DECOpolitan. It just keeps getting better and better.  If you haven’t read our online magazine, The DECOpolitan, you don’t know what you have been missing.  Oh, come to think of it, you don’t have to miss a thing, here is the link to our archives.

But if you want to start with the newest issue, then visit our hot off the presses July Issue of The DECOpolitan.  If you want to receive it every month, then visit our home page and sign up there. 

Trust us, you don’t want to miss a single issue and if you have a great product or service you want to promote, The DECOpolitan will be accepting ads for the September Issue.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. Do you see what I see?

I loved Cheryl Cousins post about mirrors over mantels and what they reflect.  I decided to review photos from  my recent classes and found example after example of mirrors over fireplaces and not one of them reflected anything pretty.  The key is typically you will be viewing the mirror from a seated position in a space,  so you are looking up at it.

Mirror Before

 This completely changes what the mirror will reflect. If you can see the ceiling fan when looking straight on, just think what you will see when you are seated. In this picture you see the mirror reflects the ceiling, the fan and the harsh light. In the after photo, we used art objects to create a pleasing composition. What do you think?

Mirror After