Brentwood Interior Designer, Amanda Burdge It's all in the Details

Decorative accessories provide the finishing touches in a room. Even the best basics, like the little black dress, will fall flat without the garnishment of beautiful pearls, a little gold, and the perfect shoes. Sure, the little black dress is lovely, but it has the potential to be so much better.

Shane Reilly

Putting the finishing touches on your little black dress are no different from accessorizing your home. Adding a few carefully selected pieces will transform the ordinary humdrum into something extraordinary. Remember my post on lifestyles? Accessories are THE single best way to underline, with an exclamation point, who you are. 

Accessories need not be of the same cloth, either. In fact, just like all my other posts have stated, it is all in the mix. It is much more appealing to combine new and old, fine art with flea market finds, and hand-me-downs with the newly purchased finds. Every season, or every so often, change your perspective, rearrange and move things around. Too often clients will assign an item to a location and see it as fixed, unable to move it from the sublime ether of existence. My recommendation? Take two or three rooms and tear everything out of it. Put every item in the center of a room and start rearranging. This is a terrific way to get a fresh look, and it moves everything around, creating an exciting new look. You'll be surprised at all the incredible arrangements you come up with that blend beautifully. Who knew?!

Evelyn Benatar

As my captive audience I'm sure you are wondering, 'Ok now I have all my stuff in the center of the room, now what?' Such talented pupils you are! Ask yourself a few questions before you get started: 1) Is there a pattern with my accessories? For example, do I have a group of trinkets such as Snow globes, medicine bottles, or candy wrappers that can be classified as a collection? If so, these are items that can be grouped together on a bookshelf or side table to showcase your collectible. 2) Is there anything I do not need? Do I LOVE all of these items? Our goal is to create a lifestyle not a collage of life cycles. Get rid of the ones that no longer speak to you, and donate them. Remember students, one mans junk, is another mans treasure!

Raji RM and Associates

The most fundamental rule of any successful accessory ensemble is the number of items you use cannot overwhelm the space you are decorating. See photo below. Now this room is a store. They are trying to display a beautiful collection of home decor items to peak your interest and give you lots of eye candy ( and hopefully entice you to BUY something). However, this would never work in a home. Too many items, too little space, create invalid scale and proportion. Awwww...where do I focus?, too much stuff!

Orangehomeaccessories.com

Once you have decided the surface to enhance create interest with odd numbers, group items together, and create high's and lows. You do not want every single item to be the same height. Odd numbers push the eye to move around the surface, and this creates visual interest. No matter what accessory you are working with, an informal approach is always better. Start by placing your tallest object in the back and work your way down. Essentially creating a triangle in shape. See the green vases below? Each item is a different shape and height, and we have five total items with the art three vases, and a platter.  

                                                  

Olga Adler

Make sure you do not cram everything together. Your accessories demand breathing room. After you have fussed with your accessories and changed them around, you will end up with the perfect accessory combination. Make sure the balance is right, and that the surface feels right. Does it look balanced? Does it feel off? Does the arrangement intrigue the eye? If the space feels heavy a good rule of thumb to live by, if cleaning day rolls around and the surface requires a lot of labor to shift and move things around, you have probably put too many things on it.

Look at the mantle below. This is a perfect example of perfect accessorization. There are five items (odd number) each item is a different height and shape and each piece has breathing room. Beautiful to look at, and easy to clean. Bravo!

David M. Plant Interiors

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Nashville decorator on How to design a room-Where do you start?

Along with the constant doe eyed question of "give us your loot-I mean design tips" I always get the question-Where do I start? Clients often get so overwhelmed with the design process they give up before they even step foot in a furniture store. Just like buying a car, there is a P-R-O-C-E-S-S. Too often consumers see a show, flip through a magazine, (or worse, Betty Sue across the street just had her house done!) and that sparks the urgency of redoing a room, NOW. They run out to the nearest hardware store animated and thrilled like a three year old, only to get engulfed into an overwhelming color quandary of decisions. Which blue is the right blue? Do I like blue? Maybe green is better. Maybe I should pick furniture first? Do I need to repaint the trim? Do I even have trim? And the whirlwind of terror begins! Before they even start they get stuck in a paradox, close the book on any conclusions, and find that getting lunch and a martini is much easier. (nothing a little vodka can't solve!)

My first tip, call a designer. They are worth their weight in gold. Too often consumers think they can not afford a designer. But more often than not, you can't afford not to. Wouldn't it be easier to have a designer select those colors, build you a space plan, and help you select furniture that will work for the next TEN years instead of two? I cannot tell you how many times I go into a home of "recent purchases" that just don't work. Mistake after mistake, throwing money down the drain. When you get sick you don't self diagnose. You go to the Doctor for advise. How many of you cut your own hair? You don't, you go to the hair stylist who is an expert on what you need.

So when you need help with your home why not get some advise from an expert who can help you avoid making costly mistakes, remove the frustration and actually make it a wonderful experience? Wouldn't it be great to walk into that room and feel joy, instead of annoyance? No one wants to remember the salesman that talked them into a bad decision, or the day they walked out of the paint store with lime green paint cans in their hand!

Ok-Where do you start?

1) Find your inspiration. Whether it be a magazine, a jelly donut or a plate, find something that speaks to you. Not sure how? Read my post How to get inspired for more help

2) Try to narrow down some ideas on colors. You don't have to pick the exact color-let the designer do that for you-but get an idea of what you like.

The best book on furniture styles, if your a serious furniture guru

3)Furniture styles. Are you traditional, transitional, cottage, modern, or contemporary? Don't know? Your designer can help you with this, often times no one is one particular style they are two or three. Find some pictures of things you like. From there the details can be selected and narrowed down.

4)FOCUS!!! This is where a designer can be your most VALUABLE asset. Choose a path and stick to it. Going into a paint store or furniture store can be overwhelming. SO many pretty shiny things to grab your attention, shift your FOCUS and before you know it you catch A.D.D and once again your running around the store like a screeching three year old hopped up on candy! (might I remind you it has SUGAR in it-one of THE most important food groups!)

The best book on how to be a designer

5)Scale-Make sure the items you are looking at are the correct scale and proportion. These two elements are what make a space "right". Ever been in a room that felt "off"? Generally one of these two things is incorrect. This is where a designer REALLY helps. Many of my clients are really good at pulling a room together with a little designer guidance. But scale and proportion is not learned, you either have it or you don't. Get this wrong and the whole room will feel off. Can't afford a designer? Purchase the book above. It will save your life.

6)Accessorize-Now you have all these big things: sofas, chairs, tables. Most consumers that make it this far fall short because they feel that all the hard work is done-HARDLY! Now the heavy lifting begins. The accessories are the pearls and Louboutin's with the black dress. Without these key components, it is just-a-dress. The accessories add personality, flavor, and style to a space. Without these items the room falls flat.

A word of caution, contact your doctor, I mean designer if you experience any of the following while shopping for accessories: Urges to buy green ivy from Michael's, (or any fake plant for that matter) including but not limited to, the fake ficus tree! Thoughts about dying if you don't purchase fake columns, and gilded gold chubby cherubs holding harps immediately. Anxiety over tchotchkes, feeling restless and agitated, if you don't buy MORE (it needs more stuff!). Panic attack's and difficulty sleeping over missing out on the hobby lobby sale down the street. Any other unusual changes in behavior or mood when you get the urge to buy a poly filled pillow, as this will cause a feeling of depression and irritability. (NO MORE POLY PILLOWS!)

Do use items that are special, and smart like

Sid Dickens tiles

Popular designer accessories to hit mainstream

Designer lamps with style and personality

Some additional tips with a side of humor on updating your home

Need additional advice? Email me. Let me know your questions. And as I have mentioned, if you need help with your room or rooms look up a designer in your area. You would be surprised at how delighted and charming (absolutely delirious and crazy!) we are to work with, (just do what we say) and NO MORE POLY PILLOWS!!!!

It's officially mainstream! by Expert Nashville designer Amanda Burdge

When I went to Market last summer I saw a growing interest in animals at every showroom. Every vendor had owls, fossils, fish, birds, and horses. I also noticed a strong trend in natural materials, vintage materials, jars, reclaimed wood and linen. Well my friends it's hit mainstream! I received a pottery barn, restoration hardware, West Elm AND crate and barrel catalog, today in the mail, and all four have encompassed this trend. See for yourself.

Crate and Barrel

West Elm

Crate and Barrel

Pottery Barn

Pottery barn

Restoration Hardware

AB Home Interiors

Target TUESDAY!

So once again I am behind on getting this TT up in a timely manner. Sorry to disappoint. I have been busy stuffing my face with deep fried, fun lovin, butter balls, with a side of sweet, sweet sugar. Maybe later I will have some mac and cheese to get my daily dose of vitamin something or other. I have also been enjoying a daily dose of my guiltiest pleasure, True Blood. Bill and Sookie are just icky sticky sweet to the point of compulsive dry heaves. And yet I still watch. I do admire her enthusiastic sass and Bill's ridiculous, over keen and methodical devotion. EH! And that crazy Maryann creature! Holy cow. Those eyeballs that she enforced on everyone gave me nightmares. Couldn't get them out of my head. YIKES!!

So today I need a prescription of pleasing and enchanting to get theses unpleasant heebie jeebies out of my mind. That prescription comes in the form of one of my favorite cooking essentials. Aprons. Not those long over the head stupid aprons. Im talking about the cute, 1950's gingham and ruffles, around the waste with HUGE pockets, aprons. I love this style of apron. Fun, flirty and oh so sexy in the kitchen with a side kissed honey.

This apron is compliments of Annie G's. Her website is bagsbyannieg.com My aprons will be similar to this but with more fabric and bigger pockets!

My aprons will consist of several fabrics. Almost like a quilt, but better. They will have gingham checks, florals, plaids, and strips all combined together in perfect harmony. They will have ruffles. Some will have them on the sides some on the bottom. And some will have ruffles on both the side and bottom. The materials will all be 100% cotton so they will be easy to clean and gain that worn-in, used vintage look. The tie around the waist will be approximately 2" thick and will be long enough to wrap entirely around your waist and back to the front to make the perfect, delightful bow. There will be pockets in the front large enough for comfort, utensils and any objects you will need close at hand. One size will fit all but there will be so many choices to choose from in style and colors you may need to buy two or three!

D. All of the above

For those of you who frequent my blog you are aware of my post, MY life on the D list. If you haven't read it not only are you missing out on THE greatest post ever, but that means Im SERIOUSLY lacking in sympathy and support points. I was so inspired by all my SITSta (and non SITSta) remarks that I have decided to embark on a journey, a rally of sorts that will be of colossal and enormous proportions!!!

I am announcing my new TARGET Tuesday's!! Every week until somebody pays attention to me ( insert sad pitiful, feel-sorry-for-me-face or DAMMIT GIVE ME MY OWN LINE FACE!!!!! Which ever works first), I will be posting about all the reasons, with your support, love and encouragement, why I should have my own line at TARGET.

a) creative
b) inspiring
c) affordable
D) All of the above

Some of you may think Im crazy. (but really, who ever got anywhere with being sane!) I have admitted to having holes in my head; but that won't stop me. A household name I am not, (MILEY CYRUS!!!!!!!!!!) but I can design, implement, and sell a product to which I am more than QUALIFIED to do. I am determined and motivated to prove that it does not take a celebrity name to create a successful line. I don't sing, dance or sell million dollar records. But I can produce a product that everyone will appreciate and enjoy. Yes, this ideal may seem absurd. It may be foolish to think that a small scale, low key designer like myself can make a movement of this magnitude. However, like Martin Luther King, I have a dream. So Im going to put on my big girl panties, let my designer flag fly high, and dont forget ladies, to put on your pearls!