Shift Work

This week has been a week of shifting! The ability to find the appropriate place to hang things is born out of experience and years of doing the work! Often times customers have all the items they need to make a space great, they just don’t know where to hang the items for the maximum visual impact. I have spent the week shifting things in houses and when we move things around that is when the magic happens. I encourage people to keep things until everything is done so that we don’t re-spend money on something we already owned. Last Saturday we watched as a homeowner did have to sell some things to get on the right path but what was saved from that sitting room? Let’s take a peek at the master bedroom of the Ivy from last week to see that the seaside picture found a new home and was the inspiration for a new master bedroom, somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Paint
The walls were painted what I consider to be the perfect crème. Patience 7555 is a crème color with just a hint of golden tan to keep it bright without being too bright. We use a satin finish so that light will reflect off the walls and increase light in the space. Flat paint absorbs light no matter how light the paint color, so always choose satin finish or at the very least eggshell.

• Flooring
The flooring throughout the main body of the house was tile. The homeowners wanted to replace the flooring in all the bedrooms and they chose acacia wood. The acacia wood added rich warmth and the variations in the wood grain kept the space light without being visually busy. Engineered hardwood is a product that is glued down to the cement slab. It is made of a plywood base with a nice thick layer of the real wood on top. This is a product that is made to adhere to cement slabs so the product is very appropriate for Florida houses built on a cement slab.

• Re-locate the art
The art that had been hanging in the former sitting room was a favorite piece that the homeowners purchased and wanted to keep. They loved the light teal blues and we decided to use the picture as our inspiration for the master bedroom. The frame complemented the furniture in the space and was the perfect piece to use as the inspiration for the master bedroom.

• Bedding
The inspiration for the bedding was pulled from the picture that we re-used from the sitting room. The bedding needed to be pet friendly and easy to make. We settled on a white bed skirt to hide the mechanics of the bed and white would go with the new white coverlet. The base coverlet of the bed is white and covered in embroidered sea coral that is all white. We added two white European pillows to pop against the headboard with one large king sham in front of the Euro pillows. Finally, a single white pillow with teal and green embroidered palm fronds finished off the bed. Most people with pets steer clear of white bedding but I like white because it is washable and bleachable. I encourage people to buy two coverlets that are the same so that while one is in the wash the bed can still be made for the day and there is no waiting for the laundry.

• Windows
The homeowners wanted the bedroom to look soft so we added drapery side panels to the windows. Since the walls were a light color we added color in the draperies. We chose a soft blue to pull the blue color from the art in the space. The draperies are installed hanging outside the window ten to twelve inches on each side. We do this so the drapery panels do not take away light and make the windows look larger.

• Recliner
We were able to keep the large recliner in the space by moving the long dresser to the wall between the windows. We moved the tallboy dresser to the entrance side of the bedroom thereby creating enough space to keep the recliner on the left side of the room.

• More art
We removed the mirror form the long dresser between the windows and replaced it with a water color by Elizabeth Kershaw. The dramatic print draws the eye into the space. This wall now works in conjunction with the large focal wall rather than seeing a big recliner when walking into the space.

• New mirror
We wanted a mirror, just not the matching mirror that was on the long dresser. We hung the new mirror opposing the window to reflect light into the space. The new mirror had a blue and crème frame which pulled all the color in the space.

• Bench
We placed a bench underneath the mirror to hold bedding at night or serve as a place to sit down and put on your shoes.

• Rug
We needed a rug so that feet and paws will have a soft place to land. We placed a 5×8 jute and chenille rug at the base of the bed. The golden jute and blue chenille woven together look great in the space and add a little natural texture as well.

• New lamps
We added new lamps in a hammered metal glazed with a greenish finish. The lamps pull the light green color from the sky of the picture above the bed. I like having matching lamps on each side of the bed because it adds symmetry to the focal point.

P.S. –Attention, club presidents! We give free decorating seminars. Call and schedule your club today. Also, we are on-line check out our web-site at www.ruthdyer.com and you can always e-mail us at ruth@finishingtouchfl.com. Call Ruth your full service decorator at 352-804-2056.

Before and After Pics Below