Varsity Moves

In high school athletics, the height of success was to make it to the varsity first string in any sport, especially football. Not only did you represent the best of the school in athletics, but you have worked your way up the ranks and now you have arrived at the “big time”. When you are at varsity level you are expected to have more experience, greater knowledge and make bigger moves than your JV counterparts. So then, time and experience are our friend and practice perfects our skills. If this is true in sports, does it ring true in the world of decorating? Let’s look at some spaces in which varsity decorating moves scored a home run and a touchdown somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

  •  Ceiling treatments
Cover the ceiling with bead board, shiplap, coffers, or a fabulous wood. If you have a house with popcorn ceilings and you don’t want to have them scraped, you can cover them with a wood treatment. I had popcorn ceilings and room by room I have had them covered in beadboard. It does cost more than resurfacing your ceilings, but the finished look is so amazing that the investment is worth it.

  •  Coffered ceilings
Coffered ceilings can be simple or elaborate. This homeowner wanted to delineate the office area and had the wood workers apply deep boxes on the ceiling or “coffers” to make the space stand out. This is a great application to any ceiling area that you want to elevate.

  •  Highlight your island
This homeowner highlighted their island by creating a large lattice grid on the ceiling. The treatment complements the island and makes the pendants look like they are a part of the group rather than just hanging from the ceiling. I like the finished look because it visually connects the treatment to the island and enhances the kitchen space.

  •  Side panels raise the roof
Long side panels make the window look amazing and the room look tall! The secret to great side panels is to hang them high and hang them wide. This creates the optical illusion that the window is larger than it really is. It also draws the eye up in a room and makes the entire space look big.

  •  Big Mirrors
I have used big mirrors of all types through the years, and it is a great varsity move.
Mirrors cannot be too big! I say this because it is a mirror. A mirror is going to reflect anything in front of it so it cannot reflect too much. Mirrors add light and height to a space. Most spaces in most homes benefit from having more light and more height so if you are thinking of adding a big mirror then go ahead and make that varsity move.

  •  Raise the cabinets
If you are getting new cabinets, then raise them high! A high and straight line is a current and classic look. It does not matter that you cannot reach the high cabinets. The high cabinets are for long term storage. Raising the upper cabinets creates the illusion that the space is bigger by drawing the eye upward. The cost to increase the height of the cabinets is nominal and a worthy investment.

  •  Full granite backsplash
I always recommend a full granite or quartz backsplash. A full backsplash will provide a seamless and upscale look. There is no grout to seal or clean with a full granite or quartz backsplash. The backsplash is installed on the same day as the countertops when it is a full granite or quartz backsplash. Under cabinet lighting makes the full granite backsplash shine and brings out the depth of the stone. Finally, a full granite or quartz backsplash makes the space look bigger because it is seamless. Having no seams means there is nowhere for the eye to linger so the eye takes in the entire space. The result is that a small space looks bigger, and a big space looks even bigger.

  •  Larger rugs
Many times, when we have removed wall to wall carpeting and replaced it with wood or tile, we need rugs to add warmth and sound control back into the space. When purchasing a rug, customers are very concerned that the rug should not be too big but how can it be too big when we just removed wall to wall carpeting? Any rug suggestions or rules are made to be broken by the varsity move. Laying down area rugs is not covering the wood floor that you just purchased, it is adding layers back into the home. A well-appointed room needs layers such as rugs, pillows, and décor. There will still be lots of wood or tile floor to look at when you walk around your house. No living room should have a 5’x 8’ rug because most living rooms can accommodate an 8’x10’ rug or larger. Varsity moves mean big moves.

  •  Group big collections
Collectors of things tend to spread their collections all over their house. The better way to show a collection is by grouping it together. The large blue and white pots make an impressive display on top of the armoire grouped together tightly. If they were spread all over the house they might look like clutter but together they make a great punctuation mark.
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