Mixing Patterns

One question that I've gotten quite a few times is how to mix patterns. Mixing patterns is all the rage right now, both in interiors and fashion. I consider it an art, which I unfortunately have not yet mastered. I do however have a few guidelines I follow when mixing patterns and selecting fabrics for a space. Of course there are people out there who don't need rules, they can throw 10 random fabrics in a room and make it look absolutely flawless. This is for the rest of us who have not yet reached that level, bare with me as I try to explain how i do it.

1. Color

The first step is deciding what your color scheme is going to be, this will give you a direction for your fabrics. Once I have colors in mind I usually start with one pattern with all of the colors in it and work from there. This fabric can be used for drapery, pillows, upholstery, or anything really. After that, make sure that all of your fabrics have at least one of the colors in them.

source

When selecting fabrics within a color scheme, stick with the same color intensity. Don't mix pastels with muted or bright tones. You can add more patterns if all of your colors are within the same hue.

2. Scale

Next you need to think about the scale of your prints. Having two large prints right next to each other will compete and your eye won't know where to go. Likewise, having two small prints will do the exact same thing. It's important to have large, medium, and small prints that all compliment each other.

The colors are all right, but the 2 large prints are competing with each other and make it look too busy.

3. Pattern

After you have your fabrics narrowed down by scale, it's time to focus on the patterns of the fabrics.  If all of your fabrics are floral, they will compete with each other.  You most likely wouldn't see a room full of different colored chevron or polka dot fabric, you need to mix up your patterns a little. For example, you could do one large scale and one small scale floral, a geometric, and one other such as polka dots or Greek key.

4. Simplifiy

Unless you are a pro at mixing patterns and can throw any fabrics together and make it look effortless, try to limit the number of different patterns you have. As a rule of thumb I go with no more than 3 different prints on a sofa, and no more than 5 or 6 prints in a room, and a solid does not count as a print. This of course is just a guideline, and I don't always follow it.

source

source

5. Mix it up

Once you have all your fabrics and pattens selected spread them throughout the space. Putting all your patterns in one part of the room will make that part feel too heavy and the room will feel unbalanced. Also, if you have multiple pillows on a sofa, don't put them all on one side. Spread them out, and use solid pillows to balance it out even more if necessary.

6. Most of all, have fun!

I've found that if i think to hard about it, it won't turn out right. These really are just guidelines to get you going, don't stress over them, besides rules were made to be broken!

source

source

source

Cleaning Microfiber

When we bought our house 4 months ago we had no furniture at all, so we had the budget buster pleasure of furnishing the whole house. When we bought our sofa, I wasn't exactly thinking about the damage that a little boy would do to it. I was told that microfiber is pretty durable, but I was not aware of how it shows water marks very easily. So mix a sofa that shows every bit of water that has ever touched it and a little boy who constantly has a spit goatee, and you get one nasty spotted cushions.

Well, I had gotten to the point of not being able to stand my disgusting marked up sofa any longer, so I got on the computer and did some searching. I found some great tutorials for cleaning microfiber and decided to give it a try. I was a little leery, but I still had the back of the cushions, so if it went terribly wrong I could just turn the cushions over. But, I am here to report that it work like a champ, and my cushions look great again! So for any of you out there with a slobbery microfiber couch, here's what you do:

First here's a before picture (don't judge me)

Supplies

Rubbing Alcohol

Spray bottle

 White sponge or rag

white dish scrub brush

1. Poor rubbing alcohol in the spray bottle and saturate the stain. Don't completely drench it, just make sure it is wet.

2. Scrub the stain with your rag or sponge. Don't be afraid to put some oomph into, you won't hurt anything. Using a white sponge will prevent any color bleeding onto your cushions. You could also use the color of your cushions if you have it.

3. Wait for the alcohol to dry, it won't take long. Once it dries it might feel a little stiff. Don't panic, that is where the scrub brush comes in. Take your brush and rub it on the couch in a swirl motion to fluff it back up.

4. Bam! Done! Easy right. When I finished there were still some water marks, so I just redid those and scrubbed a little harder

Now for the after pictures.

I was a little worried that it would stink, but it really wasn't to bad, and once it dried you couldn't smell it at all. Also, it seemed a little counter productive to spray liquid on water marks to remove them, but since the alcohol dries so fast it wont leave new water marks. I will probably be doing this many more times.

Photo walls

A photo collage is a great way to fill an empty wall. If done right they can look great. There needs to be some thought to them or it will be obvious that the pictures were just thrown on the wall.

Here are a few tips to try if you are having trouble getting started. Arrange your pictures within an invisible large square or rectangle as in the picture below

Photo via (http://style-files.com/)

Or you can have an invisible line going through the center and work your pictures above and below it.

Keeping the frame all the same color will make it look more unified and will draw your eye to the picture with less focus on the frame. If you don't have 13 white frames, just buy some cheap ones and paint them. They don't all have to be the same frame.

Photo via (http://style-files.com/)

.

Photo via (www.younghouselove.com)

Here's a few more pictures of some well done photo walls

Photo via (www.thehouseofsmiths.com)

Staging

Nate and I are house hunting right now. In case you were wondering, it's not very much fun. I've decided we are way too picky. As we've been looking I've noticed a few things; 1. yards here in California are teeny tiny, and 2. people don't know much about home staging. Most of the houses we have seen are empty, but there are still things that can be done to make the home more sellable. The main objective of home staging is highlight the positives of the home and downplay the negatives. Here are few of my best tips to get this done.

1. Less is more. You might be in love with your great grandmas collection of vintage chairs and want to display ALL of them, but a buyer is not so interested. Having too much furniture can feel cluttered and make the room look smaller.

2. Make it neutral. Yes, painted walls are fun, but it could also mean more work for a prospective buyer. Most people do not want bright pink walls, and most people do not want to paint, so that one wall could be a deal breaker.

3. Furniture groupings. There is this common misconseption that all furniture has to be pushed up against the wall. It is best to bring furniture in to create conversation groupings. This will make the space seem larger.

4. Update Kitchen. Kitchen remodels can be very pricey, and homebuyers know that. For an easy update you can buy new cabinet doors and hardware and then paint everything else to match. Or, if your cabinet doors are still in good shape you can just paint those as well.

5. Declutter. You see that pile of papers sitting on your desk, and the one on the night stand, and those drawers in the kitchen full of junk. Get rid of them! All this says to a buyer is that there isn't enough room to store everything. It also makes the space look messy, which also something to avoid.

6. Clean! For me when I see a messy home I think, "If they neglected to dust, what else have they been neglecting in this house."

7. Give every room a purpose. Whether it's an office, a closet, a nursey, or a dining room, make sure it is known. That way the buyer has less he has to imagine.

8. Accencuate the positive. If you have a killer view or an awesome bathroom do all you can to draw attention to that feature. Arrange furniture around the windows or beautiful fireplace so the eye is drawn there first.

Photos courtesy of Hgtv.com