Inspiration for a small entrance

Lonny

A large foyer big enough for a round pedestal table is something I dream of having one day. Sure, it is a waste of square footage but it would be so nice to welcome guests with a beautiful arrangement of lovelies upon my pedestal table.  Don't you think? Well, if you are like me and do not have the luxury of a spacious entrance here is some inspiration for getting the most out of a tight entry.

Atlanta Home & Lifestyles

A floating cabinet gives the illusion of more space. In this case, it also allows for a glam fur stool to be tucked underneath. The drawers are perfect for keeping keys and other miscellaneous items from view. 

Tavi Mongolian Fur Stool- Pottery Barn $199

Vaije Wall Cabinet- Ikea $85

79 Ideas

 A floating shelf takes up minimum space and is perfect for the day's mail and to display some pretties. Again, a stool can be tucked underneath for tying shoes or in my case for my husband to wait when I lie and yell, "five more minutes and I am ready!"

Lack Wall Shelf- IKEA $19

Syena Rattan Stool -World Market $120

Jenna Sue Design

This is a great example on maximizing a small foorprint. The botanicals give a sense of life in what would typically be dead space.  A nice decorative mirror helps reflect light and provides the chance for one last glimpse before you open the door.

Higgins Mirror- School House Electric $275

Jamison Shelf- Urban Outfitters $99

Censational Girl

Simple but useful. A few hooks in a high contrast finish look sharp and help keep bags off the ground. Instead of baskets, a canvas tote can be used for storage.

Black and Brass Numbered Wall Hooks- Pottery Barn $95

Gray Tote- Umbrella Collective $70

Hope you have been inspired. 

Thanks for hanging out!

Designer SOS : Crown molding

Today's question comes from a dear friend of mine. Like many, she has standard eight feet ceilings and wants to know, can crown molding work in my house?

Crown molding can add architectural interest and make a room feel more polished. When deciding if and what type of crown molding to go with, there are a couple key things to consider.

1)The architectural style of your home.

If you have a very contemporary or modern home, crown molding all together may look out of place. The period of your home should also influence the crown molding profile that you use. A very ornate crown molding would not be complimentary in a craftsman style home.

2)  The ceiling height of your home and the available wall space above windows and doors.

Scale is important. A molding that is too overpowering will make a room feel smaller; too small and it will look wimpy.  As we know, all rules can be broken but here is a general guideline:

Eight feet ceiling height - keep crown width to  3-5"                                                  

Nine to Ten feet ceilings- keep crown width to 5"-7"                                                                 

For even taller ceilings, you will need to build up. Once you get to this range, more than likely you won’t find crown molding in exactly the right width. The molding is usually built up by combining multiple pieces of trim.  One common way to build up molding is by starting with a standard baseboard, installed upside down. Then, on top of this, a piece of crown molding is used, exposing the bottom few inches of the base, as seen in the image below.

A trick when working with lower ceiling heights, you can achieve the illusion of a wider crown without taking up much wall space by extending molding onto the ceiling. 

In the image below, they took it a step further and painted the crown the same color as the walls giving the illusion of the ceiling being lifted.

Image Via

This crown is pretty narrow in height but has a wide projection.

CrownMoldings.net

So yes, crown molding can look good in homes even with standard ceiling heights. Just be cautious of its proportions and that it is in harmony with the aesthetic of the home.

Designer S.O.S.-Rugs

We recently had a reader message us about a pretty common rug question.  It seemed like a great one to answer in our Designer S.O.S. series so here we are.

Meg from Pensacola wrote...
"I'm trying to find a rug for our living room and most of the ones I see in the stores are 5x7.  Does this mean that's the best option for most spaces?  What are the rules for rug sizes?"

Excellent question, Meg!  And one that is commonly answered incorrectly (in your home).  If there is one design flaw we see the most, it's probably ill-fitting rugs (or artwork hung to high...but we'll discuss that another day).  

The other day I was watching a new favorite TV show of mine and cringed when the big reveal showed a newly renovated living room with a tiny rug in the middle.  It made the whole space feel off.  People, please do not ruin an otherwise beautifully decorated space with a rug that's too small.

Here are a few rules to remember:

1.  Go big or go home.  The bigger, the better is true when it comes to rugs.  Most of us don't have enormous budgets for rugs so to hit the minimum size, measure your seating area and then select the next size up for a rug.  Ex. If your seating area is 6x7, get an 8x10 rug, not a 5x7.  Capish? The rug is the foundation for the design, so you want it to be touching every furniture piece in the design, not floating in the middle of it (see below).

2. Don't float.  As mentioned above, you don't want your rug to look as if it's floating in the room and all of the other furniture is floating around it.  A good rule is to make sure that at least the front legs of the surrounding furniture can sit on top of it.  

via Apartment Therapy

For a dining room, make sure all of the legs are on top of it with some room to spare.  You want to be able to have the chairs pulled out and them still be on the rug.  

via Alice Lane Home

If all of the furniture legs can be on the rug (front and back sofa legs, for instance), even better. Obviously in a kitchen, entry or bathroom, it can float (remember we're talking about seating areas only).

3. Spread your wings.   This basically just means that you want to make sure that the rug hangs out a few inches (6"-10" is optimal) on each side of the furniture piece.  If your rug width is the same as your furniture, it will look as if its holding on to the edge for dear life.  We don't want that.  

via Domaine Home

As Meg mentioned, most retailers only carry 5x7s in stores, but don't be fooled.  Look online for the right size for your room.  If you can't afford as large of a size as you need, you can place one on top of another.  Ex. Put a smaller 5x7 wool rug on top of a less expensive 8x10 jute or sisal.  You can create great texture and layering this way as well--as shown here in cupcakeMag.

Thanks for the question, Meg!  I hope this helps with you pick out your perfect rug size.  

If you have a design question, drop us a line or message us on Facebook. We'd love to help!   Maybe you can be featured in our next Designer S.O.S.

Designer S.O.S. - Rugs

We get questions all of the time from friends, family, even strangers that meet us and learn that we are designers.  The questions can run the gamut from favorite paint colors to suggested curtain lengths (Dana touched on that last week).  

Because we often times hear simliar questions, we thought we should start to share them, as well as our answers, with everyone in a new blog series called Designer S.O.S.  You guys are welcome to ask us too.  Contact us via our website or our Facebook page and tell us your simple, but stumping questions.  We'll answer as many as we can and share some of the more common ones on here to help others as well. Sound like a good plan?  Good!  Now let's get started with our first Designer S.O.S. question.  

Gina from Dallas, TX, wrote... 

My husband and I are newlyweds and just moved into our first place together.  We're starting to decorate and purchase new items for our home, but I'm a little cautious about what to buy when it comes to certain pieces.  Currently, I need tips for picking out a rug for our living room.  What size would you usually recommend and should I be afraid of buying one too bold in color?   

As far as rugs go, I'd say go bold with pattern instead of color--at least for a first purchase that you'll want to use for awhile.  Because rugs are investment pieces, you'll want something that you can use throughout the years even if you switch up the decor or move it to another room.  I'm a big fan of natural fiber rugs (seagrass, sisal, jute...) because they bring in texture, wear well and can be dressed up or down depending on the space.  They are also a great base for layering on smaller, more bold rugs.  

If jute isn't your thing, any neutral color rug would work.  Remember it doesn't have to be a solid print--neutral, bold patterned rugs can transition just as well between spaces and can also bring a little interest to your room.  Every space needs some pattern and texture so don't be afraid to add yours on the floor!  

As far as size goes, unless you have a small room, I'd say skip the 5x7 and go for the 6x9 or 8x10.  The bigger, the better.  Anything too small will look insignificant and get lost in the space.  A good rule of thumb is that you want all surrounding furniture to be able to have at least the front half of their legs on the rug (for example the front legs of a sofa or chair).  The last thing you want is for your rug to look like it's floating in the middle of your furniture.

In the end, you and your husband have to love it.  So get what best represents you, and you'll enjoy it for years to come!