Redesign Tips for Every Room in Your Home

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art & Design, The Home

Tags

decorating, furniture, home, interior design, redesign, space

Everyone wants a nice looking home, but not everyone has the money to do it. However, you can have a stylish home and not pay tons of money. Sometimes just changing up the scene is enough to update any room in your house. With a little work, creativity and guidance, you can have a fresh space in no time.

{Living room before the redesign}

The best and most affordable way to update a room is to figure out a new floor plan. You don’t want to know how many times I’ve done this. I might be a little crazy but seriously, by just moving furniture around, your space will feel new and exciting. Here are a few tips to guide you along the way:

Take photos of the room from every angle as well as measurements of the furniture.
Ask yourself what you want from the space. Do you need more room or want to have a more organized area? Figure out how you can benefit from the space.
Move all the smaller pieces of furniture out of the room as well as any artwork, lamps and other designer items.
{Optional} Draw a diagram of the room and tiny replicas of your furniture. Cut the drawings out and place them on the diagram in all different ways. Experiment and get creative.
Start to move the bigger pieces around and see what works best. This is why having measurements are helpful! Then slowly bring the smaller pieces in the space. If something doesn’t work, just move it somewhere else.
Don’t feel you have to keep everything in the room. Look around your home to see if you have something you can pull from another room. If it looks good, keep it. It’s decisions like these that will help the space feel like new.

I’m not going to lie, this takes some time. But if you’re determined and ready to focus, in a couple of hours you can sit back and enjoy your newly-redesigned space. I suggest you ask someone to help, especially if you have heavy furniture. Plus, it’s always nice to have other opinions.

After you’ve finished, add some finishing touches with new accessories. Find some cool items throughout your home or purchase some inexpensive ones. You don’t need to buy a whole bunch — pillows, curtains, artwork or a couple knick knacks will do the trick. Here is what I did for a past redesign in my old apartment.

Step One: I moved the pink chair to the other side of the room and created a quiet space for reading and resting.

Step Two: I moved the chair back to the other side but placed it on an angle.

Step Three: I moved the bookshelves to the opposite corner behind the smaller couch. This helps to make the transition from the living room to the dining room stylish.

Step Four: I moved the couches and table so they faced the corner of the room making it a little more interesting. This allowed much more space in the room giving it a more open feel.

Step Five: I placed the TV on another piece of furniture so I can have a new coffee table. Who needs to shop when you have all you need right here!

Step Five: I rearranged accessories and gave the room a new fresh feel. Olive seems to like it too!

Good luck and have fun. This is your chance to be a designer and really make it happen. When you’re done, invite some friends over so everyone can enjoy your genius!

Decorating Tips for Your Home

30 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art & Design, The Home

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Tags

bookshelves, colors, decorating, flowers, home, interior design, patterns, plants, shelves, textures

Everyone has a room in their home that needs a little love. Why not jazz it up and add a sense of style that won’t only look great, but completes the entire room? Here’s some easy tips to create a more comfy space and well-designed atmosphere. With a little guidance, anyone can do this. The main thing to remember is balance. You want to think of the bigger picture, so that the final result looks complete and well put together.

General Decorating
A great tip for placing items is grouping them in threes. Sometimes when you put two things together, it feels like something is missing. Three is the perfect number! Keep this in mind when you’re decorating any space in your home. It’s OK to mix patterns, but make sure they relate to one another. Whether by color or theme, they shouldn’t contrast with each other.

Play with textures! No one wants to be in a flat room. Choose your textures wisely but get creative. Having a high-textured rug in the room brings warmth and depth to any space, especially when your furniture may be a little cold (metals and glass). Add some patterned curtains and fun pillows, and the whole room will feel lifted.

Wall Space
Remember, when hanging photos and framed pieces the middle should always be at eye level. If you’re shorter than most people, just raise it an inch or two. I go nuts when I visit people’s homes and they have pictures hanging almost from the ceiling. Whoa! If you have frames that run along the lines of your doorways, that’s a no no. Who lives with you? The Jolly Green Giant!

Also, try not to make your home look like a gallery or museum. Not everything has to be placed in a row. Sometimes, depending on the piece, you can raise one of them so they’re not so streamlined. You want your house to look lived in, not like a museum.

Bookshelves & Shelving
Organize your books into categories. Either group them by color, by size or both. It’s also good to keep certain subjects together so you can find what you’re looking for in a pinch. Sometimes it’s cool to have a section of old vintage books to add a sense of history to a room.

If you’re a collector, this is a great opportunity to let your collectibles shine. You don’t want too many, so make sure you pick your favorites. Always keep some space around the items and don’t crowd the shelves. You want your book shelf to stand out, not just one particular item, so keep with general themes.

Bringing the Outside In
It’s good to keep the outside of your home in mind when designing a space. What do you see when you look out the window? Is there a lot of green from leaves on a tree? Try to bring the outside in and highlight how beautiful it is. Decorate with some neutral colors like greens, browns and blues, and that tree will feel like a part of your home.

Think about light when choosing your curtains or shades. Is there a lot of light coming in a window or not enough? If it’s not enough, then I suggest you get blinds that open easily or a sheer curtain. That way you can block the light when you need to and let the sunshine through the sheers beautifully.

An easy way to brighten up any room is to bring in flowers and plants. Not only will it make you smile, but it’ll smell good and the air will be cleaner. Gotta love natural air fresheners!

The whole point of design is to attract and submerge. You want people interested in what you created and then happily drown in the sweetness of your work. I’m telling you, a few simple makeovers like this will add a modern and clever touch to any space.

If you’re like me, you’ll want to rearrange every room in the house! I absolutely love doing things like this. Not only because I’m a designer, but it really relaxes me. Good Luck!

DIY Business Card Holder

29 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art & Design, Crafty Ideas

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

art, business card, crafts, design

I’m always thinking of ways to reuse objects in my home. Recycling things and making new uses for them is a great way to gain inspiration. Plus, you get bonus points for repurposing something you already have. There are plenty of things laying around your house you can redesign. This project uses something everyone has — an old cassette case.

{Materials} a clear cassette case and art materials of your choice.

This project is very simple. It’s basically just taking the cassette case and folding it backwards. The real challenge is designing it. Not that it’s hard, but there are just so many ways to do it.

First, take a clear cassette case and open it all the way. Stand it up on a table or desk and put some business cards in the holder. It’s that easy! I happen to like it clear, but you can style it up any way you like.

Some ideas for designs are:

using decorative tape
painting it with acrylic paints
using permanent marker to color or draw a design on it
decoupage a design using decorative paper
use stickers to add some cute touches
cover with fabric by using some glue or double sided tape

I hope these ideas help you out. Get creative or keep it simple. I’m sure people will be impressed when they step up to see how you’ve showcased your cards. Pure genius! Avoid creating waste with artful thinking and good ideas will come out it.

Photography 101: Basic Elements

28 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art & Design

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

art, composition, definition, meaning, observation, observe, photography, photos, storytelling, tell a story

People have always told me I have an eye for the unseen. Photography has played an important role in my life and I can’t imagine it any other way. The camera has introduced me to another world. One where reality pauses and moments are captured. My vision for beauty has led me in many directions.

I do agree people are born with certain talents, however, skills are learned throughout life. If you love something enough, you can gain certain elements that will help you achieve success. If you don’t have it, you just don’t have it, but you should always try!

Being able to take great photographs is really not that hard. All you need is a unique vision, a camera and a little guidance. Here are some key elements when taking photos. They are simple but very important. If you have confidence and follow these tips, you will be taking brilliant shots in no time.

Observe
The main thing about photography is knowing your environment. Observing what’s around you is a great way to do this. Don’t just look, observe. Take it all in and ask questions. How does it make you feel? What does it make you think about? These answers will guide you to look deeper.

When you can truly see the soul of something, your photo will mirror that to the world. The research that’s done to understand your subject can really make all the difference. Capturing a certain emotion or look can be mesmerizing. Stealing the moment when the breeze sails through the trees just at the right time will forever take you back. This is the magic of photography.

{A night at Fuerzabruta, filled with energy, excitement and creativity, all captured in this mystical shot of the girls in the water}

{Practicing before a show, a performer gets into character. The mirror image allows the viewer to see what she sees. A reflection of one’s soul}

{A calm moment in a goats life. Inviting me in just
for a minute}

Composition
Seeing the world in sections will help you choose a successful composition. Add frames to your subjects to contain certain elements. Looking through a lens is a great way to train your eye to do this. Soon you will be seeing everything as a snapshot and it will be much easier.

{The bushes on the left and right frame the photo and guide
the viewer to the main subject, a historic home surrounded by
vibrant greens and a light blue sky}

{A reflection through a city window makes an interesting composition and leaves some room for imagination}

{The viewpoint sets the tone here. An old building tucked away, just shown enough to gain interest}

Also, when deciding on a final shot, experiment a little. Play with angles and viewpoints. Try to see the subject in different ways. Variety can’t hurt so take a few shots to see which one is the most interesting.

{A gleam of calm. The diagonal composition leads the eye from
left to right, guiding the viewer to see the subject’s expression}

Definition & Meaning
As you study your subject, explain to yourself why it attracts you. Does it make you happy or maybe a little sentimental? Is it visually stunning? Your style and taste come into play here. Some people love vibrant colors and others find pleasure in black and white or more subdued hues. If you enjoy taking portraits, then what is it about people or animals that pulls you in?

Figuring out what the subject means to you is important. What is the message you are trying to share? What emotion are you hoping to evoke? What part of you are letting people see? Define your vision so your work is clear and conveys a sense of life. Just pointing and shooting will result in empty images most of the time. You want others to take something away from it.

{Raw energy and passion, shown by a musician who
lets it all go on stage}

{A hot summer’s day in New York City. The light hitting the
building sheds some life on the bricks, giving them a soft look.
Shadows add visual interest and the claylike color scheme gives
the photo a painterly feel}

{One click and pure happiness is captured. Oh, the life of a dog!}

Tell a Story
Sometimes it’s good to tell a story with your photo so others can imagine how you felt while taking it. It’s also nice to allow some room for viewers to use their imagination. Think of it like your setting the stage for wonderful things to happen. Creating a space where a unique world can exist is what art is all about.

{A moment of pure bliss on a woman’s wedding day. I
can imagine there is nothing like it}

{Young girls snicker with delight while a boy listens.
Happy days!}

Think of these tips the next time you’re at a party, on vacation or even at home with your family. Capture those brief moments and share them with the world. Showing others your perspective on life is a gift and we should all take advantage of it when we can.