DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION ARTICLES AROUND THE HOUSE
ARRANGEMENT TIPS FOR BORING BOOKSHEVES Ever feel like a decorating wannabe whenever you compare your boring book shelf arranging efforts to those of the pros whose talent is exemplified in the simple but yet elegant symmetry of the latest home magazine layout ? Don’t worry, to develop the skills necessary to arrange your shelves with the same balance and design savvy of the pros, just remember that it’s not rocket science …just a new look at high school geometry! Arranging and decorating the individual shelving of any bookcase or open storage unit can create a tricky situation unless you remember back to good ‘ole high school math class . I know it may be hard, but try to think back and recall the basic shapes from geometry class, because it’s these shapes that you will be using while you create your individual shelf arrangements. Shapes such as the triangle, square, circle and rectangle will play an important role in determining your finished decorative shelf arrangement and make working like a pro easy and fun!
Just like arranging a group of pictures on the wall, decorating a 3 section shelving unit calls for a variety of textures, colors, and interesting shapes and “fill” patterns on each shelf as well as maintaining a uniform balance with the individual shelf contents directly above and below each shelf. Sounds confusing??? Don’t worry, it’s nothing more than shape geometry so even if you flunked math class, you can’t fail in this class ! Here’s an example to get you started on decorating your bookcases, bakers racks and any other shelving area within your home. THINK SQUARE For a three unit bookcase or display cabinet area , begin your shelving ‘arrangements’ on the middle shelf of the middle bookcase unit. Notice that the space you will be working in will be a RECTANGLE so try to incorporate a few shapes that are square or circular in nature. Be sure to include small groupings of family photos and hard bound books with lively jackets covers all tied into your overall room color scheme. Be sure to fill the entire space so that when you step back and look, this entire shelf or rectangular space , seems to be completely filled. Next arrange approximately 7 – 10 collection of hard back, novel sized books in the center of the uppermost shelf . Secure the books with a pair of great looking bookends and prop a few 5 x 7 photo frames on either side of the bookends. This overall book and frame arrangement will form a SQUARE directly in the middle of the rectangular shelf opening. On the shelf directly below the middle shelf, duplicate the same square shape but instead of the books, substitute a large bushy plant and position it slightly off center to either the right or left side of the shelf. Proceed to add the photo frames etc just as in the shelf above. For the plant, be sure to select a variety that has a few trailing leaves and positions these so that they are dangling off of the shelf and into the next opening below. Now , for the remaining shelf , create a similar arrangement but be sure to insert a large CIRCLE or prominent object that has a circular shape. Baskets work nicely for this, as do decorative plates and round trays. Position these round objects in the corners and WOW….. when you step back and look, you’ve just created a wonderfully arranged bookcase unit! For the other two units, repeat this overall geometric pattern making sure to keep staggering the shapes between shelving units and shelf openings. For added interest, remove the center two shelf boards so that the centermost space located within the center unit will actually form a square instead of a rectangle and fill this space with one “knock out” decorative object such as a unique floral arrangement, interesting piece of pottery or even a moving art form such as a water feature Depending on your overall available space within the “focal point” area, you may want to consider a small wall mount fountain or a handsome natured inspired table top fountain. With the natural simplicity of real sheet sheared slate, water’s worn cobble stones, and patina enriched warming metals such as copper and brass an artistic water feature positioned within your bookshelf will go a long way in creating a dramatic sense of design style while empowering you with the necessary decorating skills to banish boring book shelves forever! © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top Today, in order to get a good view of the typical family room TV , family members usually have their own seat and their sofas/chairs are positioned as far back as possible away from the screen … but how far is too far and at what angle is the best spot for optimal viewing enjoyment ? And for that matter, what happens to furniture placement when you take a plasma screen TV and mount it on a wall or above the mantel? With those questions in mind as well as a few others relating to optimal TV viewing in a standard size multiuse family room , checkout these tips for ‘tuning up your sofa and chair arrangements in order to tune in your favorite episode of…. reruns! • For a standard size 12 x 15 family room with an elliptically shaped TV screen measuring diagonally 27- 36 inches, the best location for your furniture is simple…whatever looks the best within the space and happens to be close enough to see the slightly curved screen. But for the new digital and plasma screen TV technology , not only is the distance away for the screen critical but the actual viewing angle is equally important because of the way the screen is shaped … it’s now totally flat! And it’s this newly flattened screen shape that calls for a new way of positioning furniture in the rooms where we watch and enjoy our favorite programs. In order to appreciate the new screen shape design and the role it plays on how and where we position furniture, one only has to try this simple experiment. Using a laptop computer or a new digital flat panel computer monitor, click onto any high graphic site featuring lots of color. Now sitting back from the screen no more than 3 feet view the screen directly in front, get up and walk around to the right and then the left side keeping the distance a constant 3 feet from the monitor . You will immediately see a huge difference in not only the color of the graphics but the distortion of the images as well. And the same will be true of your TV screen thus reinforcing the rule that for optimal flat panel or plasma screen TV viewing the furniture should be positioned as close to center as possible with no more than a 30 degree angle to one side or the other. If geometry is not your strong suite, here’s a basic tip on how to determine the correct angle to place your furniture. Start by positioning your back against the TV, squat down and open your arms as if you were about to greet and scoop up two running toddlers. Hold your outstretched straightened arms in this position and drawl an imaginary line along your arms out in to the room . The furniture should then be positioned within this v shaped funnel in order to get the most from your flat screen viewing experience. And now for the distance to the screen, well that one is even easier to determine ! A good rule of thumb is to multiply the diagonal size of the screen and multiply by 2.5 to determine the optimal viewing distance from the screen your furniture should be positioned. In other words, if your screen measures 36 inches from top left corner to bottom right corner then simply multiply that number by 2.5 ( 2.5 x 36 = 90 inches ) and convert that figure to feet for a total distance of 7.5 feet ( 90 inches = 7.5 feet ) which is the ideal distance between your sofa and the front of the TV that will ensure you the best seat in the house! © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top Over the years I’ve found that there are two areas that require our attention the most : indoor air quality and personal safety. Here’s a few simple and inexpensive ways in each category to assure our houses are living up to the phrase “ HOME SAFE HOME” INDOOR AIR QUALITY Change heating and cooling filters at least once a month – dust, dust mites, and other allergens collect and breed in our fabrics and carpets throughout the house and by changing the filters on a regular basis, we can keep down the “stray” allergens that invade our homes air whenever we vacuum, dust or fluff the pillows. Trim the wicks on candles to no more than a ¼ inch length before each and every burn - by keeping the wicks short, we are insured of a complete combustion process thus preventing excess soot from getting into our air and dirtying our walls. To learn more please visit the national Candle Association web site at http://www.candle.org Remove foam carpet pads and padding from basements and other locations below the exterior grade – because of the “rising damp” or moisture that occurs in all concrete areas below the exterior surface grade, we need to keep our basement floors free from materials that will become a breeding ground for mold, mildew and fungus, and foam carpet pad is at the top of the list. Haven’t you ever wonder why your finished basement room always smells “musty”? …it’s the pad. A great decorating trick that will solve that problem and save a few extra dollars while making for a GREAT look is to paint the concrete floor or install sheet vinyl and then use lots of brightly colored throw rugs!
Clip all looped window cords and controls found on blinds, curtains, draperies and vertical window treatments – Since several small children and pets have actually been strangled when they became entangled in the loose cords PLEASE replace the loops with appropriate tie down brackets or split weighted ends that eliminate the loop all together. Manufacturer Hunter Douglas has gone a step further by developing a window shade that features a “lite rise” controller that will lift and position the shade without cords. To get several great ideas on window treatments that are child safe and easy for adults to use please visit http://www.hunterdouglas.com Remove all plastic and vinyl mini blinds installed prior to 1996 since most of these imported blinds may contain lead which is extremely harmful to young children . To learn more please contact the Window Coverings Safety Council at 800-506-4636 or the National Lead Clearing House at 800-424-LEAD Never pry, scrape or otherwise disturb a vinyl or vinyl tile floor that has been installed since 1985 since most of these floors and the glue used contain asbestos – during remodeling projects, simply cover the existing floor with a ¼ underlayment or plywood and install the new flooring overtop . Asbestos found in older existing flooring products is only harmful when disturbed and the fibers are allowed to become airborne. For more information please call the Consumer Products Safety Commission at 800-638-2772 © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top Here’s a few pointers to keeping mind whenever you are deciding to redecorate, remodel or simply enhance your home with the stylish options of new flooring: RESILIENT VINYL FLOORING Not your Grandma’s kitchen floor anymore, today’s solid resilient vinyl comes in hundreds of trendy patterns and stylish color palettes all designed to compliment your favorite furnishings, cabinetry and design preferences. Everything from a realistic sisal look and FEEL pattern to a patch work quilt looking style that I swear looks exactly like an antique canvas floor cloth …. The new offerings are a designers ( and homeowners ) playground ! And with the many style selections you now also have resilient floor options to make your life easier- specialty stain resist top layers with the added protection of TEFLON and even an extra thick mill layer to help keep noise down and your comfort level up. So where do you start?... First begin by changing your THINKING habits and take a look at affordable resilient vinyl flooring as a style setting alternative to hardwood and ceramic tile in rooms where your family actually LIVES! In addition to kitchens, bathrooms and laundry areas, I also to like to spec this type of flooring for dens, children’s bedrooms and family gathering spaces when an open continuous look is desired … nothing beats the same floor color and pattern throughout a family ready area to give the appearance that the room is actually larger than what the square footage dictates. Also, by installing resilient flooring in your everyday spaces , your clean up time is kept to a minimum because a simple mop with vinegar and water is all it takes to keep your floors in great shape. Long gone are the days of applying special shine producing products because today’s resilient flooring is now factory finished with a stylish DULL appearance giving your floors a more realistic appeal while making your maintenance chores quick and easy. © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top Start by shaving a bar of Neutrogena clear soap into a small mixing bowl. About 2-3 lengthwise strips of the soap should be plenty. Next add ¼ cup of HOT water and whip up a tall head of lather. A wire whisk works the best. Using a clean white cotton cloth, dip it into the lather…don’t get the cloth wet, just use the lather. Then rub the lathered cloth onto the soiled leather areas. Don’t be afraid to rub really hard in a circular motion. Then just blot it dry. It will take a few hours for the leather to go back to the original color so don’t panic on the “dark” spot of color you will see. After the soil is removed and the chair is completely dry I recommend using good leather cleaner. COACH CLEANER is the best and you can get it at most any upscale department store in the ladies handbag department. Clean your heavily soiled frequently used chair with the leather cleaner at least once a month to keep it supple and free from built up dirt residue. © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top By creating a bright and cheery weather & EARTH resistant floor cloth used as an area rug anywhere you have outdoor seating, can be a great way to not only unify your conversation groupings, but also will lend a touch of design savvy to your protected outdoor entertaining areas as well ! In the past, the main deterrent to using a cotton floor cloth or wool rug in a protected outdoor area has been not only the problems of developing mold and mildew, but a more damaging situation of the ever current problem of rising damp. This is the natural occurrence of the earth to raise damaging moisture levels up through the ground, concrete and patio surfaces and onto the backside of the cotton and wool rugs. Once this rising damp or beaded moisture hits the backside of an ordinary cotton, wool or synthetic area rug the deterioration of that rug begins and mold and mildew begins to work it’s devastating effects. With this in mind , the only way to successfully install an outdoor area rug is to create an area rug that is impervious to the rising damp. The simple vinyl floor cloth that you create will not have this problem because the side that comes into contact with the ground surface has been manufactured to repel and resist moisture, and the finished top or decorative side will stay fresh and attractive for years to come . To create this weather resistant masterpiece of decorating pizzazz, you’ll need a scrap of interior vinyl sheet flooring available at most home centers in pre cut standard sizes, or you can even find remnants in various sizes from any flooring retailer in your community. The color and pattern of the sheet vinyl flooring does not matter since you will be turning the pattern side down and working only with the plain grey fibrous backing side. In other words, the pretty vinyl patterned side will now become the rising damp resistant side that will be in close contact with the patio surface, and the ugly grey side, will be your blank slate to which you will add your creative touches! Let’s begin: First determine the size for the finished area rug by positioning furniture and making sure that the rug will either come under the front feet of all pieces in your grouping or only serve as a small defining accent rug in the center of the group . I have found that a standard 6 x 9 works well for most outdoor furniture groupings and a 4 x 6 is the best for adding just a touch of decorating charm to any protected outdoor living area. Okay…now for the fun part ... getting creative by sketching a pattern onto the grey back side of the vinyl flooring… or for those of you who insist that you are NOT creative, you can simply copy a pattern that strikes your fancy ! Using a black permanent black marker ( SHARPIE ) sketch or diagram out your pattern and begin to fill in the design using a good quality permanent ACRYLIC artist paint. Please understand that this is NOT the acrylic paint that is used to a paint your walls but rather the acrylic paint that comes in tubes, not pots, cans or jars. Once the paint has dried for at least 36 hours, you can then apply the first coat of satin MARINE grade polyurethane. Since the drying polyurethane will attract and retain moisture, be sure to keep the floor cloth in doors on a non- concrete surface away from any open doors. To finish the project, apply a second coat of the poly after waiting 48 hours. © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top Since most ceramic tile is sealed and processed for a slick worry- free face side, it is impossible to apply any painted coating to the vertical tiles and expect it to stick unless you first apply a super strong BONDING primer designed specifically for glass and other slick surfaces. Next , simply cut to fit a non -skid rug gripper pads ( the kind with the see thru grid pattern holes ) and glue the rug pad to the bonded primer on the ceramic tile making sure to allow for the natural breaks of the gout lines. To make the process go much smoother , I like to use a commercial quality of spray adhesive available at most home centers. Now for the fun part….. using an old hair brush, dip into a large container of acrylic spackling compound and apply the gooey white mixture in random fashion throughout the tile surface making sure to leave several areas where the rug pad texture will show thru as a phantom image. The idea is to smooth and glop on the mixture in order to create a varied and differing texture to each tile. After this dries for at least 36 hours, next apply at least three different latex satin paint colors to serve as a colorful accent in your new color palette. I like to use a thick sea sponge or broken large bristle cleaning brush to apply the last paint color thus giving the overall look of an impressionist painting . After this artful application is dried, get ready for the final touch… a heavy coat of a stain/ polyurethane mixture in order to give your tiles a baked on glow and also to intensify the depth of color range now found in your painted ceramic tiles. Depending upon your desired color range, select the poly/stain color from either the POLYSHADES by Minwax ; the maple shade will impart a deep blackened finish while the pecan shade will enhance your painted tiles with a warm tortoise shell finish . © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top In design and decorating with so many objects to consider, clocks are the perfect choice whenever searching for that perfect “something” to fill that empty space. And because of the materials used and the stylized nature of each clock, the use of decorative clocks in any design scheme is fundamental for the success of any project. The use of at least one design savvy table clock as a decorative accessory in home office areas is especially appropriate, not only because of the functional nature of a clock, but because of the sheer beauty and craftsmanship involved with each piece. With so many finishes, colors and face styles available today, expressing your decorating style is easy using just one accessory; a well made decorative clock. Unfortunately, most homeowners treat modern timepieces as a decorating albatross. In most cases , clocks are begrudgingly used in a room’s design scheme because of family sentiment instead of the sheer beauty and versatility of the clock alone. It’s a real decorating shame to feel that you HAVE to use a clock instead of enjoying them for what they truly are; a wonderful way of expressing your style with a functional purpose. To give you a few ideas on how and where to use decorative table, mantle and wall clocks check out these suggestions : The countertop space between the kitchen countertop and upper cabinets is a great location for a wall clock to be mounted on the backsplash wall or even propped on an easel. Experiment with a rustic pendulum clock hung on the backsplash wall in a kitchen with ultra modern cabinetry …. smashing! © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top D. M. Valley Forge Your question is well timed because just the other evening, I experienced something rare; a really good video ! It was a film starring a well known actor in a true story about a rather unorthodox doctor. Aside from the great story, there was something that impressed me greatly about this film- it's directorial subtlety. Even though this film dealt on a secondary level with the effects of childhood sexual abuse and a senseless murder/ suicide, it did so without gratuitous violence or a Hollywood gory re- creation of the events. It was so refreshing to see something truly sad without first " seeing " it through a movie goers frightened eyes as the events are reenacted before our eyes. It was evident that this director subscribed to that age old adage of LESS IS MORE. Okay…so what's this have to do with decorating your living room and home office area? Simple; that same saying of less is more applies on an even greater scale to decorating our homes. I'm sure you've noticed the recent explosion of ‘in your face’ magazine ads for furniture collections, wallpaper patterns , bed linens and antique accessory shops….talk about clutter! The ads are so busy that your eyes have a hard time trying to decide what it is that the slick magazine layouts are trying to sell. I've even come across a recent full page ad for a wonderful vine textile pattern that was repeated in EVERYTHING featured in the ad….the sheets, bedspread, window treatments, throw pillows, wallpaper, area rugs, lamp shades, wallpaper border, book jackets, bath towel edge trim and even the ceramic accessories! The magazine layout room had the vine pattern repeated over and over again throughout the space so that all the reader saw was one big vine and the impression that if you ever found yourself in this space, you’d never find your way out! Unfortunately this " MORE is NOT ENOUGH " and TOO Much is GREAT" style of decorating is becoming the home fashion advertising norm. And as a result, it seems that all across America we're filling our homes with an overabundance of " match-ie match-ie” stuff in overabundance. And you know what? it’s so sad because the irony is that the homeowners who actually live in these MORE IS NOT ENOUGH homes, can't understand why their houses ‘just doesn't feel right’ and are far from comfortable. As I’ve said in the past, the answer to a well decorated and comfortable home lies in subtlety, and the same will apply for your living room/ office area. Just like in that most wonderfully directed movie PATCH ADAMS , a subtle approach to displaying and using textile patterns, household goods and decorative accessories is with a classic restraint. When considering the patterns and colors for your living room/ home office, forget the matching wallpaper, fabric , border and accessories and opt instead for a medium intense paint color for the walls and use the stripe and fruit pattern in the draperies and throw pillows . And for my last bit of advice, please remember, ‘ as in life , movies, decorating or in anything we do, it's not always necessary to beat someone over the head with an overabundance of information, decoration or faux treatments for them to get the point… subtlety, restraint and LESS IS MORE are the golden keys to making a home truly comfortable. © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top What’s the old saying… “ hindsight is 20/20” …this is a great saying and especially true in the building or remodeling of a home. What looks good on the blueprint , in actual use, may turn out to be just plain wasted and ugly space. And the space labeled HALLWAY fills this bill completely. It seems very few design efforts and construction dollars are spent in this space because this square footage is nothing more than a transition space that will allow you to pass from one area to another. And this lack of attention will show up only at the end once you are finally moved into the house, when you’ll end up with a design challenge that no matter what you do will always remain a long and narrow boring hallway that lacks all architectural elements and remains one of the lest favored areas of your home. LOOK TO HOTELS FOR INSPIRATION In order to overcome the long and narrow design challenge simply think back to your last vacation. No , not the scenery or the poolside fashions, but try to recollect the wall décor of the hotel hallway. I know this may seem to be a strange suggestion, but when you think about it, a hotel is a great example of good hallway design, because once you leave the lobby, the rest of the building is nothing less than a series of long narrow hallways between guest rooms. Now, if you’re really good in the memory department, you'll remember that usually there were few, if any, pictures, prints or paintings hanging on the side walls. That's not an effort of the hotel trying to save money, but rather the lack of artwork on the walls is actually a design basic, or what I like to call the shoulder rule. Simply stated, if the commercial hallway is 4' to 6’wide , you can almost bet that someone's shoulder is going to be rubbed up against the wall as they pass by, thus knocking off whatever was hung on the wall. The same rule can be applied to your 3’ wide home hallway as well . Another reason for not using the side walls of a long and narrow hallway is that by hanging lots of little pictures along each side of the hall will only help to elongate the space further. With that in mind, the same rule will apply to your space as well, so nicks the temptation to hang pictures and other wall decorations . JAZZ IT UP WITH FLOORING By now you’re thinking, if I can’t hang pictures on the wall…what’s left? The answer is close by , actually you’re standing on it… that’s right… decorate the floor! Just like in the hotel hallways where the answer to numerous long and boring hallways are solved with lots of interesting floral and patterned carpeting, a decorative floor covering is the solution to your home’s long and boring hallway. To avoid re carpeting your entire space and to keep your cost down, try adding a contrast border to your existing carpeting, or simply overlay a nifty area rug runner down the center of the hallway . LOOK UP FOR EXCITEMENT © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top ·Since you're working with the natural color scheme of the outdoors, try to blend all of the decorative items into the surroundings. This will enhance what you've already got in the shrubbery and yard, and help to create a total picture of exterior comfort. Natural woods and terra cottas seem to work the best for containers and accessories located within the shrub borders and close to the woods line. For an accent close to the front door select a color that compliments the house trim color. TIP: unless your house is trimmed in white, DO NOT USE A BRIGHT WHITE CONTAINER…a light tan, soft cream color, dark green, terra cotta or stained wood planter works better to add a decorative accent near the front door. © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Back to Top © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Deborah Burnett appears regularly on HGTV, National TV and worldwide radio with design ideas and decorating tips. She is a nationally recognized health and wellness design authority and keynote presenter bridging the gap between science and evidence based epigenetic design which explores how the body and brain are affected by the interior environment. As a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine she specializes in research and design pertaining to how color, light, sound and daylight affect sleep.
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Illuminating the Future
– with Jim Benya, Jennifer Veitch and Susan Szenasyn
Knowledge to Practice: Epigenetic Design and the Built Environment
– VELUX Daylight Symposium
Evidence-Based Lighting Design, Deborah’s new book
– Wiley, Spring 2014!
Daylighting and Its Impact on Infertility
– The Daylight Project, UK Infertility Awareness Week
