Well, that depends...what is a 90 Percenter?
A 90 Percenter is someone I define as a person who takes on a home improvement and/or decorating project, gets close to the end of the project and then runs out of steam...leaving the project almost, but not quite, finished.
Ninety Percenters are easily identified by the following tell-tale signs:
Their walls are sporting a fresh coat of paint, but they are devoid of any artwork or life. Let me just say, I get this one. I really do. I mean, after you go to all the work to re-paint a room, it's hard to put a bunch of new holes in the wall in order to hang art work you feel so-so about.
OR...
HALF their walls are sporting a fresh coat of paint and the other half isn't because about midway through the job, they decided the color was all wrong and were too afraid (or pooped!) to try again.
Some 90 Percenters start out with ambitious plans...like tearing down a wall or refinishing a floor only to find that life and it's uncanny ability to get in the way has prohibited them from completing the project, or maybe the job was simply bigger than they thought and they're not sure where to proceed from here.
Maybe it's something as seemingly simple as you've bought the furniture you like, it's paid for and been delivered, but you can't figure out how to place it in your room, or maybe you like the way it looks, but the room just needs something....more?
A lot of 90 Percenters I see have recently undergone an extensive renovation and are now enjoying their hard-earned new floors, new walls, new blinds and new light fixtures, but they're just so tired of home improvements that they want to give it a rest for awhile.
So when you put it like this, you'll see that most of us have been a 90 Percenter at one point or another, so I don't want you to think that I'm picking on 90 Percenters. I'm not. In fact, I live with a 90 Percenter (my beloved husband) and my experience with him tells me that 90 Percenters aren't bad people. They're human beings, just like you and me, so they deserve our love and pity more than our scorn...all they need is that last little bit of inspiration to help them cross the finish line!
So depending on where you fall on the Unfinished Project Spectrum (the 'ole UPS), I have some suggestions designed to help you go from tired, frustrated Ninety Percenter to triumphant, proud, and you can say it...a little bit cocky, 100 Percenter!
Which of these statements best reflects you and your 90% Situation:
"I like the changes I've made so far, but I don't want to mess up our newly patched and painted walls with artwork that we've had forever and I don't really care about."
This one is simple...it's time to go shopping for artwork that inspires you and makes you happy! The thing about art is it doesn't have to be trendy (in fact, it shouldn't be), expensive or one-of-a-kind...it just has to stir something in your soul when you look at it. Maybe it's a family photograph framed and hung over the mantle or a hand-me-down painting that used to hang in your grandmother's house and reminds you of fun visits to her house as a child. It's amazing what a new frame and a matte will do for something you cherish!
And remember, it's art because YOU say it is. Andy Warhol's "32 Cans of Campbell's Soup" sold for $11.7 million dollars and it was literally an image of 32 cans of Campbell's soup!
"I didn't like the paint I selected so now I'm afraid to try again."
Seriously...don't beat yourself up. Even the most knowledgable designers make mistakes in this area. As a matter of fact, my husband and I are planning to re-paint our bedroom this weekend in order to eradicate an ill-advised blue that instead of making our room feel cool and serene like I intended, makes our room feel dark and depressing.
In this area, the best advice I can give is the old adage, "If at first you don't succeed, try try again...and get one of those tester samples first." Okay, I added that last part, but the tester samples offered by most paint stores now can be a real life and wallet saver. I recommend painting a test patch in your room and living with it for a few days in order to see how it looks at every hour of the day.
"After watching HGTV one Sunday morning, I got inspired and knocked down the wall between our den and kitchen, but that's as far as I got. It's been six months and I still have a big hole in my wall."
In a situation like this, I like to quote the great Chinese militarian Sun Tzu who said, "Sometimes it's better to lose a battle so you can win the war."
Okay, I don't know if he really said that or not, but my point is that it's important to recognize when you've gotten in over your head and when it's time to call in a professional. The fact is, you can't live indefinitely with a hole in your wall, so you've either got to set aside a long weekend and fix it yourself or call in a professional and pay them to fix it. But hey, it happens. Don't beat yourself up, just pull out the Yellow Pages and make the call!
"I bought some furniture that I like, but I just can't figure out how to place it in my living room."
You can either call a professional (like me) for a couple hours of work, or there are some websites that can help you map out placement taking into account traffic flow, furniture size, etc. Just google "Furniture Arrangement" and see what comes up.
"The hard work is done. I just need help with the finishing touches. "
Again, a professional can do this in a couple of hours and nine times out of ten, use a lot of the things you already have.
OR...
One thing I recommend to hesitant homeowners is going out to a major discout retailer (like Target, HomeGoods, Garden Ridge Pottery, etc.) and just buy up whatever looks good to you, put it on your credit card and take it home. Then just fix yourself a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, put on some inspiring music and spend the afternoon moving stuff around until you like it. Once you get everything in a place that's pleasing to you, take the rest back and get your money back. Designers do it all the time!
One last tip that covers everything...
Make a list of everything that needs to happen in your room before you are ready to declare it "Done." For whatever reason, the act of breaking down a big project into an itemized list seems to make big goals feel more attainable...and let's face it. There are few things in this world more satisfying than marking something off of a "To Do" list.
Then tell yourself, "Whatever happens this weekend, I'm going to get #1 and #2 marked off my list." Build in a little motivation, but keep your goals reasonable and before you know it, you'll be kickin' back in your newly finished, perfectly appointed new room!
Good luck!
Showing posts with label Do's and Don'ts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Do's and Don'ts. Show all posts
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, July 10, 2009
Getting Started
People tell me all the time that they WANT to decorate, but they never do it because they're worried about making an expensive mistake. That's a pretty fair concern. Furniture, fabric and paint can be expensive and what do you do if you end up not liking it when you're finished?
With that concern in mind, I have developed some helpful hints that I hope will help you feel more comfortable about making decorating decisions for your home. I have also listed here some tips for saving money.
Tip #1:
Go buy all the decorating magazines you can get your hands on or, if you can, go to the library. They give away old copies and back-issues of most major publications for free. Flip through each magazine and mark with a sticky note EVERYTHING you like. (Write on the sticky note what it was you liked, otherwise you might go back and wonder what in the world you were thinking when you marked a certain page. Trust me...I've done that.)
If you like the overall color scheme, mark it. If it's the curtains in the room that appeal to you, mark it. If it's simply the style of the room, mark it...or even if it's just a pair of lamps, mark them.
After you've marked everything, go back and see if you spot a trend. If most of the rooms you have marked are modern, well then modern is your style. If they're traditional...you're a traditional gal (or guy).
Then move on to colors...if you tended to appreciate softer colors more so than bolder colors, this will tell you a lot about the "feel" of your room and the kind of colors you should select. If you prefer bold colors...take that to be your direction.
In my opinion, if you continually find yourself drawn to the same style and colors over and over, you can feel more confident about your purchases and your design decisions and then it won't be so scary to take the leap.
And what if you liked EVERYTHING you saw? Well, you are what we like to refer to in the biz as "easy to please" and we like you very much.
Tip #2:
Before you commit to a paint color, choose your fabric first! Use the fabric swatch to then choose your paint color. You can do it the other way, it's just more difficult and takes a deep faith in the decorating gods. It's much easier to have paint mixed to go with your fabric than it is to find fabric to go with your paint color.
Tip #3:
Paint a swatch on the wall and live with it for 24 to 48 hours. You want to see how the movement of the sun will change the color throughout the day. This is a mistake even pros make. I once painted the den in our old house a soft olive green...at least that's how it appeared at around 3:00 in the afternoon when the sun was on the other side of the house. First thing in the morning, when the sun was shining directly into the room, it was neon green.
That was an expensive mistake...not so much in terms of dollars, but DEFINITELY in terms of hours spent listening to my husband complain while he re-painted the den.
Tip #4:
Think about flow. In today's open-home floor plans, rooms should flow seamlessly from one to the other. A good general rule of thumb is to have a "master color" that shows up in every room. That way the change from room to room is more subtle and not so abrupt.
Tip #5:
Splurge on the upholstered furniture in your home that gets the most use...like your sofa. Think of it as an investment for your rear end. A well-made sofa in a neutral color (with down stuffing and the best-quality fabric you can afford) will last fifteen or twenty years and remain as comfortable as when you first brought it home...even with kids! If you get tired of the upholstery, it's worth it to have a well-made sofa re-covered...and whatever you do, opt for the scotch-guard protection!
If you or your spouse is particularly tall...say six feet or taller...you should both shop for your sofa together. My husband is 6'4" and it took us seven years and three sofas before we finally found one that "fit" him.
Tip #6:
Don't splurge on anything made of wood...like tables and side chairs. I have just two words for these things...Goodwill, baby! Once you have determined what kind of furniture you need, start haunting second hand stores, flea markets and antique malls. If you're patient, you'll find what you're looking for at a significantly lower price. You may have to refinish it or paint it, but it's worth it for the savings.
And not only that, I believe that most older furniture is made a lot better than new furniture. Back in the day, they used real wood as opposed to the veneer and particle board they use today and it holds up to the wear and tear of everyday life a lot better.
Tip #7:
Don't worry about things being too trendy. If you like it today, you'll probably like it tomorrow. Most home decorating trends seem to me to have a life span of about ten years. After a decade, you'll probably be ready for something different anyway...so don't sweat it.
Tip #8:
Shop everywhere!! You'll be amazed at where you get the coolest stuff at the best deals. These days most of the chain stores carry accessories, lamps and artwork that is remarkably similar to everyone else's. If you're willing to step out of your comfort zone a little, hit a few yard sales, flea markets and starving artist shows, you just might something interesting and one-of-a-kind that no one else but you will have.
Tip #9:
I know it's a pain to help people move, but do it! If you do, you'll be the first one to get the hand-me-down armoire when your friend realizes it won't fit in the new house. Also, this is a very important phrase....learn it, memorize it, live it. Repeat after me..."You're not going to throw this away, are you?" This one little sentence gets you THE BEST FREE STUFF! You'd be surprised how many priceless family treasures people are willing to just give away simply because they don't want to mess with moving it.
Tip #10: (and probably the most important)
If you like something, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. There should always be a place in your home for the things that make you happy to look at. Now, if you're my husband, that place might be in the basement, but still...there's always a place.
With that concern in mind, I have developed some helpful hints that I hope will help you feel more comfortable about making decorating decisions for your home. I have also listed here some tips for saving money.
Tip #1:
Go buy all the decorating magazines you can get your hands on or, if you can, go to the library. They give away old copies and back-issues of most major publications for free. Flip through each magazine and mark with a sticky note EVERYTHING you like. (Write on the sticky note what it was you liked, otherwise you might go back and wonder what in the world you were thinking when you marked a certain page. Trust me...I've done that.)
If you like the overall color scheme, mark it. If it's the curtains in the room that appeal to you, mark it. If it's simply the style of the room, mark it...or even if it's just a pair of lamps, mark them.
After you've marked everything, go back and see if you spot a trend. If most of the rooms you have marked are modern, well then modern is your style. If they're traditional...you're a traditional gal (or guy).
Then move on to colors...if you tended to appreciate softer colors more so than bolder colors, this will tell you a lot about the "feel" of your room and the kind of colors you should select. If you prefer bold colors...take that to be your direction.
In my opinion, if you continually find yourself drawn to the same style and colors over and over, you can feel more confident about your purchases and your design decisions and then it won't be so scary to take the leap.
And what if you liked EVERYTHING you saw? Well, you are what we like to refer to in the biz as "easy to please" and we like you very much.
Tip #2:
Before you commit to a paint color, choose your fabric first! Use the fabric swatch to then choose your paint color. You can do it the other way, it's just more difficult and takes a deep faith in the decorating gods. It's much easier to have paint mixed to go with your fabric than it is to find fabric to go with your paint color.
Tip #3:
Paint a swatch on the wall and live with it for 24 to 48 hours. You want to see how the movement of the sun will change the color throughout the day. This is a mistake even pros make. I once painted the den in our old house a soft olive green...at least that's how it appeared at around 3:00 in the afternoon when the sun was on the other side of the house. First thing in the morning, when the sun was shining directly into the room, it was neon green.
That was an expensive mistake...not so much in terms of dollars, but DEFINITELY in terms of hours spent listening to my husband complain while he re-painted the den.
Tip #4:
Think about flow. In today's open-home floor plans, rooms should flow seamlessly from one to the other. A good general rule of thumb is to have a "master color" that shows up in every room. That way the change from room to room is more subtle and not so abrupt.
Tip #5:
Splurge on the upholstered furniture in your home that gets the most use...like your sofa. Think of it as an investment for your rear end. A well-made sofa in a neutral color (with down stuffing and the best-quality fabric you can afford) will last fifteen or twenty years and remain as comfortable as when you first brought it home...even with kids! If you get tired of the upholstery, it's worth it to have a well-made sofa re-covered...and whatever you do, opt for the scotch-guard protection!
If you or your spouse is particularly tall...say six feet or taller...you should both shop for your sofa together. My husband is 6'4" and it took us seven years and three sofas before we finally found one that "fit" him.
Tip #6:
Don't splurge on anything made of wood...like tables and side chairs. I have just two words for these things...Goodwill, baby! Once you have determined what kind of furniture you need, start haunting second hand stores, flea markets and antique malls. If you're patient, you'll find what you're looking for at a significantly lower price. You may have to refinish it or paint it, but it's worth it for the savings.
And not only that, I believe that most older furniture is made a lot better than new furniture. Back in the day, they used real wood as opposed to the veneer and particle board they use today and it holds up to the wear and tear of everyday life a lot better.
Tip #7:
Don't worry about things being too trendy. If you like it today, you'll probably like it tomorrow. Most home decorating trends seem to me to have a life span of about ten years. After a decade, you'll probably be ready for something different anyway...so don't sweat it.
Tip #8:
Shop everywhere!! You'll be amazed at where you get the coolest stuff at the best deals. These days most of the chain stores carry accessories, lamps and artwork that is remarkably similar to everyone else's. If you're willing to step out of your comfort zone a little, hit a few yard sales, flea markets and starving artist shows, you just might something interesting and one-of-a-kind that no one else but you will have.
Tip #9:
I know it's a pain to help people move, but do it! If you do, you'll be the first one to get the hand-me-down armoire when your friend realizes it won't fit in the new house. Also, this is a very important phrase....learn it, memorize it, live it. Repeat after me..."You're not going to throw this away, are you?" This one little sentence gets you THE BEST FREE STUFF! You'd be surprised how many priceless family treasures people are willing to just give away simply because they don't want to mess with moving it.
Tip #10: (and probably the most important)
If you like something, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. There should always be a place in your home for the things that make you happy to look at. Now, if you're my husband, that place might be in the basement, but still...there's always a place.
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