Interior Decorating with Cynthia Havens

You’ll love this look if: You describe your style as charming, fun, feminine, soft, pretty, creative, social, colorful or inviting.

The colors: For this look, use soft colors, like our pinks and yellows, with an accent color that pops, like our turquoise blue. This is a style that can really take a lot of colors. The key is to keep them lighthearted and sweet.

The textiles: Time to get girly. For textiles in a whimsical room, look for embroidered or ruffled fabrics with all the trimmings. Cheery florals, bird motifs, and butterflies, all the perfect patterns.

The accents: Give yourself flowers. Lots of them with lots of petals. Greenery ads even more life to this lively look. Accents should have a well-loved feel, like antiqued tin trays and ceramic figurines.

: Forgo the traditional wooden living room set and instead choose furniture with painted or wrought iron finishes. Everything doesn’t have to match. As long as it’s designed with a slightly feminine touch, it will work wonderfully.

Use at least one big piece with your accent color. A colored glass lamp or oversized vase will do the trick. Keep an eye out for unique, one-of-a-kind accents like a vintage-inspired birdcage, seashell mirror, colorful frame, or hand-painted keepsake box. With a little imagination and a dash of creativity, you can make this look your own.

Traditional Comforts: You’ll love this look if: You describe your style as homey, easy, comfortable, timeless, traditional, simple, neutral or soothing.

The colors: The classic style is a tonal look with neutrals galore. Everything should blend together. Think greens, browns, and everything in between.

The textiles: Let’s all try to be neutral here. Treat your throw pillows as one unit, with each pillow blending together with the next. Rugs, cushions, and window panels should complement the look with traditional patterns such as oversized florals, damask, or paisley. Fringe and nature-inspired touches are also welcome in classic textiles.

The accents: Keep the eye moving with really special, well-chosen accents. Find pieces with an antiqued finish to give your living room a special, well-worn vibe. Clear glass vases, stately lamps and fruit are all totally classic.

: Get real. As in real wood with a nice, warm finish. Find a matching living room set and avoid anything painted or metallic. Look for timeless pieces with straight lines or scrolling designs. Both are good investments, as they’ll never go out of style.

Bring out your old hardcover books, wooden frames, and old-timey clocks (remember the ones with actual numbers?) to create your own classic collection. As long as you keep the neutral palette going, everything will work together perfectly. Plus, this is a look you won’t have to redo with every passing trend. The classic look is a timeless look.

Modern Shapes

You’ll love this look if: You describe your style as cosmopolitan, clean, streamlined, contemporary, expensive-looking, designer or glamorous.

The colors: The clean lines of the modern style start with a solid color palette. Neutral browns work great, without giving off that cold, industrial feel. Metallics and crisp whites are also key to the modern look and extra easy to introduce. Silver matches everything.

The textiles: Get the feel of modern with the right textures. Faux fur, beads, and woven designs are all ultra modern and super stylish. Keep prints minimal. An understated rug or geometric pillow is enough.

The accents: We may not be able to see into the future, but we can predict that a little crystal will look amazing in your modern room. Use mirrored lamps and wall décor to pick up the reflective finish in the furniture. Tall white, Asian-inspired florals, shimmering metallic vases and colored glass sculptures are also very modern.

The furniture: Ready to go glam? Lacquered and mirrored finishes are all key elements in modern furniture. Mix them with dark woods and make sure everything’s very linear. Modern furniture is all about simple shapes, like a square coffee table or rectangular end table. Curves should be kept to a minimum, just to add interest and break things up.

Modern is minimal. It’s about choosing smart but spectacular pieces. Anything artsy or creative will work here. Glassware and candles are a great way to add just a splash of sophistication to the look. Find your own way to personalize the room with the standout pieces you love. Or find a place to display your most recent find. Modern is all about what’s fabulous today.

I work in an area where some of my clients have older homes and they are updating. Kitchen’s are the heart of the home and planning or updating your kitchen is very important!  A well planned kitchen enhances life and is great for re-sale. Here is a few things to think about when updating your kitchen. Your available space and budget will dictate the size of your new kitchen, but you can establish an efficient layout no matter what the size if you employ the work triangle- that is, place the range, refrigerator, and the sink so they form the three points of a triangle and are no less than 4 and no more than 9 feet apart. Less space between the elements makes the work space too cramped, more space wastes steps, time, and enegy. Traditionally , all of the layouts considered most efficient by kitchen experts were based on this work triangle. However, as kitchens have become mulitifunctional, new configurations may feature two or more work zones or activity centers.  Happy Kitchen Planning!  Cynthia

An effective way to maximize the appearance and functionality of any space is to light in layers. Multiple light sources help balance a room by minimizing glare and shadows, while adding depth and dimension. A light layering approach also improves a room’s versatility. A well thought out lighting plan better accommodates the way different activities that can take place. When developing your lighting plan think about the activities that take place in the space. Is there a chair where you like to read? When visiting clients in their in homes for  decorating consultations, I often have questions about inadequate  lighting in their spaces.  Proper planning for tasks is a key element and selecting lamps and fixtures.  Evaluate the tasks and function of your room prior to just selecting your lighting fixtures,  you will be glad you did!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The baby shower was fun! Wow… it is a lot of work getting all the food together, mailing out invitations and of course…decorating! Yes, I think for me this was the fun part, it began by Victoria selecting a cake that she liked. Then we created the theme for decorating around the cake. It was so cool, hot pink, black, zebra! Here are a few pictures of the cake and a great idea for creating a fast table candle holder. We took beer glasses, and wine glasses and turned them up side down placed a candle on top and filled the inside with sweetheart pink roses. Tadah! A nice quick candle holder to add to the table center piece. Here are a few pictures of the decor! www.MyAwesomeInteriors.com

Custom Headboards

I really like this bed. Adding custom beds to your room is Awesome! I was shopping for a bed for one of my clients and I found this one! The great thing about a custom bed is you can make your own fabric selection to coordinate with the fabrics in your room. This bed has brass nail heads around the edge of the headboard… a very nice touch. I like it – what do you think? 

Ask the Decorator

Hi Guys!   This is a new area that I have been thinking about doing for some time now.  The purpose of this page is to be interactive with my readers.  If you have a decorating questions just post it and I will get an answer for you!  Thanks, be the first to ask a question!

 

I recently took a vacation. A time to refuel, refresh and renew! I think everyone needs a change of environment occasionally, don’t you?  Regardless where I go inspiration for decorating shows up. When we arrived in Costa Rica,  I thought… OK, I am not going to think about decorating, this is a break.  A day passed and I rearranged the furniture in my room. I kept thinking of all the ways the room could be improved, to the point I was thinking I should call the hotel manager and give her a quick tip on how to refurbish the vanity mirror. Well, so you see… I am admitting, I am addicted to decorating.  :) :)
I was amazed by the wood products that I found in the little town in Costa Rica where we shopped. There were a variety of wood carvings and trivets, bowls and vases! The wonderful rain forest and huge trees fascinated me with the variety of trees, tropical flowers and colorful birds in the jungle.  I felt inspired!

I love the natural color combination!