Most people are drawn to and captivated by the natural beauty of a rainbow and the essence of this beauty is captured in crystal.  So why not have rainbows in your house every day?  Add a beautiful crystal chandelier and follow your rainbows around your room every single day!

The entry way establishes the social contract with outsiders and clearly communicates the position and status of the home.



First impressions count. Hang a unique round open-work Italian mirror in an entrance hall to fill an empty wall and provide an elegant greeting for guests. 

Carefully selected home accessories will help you make it. Hand-crafted accessories or a finely crafted table lamp will make an entry elegant and graceful. Touches like this will make your entry warmer and more inviting.

1.       Time to Break Out The Tools

Let’s start off right: Using the proper tools is vital to correctly hanging artwork. You need a tape measure, pencil, picture hooks (or nails), hammer, and level.

2.       Eye to Eye

As a general rule of thumb, the center point of artwork should be placed at the eye level of an average woman (which is 5′ 6″). The idea is to be able to enjoy it at a natural level, not have to look up at it to appreciate the piece. (See image 1)

3.       Create Conversation Among Your Furnishings

Make your furniture and artwork “speak to each other” . For example, when hanging a piece over your couch the bottom of the artwork should be no more than 4″  to 6″ above the top of the couch.  This way everything connects and creates harmony. It will also give the illusion that your ceilings are taller and make the room feel more spacious.

4.       Big Makes an Impact

Instead of multiple pieces of art, how about one large piece? It will create a focal point whether it is over a couch, above the mantle, or above a bed.

5.       Think Size and Scale

Choose smaller pictures for narrow walls and larger pieces for big wall spaces. Don’t allow the wall to swallow up the piece. If you have to strain your eyes to see the artwork then it is too small for the wall.

6.       Seeing  Multiples

When you are hanging two or three pieces in a series, only separate them by about  2-3″. The artwork will have a much greater impact and will create a cohesive pulled together look.

7.       Use the 75% Rule

A piece of art mounted on the wall should not be larger than the furniture it is hanging over.  The artwork should be about 75% the size of the table or couch’s width that it is over.

8.   Symmetry or Not?

Should you hang artwork symmetrical or asymmetrical? For a more formal room symmetrical works really well. If you are hanging artwork in a play room  kids room, or casual living room hanging artwork in an asymmetrical way can be fun and unexpected.

9.   Group Them  For Greater Impact

Grouping smaller pieces together can make a huge impact. Unite the grouping with the same color frames so it is cohesive. A great way to experiment and create your grouping is to lay the pieces down on the floor and arrange it until you have found the perfect way to display your artwork.

10.   Vacation Spots or Landscapes

In smaller rooms or rooms without windows hanging pictures of landscapes such as ocean scenes or trees will visually open up the space by creating a feeling of a window.

I hope you found these 10 tips helpful. You can easily master the art of hanging artwork and no longer need to fear getting it wrong.  So you need not be afraid to start your hanging projects today.

If you think that this theory is limited to children, think again.  I’ve see adults like a color based strictly on the name.  It isn’t even the right color, they just like the name.    They have to have it somewhere!  What a job these paint manufacturer’s have.  They can start a trend just by naming a color something terrific.  Chocolate Truffle (Benjamin Moore 2096-20) sounds so much better than dark brown.  Cotton Candy (Benjamin Moore 1268) sounds yummy and therefore is a better influencing name than light pink.  The names evoke images in your mind and will be judged strictly on that basis.  The manufacture’s have their finger on the pulse of the people and they want to sell paint.  It is up to us as designers to give our clients the best possible look regardless of the name of the paint.

This question seems to keep a lot of potential clients from calling a decorator.   I’m always amazed at how timid people can be about a simple inquiry.  In our office, we welcome calls from everyone.  We’re happy to answer their questions, because it helps them — and us– to determine if we are a good fit.    I’ve lost track of how often we’ve been able to help someone who was convinced that their job was too small.   I know that other decorators and designers have had similar experiences.  Having said that, there are some clues as to how receptive a design professional may be to a smaller job.    And I have some hints on how to approach the initial conversation…

•    First of all, you need to determine if your definition of small is the same as theirs.  I once had a client worry on the phone that her job might not be big enough, then it turned out to be worth $30,000 to $40,000.  I believe she had a budget of $50,000 for all the work that was needed, and she was concerned that my estimate would be more than she could afford.   This is not the norm, but it’s a great example of how one person’s assumptions can vary greatly from reality.  More often, callers are worried that we won’t go out for a single window treatment, or to reupholster a few pieces of furniture.  While not every design consultant will say yes to these jobs, many of us look at such jobs as our ‘bread and butter’, and we’re happy to do them.    After all, many great clients started out by trying us on a smaller job.  And if your job really is too small for us, we will let you know.

•    Be observant about how you’ve found the decorator or designer.  How do they reach out to the public?  If they are making themselves available for a group seminar at your church or women’s group, or you’ve met them at a business network, or some other one-on-one, face-to-face venue, then chances are good that they are open to all kinds of jobs.   Someone who only speaks to the public from a stage, at a high-priced event, or on TV, may not be as open to our ‘little’ jobs.

•    Ask how the design consultant gets paid.  (Yes, this means you actually have to call their office.)   How much will it cost you to meet with them?  Sometimes the ‘cost of admission’ is so high ($5000 or more) that you can infer how large your job needs to be in order to make it worth your while.    Some designers will actually tell you that they have a minimum requirement, so you are clear on whether or not your job qualifies.    No matter what, you should never be embarrassed to ask this question, and anyone who makes you feel that way doesn’t deserve your business.

Much of the information you need will be on a decorator’s website, so that’s a great place to start.  However, if you really want to be sure, you will ultimately need to make that first call. Most important is talking to the decorator.  Be open to new ideas and be honest about your expectations and they will give you the beautiful room that you desire!

#1:  GREENERY!!  Nothing can add so much spark for such a modest investment!   Everyone likes plants and flowers, but too few give them credit for being a decorative accent.  Plants cheer up a room and humanize it by adding nature’s own basic color – Green!  And beautifully designed floral arrangements will not only help pull your room’s color scheme together, but will bring a bit of the outdoors in!

#2:  PIANOS!  Positioning a piano isn’t always easy, but if you love yours, you’ll find a way that’s good for it and for your room. If it’s a grand piano, the curved side should face the room and the straight side should be parallel to the wall. Never place a piano on an outside wall.  It’s bad for the sound board.

#3:  PLAN AHEAD!  Keep a scrapbook of design ideas, color combinations and room layouts that you find particularly pleasing. This will help you and your professional interior decorator easily focus on your project.  When I’ve looked through the pages that my client has saved, I can always point out the theme that they are attracted to.  Sometimes they don’t even know what it is that they like about a room.

#4   REMEMBER TO BE PRACTICAL! When selecting fabrics, wall covering, floor covering and furniture, be sure to keep in mind their practical as well as decorative effects. Children and pets must be considered in selecting all your home furnishings products.  Practical doesn’t mean boring.  You may want washable fabrics.  I always recommend dry-cleaning.  It keeps the integrity of the fabric much longer.

#5 ADD DRAMA TO YOUR WINDOWS!  By extending a window treatment further than the window itself, you’ll be able to give smaller sized windows the illusion of greater space and drama.  After all, shouldn’t the room be dramatic!  Remember that adding fabric to a room creates a warmth that cannot be achieved any other way.

#6  LONG TERM INVESTMENTS!   Don’t fall into the trap of buying home furnishings because they’re a bargain.  Always make your home furnishings purchases – especially wood and upholstered pieces – a long term investment.  You should plan to spend the most on the pieces that you use everyday.  You’ll be happier in the long run.

DO take the time to prep the area. Gather artwork and accessories in one box and place out of the way. Move furniture to the center of the space (or into another room altogether), wipe down walls and tape off molding. Cover the floor with a drop cloth. (Plastic sheets can be slippery and messy.)

DO remove all of the hardware—switchplates, doorknobs, drapery hardware, etc.–and place the parts in a plastic bag.

DO gather everything you’ll need to get the job done and set up a “paint station” in or near the room. Include a paint tray, painters’ tape, brushes, rollers, stir sticks, a paint can opener, rags, paint thinner, a screwdriver, hammer and ladder.

DO purchase one good paint tray and line it with inexpensive disposable plastic tray forms. Aluminum foil works well in a pinch.

DO calculate how much paint you’ll need. It’s always best to get it mixed at one time.

DO choose the appropriate rollers and brushes. Specific rollers are required depending on the paint’s viscosity (i.e. how well it rolls onto the surface) and the wall’s texture. Brushes with angled tips are best for painting on and around trim.

DO wear appropriate clothing (you will get paint on you somewhere) and slip-on shoes for easy access in and out of the room.

DO prime the walls if going from one extreme color to another. For instance, if the walls are tan and you want deep green, paint first with a primer tinted to match your intended top coat to ensure you’ll end up with the true color.

DO expect to apply at least three coats when painting walls red–one coat of primer and two coats of paint.

DO keep a stash of paint for touch-ups in a small plastic cup or glass jar, like margarine containers or baby food jars (thoroughly cleaned, of course). Be sure to label each container with the color and brand name.

DO clean up your brushes when you are finished.  It’s much easier to tackle  it while it’s wet.  Good brushes are expensive and you don’t want to have to throw it away because you forgot about it and it dried out.

DO have fun!  Get out of your element and experiment with color.  After all it’s just a little paint!

One connecting color will serve to accomplish this.  It could be a soft sage green shade – or robin’s egg blue – or buttercup yellow – any color actually.  The key is to use your connecting color in varying degrees of intensity from room to room.  Sometimes your main color in one room would then be better used as an accent color in an adjoining room.  It might be carpeting in one room; walls in another; an occasional chair in a third; an element in the drapery fabric in a fourth.

It’s also extremely important to add one unexpected fun, splash color into your basic color scheme.  Did you know that when we walk into any room, our eyes crave visual movement?   And by adding a splash color – something unexpected into your overall color scheme, you instantly add visual interest into your design plan!

Think about a basic color scheme of buttercup yellow, sage greens, and warm winter whites.  Most would find this a calming color palette, and can easily visualize carrying varying degrees of intensity of these colors from room to room.  But just think about the awesome impact a splash color could add!  How about introducing a warm coral shade into this color scheme.  By cleverly using this color in accent or accessory pieces, and then moving these colored accents strategically  around your room – you’ve immediately created a much more pleasing design plan,full of  impact and visual interest!

And if you love to rearrange your furniture – just think of the possibilities color continuity from room to room affords!  All your furniture pieces, as well as your accessories can be easily interchangeable color wise room to room!