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q&a: dealing with a high ceiling

Last week, we got an email from our reader, Kathy, asking for advice on how to deal with decorating their living room with a high ceiling.

Given our hot and humid climate, a high ceiling is always a desirable feature in a house as it provides room for warm air to rise. However, it can be quite a challenge to fill up the additional vertical space to make everything look balanced and proportioned.

Here are three things that you might want to consider to achieve a cozier space in spite of the height.

1)  LOWER THE CEILING

It’s difficult to achieve an intimate and cozy atmosphere in a room that has a high ceiling. To scale down the height, incorporate false beams and trusses  (top photo, via elements of style) into the design if you have the budget for the additional interior work.

For a quick fix, use drop/pendant lamps instead of ceiling-mounted lamps. Pendant lamps lower the light source, darkening the upper half of the room to downplay the height.

2)  HIGH CEILING = TALL FURNISHINGS

A high ceiling naturally calls for tall interior furnishings to create a balanced composition. Furnishing it with mainly low or short items will only create contrast, highlighting the height of the space.

Install longer curtains by hanging them a few more inches above the window. Add vertical items like a tall plant (photo above, via brown design), tall twigs on a vase, and a few tall furniture pieces such as an armoire or an upright bookcase. Like pendant lamps, these pieces create a middle or transition point between the floor and the ceiling above.

3)  FILL YOUR WALLS

A high ceiling also means more wall space. Avoid hanging a single row of small to medium-sized frames. They will just look tiny and lonely against the tall wall. To minimize the appearance of bare, boring surfaces, fill up at least one wall with an assortment of framed photos or artworks (see ana’s post on photo walls). This strategy minimizes the height of the room by visually dividing the height into several horizontal sections created by the display. (photo above via housetohome)

diy tips: create your own mood board

I stumbled upon a great website: www.olioboard.com. It lets you create mood boards* — now you can visually represent what you want your ideal space to look like without the need for scissors and glue. Boards can be really helpful when making decisions on the look of your space. I made one (above) for my ideal bedroom. As you can see, I like things that are simple and natural but have interesting texture and patterns. Try it — it’s fun and it’s free! You can also look at mood boards created by other users and draw inspiration from them. I found some really bright and colorful ones (below) for a patio and a kitchen. Make your own set and share them with us. We’d love to see your boards!

diy tips: updating dated color schemes

DISCLAIMER: What may be baduy to me may not be baduy to you. Please accept my sincerest apologies in advance.

*baduy – Filipino slang for unfashionable, dated or corny

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My memories of the 80’s and the 90’s are ridden with haunting baduy colors and horrific color combinations. Old rose, mint green, maroon and navy blue. Que horror! It all seemed like a good idea at that time.

Operative words: THAT TIME.

For most cases, the color itself is not the problem. The shade, tonality, and color combination are causing the problem of making them look dated. Here are some ideas on how to make the colors of yesteryear fit the palette of THIS TIME:

PEACH brings back dreadful flashbacks of my flower girl gowns (and permed, Aqua Net-saturated hair). Pick a deeper, less cream-y hue for a more modern vintage feel, like the background of this bookshelf (above) from Gathering Spriggs. Also, instead of pairing it with green, try putting it together with an unusual shade of blue.

MINT GREEN is like the staple wall color of hospitals, schools and everything institutional. It makes you think if there was a surplus of mint green Boysen paint in the past. This cherry blossom stencil (above) from Henny Donovan Motif is anything but institutional. It creates a handmade wallpaper effect with a fashionable fabric feel. The trick here is to dull the green and just give it enough “mint” to make it fresh.

OLD ROSE is just that: OLD. It looks like it smells old! How many debuts and weddings were done in old rose? I doubt they look youthful today. Rather than “old”, how about we try making it “vintage”, like this antique store (above) with a lighter shade of old rose details from kosmic_kat’s Flickr photostream.

MAROON + NAVY BLUE remind me of the heydays of Giordano here in Manila. Everyone had at least one (original) Giordano classics round neck tee. Remember the colored jeans (that surprisingly made a comeback)? Modernize the color duo by slightly altering their shades. I like ST design’s handmade pajama stripes pillow (above) with a grayish dark blue and Swarovski crystals. It’s so “homey glam”!

BROWN + BLACK is personally still a fashion no-no of mine, even with the attack of the Louis Vuitton purses worn with everything in your wardrobe. (Again, my sincerest apologies.) In interiors, though, brown + black is one of the classiest combinations, especially when the “brown” is executed in natural, organic upholstery and the “black” in dark wengue wood finish, like this sitting area by coco + kelley (above).

BLUE + PINK should be left in fairyland and should only be seen together in onesies. What makes this pair a bit off is their similar tonality and color value. The trick here is to make one color bold enough to stand out, like the choice of raspberry and light turquoise in this “retro Los Angeles glam” living room (above) by Joe Nye.

Can you think of other baduy color schemes? pp

diy tips: conquer your small space dilemmas

Like what hoa said in her comment here, condo spaces are becoming smaller and smaller. The average size of a studio unit is around 30-40 square meters, but can go as small as 20 square meters. As the space becomes more compact, it’s much more challenging to fit everything in and make your space look and feel comfortable. Here are some ideas to help you make the most out of a small space.

1) GET REAL!

Before you start doing or buying anything, you have to re-assess your lifestyle in the light of your small living space. A small space will require you to sort of have a lifestyle change. You can’t expect all of your belongings from a 100++ square meter home fit a 40 square meter studio without looking like a storage room. This means, take only those that are essential. When you want to buy something new, you have to give-up something to make room for it.

2) THINK MORE-IN-ONE

When buying furniture, incorporate pieces that have multifunctional features—an ottoman with storage which can be used as a coffee table, an occasional seat for the living area, an additional seat for the dining table and, for some models, a single foldaway bed (check Dimensione).

3) BE CREATIVE!

Storage doesn’t only come in the form of built-ins. You don’t want to fill your space with built-in cabinets because this will make your interiors look more like a walk-in closet or a pantry than a home. Be discreet with your storage. Consider fitting large drawers under your bed frame and using seats (stool, ottoman, and even upholstered sofa) with hidden storage. Maximize small corners. Instead of an end table, consider a slim chest of drawers which has more storage space. Above all, take only what is essential (see #1).

4) OPTICAL ILLUSIONS

How to make your small space look bigger? First, simplify interior elements to minimize visual clutter. Use less color contrasts (go monochromatic), less details, and less number of furniture. If you want color and details, limit them to just a couple of accent pieces.

Second, maintain an open plan layout. Avoid using dividers or screens because they just chop your small space into several minute spaces. Instead, define areas by arranging your furniture into groups and adding an element that will emphasize their centers such as an area rug or a pendant lamp.

Third, blur elements that signal boundaries/space limits such as walls, corners, and edges (photos above). Choose accent lighting over general overhead lighting. Accent lamps create a play of light and shadow that create depth, while general lighting make everything visible, and accentuating all four walls and corners of your little space. Add depth to walls by placing a large mirror, especially the tall kind (door height), that seem to create a door on the wall leading to a different room.

5) BE TRANSPARENT

Avoid bulky-looking furniture and add depth to a space by going for “transparent” pieces—a dining table with a clear glass top, chairs with a see-through backrest, and buffet cabinets with frosted glass doors.

6) ADD TEXTURE NOT CLUTTER

While it is encouraged to keep interior elements simple, you are not discouraged to give your space a theme and personality. Decorate with your belongings. If you love reading, use your books to decorate your shelves (top image).

Combine surface materials and introduce simple accent prints so your interiors won’t look dull and boring. Natural texture is not limited to wood. Indigenous materials (below) such as coco shell, crushed bamboo, buri, rattan, and abaca, blend well with wood. Use them for accent pieces if you want to maintain a clean modern look. Combine these with metallic accents to add a “kick” and to avoid monotony.

7) RENDER YOUR SPACE WITH LIFE

Use plants for decorating (above). Apart from adding color and texture to your interior, plants help clean your indoor air. For those who do not have a balcony where you can occasionally expose your plants to sunlight, choose plants that can tolerate low light levels. Examples of low maintenance indoor plants (based on my experience) are sanseviera, yellow water plant, some types of bromeliads, and dracaena.

diy tips: 10 ways to use the color of 2010

images from Pantone

Goodbye Mimosa yellow, hello Turquoise!

Pantone, the global authority in color (ok, this is debatable), announced last December that Turquoise is the big hue for 2010. From what I’ve read so far, people have mixed reviews over the new color-of-the-year. Some, especially those who love Turquoise, are raving about it. Others, who are probably unsure about the trendy-ness of the color, are not so enthusiastic about the announcement.

“Now, what is a little odd is that Turquoise was a big color for fashion LAST year and many lines have discontinued items in that color for this 2010 year (like Apple, Gucci, Beirn and HeysUSA). Perhaps Pantone was picking up on last year’s trends? “ [via ifitshipitshere]

While last year’s Mimosa carried vibes of optimism and positivity, this year’s Turquoise is all about the message of hope and better beginnings.

“There was no runner-up to turquoise in my mind because people crave escapism and freshness after a tough year. The shade is on the cusp of blue and green, which makes it both inviting and serene — characteristics associated with blues — and invigorating and luminous, which come from green. The public is shifting gears as the economy shows some improvement: They are ready to fantasize a bit about the beach resort,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, explains. [via PSFK]

Whether you think it’s hot or not, expect to see a lot of this color in fashion runways, furniture stores, and designer shops. I guess, the more important question is this: how do you use this color in design and decoration? The great thing about Turquoise is that it can be paired with a whole lot of colors because of its blue+green mix.

To help you out, here are my T E N   T U R Q U O I S E   P A L E T T E S   F O R   2 0 1 0.

1) Evoke the freshness of spring with BLUE + GREEN.

image from decorpad.com

2) Go vintage with RED + ORANGE.

images from freshnestdesign.com

3) Get glammed up with BLACK.

image via houseofturquoise.com

4) Create visions of restful getaways with bold turquoise against ORGANIC NEUTRALS.

image via houseofturquoise.com

5) Embrace summer fun at the beach with WHITES + DISTRESSED COLORS.

image via houseofturquoise.com

6) Childlike innocence is unmistakable with PINK+YELLOW.

image via houseofturquoise.com

7) Establish sophistication with CHOCOLATE BROWN.

image via design-ties.blogspot.com

8 ) Clean modernism is evident with SILVER + GRAYS.

image via decorpad.com

9) Revisit the interiors of Western period styles with CREAMS + RED + BROWNS.

image from atlanatahomesmag.com

10) Render your space in vibrant tropical colors with ORANGES + MAGENTA.

image from willowpoppy via flickr

Can’t get enough of this vibrant color? Visit houseofturquoise.com and everythingturquoise.com for more inspiration. 

diy tips: a fresh start for your space (part 4)

MAKE YOUR WALLS WORK

Part of decluttering is finding more potential storage spaces. When your cabinets and tables are full, why not turn to your walls for additonal help? My flickr friend Ivy of ivy style33 applied several interesting ideas to organize her kitchen. One is using those magnetic containers from Ikea to store and display her spices on the wall.

Since we do not have Ikea here in the Philippines, we can just make our own. Simply take s small can with a clear lid and hot glue a piece of magnet on its bottom. Make as many as you want! To mount the cans, install a strip of steel onto the wall where the cans can be “mounted”. Apart from the kitchen, you can also use these containers to organize your craft materials like beads, sequins, buttons, pins, and crystals.

To create compartments on your walls, hang a fabric wall organizer where you can store small items like mail, calling cards, bills, etc. There are ready-made wall organizers available in the market. You can also opt to make one for yourself so you can pick the fabrics that you love. This cute fabric organizer is made by my flickr friend mmquaal. She uses this to store all her crafting tools. See more of her crafting projects here.

Here’s a chalboard idea for all you writers and designers like me. I saw this over at housetohome which seems like a calendar+corkboard+writing board+insipartion board all rolled into one! It’s a stylish take on organizing (or decluttering) your schedule, monitoring deadlines and putting together ideas and inspirations for ongoing projects. Hmmm, i just wish I have enough wall space for a huge calendar like that, haha!

I hope all these ideas inspired you to get organized and have a fresh start this 2010. Happy decluttering!

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