I've reached the middle of R.O.Y. G. B.I.V in my exploration of color - Green.

It's summer here in Wisconsin. The heat is on and the grass and trees are displaying all shades of green. The American Psychological Association says green is good for us. This is true in more ways than one. The color green gives us the feeling of tranquility with its association to nature and with the ease our eyes have in viewing it as they don't have to adjust to the wavelength of cool colors as they do for warm colors. Going green is also a way of helping our environment, living sustainably, and being ecologically responsible.  All good, right? 

When you meet your designer at the start of a project, so many questions are asked to get an idea for the look and feel you want for your room. Water, landscapes, food, metal and other materials we see evoke a certain feeling. Creamy ice cream, fun confetti, rich landscapes, lazy rivers, rusty pipes... Just adding the adjectives starts the story that can lead to the look and feel you might want your room to have once it is transformed from inspiration to a finished space.

Here are a few examples of rooms that reflect the inspirational items shown in the mood boards I developed.

The roaring 20 attire, confetti, ice cream, and cotton candy all say LET'S PARTY! When we ground it in the beauty that nature brings with the mountain side and the pearls from the sea, we get a room that is ready for entertaining as well as relaxation. 

Who wouldn't want to soar in the open airy space of the sky, then come down to earth for a warm latte in a comfortable modern room. The geometric patterns of the area rug and the low furnishings ground the room. The hot air balloon inspired lighting brings your eyes up providing continuous visual flow. 

This mood board brings spice and elegance paired with color and texture that say nothing less than "Let's spend the day in the sun, then join me for a romantic night under the stars". There is formality in the furnishings combined with whimsical art and animal print and tropical inspired toss pillows. The jewel toned wall color and furnishings coordinate with the sparkling chandelier and gold on the tables and credenza.

I hope you enjoyed the inspirations for these rooms. What inspires your decor? Let me know if you need help translating your inspiration into the room of your dreams.

Another option that can give a calming effect is to use patterns with the same color scheme and keep the scale small so that nothing pops out at you on its own.

Often times you will find you need to work with a pattern that is difficult or cost prohibitive to remove, such as existing flooring. Using different textures will add visual pattern. This rustic flooring is complemented with a similarly rustic wall treatment shown with the brass banded glass vases which adds a smoothness balancing the look. Toss in a textured throw and pillows to provide inviting comfort with a nod to the original rustic look. The smoothness of a brushed leather sofa transitions rustic to elegance. I love this look. Don't you?

It is important to have a focal point in a room, but you also want the rest of your space to appear interesting and inviting. Repeating patterns around a room will keep your eye moving around the space. ​

Yellow is a color that provokes conversation, invites you into a space with positivity, and brightens the day!

Used as an accent brings light. Spread in small amounts in an otherwise moody space brings balance.
​
Paired with deep tones of blue, green, or black and white adds drama.

Finally, an explosion of yellow in monochromatic shades warms the space.

#autumnlightinteriors #colorstudy #yellowdecor

See Red and Orange at these links: 

https://autumnlightinteriors.weebly.com/blog/color-exploration-with-roy-g-biv-lets-start-with-red
​https://autumnlightinteriors.weebly.com/blog/continuing-to-explore-color-with-roy-g-biv-today-orange

How high? What size frames? What size matting? How do you group them? What techniques can you use to ensure a minimal swiss cheese affect on your walls?

Let's start with some basic guidelines on how to position your art or framed photos.

• Hang the frames so that the middle point is 57 inches from the floor.  That recommendation comes from gallery professionals.
• If you have a collage of pictures to hang, consider the collage as a whole and set the center of the collage at 57 inches.

Now let's smash those guidelines to pieces! Okay, maybe not smash, but let's consider some times when you may want to stray from gallery rules. If you have a space for children, some art can certainly be brought down to a level where they can enjoy it. Or let's say you want to hang some pictures above a headboard that is 57 inches tall. Consider other items in the room like door frames, or shelving. You may be able to consider the difference between the top of the headboard and the top of the door frame as the center point to use for your new center measurement. If your ceilings are not that high the art can be centered between the ceiling and the item above which you are hanging your pictures. ​

What size should your picture frame(s) be? For drama - as large as you can afford. For collages, you can either vary the sizes of individual frames for added interest or keep the frame size consistent and limit the number to at least 3 but no more than 9 for a more formal, classic look. You can mat your pictures with a standard 3 inch border (put a 5x7 picture in an 8x10 frame, for example). If you have great photos that you don't want to blow up larger or can't due to pixilation, have a frame shop custom cut some matting that will allow you to use much larger frames with your smaller pictures..

If you have more than a few pieces of art or photos to display, grouping them can help you keep your walls from looking cluttered. Think of the space you have for your collage as a large shape within which to arrange your pictures whether that be a square or rectangle. You can play with your designs by arranging the frames on the floor or other large surface. Try aligning the outside edges to form a rectangle within a rectangle (or square within a square). For a long horizontal display, centering varying size frames along one horizontal line and attempting to use the same size frames on each end and in the middle will help give the collage a balanced look. If you have a couple of rows of different size frames, align the bottoms of the top row with the tops of the bottom row to bring your eye pleasingly along the length of the grouping.. Are you arranging pictures along a stairwell? Align the bottom corner of each frame the same distance from the handrail to give a diagonal line that follows along as you go up or down. 

Here are a few recommendations to help keep you from creating multiple nail holes in your walls.

• The first is to find the right hardware for hanging pictures. I recently found this item called a Beehive PIcture Hanger. When your nail ends up being just a bit off, this will allow you to just move the picture without the hassle of remeasuring and nailing again!
  
• You can use those 3M Command Strips, but be sure to note the weight for which they are intended so your precious photos don't come crashing down.
  
• Here is a link to a quick video with 5 tips for hanging pictures.

I hope this helps give you confidence to hang your art and/or photos of loved ones. Our spaces are meant to house the things we love and those things are meant to be seen and enjoyed. Have fun and, as usual, let me know how it goes!

If you would like links to these items, let me know.

As the cold begins to subside here in Wisconsin and Spring takes over, we see Mother Nature offering inspiration for organic choices in interior design. Watch the slide show for each nature pic to see some fun selections I found google-ing around! (Click 'Play' on the larger pictures and give it a few seconds.)

​Happy Spring days ahead to everyone!

Just a quick post today brought to you by the color Red!

Roy G Biv - The colors of a rainbow (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet). I feel like exploring the color red today.  Red can invoke anger, but I think the furnishings shown in this post evoke a feeling of warmth and love, not anger.  My apologies if this color is only anger for you, as I'm aware it can be for some.  (If that's you, please check back to see my future posts as I intend to explore all of Roy G Biv over time!)

All these items can be found on Wayfair.com and if you click on one of the links below and purchase it, I may receive a commission.  It won't cost you anything extra to click or buy!

Most of us are going through life transitions for many different (and for some the same) reasons. COVID, of course, continues to be a wild card in all our lives.  For others, you may be contemplating retirement, or forced into it! Relationship changes, be it spousal, friends, or other family members are inevitable as we age and move through life phases (leaving home, coming back, needing more space, needing less, adding to your household as parents age or even as you bring in a new pet as a loyal, friendly companion. The clock ticks and changes happen. Are you losing sleep over the changes in your life? Let's chat about some ways to help you sleep better.

Your environment for sleeping MUST be conducive to getting a good night rest. How do you make that happen? Don't underestimate the details: great bedding, clean air, bedtime rituals, your health - in no order of importance! It may take a bit of change in all these areas to help you sleep more soundly. Everyone needs differing amounts of sleep to ensure they have energy and a positive attitude to tackle their day. If you are under the age of 14, you need a lot!  The rest of us need about 8. This is according to the National Sleep Foundation.

How do you help yourself get the required amount of sleep you need? Let's start with bedding material. This is a chart with an overview of the quality of various materials used in bedding by Prudentreviews.com. Click on it to see all the pros and cons to help you choose the right bedding for you.

What do you do an hour or two before you go to bed? It can make a big difference to the quality of sleep and the quickness with which you get there. Helpguide.org has some insights and a list of several actions you can take to improve your chances of a good night sleep.

Finally, your health plays a big role in how much sleep you get and its quality. You know this, of course. All the above ideas can help, but if you are not healthy it could be an uphill battle. When you can do things that are in your control, don't hesitate. This is definitely not an exhaustive list of things to consider:

• Snoring - See this article by the National Sleep Foundation - https://www.sleepfoundation.org/snoring
• Overweight - There's so much to google on this. I'm working on the Bright Line Eating plan, personally. Get your doctor's approval for any diet plan.
• Adding supplements - The Mayo Clinic has some precautions regarding supplements, but this article may help: 

                        https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep-aids/art-20047860

I wish you a healthy sleep tonight and every night! 
Add a comment if you have a sure-fire way to help you get to sleep.

This transitional style library nook is tucked in what may have been a formal dining room that was neglected since the homeowner had preferred another area for more casual dining.  The need to get away and have a quiet place to read or an additional TV viewing area was met by installing custom bookshelves and adding in very comfy seating, good lighting, and a place to put up your feet.  (Note this is a rendering using a zoom backdrop curated by Clive Christian Furniture and Hatchards.)

For this post, I wanted you to be able to pull together a look that is all your own. I have suggested pieces in the affiliate links below that if clicked and/or purchased, I may receive a commission on with no additional cost to you.  Have fun putting together a look that makes you want to dive into that new book or movie you've been waiting to tackle. At the bottom of this post, I'll show you my choices from these items that I would put together for a specific look.

Send me your email address and I'll send you a code to get 5% off on Houzz merchandise!

Oh, so many choices! Depending on your style, any combination of these items (and the great wide internet!) will get you your dream library lounge. If you want to go custom on furnishings and upholstery, there are even more choices. Given the limitations of the items above, here are two styles put together with choices from those items.