Brownies for a Chilly Spring Evening

I was reading some of the blogs I follow and came across this recipe for brownies from "A Busy Nest".  Since my blog is not only about interior design; but, also, the little pleasures in life, what better pleasure than a wonderful chocolaty brownie to give comfort on a chilly evening.
http://www.abusynest.com/2011/02/brownies-intensified.html

Spring is Almost Here!

I am so thankful that Winter is behind us and the official start of Spring is just one week away!  This winter was a tough one for me.  Record snow accumulation, very cold weather and dreary days had me eating way too many carbs (consequently, gaining five pounds) and draining my creative thought process.  It's amazing how energetic and enthusiastic I've felt this week with the warmer temperatures and a few sunny days.  It rained a couple of days, but, at least it was warm.

My blog and newsletter have been neglected the last few weeks and I'm hoping to get back on track.  I hope you'll keep checking in for updates.  With spring comes new fabrics, fresh ideas for inside and outside the home and enthusiasm for change.  I have a lot of ideas for upcoming posts and invite you to leave comments along the way.

AREA RUG SIZES

When I enter a room one of the first things I notice is the balance (or lack of it) in the room.  I see so many area rugs that are undersized or that the furniture is not positioned properly on the rug.

When choosing a rug for under a dining table the rug should be wide enough so that when pulling out a
chair the chair should remain on the rug. This will also insure that when seated all four legs of the chair will remain on the rug. A rug allowance of 24" beyond the width of the table is usually sufficient.

For example: If your table is 44" wide, allow 24" on each side of the table for the chairs. That gives you a rug width of 92" or approximately 7 1/2 feet. Your calculations may fall in between sizes. Since rugs come in standard sizes, unless it's a totally custom cut rug, remember it's better to go larger than smaller.

Use these same guidelines to determine the length of the rug.

When browsing furniture stores and/or magazines sometimes you'll see furniture angled on a rug with one or two of the front legs on the rug and the other legs resting on the bare floor. In some instances this may be acceptable, but, generally keep the entire piece of furniture on the rug or totally off the rug. It looks a little more pleasing and it keeps the furniture more stable.

8 1/2 Steps to a Romantic Bedroom

Happy Valentine's Day!  A designer friend of mine wrote a blog post for this special day.  The 8 1/2 steps caught my attention and who wouldn't want a romantic bedroom.  I'd like to share her post with you.
http://window-designs-etc.com/2011/02/14/8-%c2%bd-steps-to-a-romantic-bedroom/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-blog

Last year I posted some pictures that captured the feeling of this day.  Everyone seemed to enjoy them so here they are again.  I hope you keep love in your heart not only today, but, everyday.

Flowers Displaying Color of the Year

Here I am thinking about flowers again.  As I was shopping for groceries the other day I passed the section where they display loose bouquets of flowers.  It was a dreary day and seeing them made me smile.  I decided to buy some.  First, I had to decide where I wanted to place them and that would help me choose which flowers to buy.  As I glanced over them one really stood out.  It looked like an over sized daisy and I liked the large flower heads and long stems.  I immediately decided it would be perfect in a tall vase on my bathroom vanity.

The color of the year is honeysuckle and the color of this flower looks just like the color of the flower that was published when the color was announced back in January.

Because it's on the bathroom vanity it's one of the first things I see in morning and one of the last things I see at night and that makes me happy.

 

Flowers to Bright Your Home

Living in Delaware can be pretty depressing in January.  We keep hearing about global warming, but, I can tell you that over the last ten years our winters have gotten colder and snowier (if that's a word).  The days are usually cloudy and grey which means we don't see the sun too often.  It's very uplifting and energizing when those rays of sun do shine. 

One way I've found to make things seem brighter and to put a smile on my face is to use flowers.  It's amazing how they can transform a room. 

                                                                                                               Photo from HGTV website
                                                  

                                                                                                       Photo from HGTV website

                                                                                                                Photo from HGTV website

Fresh Fabric Patterns

Honeysuckle, the new color of the year, will not appear in fabric selections until the spring.  Even then, it will not saturate the market because many of the fabrics for home furnishings and clothing fashions were made last year.  The color will be seen more by Fall and this time next year will have saturated the market.

This new fresh, vibrant color is a natural evolution from the fresh colors and patterns we've seen over the last few years.  Not everyone is drawn toward contemporary patterns, but, many people want a more modern look than traditional fabrics allow.  Therefore, over the last few years we have seen traditional patterns tweaked to give a more modern look and they have been made available in unexpected colors.

Lifestyles are more casual today than in decades past and the colors and patterns in home furnishings reflect that change.

2011 Color of the Year

Pantone's color of the year for 2011 is Honeysuckle.  See it and read about it here:  http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?pg=20821&ca=4

This color is fresh and vibrant.  I can visualize it used on the walls of a powder room, sunroom or in a master bedroom for a soft romantic look.  It would be great to use as an accent in a contemporary room that has been done in black and white.

Opportunity for a Fresh Start

Every New Year's Day I take down the Christmas decorations while my husband watches football games.  On January 2 when I walk around the house it seems very bare.  The sparkle and ambiance that the decorations created are gone and the rooms feel void of warmth.  I find this a good time to re-evaluate my decorating choices and especially the choice and placement of accessories.

In my opinion this is the best time of year to make changes in the home.  As I mentioned, taking down decorations seems to leave a void and most everyone has an attitude of looking forward and making life changes at the start of the new year.  In many parts of the country we're stuck inside for much of the winter because of the weather.  As long as we're stuck in the house we can take that time to try new furniture arrangements, remove old accessories and replace with something totally different or take items from one room and try them in a different room.

It's easy to be creative when putting out the Christmas decorations because they're only temporary.  If people use this same approach when decorating their homes, they may be pleasantly surprised with the rooms they create.  My only hope would be that they don't get too creative and end up with something that lacks good taste and balance.