Where do I start? Which room should I start with? Where do I get my ideas?

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1 Interior Decorating Advice There is no feeling quite so satisfying as personalizing your own space. By adding your touches to well-established standards of taste and practicality, you can transform a room in a matter of a few hours or a couple of days. Gone are the days of cookie-cutter musts, but there are a few tips and guidelines that can make your decorating, or redecorating, experience fun and foolproof. Because we are a full-service decorating resource centre, Décor Solutions can help you make your house a home to be enjoyed forever. Where do I start? The first rule of decorating is simple: do not take on too much. Pick one room, not the whole house, and work on that until it s complete, then start the next one. This is especially important if you are living in the house while any renovations and/or decorating are done. If the whole house is covered in painter s drop-cloths, tools and fabric samples, you ll want to move out! Remember, too, that once you ve decorated one room, the rest will pale by comparison, so it s a process. Which room should I start with? It depends on your needs and budget. If the kitchen is malfunctioning, and you re really into gourmet cooking, start there, assuming you can afford it. But that room, along with the bathrooms, will involve the most cost and upheaval, maybe even not being able to cook at home for a week or more. It could be discouraging, and maybe put you off doing the rest of the projects you had planned. So we would suggest you start with a simple room, like the living room, dining room or a bedroom. Where do I get my ideas? Décor Solutions has all the resources you need for putting together ideas, but the options can be intimidating. Here are a few suggestions for getting preliminary decorating ideas (once you have a sense of what you like and don t like, come and see us to take it to the next stage): magazines showcase homes (these are often charity events) real estate open houses the homes of friends whom you consider to have good decorating savvy books (they can be expensive to buy, so check out the library)

2 If you look at books or magazines for inspiration, be cautious and practical. Your house may not be the same calibre or style as the ones in, say, Architectural Digest, and always remember that these publications have substantial budgets for staging, and often bring in objects that are not normally in the rooms being photographed. Let the sources of ideas be just that, a place to begin developing concepts for your project. It s best to start a file and keep clippings or copies of the pictures that just feel right to you, rooms that you think you could live in comfortably. Share those favourites with us and together we ll develop the right room for you and your family. What is my first step? Start with the room layout; how the furniture be arranged, and base that on the size and style of the room. Your room layout will depend on numerous factors, all of which we will take into consideration when guiding you in the best layout for your room, its use and your personal style. It is useful in the early stages to decide what of the existing furniture and accents you plan to keep; make a list of those and plan a garage sale for the ones you ll replace. How do I layout my room? Once you have decided which room to redecorate first, there are a few simple steps you can take that will help to ensure you don t end up with what you didn t plan to have; the most important of those is to get help from the professionals. Mistakes are costly and timeconsuming. You can start the process by making a list of the existing items you want to include. If you are starting completely from scratch, with no existing pieces, then this step will not apply. Determine the purpose of the room, how much use it will get, and who will be using it most of the time. Let us know your thoughts on this. It makes our job smoother when we have the facts about your personal needs. Think about your room s focal point; if there is no existing one (like a fireplace or built-in fixtures), then you ll need to create one. This is another area in which our expertise can help. Once you have the groundwork done, we ll make a visit to your home and work your basics needs into livable, lovely designs that marry what you need and want with what works and looks great, too! Part of that may involve rearranging your furniture, eliminating some pieces and adding a few. We ll advise on the furniture arrangement that works best for the space and integrates with the design style you prefer. We take into account the following factors: traffic flow position of any fixed objects, like windows and doors, or built-ins position of electrical outlets and heat registers

3 When we arrange a room, our goal is to make it work effectively and look beautiful. How do we do that? Less is more. If a room has too much stuff in it, it will feel crowded. Not all the furniture needs to be placed directly against a wall; we can suggest arrangements that give the room a connected, inviting look, sometimes by bringing the pieces away from the walls. We ll look for balance in the pieces of furniture you are arranging. When a lot of large pieces are set together, it creates a heavy, dull effect. We know how to combine weights of furniture for the best balance, scale and contrast. To make your room flow nicely, we ll create the sense of coming down and into the room, not being jarred by your entry. Once we have worked on a few layouts and come up with one you really like, it s a good idea to live with it for a few days; if it passes the test, you ll know it s right for you! This is the time to make changes to your room layout, not after all the work is done. Once my layout is done, then what? It s design time! We ll work from, the floor up and figure out your theme or style, and your colour palette. Why start with the floor? Because unless you already have in place perfectly good, neutral wall-to-wall broadloom, odds are you ll have a floor that demands an area rug. Area rugs serve three functions: to create warmth and comfort; to define an area of floor that unites the furniture; and to add colour, and sometimes pattern, to the room. Depending on the style of an area rug (traditional, classic, modern, etc.) it can also establish the tone and style of the space, and be the room s anchor. We have a terrific range of area rug styles, sizes and colours, and you can test-drive them to ensure they work in your setting. Next, we ll choose the fabrics that will comprise your upholstery, draperies or other window coverings, and accessories. Those will need to coordinate with, but not necessarily match, your area rug (or other flooring, if an area rug is not part of your room). You might be surprised to discover that patterns can be mixed and matched. We have hundreds of fabric sample books to help you choose what works for your room. And since you re too busy to go through them all, we ll develop a short-list of fabrics you should consider. Then, it s time to select the paint. Let s have a look at the myriad of questions that people often have regarding paint (there s so much to choose from these days!). Q: Should ceilings always be white? A: Not necessarily. White ceilings are common because white is reflective and in most, but not all, design situations, serves as the best colour (even though white is not technically a colour, per se). The ceiling is in a supporting, not a starring role in your room! Sometimes just a hint of colour, perhaps a few shades lighter than you use on the walls, can make all the difference. Let us use professional colour chips to help you decide. Q: Latex or oil? A: This is more or less a no-brainer these days. Oil paints smell pretty awful, and unless you have an old house already done up with oil paint (usually found on the trim, not the walls) that demands oil to be painted over oil, Latex is your best decorating pal. Maybe your house is an old gem? We have classic historic paints that 3 Interior Decorating Advice To make your room flow nicely, we ll create the sense of coming down and into the room, not being jarred by your entry. -Pamela Delaney will stay true to the original. Q: What is the best finish to use? A: It depends on the room and its use, and the look you want to achieve. This is an integral part of the design process that we work through with you. Q: What about walls that are stained? A: It depends on what caused the stain. In cases where there has been serious water or condensation damage to a wall, or tar and nicotine as a result of cigarette smoke, a thorough cleaning with a product called TSP will likely remove the problem. Mildew can normally be removed by using a rather smelly paint product called Zinsser B.I.N. (keep the windows open and the door closed when applying this!), but if there is mould, there may be a more serious underlying problem.

4 The source causing the mold needs to be removed, and it s best to ask a contractor to assess this before taking action. Q: Do dark colours make a room look smaller? A: Actually, the reverse is often true. The exception might be in a room with poor light, either natural or electric. This is where our expertise comes in. Why go to the trouble of painting a room the wrong colour when we can advise on the ideal shade for the purpose? Once the colour of the ceiling and walls is chosen, it s time to make the next decision, one that will easily draw together all of the major elements involved so far: accent pieces and finishing touches. Items on this list will include: lamps occasional tables and chairs artwork (including sculpture) objets d art (ornaments) plants, flower, books and bric-a-brac Now, start working on your budget. We will help with this step by pricing the various things you will need. Always remember, you really do get what you pay for. If you re 19 and decorating your dorm room at university, a few inexpensive items might just work, for now. But for most of us, decorating our own homes is a long-term, very personal undertaking, so why skimp on quality? You ll only have to replace the items sooner than you want to. We ll put together a rough cost estimate, including labour, and you can consider your options from there. But remember that in any quote we give you, the risk element is virtually removed. You ll do it right the first time! Now we can start purchasing. By planning ahead as carefully as we have outlined here, you are able to: avoid making hasty purchases that could turn into costly mistakes down the road buy cheap stuff and regret it go to a lot of trouble and cost decorating only to discover you don t like the look when it s done end up with an uncoordinated mish-mash of things that make a room look cluttered and cheap If you are not starting from scratch, then the items you have decided to keep and include will strongly influence the style and colour choices you make. If you take photographs of those and bring them in to us, we can give sound advice when we select what items will coordinate with them. 4

5 The items that you opt not to include in the redecorated room may be useful in other rooms. If you have purchased wisely in the past, and have quality furnishings that are of classic design, and in a generally similar palette, you have an advantage; moving the pieces to other rooms and settings often works. And remember, too, that upholstered items can be recovered to suit the new look. When I m making purchases, how do I know what to buy? Most people start with the main piece, in the case of a living room, this would be the sofa. The biggest mistakes that most people make when purchasing furniture are: 1. buying too much furniture for the room 2. buying furniture that is too big for the room A few good-quality, timeless pieces will make a perfect setting. Too many pieces will drown the effect with clutter and detail, and make the room seem smaller. We can steer you in the right direction! What do I look for when buying a sofa? In three words: quality, comfort and style. Here s an important tip: because they are so huge and with higher ceilings than most homes, furniture showrooms make great big pieces of furniture look much smaller than they actually are. So, get out that tape measure and use it! Measure length, width, height and general bulk (for example; some sofas have huge, thick arms; will that work in your space?). If you can t find exactly what you want, then consider custom. It s not as costly as most people believe, but it is not returnable. All the more reason to get us involved in such a critical decision. Always buy the best pieces you can afford. You won t regret it! Quality sofas, chairs and hard furniture, like tables and cabinets, last longer, and stand the test of time. Cheaper sofas are often made with basic foam; quality ones have springs and strapping. Like most things, when buying furniture, you get what you pay for! What about areas rugs; how do I choose one? Because a rug anchors a room, you need to consider the elements of the room, those that are permanent fixtures and the various items of furniture you already have and intend to use; they will, to a large degree, affect style and colour of the area rug. Because we are trying to create a flow of welcome into the room, the floor, and therefore the area rug, are vital components. Although most floors are natural, neutral wood, we tend to forget that wood contains colour, from very light to quite dark. The area rug pulls double duty by enhancing the floor, through colour that segues from the floor to the rug and back again, seamlessly, and by adding textural contrast to the floor. The style and colour of your furniture, new and existing, will also influence your choice of area rug. Generally, we suggest you align your style and colours, but sometimes an eclectic look can work, if it s done carefully and properly; otherwise, you ll have a room that is uncoordinated and a jolt to the senses. Think about what is most suitable for the space itself and the people who are going to be living in it: you and your family! Figuring out the appropriate size for an area rug should be done at the stage where we are laying out your room. Once we know where the furniture will be situated, we can easily determine the size of rug you need. We ensure that the front feet of your main pieces of furniture rest directly on the rug, but the back legs don t necessarily need to. We ll measure the distance between the front legs of the major pieces in your grouping, add two feet and that should be the size of one side of your area rug; area rugs are made in proportionate sizes. Here s a good tip: make sure your area rug is not so big that it butts up to the walls or the fireplace (that, partly for safety reasons) or it will seem to be too big for the room. But there is no hard and fast rule regarding the amount of floor space that should be left showing around the perimeter of an area rug. Ideally, in a dining room, the area rug should be large enough to fall directly under the table and chairs, even when the chairs are pulled out to seat guests. And don t even think about rare occasions, such as Christmas, when you might add another table to the room; buy your rug based on normal dining room usage.

6 Some rooms are large enough that the furniture is grouped into vignettes or smaller groupings; in that case two smaller areas rugs will likely work best, as opposed to one huge one. This is a more tricky design consideration, so let us help in determining if this technique will work for your space. How do I choose a paint colour? We ve covered the main questions about paint and its functions, but colour is the ultimate decision when considering paint. Here is a really great tip and reminder: paint can be painted over. If you choose a colour you think will be perfect, and once it s applied, you hate it, well paint over it! Paint is relatively inexpensive, one of your least costly decorating items per square foot, and you don t have to live with it if you don t like it. But there are a couple of ways to be very sure the colour you have picked is the right one: 1. Most paint companies make tester pots of their various paint colours, so buy one of those (they cost $2 to $4, generally), and paint a very obvious place, like the wall directly across from you as you enter the room. 2. Some paint companies make huge paint chips (around 2 x 2 ), so you can tape one of those to your wall and see how it looks. 3. Some paint companies have a website feature that allows you to either use one of their standard room photographs (choose one that looks most like your room), or to even insert an actual digital photo of your room, and then paint it virtually, trying out any colour the company makes. Here s a great tip for choosing a paint colour: once you ve made your choice, apply a patch at least 2 x 2 on your wall and leave it there for 24 hours. See how it looks as the light changes from morning to afternoon, and then into the electric light of the evening. If it passes the light condition test, it s a good one to buy! Colour choice is a very personal thing, but most people who venture into the land of bravery such as bright reds, dark purples, oranges or bright greens live to regret their decision. For example, while pink tones are believed to enhance the look of the complexion, they are also among the hardest colors to paint over and tend to be trendy. We can advise on several possible options and then help to narrow that down to the ideal shade for you, taking into account important factors like room usage, light, and contrast to ensure harmony and balance. We take everything in the room into account when advising you on a selection of possible paint colours, including: the stain or paint on any built-in cabinets (unless you plan to restain or repaint those) the tone and colour of the stain on any pieces of wood furniture the various colours in any piece of patterned cloth the amount of natural and electric light the compass direction that the main window faces a colour you really like! How do I decorate a small room? This is a question we get quite often at Décor Solutions, and there are many answers. It depends so much on the room. Key to making the most of any small space is planning the room layout carefully. Determine what pieces are needed and where they will be placed; eliminate extraneous pieces because the less stuff the bigger the space will seem. Ask yourself these questions when thinking about decorating a small room: 1. What will it be used for and what will the frequency of its use be? 2. If it is to be a living room or family room, how can I lay out the furniture elements so that a conversation is possible (with no craned necks)? 3. Will a television be included? 4. How can I make the most of the space without blocking good traffic flow in and out of the room? Here are our big tips for your small room: keep furnishings smaller in scale so as to not overpower the room avoid bright colours in abundance; let us help choose the right shade of paint instead of a sofa, try two loveseats, or one loveseat and two chairs; we can create a layout that works best avoid large, busy or colourful patterns in the fabrics you choose (there are many options in our fabric sample catalogues) don t use a lot of accessories or ornaments

7 INTERIOR DECORATING ADVICE (CONT.) What if my spouse and I have different tastes? This is a common problem! And not a good reason for divorce! Obviously, when tastes differ, a compromise has to be reached. But how to find that middle ground? A third-party might be the catalyst. Try calling in a Décor Solutions expert to provide an unbiased opinion. First look at the style and period of the house; what styles will it allow, what works best with it? A log cabin house will likely ask to be decorated in a rustic theme; a classical Georgian will beg for neo-classical elements and colours. Our experts can help make this definition and see the house through objective eyes. If you are starting from scratch, bare bones, then perhaps compare your two preferred styles, and see if there is a clever way to combine at least some of the elements of each. Is there a third style, one that you both like, even if it s not your individual favourite? If he likes modern and she likes traditional, perhaps understated modern furniture will form a lean, uncluttered background for traditional accent pieces. Professional decorators can help you avoid making costly mistakes, like buying the wrong piece piece of furniture for your room, or wasting time and money using the wrong colour or incorrect type of paint. If no compromise can be reached on any given room, perhaps let one person have their style in one room and the other person claim the style choice for another room entirely. We ease the stress of decorating by assisting right at the planning stage and guiding you through the process; this leaves you not feeling overwhelmed by the scope of your project. Our sensible plans take into account the time, skills and budget that you have at your disposal, and if you are not an expert painter or upholsterer, or just don t have time for such things, we know reputable people who have these skills. Why should I hire a professional? Professional decorators are talented, trained, and experienced. Because of this, we help our clients save time, money and arguments. Since this is our field of expertise, we can quickly and easily determine how to get the look you want, how to maximize your budget, and how to make the most of your plans and ideas. We know the practical, refined way to get your room the way you want it. By trusting your personal space to a professional decorator, you can rest assured that any purchase you make will work today and well into the future, too. Decor Solutions Decor Solutions is your choice for interior design in southern Ontario. Servicing Erin, Caledon, Belfountain, Georgetown, Orangeville, Milton, Hillsburgh, Acton, Rockwood and surrounding areas. Whether you need a new rug or a whole home makeover look no further. Contact one of our design consultants today or visit our showroom. We offer free in-store consultations and/or in-home consultations. We will lend you samples to take home in order to visualize things in your home. 92 Main St., Erin, Ontario, N0B 1T0 Phone: Fax: info@decorsolutions.ca Web: Pamela Delaney Decor Solutions