A staircase can be the focal point of a hallway, whether your style is traditional or contemporary. Stairs can also be the perfect place to add some colour and pattern — but sometimes, less is more. Here are some examples of simple stair runners and eye-catching staircases that dared to be different.
Here is a classic black and white staircase with a neutral runner. With monochromatic decor, this space could have used any colour runner for a big impact, but this understated one keeps the focus on the wallpaper.
This rural home features a barn-door-red runner for a splash of colour. Even though the hue is bright against the room's neutral palette, its simple stripe and classic country colour is a safe choice that will never look dated.
This all-white space offers an unexpected approach to colour with coloured balusters. Definitely different, though I wonder how those pristine white stairs will handle wear-and-tear...
For big impact in their gallery-white space, the owners of this Montreal home chose a multicoloured runner. It's playful and practical, but not for the timid decorator.
A heavy chevron print in contrasting colours is sure to draw attention. Although it can be a bold choice in a busy space like this one, I think this runner could go both ways — flashy or classy.
How do you prefer to dress up your staircase — with bold prints and unexpected colours or traditional runners that will stand the test of time?
Photo credits:
1. House & Home February 2010 issue
2. British Homes & Gardens
3. Little Miss Homes
4. House & Home June 2010 issue
5. Design New England
We've all seen interior brick walls given new life with a fresh coat of paint, but doing the same with your home's exterior is a whole different story. There are many points to consider before you undertake such a task. To make an informed decision, let me share a few pros and cons on painting a brick façade.
I'll begin by showing you before and after shots of Toronto design guru Arren Williams' home:
This is a great example of a gorgeous painted brick makeover. But before you whip out the paint brush, consider this:
Pros:
- Paint can give your home a sleek updated look.
- It's less expensive than changing the home's siding.
- Painting brick does not require a lot of time or planning, it's basically a quick fix.
- When properly sealed, painted brick is easier to clean than raw brick, which is porous.
Cons:
- Upkeep, upkeep, upkeep. Paint will eventually fade (red paint will take on a pinkish tint, yuck!), chip and peel, requiring a fresh coat within 5 years — especially in Canada, where weather can cause a lot of stress to your façade.
- Painting brick takes away its natural ability to breathe and expel moisture from the wall.
- You might as well say goodbye to the natural brick, because stripping the paint off is a painfully laborious process.
So there you have it. What are your thoughts (or expert opinions) on painted brick? Have you tried it on your own home?
Interested in knowing how to paint brick? Check out this link from Behr.
Photo credits:
House & Home, photography by Angus Fergusson
It's been trendy to tear down walls in small Victorian homes, allowing light to flow though and families to share the wide open space. I love the idea, although I sometimes wonder if the lack of privacy (and the cost of heating) would become bothersome in the long run.
To help you visualize this dilemma, here are a few inspiration photos of open, lofty spaces, followed by smaller, closed-off rooms:
Open-concept living makes for bright, spacious rooms, but noise and cooking smells get around fast. As the alternative, check out these cosy, closed-off spaces:
Closed rooms are more private, but aren't always the best for entertaining. However, I do like that each individual room can have its own decor style — which is difficult to pull off in a space without walls or doors.
Seeing as I haven't lived in a true open-concept space, it's difficult for me to judge, so I leave it up to you — what do you prefer, open-concept or closed rooms?
Photo credits:
1. House & Home, photography by Virginia Macdonald
2. House & Home, photography by Robert Lemermeyer
3. House & Home, photography by Virginia Macdonald
4. House & Home, photography by Michael Graydon
5. House & Home, photography by Donna Griffith
6. House & Home, photography by Chris Tubbs
Lately it seems that every art, hardware and decor store carries a wide selection of wall stickers for the home. From typography to flowers, anything seems to go. I must admit, I thought they were rather clever at first. It seemed like a quick fix — a cheap and easy way to throw on some oversized art without the pain and cost of framing. Nowadays, however, they kind of make me cringe.
Oh dear — the chandelier decal. I've seen this sticker one too many times. May I suggest getting a real chandelier?
Decorating, like art, is subjective and individual. So I totally respect that many may disagree with my take. Please weigh in the comment form below!
Oversized, nature-inspired decals seem to be popular in living rooms. Once again, I'd rather see a real plant and some pretty paintings, but that's just me. What do you think?
Somehow, I don't mind them in a child's bedroom. I guess the bright colours and cartoon-like flatness of the art works well in playful spaces.
This growth chart wall decal is adorable. Again, it's for a kid's room. I like when art becomes functional!
I'm sure you have your own thoughts about wall stickers. Perhaps you've found a way to make them work in your own home. In your opinion: are wall decals still trendy, or are they a fad?
Photo credits:
1-3. Etsy
4. House & Home, as seen on Ferm Living
Once spring is here, a young girl’s fancy (okay, I’m not so young, so let’s say my fancy) turns to entertaining. I want to have people over: for dinner, for drinks, for anything to jolt me out of the winter blahs. But in a small house, the question is, “Where do I set up the bar?”
Obviously, the lovely bar above has to belong to someone with not only a big house, but a big capacity for boozing. I am neither (although some friends may beg to differ). But I love how designer Thom Filicia stays away from the ubiquitous bar cart and pulls in something unexpected. Here, he uses a very large workman’s table, one that would take up my entire dining room. But even though this idea wouldn't work for my space, I do love that he wants to hobble something different together. And there is a bonus: the workman’s table can do double duty. It could be a bar one night, buffet the next, a desk in the day, anything. And so, I am on the search for creative ways to set up a bar.
A second idea that I think is quite attractive is using a living room side table as an impromptu bar, as seen in the photos above. Of course, this would need to be tucked out of the way of traffic — you don’t want guests toppling the bottles. But you can see how subtle yet still glamorous this idea is. It feels like a movie from the ’30s — the bar has to be where you are seated, no walking that extra 10 steps for replenishment!
Of course, this last shot is my favourite — what a fun idea. How about setting up the bar on the fireplace? I love this. My fireplace has a deep mantel, is out of the flow of guest traffic, and it’s easy enough to tuck away the display bits and bobs for a night in order to bring out the bottles. And it strikes me as fun that people can sidle up to the bar, albeit a high bar, to help themselves to another.
So what do you think? Should I do the typical, “help yourself, the bar is in the kitchen,” or try something different like the fireplace bar?
For more entertaining tips, check out our Summer Entertaining Guide.
Photo credits:
1. Thom Filicia's bar, The Kitchn
2. Domino
3. Thom Filicia's bar, House Beautiful
4. From the Desk of Lola
Something that gets talked about a lot by House & Home design editors is scale. This is mainly because we are often producing some kind of story that requires bringing in a lot of furnishings from disparate sources in order to create a “room” — without having time for it to evolve slowly, the way decorating a real room would. So we are working from instinct, asking questions such as: “Is this lamp going to be too tall?”, “Is this side table going to be too short?”, or, “Is this chair going to be too big?”
Still, some of the images I like best in either our own mag or others, are those that involve messing with scale.
This shot is one of my favourites and has been sitting on my desktop for ages. With the framed artwork being twice the size of the chest of drawers it hangs above, I am sure this is breaking every old-school rule about scale, yet it works.
For playing-with-scale novices, there are a couple of tips to been gleaned from this photo. The artwork is graphic, sure, but still subtle and simple in both its colours and content. Big and quiet works in a way that big and loud would not. Also, take a look at how it’s hung. A wall space border of about 8” (I’m guessing from sight) surrounds the artwork on top and both sides — using the beam on the left as an indicator of where that area ends. So, they are keeping it even. And despite it hanging over both sides of the chest in terms of width, they are keeping the overhang even, too. Lastly, the art is the only big thing in the room. It’s not an Alice in Wonderland room full of very big pieces, therefore it’s more of a statement piece.
And we in the design business love statements.
For more tips on hanging art, see our Art Advice Guide.
Photo credit:
1. Forge River, Carrier and Company
Everywhere I turn, a friend or co-worker is starting a kitchen reno. (Good sign — the economy must be getting better if so many people are willing to update their homes!)
One of most common questions asked of me is: “Should I do an island?” And it is asked in such a way that tells me they don’t want to put one in, but somehow feel obliged. To which I say, despite seeing some pretty beautiful islands, that it seems the harvest table is back.
This is a lovely kitchen by French architect Joseph Dirand. And you must admit, this is a pretty spectacular island. It isn’t too big (some islands are so oversized they make actually working on them ridiculous). The almost Shaker-like trim fashioned out of marble is a clever design detail, too. You can really imagine this put to good use.
But compare it with this kitchen by designer Steven Gambrel. The palette is similar; the marble is similar; sheesh, even the floor is similar. But the difference lies in the use of the old farmhouse table instead of an island. And I think it is used to great effect. The worn wood warms up the space — it is a nice counterpoint to all that grey/white marble. It could be used for anything from a prep station (as seen above) to a casual dining table with a mix of chairs pulled around, or even a place for kids to do homework comfortably, while mom or pop are cooking. Double or triple duty — always a bonus! And there is just something about it that begs you to linger in this kitchen.
I often think that while we try to reinvent the wheel, the old ideas have so much heart — this is about a family or friends gathered in the farmhouse kitchen, actually spending time together. And whether you have a big farmhouse kitchen or not, isn’t that the vibe you want in your life?
Still deciding? Get inspired by even more kitchen island photos.
Photo credits:
1. Remodelista
2. Steven Gambrel
Don’t get me wrong, I do love an art wall — I think. Who wouldn’t love the one seen above, captured by Cape Town photographer Jac de Villiers, for instance? I started one in my little basement reno —with about six framed pieces so far— and another one in my dining room. That one is coming together slowly, with only two pieces so far. So, hardly a wall’s worth. But as I sift through ideas on what to hang, what to frame, how to frame it, and what I should buy from Etsy.com, I realized: maybe I am a little over it.
Then I saw this little idea in a shot by Philadelphia-based photographer Trevor Dixon. Basically, it shows the combination of two ideas: the casual “art on the floor” concept with something more planned out. I thought this was a brilliant marriage of arranged and loose.
By creating shelves on brackets just above the baseboard, you can get art off of the floor, while still having a place to arrange it in an interesting way. Gone is the ubiquitous floating shelf we are all so accustomed to. Also, gone is the art wall that really only looks good once you are finished (if my half-finished art walls are any indicator).
Further, this challenges the idea that every frame has to frame something. This type of arrangement gives you the opportunity to just put a beautiful frame into the mix as a background objet until you have something to fill it, and slowly build your collection until you have enough to fill a wall. Perfect for someone like me who doesn’t just want to buy for the sake of filling a space. What I have bought myself is some time to slowly collect.
For more tips on buying and displaying art, as well as DIY decorative project ideas, see our Art Advice Guide.
Photo credits:
1. Photography by Jac de Villiers
2. Trevor Dixon Homes & Interiors
I was recently interviewed by a journalist in the city asking about bringing a specific trend into a room (for her it was the idea of global influence, in particular African art, textiles, what have you). She seemed to quite like it when I said you have to do it sparingly, unless it is grouped as a collection, or you would end up with a “theme park” instead of a room (Epcot Center anyone?). But it made me think about how to strike that balance and how to explain it to someone.
Take, for instance, the Union Jack flag. I love it. I love how graphic it is. I love the colours. I love it when it looks old and worn. But it is something that has to be done properly. The shots below, for example, are of two beautiful rooms by Dan Marty Designs, but one has too many Union Jacks. Suddenly it isn’t special. Or as my moms would say, “that is too much of a muchness.” The other, from Apartment Therapy, has just a subtle Union Jack motif on a chair. That’ll do.
The next room has the ubiquitous Union Jack as a dog bed but it doesn’t really fit with the vibe of the room. Again, this doesn’t seem like a special motif the homeowner just has to add in, but in fact, more like an after-thought.
I think designer Tommy Smythe hit the right note in his living room below. I was on this shoot of his last apartment and was crazily coveting his Union Jack pillow (anyone know for sure what colony this flag is from, not a typical British flag so I suspect something colonial?). I may have even offered him some cash for it, when he is over it. Here is the thing, he only did it once in the room (he found an old vintage flag and had it sewn into a pillow) but the rest of the room also works with the look — a little masculine, a little trad, even a little colonial when you think of the brass, wood and the black, white, red. So I guess I am saying, keep it spare but also keep it in keeping — with the rest of the room that is.
For more inspiring photos from Apartment Therapy, view our Apartment Therapy Design Lessons gallery.
Photo credits:
1. Dan Marty Design
2. Apartment Therapy blog
3. Unknown source: Help! Does anyone know where this shot comes from?
4. From House & Home December 2009 issue, photography by Michael Graydon
Call me a throwback, but I like rooms. I like moving from one room to another. I like things feeling compartmentalized (does that say something about me which should be addressed in chats with a professional...?). A friend of mine is about to embark on a major reno and will be tearing out lots of walls to create a big open space. Another friend has a big open studio space and is looking for ways to create separation in the space. Do we all want what we don’t have?
Anyway, it got me thinking about rooms. Not just why so many of us are ready to get rid of them, but what are some ways to create the feeling of rooms — of separation — without having some big honking wall stopping your sightline.
Obviously the drape idea is a perfect solution (see in the image above). I’ve seen it used successfully to make bedrooms in loft spaces many times, but how about making a dining room with the sheerest of sheers:
I love this idea. The dining room seems separate from the living room, and no doubt a little sexy and special when you are seated at the table, but full of light during most of the day, I would imagine, when it is not likely in use. So you don’t have that wall stopping your sightline or blocking your light.
But this next idea is not so obvious and I love it:
Here, the NYC designer John Douglas Eason hung an oversized mirror from the ceiling by chains to create separation in a large bedroom between the sleeping area and the lounging area. This is so smart. Eason’s project is in a Greenwich, NYC house so it is probably a large upper floor of a brownstone, reno’d to make one big loft-like bedroom. Thing is, I have been in a lot of new builds lately where principal bedrooms are huge and therefore, difficult to decorate. This is an idea I would use. One big frame, encasing either a mirror, artwork or fabric on a stretcher, hung from your joists (because they can hold the weight). Brilliant.
For more tips on separating an open-concept space, see Bachelor Apartment Ideas.
Photo credits:
1. Uxus Design, from A212 blog
2. Metropolitan Home
3. John Douglas Eason, Greenwich Showhouse
