Can We Live Like They Do?

What is that feeling we have when we get to peer into the celebrity homes. Right now, while many of us have more free time than we have had since college breaks, there is some pleasure that comes with getting a sneak peek into their homes. I read one place that referenced it is almost a form of voyeurism (Cosmopolitan) I agree, I think it is.

But is there part of us that wants to see if we can recreate a piece of that life style. Or that we too feel and act like they do, share their views, dress in similar styles, so HOW DO THEY LIVE and can I or do I want to incorporate pieces of it in my space? The rooms have run the gamut of styles, modern, eclectic, classic, white washed beached themed, city classic to Scandinavian. I would assume they all had designers to assist them with their room designs.

So I feel the answer is yes, you can live like famous people. Let me give you a few examples of how you can mimic their style.

Family Room Inspired after a late night talk show host’s room

This talk show host is a very fun, creative and successful individual. His spaces have been equally fun and creative. You can get this spontaneous look by playing with materials and colors. And not the most current color palette you will find in 90% of popular home décor shops right now. But that doesn’t make them anything less attractive. They are simply another interesting combination of colors and patterns. There is an element of outdoorsmen-ship(is that a word)to the space too. Mix your outdoor wood elements. Furnishings mixed with color and unusual artistic accessories. In this case, darker elements ground the space and then the whimsy of multiple colors, adds the interest. I would first recommend you walk into a rug store and find a rug you like, just because you like it, not because it goes with what you have or your favorite colors. Then work from there. Wood finishes don’t have to match, although they don’t often match anywhere any longer but definitely not in this look. An almost child-like love of patterns, art history and comfort are mixed together. Finding an unusual item that you love, in this case the birch inspired wallcovering, doesn’t immediately scream Family Room but it is the one item I have seen discussed online and in my personal conversations, don’t be afraid to do something different.

Living Room Inspired by a morning talk show host’s room

You may be sensing a theme here but I do like to get my news reports so I did see some morning and evening national news shows the past few months. This talk show host as been a bubbly addition to her nertwork’s line up. We all watched her grow up on television and her classic style is a beautiful reflection of her up bringing and her bubbly personality.

You can achieve a similar look by taking a few classic elements and adding a contrasting colored accents in some fun and inviting pieces. In this particular reincarnated living room, the rug, vases, some artwork and cushions are traditional and mostly tied in with a navy blue color scheme. The fun elements come with the blush colored accent pieces with the piece de resistance being the pattern wallcovering that almost dances off the paper. Very reminiscent of the original wallpaper.

Living Room Inspired by a famous, Grammy nominated, jazz/pop singer’s room

I had to through in this earth vibing mood board created from this Grammy Nominated Singer’s living space. Very earthy, organic, and infused with tribal inspiration. If you look at the furniture pieces by themselves, they could be used in a few different style rooms but when you add in a more hand made rug or rattan pieces, a whole new feel takes over the space. I find it very comfortable and organic.

I have not listed the names of the celebrities, one because I am not sure I can but also because it makes you think more about your style than mimicking anyone. Inspiration is one thing but always try to put some personal touches into your space, either with the help of a good designer that listens and hears your needs and wants or by doing the work yourself. If you find you need assistance, please give Foxbury Design a call to help. We’ll get right on that for you, just in case you need to go Live on national television too.

And if you are dying to see the original star’s space, email fox@foxburydesign.com and we will send them over!

Why I Analyze Celebrities’ Quarantine Homes During Coronavirus – Cosmopolitan referenced article

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Kind of a No Brainer When It Comes to Staging a Home for Resale

I could site you facts and percentages, and will if you ask me to but the easiest way for me to show you staging a home for resale works is to tell you how it has worked for many years.

How many home Developments or Planned Communities have Model Homes? 99.9% of them do, right? They have a Model home, because it sells their other homes in the community. That alone is a mic drop moment.

Model Homes are staged homes. A company has come in and laid out the furnishings, accessories and artwork. They have added hand towels and curtains. Staged homes sell fast and for more money or these companies would not spend the money to create a Model Home, aka staged property. Prospective buyers look at a home on average for 6 minutes, OK a little statistics, you have 15 seconds til they form an opinion and buyers linger in furnished houses an average of 40 minutes. (National Association of Realtors©). In that little window of time you have to make them take notice of a house and feel comfortable in it and remember it. Real Estate agents need to do the same. Contact me if you want a Staging Statistic sheet with more compelling information. -Cynthia Fox

 

Photo by Jessica Lewis on Pexels.com

 

 

Carpet Tile Vs. Broadloom Carpet

(Shaw

(Shaw Contract Photo)

I was just asked by a client why one would look at carpet tile over broadloom carpet for their office space. Without getting into technical terms, broadloom carpet is what we typically have used for many years.  In simple terms, it is a carpet that is rolled out, and cut around necessary constraints. Broadloom is typically 12’ or 15’ wide and it has a woven backing.

Carpet tiles started becoming a big thing in America in the 60’s. I primary saw them in the 80’s used for raised floors in high rise office spaces. They come in a variety of sizes ranging from 18″ squares to 24-36″ long. Fast forward to today and carpet tile is used in all office types and now has ventured into the residential realm.

There are benefits of installing carpet tile. Some obvious ones are that you can replace individual carpet tiles easily if it gets damaged or shows wear. Carpet tile can be shipped and delivered more easily because of its more compact size. You can stack carpet tile boxes on top of each other.

Carpet tile doesn’t unravel at seams like a poorly installed broadloom could do. There is typically a lifelong warranty on the tiles. A lot of broadloom carpets can have a life long warranty as well but there is no warranty on the installation process.

Carpet tiles have a thicker backing so they can show less telegraphing or damage from the slab below, especially it is being laid over an existing floor that may have some rough areas from prior carpet installations.

Carpet tile doesn’t require an entire room to be cleared out to be installed. One can shift all the furnishings to one side in order to start laying down tiles on the other side and then shifted back onto the installed tiles to finish the other side. That is beneficial for offices that can’t be out of commission for long or are able to give up a few rooms at a time. For instance a room or two could be installed per night. Another benefit of installing carpet tiles is that if the space houses systems furniture, the installer can work around the systems furniture to install it.

More hidden benefits are that the installation of carpet tile can be cheaper since it is easier to work with. Since the carpet tiles product itself is generally more expensive than broadloom, the install cost can help level the playing field, but not always.

I would say in the past 10 years, carpet tiles have entered into the residential community also. They can create fun patterns and even be used as area rugs of sorts!

Focus on Carpet Tile – Carpet Squares,Tiles & Installation Blog – Focus Floors http://blog.focusfloors.com/

Carpet tiles do have a few setbacks in my opinion. As you can see by the pictures, sometimes you can see where the carpet tiles edges are in an installation. It doesn’t mean it will come up, it just speaks to it’s aesthetics.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwixpv2ChtzUAhUGHD4KHfZrDJIQjhwIBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pelletierrug.com%2Fcarpet-seams.php&psig=AFQjCNFiV3oEh6eKFHWuQQo-2R7KBjOwlw&ust=1498584921533610

Some carpet tiles have to be turned perpendicular to each other as shown in the photo above. Luckily though, great strides have been made to create designs with this effect.

    

Hopefully that is helpful if you are considering using carpet tiles. Any questions, or if you would like to look at some carpet tiles for your space, please give Foxbury Design, LLC a call to discuss, 860-995-8288.

Christmas Gift for an Ailing Relative or Anyone Nastalgic

You can feel helpless gifting an ailing relative because you have given this wonderful person gifts as long as you can remember but now it seems there is a huge possibility they would even notice your gift.

Custom furnishings are not so scary and can really make a difference!

Customizing furniture sizes to work with your space, like the sofas in this photo. See how they work around the existing columns creating a cozy yet tailored look. The custom serving buffet tables that clean up the lines of the overall space whiling having a true purpose. If working with a designer, custom furnishings are not scary, let your designer take care of them. And if you do, look how much it can add to a room’s appearance and in the end may not have substantially added much to the budget.

Manhattan’s Harlow NYC:http://bit.ly/1DoyJbd

Taking Stress Out Of The Holidays!

Taking Stress Out Of The Holidays!

How to incorporate your style into your home!

Some people can easily envision what their style is but many more struggle with that thought for their homes. As a designer I come upon people that initially look like it pains them to discuss their style, they just know they need help. Let’s talk about how to start.

What do you think of when you think of creating your home? There will be certain colors, materials, furnishings that come to mind? Often we gather our ideals through media, areas of the country we live in and from your childhood. For instance I always see a pale yellow house when I think of a home. Ironically, the house I grew up in was yellow and in New England.

Another way to help you learn about your style is to page through magazines to see what you are drawn too. Start collecting clippings. Do your clippings have a lot of bright colors and open spaces? Do you really love the feel of a wall full of built in cabinets and shelves? Do you like things to be grouped so they are symmetrically placed even on both sides or do you like things grouped asymmetrically? All of these preferences help indicate your style, so think about them when you start your next project or better yet, call a local designer to help you!

                       

 

Do Interior Designers “Paint Lipstick on a Pig?”

Sounds so crude but it is a good question that a prospective client recently asked me.  If the client does not approve every object or material the interior designer recommends, does the designer just try to put their best spin on an unattractive project by adding a little something to cover up the imperfections  or as the saying goes “paint lipstick on the pig”?

Most people who hire a professional interior designer do so because they know or see the value in hiring a firm that has experience and knowledge in creating aesthetically pleasing spaces. That doesn’t mean they will initially agree on everything selected but that usually means the client evaluates their decisions based on the designer’s interpretation or explanation of the concept.

Sometimes the client needs the designer to show examples of how it can be used before they can be comfortable. Let’s take Foxbury Design’s blog from last month. If I showed you the color emerald in a design scheme, some might be apprehensive.  Sometimes showing them how much that color will appear in comparison to the rest of the finishes helps. Other times showing a photo example of that color being used in a similar way can usually put them at ease.

On occasion, you will come across a client that has a different view on one of the design components.  The designer will listen to what it is about that component/color/detail the client doesn’t think will work and go back to search for that one item that works to solve the client’s needs and  will suit the design concept. This can become the featured favorite in the project so it doesn’t have to be viewed as a negative.

This was not an easy question to answer. There are ways to help show a hesitant client why they should trust your opinion, like I’ve stated above.  Ultimately, a good designer knows their job is to use their experience and education to meet the client’s needs while stepping it up a notch to make them receive above their expectations. That makes for a happy client. If it creates a buzz around town, that doesn’t hurt either! 😉