Monday, October 31, 2011

HOME MATTERS - design tips from Kenn Gray

Kenn Gray attended the prestigious Otis Parsons College of Art and Design and is an Interior Designer at Ethan Allen in Paducah.  Here he offers us some tips on interior design to try in our own homes.


Allocate a design budget and stick to it as much as possible. Budgets are a great way to avoid overspending, but they can go over if you don't plan ahead.


Have a clear idea of what you want to do before purchasing items. What is your decorative scheme? Do you want themed rooms? Think about the kind of activities your home experiences on a daily basis. Do you entertain? Large or small groups? All this information is critical for knowing how you will eventually decorate your home.


Create a color board with the furniture your contemplating and fabric samples and color swatches and place them onto a piece of board. Now you have a complete view of your design plan. This is where you eliminate or add items. You will also be better able to see how everything matches and which items work better than others.


Mix different materials Consider the touch of leather and the feel of satin. It also gives the eye visual variety.


Take a chance with decorating  Sure, there are lots of magazines with nicely decorated rooms, but is it really your taste and personality? And, don’t be afraid to take a risk! Maybe a color that you wouldn’t normally go for could be the ticket to a new feel for your space!

Get ideas and inspiration from websites and magazines and keep them in a binder. You can also place fabric and color samples in it. When you go shopping take it with you to make it easier to match colors and materials or find pieces of furniture or accessories. One great website is www.ethanallen.com because it has a feature called "My Projects" where you can make a virtual design board of your room. It is a great tool and you can even share it with and get further help on it by myself or another one of our designers by just clicking on ‘collaborate with a design consultant’….easy!


Of course, you can always call me for our complimentary Interior Design service at Ethan Allen and I will help you figure it all out!   - Kenn Gray  .

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