FOCAL POINT STYLING: design resolutions

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6 SMALL SPACE SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR 2014 DESIGN RESOLUTIONS

It's a new year and time for some newness! When was the last time you really refreshed the look of your home? Even if you live in a small space or you're renting, your dwelling could be in need of a refresher. Refreshing the look of your home need not require an entire overhaul. For 2014, why not try a new shot of color with painted furniture, open up a space without knocking down walls, brighten up a space without adding a window, add height + volume + storage - with a few design tricks. Taking some time to rethink the design style of your home can help re-energize your outlook for the year ahead by changing by what you see. Here are six ideas to inspire you...

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ADD MIRRORS
If your small space has minimal windows, hanging mirrors can help bring light into your space. In additon to letting in more natural light, mirrors can help a small space feel larger. Use one large statement piece or make your own stament with a mirror gallery as a focal point. Collect a mix of mirrors with different fame styles and unite their look by painting them in a cool color or - go for the gold - and add the hot metal trend to your home.

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REMOVE DOORS
Whether it's an over-cabinated kitchen or a guest bedroom closet, try removing doors to make a space feel more open. If removing closet doors, use this space to create an office niche: Paint out the inside with a fun & vibrant color - something to inspire & energize your while you work from planning a family vacay to dealing with bills & budgets. If you already have a home office space, replace closet doors with curtain panels to soften the look of the space plus add a pretty pattern without paint. In a kitchen, lighten the look of heavy cabinetry by removing doors from upper cabinets to create an open shelf look.

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GO VERTICAL
From building a wall unit to hanging drapes to creating a wall gallery - go full height - utilize your vertical space to add volume in a small area. My personal fave to do in a small space to add height in is the bathroom: Repurpose those 84" panels in the bathroom to add height + volume to the space (vs. a standard 72" shower curtain) In some cases, going even higher, 96" panels, can help keep heat & warmth in the shower during winter. Adding a valance or a vertical trim detail can further enhance the verticality of a small space.

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PAINT TRIM WALL COLOR
Don't get me wrong - I love the look of a classic & crisp look of white baseboards, but cutting off the color before it hits the floor can further dwarf a small space. Every inch counts in some small spaces, so rather than shorten the height of the room, add it by painting the baseboard (and crown molding) the same color as the wall -- but paint it in a different finish to enhance its architectural detail.

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PAINT YOUR FURNITURE
Board with beige and espresso has you feeling tired? Wake up your existing furniture - or new thrift finds - with a pop of color, or even patter. Some great colors to choose from are Old Navy blue from Benjamin Moore, Barn Red from Valspar or even go for the color of the year 2014 and paint a piece with Poetic Purple (also from Valspar). Painted furniture is a means of adding that color punch without committing to an entire wall, or room, of it, and if you don't like it - change it. Another option to adding painted furniture is shop for it already done, from local vintage shops or even HomeGoods.

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ADD A BAR CART
Whether you drink or not, a bar cart can be a great multi-task furniture piece for a small space. Placed between two chairs in the living room, it's a wonderful table with a place for treasures or book displays. In a kitchen, a bar cart is additional storage space for appliances & dishes, plus it can be used to serve tea or make a hot chocolate bar in winter. And of course during times of celebration, a bar cart becomes your best ally when entertaining. Whether acrylic, brass, wicker or painted a powerful color - the best attribute about using a bar cart in a small space is: it's on wheels so it's super easy to move-it move-it :)

Hope these small space solutions help inspire your design resolutions...

Thanks for stopping by!

LYNDA QUINTERO-DAVIDS

Hello and Welcome to Focal Point Styling! I'm Lynda - sharing simple solutions to style & organize your home, fashion & decor trends, savvy shopping tips, market events, plus local love from the places I've experienced. I started this blog back in late 2009 when I lived in Miami. In 2011, I moved to Phoenix, AZ and rented a house until late 2014, when I relocated back east to the Triad in North Carolina - Join me on my journey!

WELCOME 2013 WITH DESIGN RESOLUTIONS IN GREEN

It's a new year and time for some newness! When was the last time you really refreshed the look of your home? Even if it was at the start of the millennium (that was 13 years ago now!) or even if you're renting, your dwelling could be in need of a refresher. Although we may be entering another year of caution - not too many home renovations to be happening as in years past - refreshing the look of your home need not require an entire overhaul. In 2013, why not try a new shot of color (the color of the year: emerald green) and take some time to rethink the design style of your home: re-energize your outlook by what you look at... with a little shift and shopping thrift.

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(RE) PURPOSE (RE) USE (RE) CYCLE: Or in a word UPCYCLE! Whether it’s your own pieces stuck in the garage, tucked up in your attic or buried in a closet, refinish and switch out some existing pieces in your spaces to refresh your home for the new year. Find a new use for something old. A pair of side tables together (but not bumped) can become your new coffee table or relocate a ‘matchy’ bedroom bench into the dining room for new seating. You can even update that bench with the look of a slipcover, made simply from a drop cloth. While clearing through the clutter, let go of pieces you know you will not use. Donate undesirable items to to help Sandy Survivors in New Jersey/New York or your local Goodwill, Salvation Army and Vietnam Vets thrift shops. Your trash could be someone else’s treasure and help them to refresh their home. An afternoon activity can be made by holding a garage sale. With a little time and effort organizing, the money you make from the sale you can treat yourself to a new addition or put it towards supplies to re-style your home.

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(RE) VAMP your accessories: What you’ve had upstairs, bring down. What you’ve had downstairs, bring up. Check in the garage and closets for some forgotten treasures. Gather similar shapes into a collection. Inexpensive or old pieces can have new life with a simple coat of spray paint or dipped for an on trend two-tone effect! This is the time to try a new color, like all white, grey, or go for the color of the year: EMERALD! Try varying the finishes: two flat with one high gloss. If groupings aren’t getting enough variations in height, try a stack of books. Books stacked by color create impact, or books turned in reverse create texture. Books can also be unified by covering them in white or tan Kraft paper - you may already have left over from your holiday gift wrapping.

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(RE) LAMP your space: Just like you change your accessories every time you change your outfit, change your lamps from room to room. You’ll be amazed how a space is transformed with new lighting at no cost! Minimal updates to refresh lamps can be a quick spritz of spray paint. Add an updated shade in a new shape, color, pattern or cover an existing shade with new fabric.

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(RE) PLANT your entrance, terrace, or outdoor living space: Give seasonal style to your stoop! What do you or your guests see when they come up to your home? Have trees or bushes overgrown? Is there a composition or rhythm in your garden? Try adding some colorful or decorative plant containers. Weather-worn chairs can give a rustic touch or paint in a pop of color for a wow effect. Adding chairs to your entry can help give height to your entry composition. Even if you aren’t into flowers, visual interest can be added through contrasts of solid or variegated plants, pops of color through pots, or textures from leaves. Even coordinated decorative pillows on a back patio can expand the living space from inside your home out. Existing outdoor furniture, containers, and even your grill do tend to fade (especially in sunny Arizona and South Florida!) so spruce it up with a fresh coat of spray paint. Even some left over Jacobean wood stain works on a terracotta pot: it will chip away and looked aged over time.

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(RE) PAINT your space inside and out: Even if you live in a development with restrictions (i.e. all the same color) chances are, your front door, garage door, or trim (esp. near the garden) could benefit from a fresh coat of paint to make your home look crisp (and even spark inspiration for your neighbors). Over time, no matter what quality of paint you use, it just doesn't look as fresh. Inside, why not try a new neutral (like a warm grey) and an accent wall in a grassy green or indigo blue? Even glossy white moldings can be refreshed in an afternoon. Freshen all doors in another afternoon with a new coat of semi gloss. If you have the freedom, paint your front door a new color. If you can't do outside because of a community association, at least paint the interior face of your door a new color like black, red, yellow, - or go for that shot of emerald green!

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(RE) THINK your space: Do you over use one space and under use of another? Bring balance to your home by re-thinking the way you use your space. For example: A home office littered with magazines and cluttered with books can be reorganized by relocating reading materials to an underused dining room to create a library, or create a reading corner in your great room. Another space solution for the new year can be converting an underused room into a child's craft space or play room. Taking the time now to plan how a space is used, will save you time later when you need it the most.

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(RE) ORGANIZE to (RE) Energize: Recycle those old magazines you have stacked in a closet or piled in a corner - but not just by dumping them into the recycling bin: You can also include them into your donations to your local thrift. This is another way to help people people on an even smaller budget than yours. Let go of paper piles, and even go through those boxes of old cards. Ask yourself: Is this really adding any value to my life? When clearing clutter, this is a GREAT question to keep at the top of your mind - It makes it easier to just let things go. Tiny tee shirts you've outgrown can help cloth another - let it go. And to clear clutter even more: take photos of mementos you have put away in storage boxes: use these as the images to create a new gallery wall to tell the story of you. For storage boxes for other items (even Christmas decor) they need not be fancy: You can pick up a pack of 10 office file boxes for $15 at Staples (they stack great, fit through tiny attic spaces and are EZ to carry up stairs because you can't overload them!)

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WELCOME 2013 with the promise to (RE)-Salute your home with a (RE)-Style! Don't get overwhelmed ~ Just tackle over time throughout the year - Organize your plan of attack on Pinterest and with Olioboard. Try some thrift shopping this year or venture out to other areas for a newer assortment (location has a LOT to do with items sold at thrift stores). Try a little furniture refinishing project. Try a refreshed editing approach to your accessories. Try a new color - even white can be a refreshing new color to update a dark space. Apply yourself and surprise yourself for 2013! And if you live in an already perfect home, then take the time to apply these resolutions to help a friend, a family member or neighbor. You’ll be glad you did...

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WELCOME 2013 with a REFRESHED look!

Thanks for stopping by...

LYNDA QUINTERO-DAVIDS

DETAILS ABOUT MY SUMMER RESTYLE 2011

As I mentioned yesterday, over the years, my personal style has changed. And so to has the look of our home. Through out all the changes, I've managed to merge old thrifted pieces with a few new ones. Accessories and textiles in textures and prints has also been key to the (many) updates. I think because I like and use similar lines in my finds, but various scale and proportions, I'm able to mix & remix my pieces for fresh looks. Here are the details of the downstairs living space and some of the dining area restyled for Summer...

No picture hanging behind the sofa right now because I currently have a panel of gold chains layered over the cream panels. This subtle gold accent relates to the $15 faux bamboo painted gold coffee table, and an OLD mirror I also painted gold mirror I have hanging over the wall unit to the right. I'd like to paint the mirror frame to the left (in the space) gold as well, to help give balance to the room and change it up a bit.

Mixing collectibles:

I love collecting starfish or shells from our trips, but sometimes I mix in similar store bought pieces to create a bigger impact. The top starfish I had gotten for $5 in the Bahamas, back when my DH & I were dating (2003), The skinny starfish are from ZGallerie (3 yrs ago), I used them last year all in one black basket as a centerpiece on the dining room table, but this year I used them in my white painted vases & painted beachy wine bottles.

Some starfish I used in my relocated Tiffany bowl. The bowl was a gift from our Realtor when we had bought this place in 2006. The blue beach glass stones are from Ikea (3 years ago). I like the way they picked up on the two colored books I brought down from the office. Jeff LOVES to fish, so the painted white wood carved fish is a nod to his hobby (from HomeGoods 2007) The Grapewood branch I picked up at HomeGoods during "Buy Made In America Week" earlier this year. It's from California and I like the organic addition to the coffee table-scape. The white ceramic pillar holders I had gotten on clearance at JCP back in '08. Someone had returned them so I scooped the up at a steal for only $2 & $3 (I LOVE a bargain!)

The medallion print lumbar pillow is a new addition I picked up at Target last month. It works well with the two $3 blue burlap-like pillow covers I had gotten two years ago at Crate&Barrel. I need to update this pic because I switched one of the pillows for a navy & white pillow to add more pattern to the white sofa for summer.

Splitting the back sofa euro pillows allowed me to add a band of green from nothing more than a green linen table runner. So although solids are mixed with patterns, the solids are textured which also adds to the layered look.

Quick peek at the dining space buffet with the summer vignette (and mixed in beachy bottles in turquoise). I love the way the $1 thrifted lamp makeover I did last year works with adding pattern here, but still relates to the pattern in the living room.

The Spring apple green accent wall in the dining space has since been updated too (you can see reflection in mirror). I simply washed over it with watery white and turquoise paint... but that's another post ;-) The silver round mirror was another thrift find last year. I had previously used it as a tray (for New Years). Since the chain mirror was damaged, I simple hooked the thrifted mirror to it (until I really fix it) but hey, for now - it works, and all it took was a paper clip (opened like an "S" to make the hook).

I LOVE turquoise jewelry in the Summer... so rather than keep it all hidden in the jewelry chest, I took a few faves out to use in my Summer vignette. Simple bracelets are on the beachy bottles, while a thrifted wooden bowl holds a necklace and turquoise stone.

The white thrifted pedestal bowl (found last fall) was holding green apples and then Easter eggs for Spring... now it's holding the green & white sea urchins I got in Key Largo from my day trip with Becky, earlier this year. The rolled up blue pashmina relates back to the blue pillows over on the sofa. Simple sea breeze scented Glades candles also add to the Summer mood of the space.

The table I've used behind the sofa is a little iron & wood table (from Target) I use to have in my apartment. Occasionally, to also change its look, I'll use an over-the-door mirror on top of it. Here it helped give more surface to work with. I was able to relocate a pair of lamps off the side tables, and use them behind the sofa. I tend to buy things in pairs, which gives balance to a space - but if overdone, it can make a space look too formal. Here it's more casual because of the pillow mix on the sofa.

I love the merge old pieces like my white sofa (from 1998) with newer additions I find in my travels (like simple pillow covers from Crate & Barrel on clearance for $3) and thrift, like the $15 faux bamboo coffee table with a pair of modern end tables I picked up at the Salvation Army a few years back.

Ikea bamboo platters hung in a series of three gave a little rhythm and natural texture

to the mix in the corner. The rug is Thomas O'Brien - at Target.com - I had gotten for a bedroom makeover I did last year, but we switched it for a larger and more graphic pattern rug. This is 4x6 and was on sale for $30, so for me that was a keeper. It's soft, great size for the space and on trend pattern helped update the look of the space. The brown leather chair is Jeff's beloved recliner - I'm DYING to take sandpaper to and distress it. Fortunately, Sephora, our cat, is already distressing it in her own way =)

And after all the furniture refinishing I've been doing the past two weekends, I'm contemplating refinishing my fave (and first) thrift buffet. This solid wood buffet, on casters, with a slate slab top was only $30. I've had this for over ten years, and it's been black (after finding it in a two-toned green). I don't know if I should go graphic and two-toned (white & black) or give it a distressed grey & white wash. Doing this would help lighten this end of the room.

This is the mirror I want to paint gold. It used to be attached to an old dresser we had at the condo, but we donated (the dresser) after not using here. It's a heavy beast, leaning on the wall. I built the gallery wall around it starting back at Holiday '09 (with only mirrors) and added my B&W photos to it in January 2010.

It's funny, with all the changes I do, this part of the space hasn't changed much - usually I just change up the lamps and vignette on the buffet. The weathered branch I recently found while walking on Hollywood beach. I like the way it adds another organic texture to my beachy bottles.

I added a few more starfish over here to the vignette with the beachy bottles.

I used my shell necklaces tied on their necks. The chrome lamps with green shades were from HomeGoods - at only $29 - for their scale and fab shade (I'd like to add ribbon to) they were a great value.

I snapped a few pics this morning showing the additional patterned pillows I added...

This little lovely lamp was another thrift find - a steal at only $5 - I had spotted it out of the corner of my eye... when I wasn't even looking for it. And that the thing about thrifting - being aware of your surroundings because you NEVER know what you're going to find...

These Milo Baughman chairs are a perfect example of "being aware of your surroundings when thrifting"... I scored these while I was actually out looking for end tables for the bedroom makeover. When I asked how much - the guy said $10 each. I said great! While we walked to the desk to write them up, I took a chance and asked if he could do any better - he said, "ok both for $16"... They need a little TLC, but in the meantime, I flanked the wall unit with them, and added a few more pillows (Lord knows I have a TON of!! lol)

Again, the strong neutral base colors of the walls, floor and furniture is

what has allowed for so many changes...

Adding two rattan placematts on the sofa end tables helped give texture to this tablescape. I carry scissors in my car (on the door) so I can get fresh cut greens for our neighborhood at anytime...