Author Archives: Linda

Setting the Stage for Romance: How does your bedroom rate romantically? Does it put you and your partner “in the mood” or “to sleep?” Well, if you haven’t revamped your bedroom in a while – it’s time to spruce it, spice it and sex it up for Valentine’s Day. A romantic bedroom will make you want to stay in on that night – and forego an expensive night out at a restaurant. Those costly Valentines’ nights at restaurants are never what they promise anyway – they are usually devoid of the variety of food the restaurant usually has…the place is always over-crowded…and the wait time is always longer than normal. So – spend some time with these tips and give your bedroom a loving make-over. I’ll be doing it step-by-step, so reserve a few weekends from now until the big day to make your Valentine’s night a memorable one.

Clear the Clutter First: Before you can do anything to your room – you have to get rid of all the extra stuff that doesn’t belong. Do you pay your bills in your bedroom? Does it function as a part time office? Most people’s rooms these days do double duty, but if your bedroom’s function has been taken over by too many file folders, receipts and other office paraphernalia – you have to think about another space for this stuff. At least, create a way to corral these things beautifully and unobtrusively with a beautiful box or basket.

If your bedroom is also the repository of toys and children’s items – these things really should be in the playroom or your children’s bedrooms. Is your treadmill in the bedroom? If you have space in your basement or spare room – that’s where it should go.


Do you have a TV in your bedroom? That should go as well. I know that many people love their bedroom TVs – but we are talking about romance here. If you must have a TV in your room, use a beautiful armoire or cabinet that you can close and put away from sight. We want all the focus on you and your beloved. Not Oprah and American Idol. Once the excess distractions and clutter are gone – the fun can begin.

A much better way to hide the TV!

Think About a More Sensual Wall Color: Real estate beige doesn’t say romance to me. So think about deep pink reds, honey golds, a rich dark brown, deep blue, plum or eggplant for your romantic backdrop. If you are timid about going bold and dark – consider painting just the focal point wall where your bed is. If you just have to have a neutral wall color – then considering bring in more colorful fabrics and pillows.

 

Be all roses on Valentines Day with  lacy bedskirt and beautiful bedding by LuLu Guinness

The Persian Collection bedding from John Robshaw can set an exotic mood

 Scents and Flowers are Sensual: We need to excite all the senses – not just sight and touch. Ever since doing design work in the beautiful Bridgehampton home of Jennifer Balbier, a Senior VP at Estee Lauder, I have been a Jo Malone candle lover. Spread the candlelight around the room – one on each night table and perhaps one or two in the bathroom – just in case the romance begins there! But don’t overload the room with candles – it can be a fire hazard. Think about add some fragrant massage oils at bedside.

Stay tuned for more advice in my next post!



 I purchased some antique music cards (left) – small cards that were used by French marching bands. Admittedly – I am weak when it comes to anything French and anything dealing with music – so I had to purchase these. I will frame them and use them in my home office – and, of course, by my baby grand piano in the living room.






Tonight, Jan 31st, Corey will be posting new finds. You do have to act fast – items get scooped up very quickly!  Good luck.

Knowing Your Style and what you love should always be at the forefront whenever you start a design or re-design project. Identifying what you absolutely love and what you can’t stand will help you to make the right design choices.


Go to Sproost and take their quick assessment quiz to find out your style.  Is it 100% accurate – not really.  But they were pretty darn close in assessing mine. I was deemed a combination Nantucket Style/French Eclectic/Traditional.  I think the French Eclectic is pretty accurate – not so much the Nantucket Style.


But – it’s fun and you’ll begin to know your likes, loves and absolutely nots!  They also will show you sites where you can find the types of furniture that suits your style best.


Let me know what styles describes you the best!

Image: Apartment Therapy; Sophie Robinson

It’s a staple in every professional faux finisher’s repertoire. It had fallen “out of favor” for a while for a variety of reasons. One cause of its slide in popularity was because many homeowners and designers thought of it as “sponge painting,” the ubiquitous (and ugly) faux finish of the 1980s that found its way on to a lot of walls. This type of “glaze” was all about the tool – and having the impression of the tool be seen – front and center. Today’s softly, blended glaze finish is all about subtle depth and ever-so-slight texture – which just lends interest, beauty and atmosphere to a space.

 

Many different plasters usurped the glaze’s predominance in residential homes as well. The popularity (but still very misunderstood) of Venetian Plasters and Tuscan textures stole the spotlight for quite a while on the decorative painting scene. But as Wall Street and real estate faltered and wallets were squeezed, homeowners and designers alike turned to simpler – yet beautiful – finishes on walls and furnishings. 

 

A light taupe base with pearl glaze in a living room/dining room that we did in Nassau County

I love either using large scale stencils or vinyl decals (for those who’d rather a non permanent design) to decorate a bedroom – especially a young girl or teen’s room. Be on the lookout for these vinyl appliques at HomeGoods etc – because you can pick them for a song! They lend personality and energy to a room quickly and easily. 

 

Now for Something Completely Different: This is the same bedroom as the first picture in this post – only the wall is done with horizontal metallic stripes. When stripes are done horizontally – it makes the room feel wider…more expansive and it also creates a sense of calm in the room (much like the serenity you feel when looking at the horizon line where the sea meets the sky.

Photos: Ideal Home

This lively design, derived from the artist Damian Herst, gives the room a more contemporary feel and some much-needed color and energy. It took some prep time to figure out the right size, number and colors of the circles – but the entire wall was done in one day. We used a one-time-use stencil in order to do the design quickly and accurately.