New Year Design Resolutions

Happy New Year! The New Year always brings fresh ideas, an urge for change, and new needs. Most of us make resolutions in January to change or improve on an area in our lives. I am a believer that our homes affect the way we live. Similar to our lives, our homes are always in need of improvement. Whether you need a complete renovation or just bored with your sofa, making changes and improvements to our homes AKA the place we spend the majority of our time is important.

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

Make Small Improvements. 

The thought of fixing our homes to our standards can get overwhelmingly discouraging. We feel that we need thousands of dollars to renovate (which is the case at times) but sometimes we can start with doing cosmetic changes and start small. Here are some examples of small improvements that can make a big impact.

• painting the walls and/or doors
• adding accent pillows to the sofa
• draping a new accent throw to your chair
• adding artwork to your walls
• create a gallery wall
• incorporate an area rug under your dining table
• changing your bedding
• adding new drapery to your windows
• upgrading a new ceiling light fixture
• changing the hardware in your kitchen or bathroom (such as faucets, cabinet knobs/pulls, etc.)

add accent pillows to your sofa

Budget for the Big Projects.

If you have a "big" project that is on your wish list like a new kitchen, building an addition, a bathroom renovation, or a bedroom remodel start budgeting early. While you are saving for your project, start developing your style by flipping through magazines, pinning on Pinterest, or assembling boards on Houzz. Once you've collected your style ideas have a personal Inspiration Board created for you with furnishings, lighting, flooring, color, and finish options. This will help you to envision the design concept for your project. 

What's your New Year design resolution? This year are you planning to make small improvements OR budget for a big project? Be sure to share your resolutions in the comments. 

À la prochaine,

Holiday Series: New Year's Eve Dinner Party Hosting Advice from The Pastelillo Lady

I can't believe that the holidays came and past and we are approaching the New Year. I hope that you and your family had a Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, and/or Kwanzaa. With the holidays behind us it's time to celebrate the welcoming of the New Year! 

As I wrap up my Holiday Series, I had the chance to sit down over some coffee and chat with Liz Morgan, better known as The Pastelillo Lady. She is an expert when it comes to entertaining and loves to serve delicious dishes to her guests.

Liz Morgan, owner of The Pastilillo Lady

"Growing up in a Puerto Rican household, eating pastelillos was a treat," she explained. It wasn't until after college while living in her first apartment she asked her mom for her pastelillo recipe. She practiced and mastered making pastelillos. Eventually, people started asking her to make pastelillos for them, then it grew to people asking her to make pastelillo for their events. That was the beginning of The Pastilillo Lady.

If you are not familiar with pastelillos, Liz explains them as Puerto Rican empanadas but the reason they're different is the ingredients. She says she adds olives, onions, peppers, and blend of vegetables with a "secret sauce", then simmers the meat to add to a thick dough which is then pinched and fried. 

The pasteilillo lady

As she prepares to host her own party for the holidays, she says the look of a dinner party is essential to a successful party, everything from the food setup, music, and good wine & spirits of course. 

Photo by Joseph Gonzalez on Unsplash

There is a specific menu she likes to stick to when throwing a dinner party but she says her favorite dish is pernil, which is a popular Puerto Rican pork dish roasted for 12 hours resulting in tender meat and a crispy skin. 

The Benefit of Having a Party Catered. 

There's a lot of components to hosting a successful party. Confirming your guest count, prepping your home, decorating your home, selecting an outfit, having the right music, and the list goes on. With a long to-do list sometimes preparing a full menu can be exhausting. So I asked Liz, who caters events, what the benefit is to have a party catered. Liz mentioned that although she enjoys cooking she thinks it's important to enjoy your party. When hosting you don't get a chance to sit down and enjoy the food, have a drink and be stress-free. She says the benefit of having your party catered is it gives you the chance to enjoy your company, instead of being in the kitchen. When she caters to her clients she preps, serves and provides as necessary dinnerware. 

Buffet Style or Sit Down

Liz explained that if you're hosting more than 10 people the intimacy of a sit-down dinner is lost and suggests to do a buffet-style. "When I think of dinner parties, you have a table and you have to be able to seat everyone at the table if you can't have everyone sit down at the table do a buffet-style," she told me.

Liz's Top Tips For Serving a Menu For a Large Group?

"Always overcook and purchase to-go containers." Guests are usually happy to take food home. "It's never too much of a good thing. Your guests get to go home and remember their experience through the food," Liz mentions. She also mentions having a variety of food is important because not everyone has the same taste.

"Invest in a server," she says. "If you're not going to have a caterer, invest in a server." She says it doesn't have to cost a lot. It allows you to enjoy the party and your guests. Some of the tasks your server can provide are refilling drinks, serving your guests, cleaning up, and taking out the trash. 

To contact Liz email her at ThePastelilloLady@gmail.com or follow her Instagram Page @the_pastelillo_lady for pictures of her yummy pastelillos!

As I write my last blog for 2017, I want to personally thank you for taking the time and reading my posts. Wishing you the best in 2018!

Bonne Année!

Holiday Series: Last Minute Dinner Party Decor Ideas

Dinner parties are great moments shared with friends and family over food and drinks. However, before your guests taste your delicious food and drinks it's the decor and ambiance that sets the tone to your party. This is especially key with the holidays. 

When you're hosting a dinner party, the decor extends past the dining table. It starts from the front door then to the sofa and even extends to the powder room. With the holidays a few days away, I've selected a few simple yet stylish accessories that will set a festive tone before your guests arrive. Some of them you may already have, if not I've attached the links below to purchase directly.

Simple Holiday Decor Ideas. 

Wreath. Set the tone with a wreath. This season I am in love with the Winter Berry Wreath. Nothing gives a warm greeting like a wreath hung on your front door as guests enter.

Ornaments. Ornaments can be used beyond your tree. Switch out your coffee table centerpiece or foyer console centerpiece for a bowl filled with ornaments. This will add a festive accent as guests are coming in. If you have little ones you may want to get shatterproof ornaments. 

Layers of Candles. As many of you know I am a candle lover, especially when decorating for a party. Use a series of gold, silver or mercury candle votives on your foyer table, coffee table, kitchen island, and in your powder room for an intimate ambiance. Then use pillar candles on your dining table or tall candlesticks on your dining table if you are having a smaller sit-down dinner. For larger parties, add the pillar candles near the buffet and around the sitting areas.

Festive Accent Pillows. Extend the holiday decor to your living areas by adding accent pillows to your existing sofa and chairs. Remember to mix your pillow sizes, this adds visual interest. For example, if you have a large 20" square pillow add a smaller, square pillow in front of it and a shimmering rectangular kidney pillow in the middle. To shop the gold & ivory sequence pillow click here.

Table Runner. Whether you are using your dining table for an intimate dinner for 6-10 or as a serving surface for the menu of delicious dishes adding a textured or patterned table runner can create the base for your focal point. Click here to purchase the table runner above. 

Tray. A dinner party is the time to dust show off your best serving tray. I love this round, gold tray above because it is the perfect base to hold wine glasses as guests arrive. It can turn a set of simple clear glasses into a festive collection. 

Florals. Add a vase with fresh cut flowers and place on your table runner with your candles. This will add a fresh and organic layer to your decor. I choose a grouping of hydrangeas in a glass vase but you can also re-pot poinsettias as a table centerpiece.

Before you go and purchase last minute decorations, first go through what you already have. The great thing is these items are easy to find last minute and will elevate your party. Please share photos from your parties on our Facebook page. 

Joyeux Noël!

Holiday Series: Dinner Party Interview with Food Bloggers Miranda & Kate

Welcome to my Holiday Series, where I am sharing tips for hosting impressive dinner parties. I'm excited to introduce you to Miranda & Kate, the creators of the food & lifestyle blog A Party With Us. I had the chance to attend one of their events in Philadelphia this year at Williams-Sonoma. These ladies create delicious recipes and cocktails that they share on their blog. I wanted to take the opportunity to ask them to share their tips and suggestions for hosting dinner parties this holiday season. 

Creators of A Party With Us

Sabine: Tell us about yourselves.

Kate: Hi! We're Kate & Miranda the bloggers behind A Party With Us (APWU). Miranda and I are sister-in-laws and best friends. We love to entertain - prepping, primping and partying is our forte. From the planning to the decor, to the recipes, we love to put it all together and dazzle our friends and family. Our blog features our very own recipes and designs.

Sabine: As hostess experts, what are some ways someone hosting can greet their guests once they arrive to the dinner party? 

Miranda: Definitely with a beverage and it doesn't necessarily have to be alcoholic, but offering your guests water, tea, coffee, or a specialty cocktail you have planned right away is always a nice touch. When confirming plans with my guests leading up to the event, I ask what they like to drink - wine, liquor, beer, etc., then I plan accordingly to match their tastes with my menu. While you're at it, ask about allergies and strong adversities to any foods they may have. #hostesshacks

Kate: Upon arrival, we also like to share the menu plan with our guests (to get them super excited about it, haha!), and, if you're serving meat (like a filet, burger, etc.), ask your guests at what temperature they prefer it be prepared. 

Sabine: Sometimes creating a guest list can be hard to edit. How do you determine how many guests to invite? What is a good number of guests or is it based on the size of the home?

Kate: Guest lists can be stressful - so first think about the atmosphere you're trying to create and what you're celebrating. Do you want an intimate setting, a lively gathering or a really festive event? Miranda and I have entertained groups as large as 100 people to just 4 people in our homes, and around the holidays we always say 'the more the merrier' but that changes our menu selections drastically! 

Miranda: You need to consider how much your kitchen can handle (literally think about your refrigerator, oven and stove space!) and how many people you can seat comfortably. If you're hosting a festive cocktail party, you can invite more guests because you do not need a seat for everyone, but if you're inviting a group over for formal dinner, you should probably have a place setting and comfortable and inclusive seating for everyone. Meaning, you don't want your party to feel disjointed with some people sitting in the living room and others in the dining room for a formal dinner. Stick to the number you can fit at your table for a dinner party.

Sabine: Buffet Style, Family Style or Sit Down Style? What's your preference? 

Miranda: Again, this depends on the atmosphere we're going for. I love a sit-down dinner where I can plate and serve courses at the right temperature and time, as I truly enjoy creating a culinary experience for my guests, but if it's New Year's Eve and everyone has a drink in their hand, then I want to be in the center of that socializing with everyone and allow people to graze on appetizers from a buffet setting as they please! 

"...there is no science to entertaining, it's an art!" - Kate Brewer

Sabine: If someone is hosting a large dinner party at their home, what's the best way to set up the food and a proper layout where guests feel comfortable?

Miranda: For a large sit-down dinner party, we would have beverages and appetizers ready to be served when guests arrive - typically on serving trays in a casual seating/gathering area and away from the main dining table so we could migrate there for dinner. The dining table should be pre-set before your guests arrive so you're not distracted by that while entertaining. Anything that can be prepped ahead of time for dinner should be - you'll thank yourself later! 

Kate: You want to create a nice pace between appetizers, dinner courses, and dessert. The most important thing is: if you're comfortable and relaxed, your guests will be too... there is no science to entertaining, it's an art! If you look stressed, your guests might feel awkward. Prep and primp as much as possible ahead of time so you too can enjoy the party!  

Sabine: From your blog what are some of your favorite recipes to serve as appetizers and desserts? 

Kate: I love our Whipped Goat Cheese Crostini and the Bacon Dusted Scallops - they are both serious crowd pleasers. 

Miranda: Hands-down our original Shortbread Brie Brûlée with Cranberry Compote is the best dessert on the blog at the moment. It's to-die-for and we served it at Thanksgiving this year! 

Shortbread Brie Brûlée with Cranberry Compote - A Party with Us

Sabine: I see that you share some delicious cocktails on your blog as well. What are some easy cocktail and food pairings that someone can serve at their next dinner party?

Miranda: While we love to match our cocktails with food, people's palates vary so greatly among our family and friends. Generally speaking, we like our flavors to compliment one another. Don't opt for all sweet cocktails and apps or all spicy cocktails and apps. For instance, we would serve a refreshing Pineapple Cucumber Martini or our G-Squared Margarita with our Mango-Jalapeno Crab Salad OR a Berry Bourbon Smash with our Mushroom Pinwheels or Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs with Honey Drizzle. Right now our Pumpkin Spice Martini is sounding perfect for dessert, ha! You can follow us @apartywithus to keep up with the recipes we'll be posting this season!

To try any of the recipes and beverages from Miranda & Kate visit their blog A Party with Us and follow them on Instagram. 

Be sure to subscribe to follow our Holiday Series! 

À la prochaine,

Holiday Series: Dinner Party Advice from Local Experts

I hope that you had a lovely Thanksgiving with your family and friends. Now that the holidays are approaching the dinner gathering is not over. It has just begun! I wanted to take the month of December and share a series about hosting dinner parties! I personally love hosting dinner parties inside and outside the home. I believe that hosting a dinner party is another way to connect with others to create lasting memories.

When you are hosting a dinner party there are many components that go into the final outcome. During my Holiday Series blog posts, I will introduce you to different experts, from food bloggers to event planners that will share their expertise, tips, and ideas to help you create an impressive party! 

There's a level of comfort when you sit down with others and share a meal. It brings laughter, cheers, and great conversation in a festive setting. Whether you are having a group of friends over or sitting down with extended family members for dinner the overall setting is important. I am starting off the series by sharing some questions that you should ask yourself before planning.

What is the Purpose? This may be a basic and strange question but I believe that knowing the purpose behind throwing your party will eliminate some stress and pressure. Is it to share your love and appreciation for your closest friends? Is it to show off your cooking skills to your family members? Is it to have a fun holiday dinner with your girlfriends? Or it may be to say thank you to your staff for their hard work all year. Determining the purpose will dictate the formality, agenda, and planning of your party.

What's the Budget?  Yes, the "B" word. Just like starting a design project, before planning your dinner party you have to first decide how much you want to spend. This will determine decisions like, if you hire a caterer vs. preparing the food yourself, hosting at home vs. renting an event space or inviting 20 guests vs. inviting 10 guests. Once you determine your budget then you can start planning the scale of party you can host.

Who Are You Inviting? Hosting a dinner party for the holidays can mean a large or small guest list. This goes back to your purpose. If you just want to throw an intimate dinner with loved ones then creating a guest list of your closest friends and family members is a great place to start. 

There are a lot more questions you can ask yourself before planning but I know you will find answers from my Holiday Series' Interviews. I hope you enjoy the series and please share pictures of your beautiful dinner parties on my facebook page! 

Stay connected to my blog for the upcoming interviews!!!

À la prochaine,

P.S. Is there a question you have regarding dinner parties that you would like answered? Send me over an email at sabine@georgettemarise.com and I'll make sure it's answered in the series.

How To Finish a Room Like a Designer

Designing a space is all about telling a story. The biggest difference between a standard room and a stunning room are placement and details. Ever wonder how designers are able to transform a plain room with furniture into an inviting space that you don’t want to leave? Find out their secrets by using these 3 steps.

Sabine Guillaume Hayes, Interior Designer

Remember the Purpose. The first step to finishing a room properly is remembering why you are designing and decorating it in the first place. Is it to add more room? Repurposing an unused basement into a family room? Adding more coziness to your living room? Adding personality to your powder room? Interior Designers always start a project with finding out the purpose and use of a space. Once they have a purpose it becomes the vision that dictates the end result. If you are finishing a master bedroom room, ask yourself how you want to feel when you're in the space. If you want to feel relaxed and calm then it may be a good idea to finish your bed with plush pillows, add a large area rug under your bed or place a scented candle on your dresser for aromatherapy.  These details will be determined by your use of the space.

Placement Matters. Since every space is unique in its own form, placement of your furniture and even accessories make a difference. For example, if you are hanging wall art in the hallway be sure it's large enough or use a grouping to fit well in the amount of wall space available. When placing accessories use odd number groupings, like 3 or 5 for visual interest. 

"Be original and your home will speak for itself." -Brett Schwebke

Beauty in the Details. Details can elevate the design in a space instantly. Something as simple as draping a throw on a chair and adding an accent pillow can dress up a standard piece of furniture. You should make sure you have a reason for every detail you add. Be careful not to over accessorize because instead of looking like finishing touches your accents will look like afterthoughts or even worst...accidents. 

If you want some more designer secrets be sure to check out my FREE Designer Tip Sheet available to all subscribers. Not subsrcibed? Fill the your information below. Share photos of your finishing touches with me on my Facebook page! Can't wait to see your beautiful spaces!

À la prochaine,

Spice Up Your Dining Room with These Easy Changes

With today's lifestyle and open layout floor plans, the kitchen has become the main space everyone gravitates to. This can leave the dining room feeling unused, uninviting, cold, or "the room only used twice a year". This doesn't have to be the case. Even if you have an eat-in kitchen or a morning room, the dining room can serve a purpose of its own. The dining room can be a multifunctional space for everyday dining, more formal dining (like dinner parties) or both! Having a casual and formal dining room that feels inviting can be achievable. 

Maybe you already use your dining room on a daily basis for casual dining or maybe you host formal dinners but the decor is outdated or unattractive, with just a few changes it can become a functional AND stylish room that reflects your household's personality. 

spice up your dining room

"Every room needs a slap in the face!" -Geoffrey Ross

Update your Light Fixture. A light fixture can make or break your dining room. Your light fixture in your dining room not only provides a source of light but as an anchor to the room. Having an outdated light fixture or no light fixture at all takes away from the overall design of your dining room. If you want to elevate your dining room add a stylish and functional chandelier or pendant based on the scale of the room and your table. For inside decorating secrets, like how high to hang a chandelier, sign up to receive my Designer Tip Sheet! 

Dining room by my good friend and interior designer Sharina Liverman.

Add a Fresh Coat of Paint. I always say that paint is one of the most cost-effective ways to redesign a space. Be sure to select a color from your room's color palette, this will allow the remaining colors to flow throughout the design. If you are overwhelmed with choosing the perfect color for your dining room, click here for paint color assistance.

Add or Change your Area Rug. I get asked a lot whether you should add an area rug in a dining room. My answer 99% of the time is yes. If your light fixture is the anchor to your dining room, your area rug is what supports the anchor. It allows the table, which should be the focal point, to shine. Whether you have a small room, a large room or an open space that serves as your dining area I suggest using a durable area rug that can easily be spot cleaned and hide stains. When it comes to dining rooms, I prefer to use a low pile rug or even an indoor/outdoor rug for upkeep. Be sure both your table AND chairs sit on your area rug. Your rug size should not be too small that the chairs are off the rug when pulled out, but it should not be too large that your buffet, server and china cabinet are sitting on your rug. 

Dining room designed by my good friend and interior designer Sharina Liverman.

Add a Centerpiece. This part can be tricky for many. Your centerpiece should reflect the style of the room. The style of the room should reflect your personality. For example, if you're style is more structured and simple a set of accessories would be a great centerpiece for you. However, if you are very detailed and more formal an arrangement of florals in a traditional glass vase might be a better option. Here are some ideas for centerpieces

• fresh or silk floral arrangments
• a set of 3 potted plants
• large decorative bowls
• a set of candlesticks or holders
• a sculpture
• complimentary vases at different heights
• a large tray with a collection of flowers, candles, and vases 

Sometimes finding the perfect centerpiece for your dining room can be impossible. Let me take away that stress and design the perfect centerpiece that will compliment the decor of your dining room. Contact me at 610.924.2780 to get started on your custom made centerpiece.

Swap Out Your Chairs. Your dining room should be inviting, functional but most importantly unique. You deserve to have a dining room that is like no one else's. An easy way to create a unique look is to change your dining room chairs. If you are worried about not having a matching set, you may want to consider reupholstering your seat cushions in a custom pattern fabric or just changing your end, armchairs with 2 fabric upholstery chairs (if you have a rectangular table). If you want a more eclectic look, have your chairs contrast with your table. For example, if you have a distressed wooden table consider adding metal chairs. If you have a metal dining table, consider fabric or wooden chairs. Be sure to work with a professional designer for chair selections, since this can be tricky to perfect. 

centerpiece arranged and made by Sabine Hayes.

Entertain your guests for dinner parties or even game night parties in your NEW, redesigned dining room! Share your ideas in the comments below of ways you're going to spice up your dining room this season.

À la prochaine,

Using Art to Create a Color Palette

As an interior designer, I believe that developing a color palette for your space is crucial to achieving a successful design. Whether you are using monochromatic, complementary, or contrasting colors it's important to define the role that each color in your palette has. If you are having a hard time developing a color palette, draw inspiration from something that already has a color palette like a piece of art.

using art to create a color palette

Art is a great way to develop a color palette because it already has a collection of colors, tones, and shades that you can draw from throughout your room. Let's take a look at a formal living room I designed for a client and how I was able to pull colors from the custom artwork to design the entire room.

This living room included 4 original artwork pieces I had an artist create just for this project. All of the individual art pieces were uniquely different but shared the same colors. The colors inspired me to develop colors for the window treatment fabric, accent pillows, area rug, tabletop accessories, walls, trim, and even the ceiling.

formal living room paint color

color palette

Once you determine which colors from the artwork you want to incorporate in the design section them into categories (e.i. main color, secondary color, accent color, etc). This will help you determine which colors will be used the most and which colors will be used to complement the main color. In this living room the blueish, teal color was the "main color" and the soft browns, tans, and creams were "secondary". Lastly, the reds and purples were "accent colors" used in the pillows and the centerpiece. Each color was carefully selected for a particular role in the living room. 

coffee table centerpiece

Leave a comment below and share where you create your color palette from? Maybe you are asking "How do I find the right artwork?" or "I'm scared I will choose the wrong color?". Let me help, contact me directly at sabine@georgettemarise.com to start on your personal color palette for your room!

À la prochaine,

How to Decorate When You Are Starting From Scratch

Whether you're moving into your first apartment, house, downsizing or upgrading it can be overwhelming to decorate, especially if you have nothing. I remember when I moved into my first apartment by myself 12 years ago I had no furniture except for a mattress, books, my computer, and personal items. Sometimes starting from scratch is a great way to decorate because you have nothing to limit your choices. 

Start Somewhere. When you have little to nothing, it's time to visit the drawing board, look at your home and determine what is the priority. Sometimes the priority is decorating the entire home and sometimes the priority is taking it one room at a time. Once you've made the decision of what the priority is...focus on it. 

"Inspiration is the seed. Design but the flower." - Michael Langham

Be Inspired. Every unique design came from an inspiration. Once you find your inspiration it will transpire into a vision. Together, with an interior designer, that vision will transform into reality. An inspiration can be as simple as using the colors and tones of nature or the style of your favorite restaurant. There are no wrong answers only unique ones.  

Decide What Is Your Investment. Designing and decorating are investments you make. Based on your priority and the vision, finalizing a comfortable total dollar amount is the next important step. Be sure to decide on a realistic budget before starting any work. Keep in mind that emergencies can occur which should reflect in your budget. 

Create a Floor Plan. Once you've determined a budget, focus on your needs for the room or rooms. Having a well-designed floor plan creates a base for your decorating project, especially if you are working in phases over time. A floor plan will allow you to go back and finish the pieces of the design. A floor plan is also a great way to make sure any furniture needed will fit properly in your space, which is especially key in small spaces.

Shopping. Use your floor plan to create a list of furnishings needed to accomplish the design. Always purchase your largest and most important pieces first. When I am designing a room I always like to start with the seating and some important accessories such as lighting. For example, in a living room, I would purchase the sofa and chairs first then tables and lamps with essential wall decor.

A post shared by GEORGETTE MARISE INTERIORS (@georgettemarise) on Sep 14, 2017 at 12:31pm PDT

Decorating is a process. The decor of a space tells a story of those that occupy it, therefore it has to be done with thought and purpose. If you are looking to tell your story in your space but don't know how to, let's work together to create your vision. Email me today at sabine@georgettemarise.com.

À la prochaine,

5 Ways to Create a Calm Space

It's a known fact that most of us are living fast paced, stressful lives more than ever before. Our lives are filled with busy schedules, tight deadlines, and pressures coming from all directions. Our homes are supposed to be havens where we release our fears, anxiety, and fatigue but sometimes we don't get the opportunity to do so. 

Our homes are often filled with meaningless things that don't allow us to release our burdens from the outside world. It's time to change that. We must take some time to create calming spaces in our homes that allow us to relax and be ourselves. Take some time to create at least ONE space in your home that will allow you to relax your mind, body, and soul. 

1. Add the Right Colors. Colors are psychological and choosing the right color can affect our mood and attitude. When I design a space I tend to ask my clients, "How do you want to feel in this space?". Their response determines the main color and accent colors I incorporate into their design. Design Tip: Colors such as blues, grays, whites, greens, violets, and pink have the capability to bring peacefulness, tranquility, freshness, and calmness to a room. 

2. Add Comfortable Furniture. Comfortable furniture is key to enjoying a space. Your furniture has to be able to withstand everyday sitting, stretching, and lounging. Be sure to select quality furniture that fits your comfort needs. For example, if you are looking to put your feet up and lounging consider incorporating a chaise or a sofa with an ottoman. 

This sitting room has a comfortable sofa with an attached chaise for lounging after a long day.

3. Lighting.Lighting.Lighting. I stress the use of lighting because there are different levels of lighting. General, Task & Accent. Each form of light serves a purpose. When you are creating a calm space it's important to use the correct amounts of lighting to be able to view the things around you balanced by soft lighting for ambiance. 

I used a table lamp on the dresser and a floor lamp near the chair as forms of soft accent lighting. 

4.  The Use of Texture. The use of texture in a space adds dimension. Texture adds a level of interest that encourages you to connect with your senses. However, be careful to not use too much texture. Texture can include a grasscloth wallpaper, a plush area rug, a stone wall, a distressed table or a soft pillow. 

This powder room is designed with a textured grasscloth wallpaper and a hammered copper bowl sink. 

5. Aromatherapy. Speaking of senses, adding aromatherapy such as the scent of lavender into your space helps you to relax and rest. Personally, I love candles! I use aromatherapy candles in almost every room in my home. I use candles as a way to calm my senses after a long day or in the office for a pleasant scent while working. Consider using aromatherapy in your room to enhance your mood and stimulate healing.  

Comment below and share the space you consider a calming space.

À la prochaine,