Friday, July 25, 2014

Friday Fun Stuff… Decorating Tips and Tricks

Meg Braff-fun dining chairs, table & alan campbell/china seas fabrics.  capiz shell chandelier.
meg braff
The Dining Room
  • Dining tables should be 30” high
  • Allow 18” of table width per person
  • For rectangular tables, you’ll need a table that is at least 48″ long to seat 6 people, 72″ for 8 and 96″ to seat 12 people
  • Dining seating should be 16”-18” high from the floor to the top of the seat
  • To pick the right size light fixture for above a table, you can either
1) Divide the width of your dining table by two to get an approximate chandelier diameter OR
2) Add the room’s length and width in feet; the sum equals an approximate chandelier diameter in inches
3) If your ceilings are more than 8′ high, increase the height of the chandelier or pendant 3″ for each additional foot of ceiling height.

  • sconces’ back plates  should be roughly between 60”-64” above the floor
clip_image001[11]
area rug size guide for dining rooms.
The Kitchen
A band of pendants running the length of a kitchen bar or countertop should be at least 10″ smaller in diameter than the width of the counter, and mounted 27-36” above the counter.
0405_numbers01.jpg. Kitchen counter, island, and working surface(s) guide.
http://www.thekitchn.com/kitchen-design-by-the-numbers-113206
How big an island should be. housebeautiful.com #quotes #designer_quotes #kitchen_islands #kitchen #decorating #home_improvement
wicker stools, blue & white transferware, white cabinets, natural light from the bay windows, window treatment filtering the light
The Living Room
  • You need at least 26”-36” clear as a pathway to walk comfortably through a room
  • If you’re covering the entire room with one area rug, leave 12″-18″ clear all around to the wall.  In smaller rooms, 7″-12″ will work
  • Choose side tables that are about 2” less than the height of the sofa arm
  • Coffee tables should be 1”-2” less than the height of the sofa’s seat cushion
  • Place the coffee table 18 inches from the sofa or chairs
  • "The length of the table should always be long enough for everyone seated on the sofa to be able to reach the table without getting up from their seat,but not as long as (seat length) of the sofa
  • For art groupings with more than one row, spacing between the images should be 1 ½” to 2”
  • If using art above a sofa, fill at least 50%-60% of the 5-foot high space above the sofa
  • Hang your flat screen tv at eye level when you are in viewing position.  The ideal viewing distance is 1 1/2 times the size of the screen
  • hang your art at 57" on center."On center" means that the middle of the picture is at 57" (obviously, the hook will be higher).

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Beehive, Bahamas | Tom Scheerer Inc.
Tom Scherer
The Bedroom
  • If you place a bench, box, chest or trunk at the end of a bed, it should be slightly lower than the height of the bed and no more than 15”-21” deep
  • For most beds, 24”-27” is the ideal height for a nightstand
  • For a King-size bed, nightstands should be at least 36” wide
  • Area rugs underneath beds should extend 6”-12” beyond the outer edges of the nightstands and the end of the bed
  • Swing arm lamps above bedside tables should be mounted no farther than 3” out from the edge of the headboard with the bottom of the shade about 20” above the top of the mattress
  • Table lamps should also have the bottom of the shade about 20” above the top of the mattress
  • Use a 47″ tall headboard if you don’t want much headboard to show above your pillows or 52″ and up if you want to show more headboard above the pillows
area rug size guide -queen bed
via decor mentor
Peter Dunham  via High St Market. Different window treatment, same fabric.  Overall fabric mix.
peter dunham
Window Treatments
  • Curtain width should always be at least twice the width of the window for fullness.  For modern rooms, just twice the window’s width or even just 1 ¾ times for a really sleek look
  • Extend the curtain rod by at least 6”-8” past the outer edge of the trim on each side of the window
  • Hang curtains as close to the ceiling line as possible to help elongate the window and add anywhere from 2″-8″ to the length if you want the curtain to have the puddle look
Does this mean that if you aren’t following these guidelines you are wrong?  Of course not rules are broken all the time.  If it feels good to you and you like how it looks, that’s all that matters.  But, if you’re unsure where to start, these measurements are a good starting point.
Designer Matthew Bees in Southern Living.
Matthew Bees Southern Living
For tons more helpful tips you can go to my Design Tip Pinterest Board here http://www.pinterest.com/chattersley/design-tips/
Happy Friday!!

Cindy

12 comments:

  1. I just bookmarked this post Cindy. Thanks for all these wonderful tips!

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  2. This is awesome! I love your disclaimer at the end…about breaking the rules…but great to have guidelines.

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  3. Fabulous round up Cindy! Thank you! I'm glad I followed most of the rules without really knowing it! I just went with what feels right and looks good to the eye! However, my master bedroom rug needs some tweaking, or perhaps a bigger one. :-)

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  4. All great tips Cindy, a post to save for future reference!
    Thank you again so much for featuring my art on your site! Have a great weekend!

    xoxo
    Karena
    The Arts by Karena

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  5. All great tips Cindy....have a great weekend!

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  6. Great post--thanks!! I passed it on to my designer daughter as well!!! Have a good one! xo leslie

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  7. Pinned for future reference! Thank you!

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  8. You should compile a decorators/homeowners handbook! Great info here. x Sharon

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  9. Thanks Cindy for the consolidated info! I have a Design Facts board on Pinterest where I collect all these facts and spot some new ones here! Hope youre having a lovely summer. xo Nancy

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  10. Cindy - Wow! Thanks for putting this together in a post. Very, very useful!! I'm going to bookmark it for future reference. Happy Monday! xo

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  11. These are great tips and a good idea to put them together in one post. It's particularly important to have a dining table and chairs which are the perfect height to be comfortable when eating.

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