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Big Makeover... No Sledgehammer Required It doesn't take a construction crew to perform a warm-weather facelift. Find out how to choose the right blend of colors, fabrics and textures to make your home young again.  Purple reign: Pastels, as seen in this lavender-clad room, are the hot trend in room color. A bright coat of paint can help you spruce up your space and fall in love with a room all over again. Image courtesy Drake Design Associates It's what every homeowner and renter thinks about when the weather turns warm and you can finally see, for the first time in months, what the darkness of winter has been shielding. Maybe it's your tired-looking floors, dreary curtains, a dark room, an unused large space or a dismal color scheme that's depressing your living space. But how do you give a space a no-structural-impact remodel, a shot of drama, without big expense, sledgehammers or ruining walls? Jenny Fischbach, a senior designer at Cullman & Kravis, a New York-based interior design firm, says that something as simple as a really great photograph or print can do a lot for a room. "I'd say get a print from a great artist, like Ed Roche. I think an object can really change a room." Moldings are another way to go, says Jamie Drake, of New York-based Drake Design Associates and author of "Jamie Drake's New American Glamour" (Bulfinch Press, 2005). "A bold crown molding can be easily installed by even a moderately talented carpenter," Drake says. "Your local lumber yard should have a selection of unfussy but good shaped molding." Adding color also is an easy way to spruce up a space. Drake, a color expert, suggests that painting the walls a vibrant color can rekindle a romance with any room. "I'm especially fond of Benjamin Moore paints, for the clarity of their color and their consistent quality of their product. I recently painted a room in a sweet orange with an eggshell finish for a bit of sheen. I painted the ceiling in the palest shade of tiffany blue." But paint isn't the only thing you can put on your walls. If you are looking to give a room a more cozy feeling, Lucinda Lester, the owner of Lucinda Lester Design, a Santa Barbara-based interior design firm, recommends upholstering your walls in fabric. "In terms of the fabric, it depends on the look you are going for. You could go with a toile or a scene print. If you want something more contemporary you could do a tone or a tone stripe," she says. To give a room more texture, Lester suggests taking 12-inch boards and nailing them to the wall so you are paneling the room piece by piece with more attractive wood. "After that, you can paint all the boards in your color palette. It is very effective way to give a room more texture," Lester says. However, if you do decide to go with the traditional painting method, Drake says the trend in color is pastels. "In one home, I painted the walls lavender, a really ethereal and delicious shade of purple, and I put curtains in the linen fabric of the same shade and a pair of comfortable lounge chairs," he says. While many people veer away from color, Drake advises not to be afraid of color when it comes to remodeling your living space. "I think in general color, as compared to neutral, creates more impact in a room." Lester cautions people to keep their geography in mind when choosing a color scheme. "If you are living in a more urban area, like New York City, a very interesting color to think about is a Chinese red. If you are living in an area with a lot of sun, like Florida or southern California, you might want to go with a bright color - such as a very white room - or navy stripes to give it some cheeriness." But if painting sounds too time-consuming, you can always change a room with something as simple as lampshades and throw pillows, says Drake. And think color again. "I would use the same lamp shade in two different colors. There are great colored lampshades at Bed, Bath & Beyond," Drake says. "For throw pillows, I'm especially fond of Milli Home throw pillows, particularly the embroidered ones." For the crafty set, Lester, recommends that if you have a huge area that you want to divide, you can make or buy large screens." "I would suggest taking big pieces of plywood and hinging them together to create a really interesting divider for rooms or corner areas," Lester says. When it comes to floor, there are many makeover options. For those who want to it keep simple, Drake says that just rolling up your tired rug and polishing your floors can do wonders. "A bright sheen will always create a sense of increased light and luster in a room." If you want a slightly more dramatic change, Lester recommends nailing down sheets of 4-by-8 plywood and then scoring it with an Exacto knife. "Essentially, you are creating a plank floor. You can then paint the plywood in any color. I've seen it done in white, which is really stunning. You can also paint them in a pattern," she says. Furniture is the last frontier when it comes to giving a space a facelift. Lester is of the school of thought that advocates having one major piece of furniture in a room as the best design principle. "Maybe it's an armoire; a table with a mirror, even in a small room just having one focal piece can have a wonderful impact," she says. Hannah Seligson is a writer based in New York and the author of “New Girl on the Job: Advice from the Trenches” (Citadel Press, 2007). |
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