I was hired recently by a couple who were interested in redecorating their living and dining rooms.  The clients showed me images of a home of a south Florida friend who owns a local shop specializing in vintage and re-purposed products imported from Asia and the Far East.  They specifically requested that we purchase at least one statement piece to incorporate into their new space.   Because nothing currently in the room was staying, I decided to use this statement piece to kick-off my design plan so the wife and I went shopping.  We selected a long, somewhat rustic, cabinet to anchor the main wall in the living room.  We also found a mirror made out of an old window frame that we felt would bring just the right touch to the dining room.

Before & After

 When we started, the room felt small with nothing to draw attention to the high ceilings and architectural columns in the room.  The clients had already decided to replace the tile floor with a wood floor which added warmth to the space.  With our inspiration pieces selected,  I put a design plan together.  The color palette was inspired by the blue and green tones in the newly purchased pieces and I added orange to incorporate the warm tones the clients favored.  We emphasized the height of the room by removing a ceiling fan and the outdated dining room chandelier and replacing them with two different but complimentary gold-toned chandeliers.  We also hung tall drapes to draw attention to the windows, add height, and a big hit of beautiful color.  Most of the walls are painted a nice neutral gray/beige to let the vibrant colors really stand-out. We added one accent wall in a lovely shade of pale green.  My clients were hesitant at first about the color but they trusted my vision and I love the way the cream colored sideboard and blue painted mirror look against this color. Emerald green lamps and accent pillows bring the green into the living room and emphasize the green in our cabinet.

Before & After

One of the most stunning touches in the room came when we added the coral upholstered dining chairs. Our clients love the bright pop of color and added fun that these chairs bring to the space. 

Design Concept & Final Result

From design concept to final product, these clients encouraged me to give them a timeless look that also reflected their desire to have unique and one-of-a-kind elements.  I couldn't be happier with the results.  When we started, the wife said when it was her turn to host her book club, she didn't want to invite people to her home and she wanted to change that.  I hope now she will look forward to her turn to host and show off her beautiful rooms. 

When describing a room, magazines will often use the word “Timeless” to capture the elegant and everlasting quality of a space. How do we design a room to be “timeless”? What is the difference between good design and great design?  In the coming months I will start a series of blog entries on 20th century rooms and what makes them appealing to us today.  I will also suggest changes that could be made to bring the rooms into the 21st century. I hope that this will serve as a guide to anyone seeking to understand how design works, the trends involved, and where things change and where they stay the same. 

Living Room by the late Mark Hampton
Photo by Durston Saylor for Architectural Digest
Published in 1996

Classic pieces are understood to last, but what makes a piece a classic? Trends are best used in small amounts, but where can I use them and still keep my room looking updated and current? This series of rooms will be a fun way to explore these and other questions that a decorator can help answer. I also hope that this will give you general knowledge of some famous designers and what made them great.

Decorating a room doesn't have to be a never ending project, but it also isn't something that we can set aside for years at a time. In these blogs I hope to show you quick ways to keep a space fresh and new feeling, without having to start over every couple of years.

1

How to Use Mirrors In Your Home

Why do we keep the flat, sheet mirrors that our contractors install? And why do we buy the mirror that matches the dresser?  I find that clients imitate what they see in the furniture store, or do what the previous owners of their home did. But, why? There are so many creative and interesting options. Today's blog is about the many uses of mirrors in your home and how the mirror you choose can reflect you and your style.

2

A small bathroom (1) can be a tough place to create a sense of space, but I've found that a couple of impact pieces can lighten these sometimes cramped areas considerably. A good place to throw in  a great accent piece is over the sink. Mirrors come in all shapes and sizes and finding the perfect one can be difficult, but when you do it can bring about a great result. For example, this powder room is near the entry in the more formal part of the house. It had to be sophisticated but also bright and welcoming. The use of a Venetian style mirror brings reflected light and glamour.

Traditionally people think of bathrooms as the place where we have mirrors, but a mirror in the bedroom is a useful and beautiful tool. This bedroom (2 - 3) had a cozy feel with the fireplace lit, and plenty of light with a wall full of windows, but

3

with a fireplace as a centerpiece and an equally strong focus placed on the bed with a patterned comforter, the mantel was a place to introduce calm. The mirror reflects the focus of the room, the bed, and is simple enough not to detract from the fireplace, but to enhance it. With a gilt frame, this mirror complements the elegance of the room without overwhelming the homier touches.

4

It's true that bathrooms are the traditional location for a mirror, but often people overlook the different styles of mirror that they can place in a bathroom. The simplicity of an oval shaped mirror can make a bathroom stand apart. This one is off of a cozy family room. We combined classic fixtures in an updated brushed nickel finish with a quartz countertop and added a gorgeous antique wooden mirror. Because of its simplicity, a piece like this can be used all over your home, and can be moved about for a quick change to your décor. The wood finish allows it to fit in informal spaces like a bedroom, while the brass inlay gives it enough style to work in more sophisticated areas like a formal living room.

Oftentimes when buying a mirror, clients go for the trendy, or "in" piece, a practice I don't disagree with; however, there is a way to be trendy while still buying a piece that will work, even when the trend has passed. To work with the popular sunburst mirror trend, I chose a mirror that may still technically be "sunburst" but is a little more unusual. This gives the trendy vibe we wanted for this family area without the downside of having a statement piece that will be out of style in a year or two.

5

The almost brutalist style of the mirror brings texture and sparkle to the chocolate brown wall.  Using a mirror over the sofa allowed light into an otherwise dark area.

When working with mirrors remember, you don't have to go with what is "expected"or part of a set, but you can instead pick what you feel works best in your space as well as what makes you feel like this house is your home.

When people see beautiful pictures of a professionally decorated home they often think that they could never afford to hire a decorator. Many people believe that to afford a decorator you have to be wealthy but a home can be beautifully decorated on a small budget with smart choices and carefully selected pieces. Good decorators work together with their clients and their client's budgets to create a beautiful and functional space.

Recently I had the opportunity of working with a wonderful young couple buying and furnishing their first home. They had a small budget and they wanted to hire a decorator to help with much of the first floor of their house. The wife told me that she had interviewed several decorators that didn't want to work with her because the budget was too small but I was up for the challenge.  I am glad I took the job because they were wonderful clients and we all loved the results!

To furnish the living area, dining area and foyer within our budget, we used readily available pieces from a variety of retail and resale sources, nothing custom. We skipped drapes in the main area, but brought them into the front hall for big impact. These ready made drapes bring in some color and accentuate the height of the two story foyer. A large hanging light fixture also emphasizes the ceiling height while adding a bit of 'wow'.

In the dining space, two host chairs were placed at either end of the dining table for color, and antique store chairs (only $40 each!) were used along the sides of the table allowing seating for up to eight people. The oval table has a soft gray finish which relates to the gray sofas in the living area. Replacing the builder-grade chandelier with something prettier was the finishing touch.

We chose two sofas for the living area, a bit of nailhead trim makes these budget friendly sofas look more high end.  One pricey accent pillow on a sofa is surrounded by more budget friendly finds. An accent chair in a bold floral pattern brings in a bit of fun.  The media console was our biggest splurge and way over budget but we all felt it was the perfect piece for the room.  Finishing touches include a trellis pattern rug, blue-gray lamps and a silver garden stool to bring in a little shine.

 Overall, we came in right on budget.  We were able to offset our media console "splurge" by staying under budget on other pieces. I think this project proves that a space can be functional, pretty, and affordable!

So can you afford a decorator? The answer may be "Yes"! You don't know until you ask. If you have a room that needs decorating, you have to be realistic about what furnishings cost. But, with some savvy shopping, you can work within your budget, and have a better result, thanks to a decorator. Think of a decorator as an investment in your home. You want your investment to look its best, and a decorator helps you to accomplish that, even on a small budget.

Hello, again! Wow, so far this year has been a busy one for Gail Barley Interiors. In addition to many decorating projects with some great clients and interesting spaces, here’s a quick update to let you know what we've been doing.

Gail Barley Interiors was a featured designer on Wayfair.com in their Inspiration Gallery. I was asked all kinds of questions about my design process. I was honored to be featured on this nation-wide site.  If you would like to see the article, here is the link: www.wayfair.com.

Another exciting moment for me was when Houzz, a popular decorating and home website, gave me the Best of Houzz 2014 Award in Customer Satisfaction. Here’s a little bit about what that means as described by Houzz: “Chosen by the more than 16 million monthly users that comprise the Houzz community,” Gail Barley Interiors was awarded, The Best Of Houzz. “Customer Satisfaction honors are determined by a variety of factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2013."  If you would like to check it out, feel free to click the link: www.houzz.com.

Late in March was the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers Annual Meeting. The meeting was attended by 1400 people and, as the AFPM website describes, it is "the world's premier refining meeting, assembling key executives, decision-makers, and technical experts from refining businesses, technology providers, contracting and consulting firms, and equipment manufacturers around the world". I know this doesn’t sound like it has anything to do with decorating but I was chosen as a speaker for the Spousal Event on the first day of the three day convention. I spoke to this group about how to use color in your home instead of falling back on "safe", neutral colors. In my seminar titled, “Beyond Beige” we discussed how to decorate with color to give your home personality and to make a home a personal reflection of the people who live there. After the powerpoint presentation, there was a Q & A time followed by a hands on session where participants used fabric swatches, wallpaper samples and paint chips to create an inspiration page for their own homes. Each participant left with a custom journal, created and designed by Gail Barley Interiors, to help her on her way to designing her own home, hopefully, without defaulting to beige! It was a wonderful time and I met some amazing women.

Suffice it to say it’s been a busy winter, not that I’m complaining!