There's nothing like the holiday season to bring on a "bad house day."
One November morning, things suddenly look tired, or shabby. The dining room is too small, or nonexistent. Curtains ordered weeks ago are languishing in back-order land. Walls look drab. Even the much-loved sofa is wearing out.Bad-hair solutions are fast and inexpensive compared with remedies for a bad house. But there are things that can be done - quickly and inexpensively. That's what seven interior designers say when asked for advice.
All agree that spruce-ups should begin with the entry and public rooms. And if a house has no entry, the front door itself becomes a focal point.
"The front door is an important space if you don't have a great entry," Michele Diafos says. Flank the door with pots of colorful plants. Put down an interesting doormat. Import and discount stores have great ones, she suggests. Clean the porch. Put away toys or junk. A big basket just inside the door can store boots and shoes. Paint the front door some stunning color.
"Color is an inexpensive quick fix for most houses," Diafos says. Other designers agree. But not just any color will do.
Bellevue designer Deanna Meine spent a recent weekend painting her family room walls a deep, glossy red. "Paint is the first thing to do for maximum effect," she says.
Boldly painted walls make a strong statement. Add white woodwork for contrast, and people aren't likely to notice absent window coverings or bare walls, for example. Bare walls, however, aren't all bad. Not every wall has to be adorned with something, designers caution.
But they have an arsenal of quick fixes for walls that are too stark. They suggest hanging interesting pieces of fabric or quilts. Inexpensive posters put in decorative frames can be stunning. Small pieces of art can be framed in a big way to look more important.
Walls may be easy to paint or decorate. Ugly or worn carpets are another matter. But one designer says even the ugliest gold shag carpet (a color and style left over from the '60s) can be subdued with the right color on the walls.
Meine recommends layering on an area rug to help create a new center of interest with a different furniture arrangement. If hallway carpeting is worn, top it with a runner. But always use pads beneath, so the carpeting doesn't creep.
If offensive carpet covers hardwood floors, consider ripping it out and exposing the wood. Bad hardwood floors are better than bad carpeting, designers say. Even subflooring can be stained or painted for a different look.
What can be done with books, collections, plants that are cluttering a space? Designers all use one word: "Consolidate."
That means putting all 200 cat figurines in one spot, hiding the paperbacks and leaving just a few weighty books out. It's no sin to throw out a dying plant, they say with a laugh. Keep the healthiest plants and group them in one spot. They'll look better and be easier to water.
Designer Michael Bowman of Westbay Interiors in Gig Harbor, Wash., offers concise advice for a home makeover.
"Focus on living and dining rooms, then kitchen and family room," Bowman says. Take out anything seasonal - small accessories, throw pillows, candles. Then see what remains. "Leave the bones. Then go back in and flesh them out."
If furniture is lining the walls, consider rearranging it, pulling a sofa away from the wall, creating a new focal point for the room. Make it cozier, more conversation-friendly.
An area rug, new pillows on the sofa or new plants can freshen rooms.
"I like to use colored candles during the winter. They're a nice touch, give a spark of color," Bowman says.
Then sit down and look at the pictures in your rooms. Even homes with high ceilings should have art about 6 or 7 inches above eye level when seated.
Light fixtures, especially those hanging over dining tables, also should be inspected for height. They shouldn't be more than 30 to 36 inches above a table.
And don't even think about wallpaper this time of year. Bowman says wallpaper puts too much pressure on people.
"Put up wallpaper and too many other things need to be done," Bowman said. "Paper might not come in on schedule. Paper-hangers are booked. It's too stressful to think about!"
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Stuck in a decorating rut? Here are ways out
Stuck in the same old holiday decorating rut? Interior designers have tips galore:
- Don't overdo it with small decorations. Put up two or three big, dramatic things.
- Make or buy a new runner for the dining table. Gold fabric is especially festive.
- Clean all the crystal and silver and use it! A big glass bowl of colored ornaments can be a centerpiece. Leave pretty dishes of nuts or candies out through the season.
- Use purple for the holidays. It looks great with red or green.
- Pick any favorite color and mix it with gold for a festive theme.
- Redistribute accessories. Let mantel ornaments become table centerpieces or vice versa.
- Wreaths don't have to go on doors. Hang one on a wall, for example.
- Clean all the kid art and notes off the refrigerator and hang up the Christmas cards so they can be seen and enjoyed daily.
- Make huge bouquets of greens, then add just a few stems of flowers for color. The combination is high impact, low cost.
- Need a bigger dining room? Put the living room furniture in the dining area and set up two or three tables in the living room for a big feast.
- Make a larger dining table with a big round of plywood draped with fabric to the floor. Or put the round over a desk for a second table.
- Go for gold, brass or shiny things that reflect light.
- Use lots of candles. Buy a dozen votive candles. Keep them lit.
- Drape bare windows with garlands of greenery.
- Put a small red rug and red towels in a bathroom.
- Don't bother to rearrange the furniture when expecting a crowd. Just clean the kitchen. That's where everybody always gathers.
- Victor Liss of Metropolitan Catering says "borrow if you must," but always use real glasses when entertaining. Or, buy glass coffee mugs that can be used for coffee, punch or soup.