CHANGE

CHANGE

It seems we hear a lot about "change" these days. Well, I know a thing or two about change. I want to discuss how a space in our home has changed over the last few months. The changes were, for the most part, to make better use of the space.

The first version is a clean look. Nice, but I thought it could be a little more interesting. Next I tried our Asian Panels resting on the wall. They filled the space, but I felt didn't use the space to it's fullest. I then put our nest of zinc tables with a silver framed mirror above, on the wall .That was good, and I liked the idea of the mirror, and the tables were convenient for serving. The mirror reflected the light from the windows and opened up the small narrow room. The only problem I had was the space was tight due to the depth of the zinc tables. They also looked much better in the space they had been in. When you start moving pieces around you create a domino affect and sometimes things are better not changed. We decided to put beveled mirror wall tiles filling a 5' x 7' space to achieve the reflection advantage and give the impression of a wider room. I missed not having a table to use for serving. I had a glass console table in the "Warehouse" (explain this later) that was not as deep as the zinc tables and it was perfect against the mirror tiles. The table visually fads into the wall of mirrors. Like this look --I have the serving table and I have a large reflection of light. We will be purchasing folding chairs for extra seating. The table expands to 95 inches from it's normal 3' x 4' size and it's all in one piece. No leaves to store. Great for small places.

One other change that I tried, and put back to it's original place, is the dining table. The "long" position gives more space to walk around, but is the same position as all the other furniture in the room and gives a "train" look. The horizontal position gives more balance and interest.

Notice the area rugs! The space changed from two neo-classic needlepoint area rugs to just one, white shag with silver threads, in the seating area, to set off the RED bench. Kenneth says every room needs a POP of red! I think we were pretty successful in getting that POP! There is now no rug under the dining table. The entire room is very small and one accent rug is all that is needed. This also allows more of the wood flooring to show.

Accessories, well they change almost daily! I have accessories, chairs, art work and tables stored in my "Warehouse". That's the huge master bedroom walk-in closet where I keep things not in use. Bill once told me: "Patty, you don't have to use everything at the same time, put things away and take them out later. It will be like something "new" each time."

I can't say one version is better than another, just different looks for different uses. I love to see things in different forms. I have discovered that moving a piece opens up all sorts of possibilities and discoveries. In moving the Asian Panels they found a new home on a wall where they look 100% better.

OUTSIDE THE BOX (Title contributed by Emil)

Believe it or not------------as I was typing this page I was facing the TV and the console it fits into. It's in a niche that's built into the wall. The console never filled the space completely which seemed "off "to me. The console is a very clean piece with a frame around all four sides. The piece has a black wood finish and is 75" high by 50" wide. The niche is 91" high by 81" wide. Bang, an Epiphany! I thought why not turn the console on it's side! In an hour it was flipped with the TV on the top (formerly the side). The inside spaces are now filled with things that were in the warehouse or in other spaces around the house. It was a keeper! Then the second phase of the epiphany occurred ----paint the back wall of the niche black so everything "pops". We had the paint from another project, so it was a done deal. That project was painting our kitchen cabinets black. I'll show them in another blog. As a plus, painting the wall black behind the TV console carried the "heaviness" of that color to the opposite side of the room. New look, no cost! Like those epiphanies! Of course we took before and after pictures. There will be a third phase that will have a small cost. We have a source for power in the ceiling and we are looking into track spot lighting to highlight the treasures now in the console and one for our large art piece that is over the sofa. We will also install a dimmer switch to control the light.

I want to step back a minute and emphasize that 99% of my epiphanies are done with Emil's labor. We could not afford them if we had to pay professionals to do the work. So I have to keep that in mind when I embark on a project. I have had great ideas that he has flatly refused to do and I have to respect his decision.


KENNETH BROWN NEWS

Kenneth has posted a new entry on his Journal Page. We can purchase his original art work! Regardless of your need for a new piece of art, take a look and see how talented he is! In January his home product line will be available on QVC. Can't wait. He has fabulous bedding products that will be wonderful additions to our homes.

DESIGN HINT

Have your light sources on dimmer switches. Not only the dining fixtures, but bath , and even table lamps. You can control the atmosphere of the room and it is an effective and useful tool.

NEXT WEEK

We are going on a little vacation to Williamsburg this week. I hope to bring back some great ideas. We are visiting dear friends. I grew up with Nancy and through the internet about five years ago, we discovered we lived near each other. We hadn't seen each other since High School! She is redoing their sun room and we will be shopping for accessories. Can't wait-----

Patty