It’s great to set up your home’s areas with dynamic focal points but there are definite ways to do it right and for sure how to do it wrong and lose the value of what you’re trying to do. Here are a few tips on using your eyes as your gauge for

It’s great to set up your home’s areas with dynamic focal points but there are definite ways to do it right and absolutely ways to do it wrong thus losing the value of what you’re trying to do. Here are a few tips on using your eyes as your gauge for creating impressive spaces.

1  Hang Artwork at Eye Level

If your ceiling is high, you might be tempted to hang paintings high up. Art galleries hang their artwork at eye level, and that’s what you should do, too.  The average human eye level is about 57 inches. So your paintings should be 57-60 inches above the floor.  If you are hanging multiple pieces, keep the center of the arrangement at eye level. If you are hanging the artwork above a piece of furniture, leave 5-9 inches between the artwork and furniture.

2  Hang  Mirrors

Many people underestimate the value of mirrors. Mirrors reflect light and make the room brighter. Some designers recommend hanging at least one mirror in each room. When you hang your mirrors, think of what they’ll reflect. You want it to reflect a great scene. That could be a chandelier or your room’s focal point.  Hang the mirrors on walls perpendicular to the windows and not across them. You don’t want to reflect the light back outside.

3  Follow The Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is a familiar concept in photography. When grouping showpieces, antiques, candles, or other objects, create harmony by arranging them in odd numbers. Objects that are arranged in odd numbers are more memorable and appealing. For an even better look, group objects that have different heights or shapes yet still have a similar property.

4  Find The Room’s Focal Point

The focal point is where everyone’s eyes fall as soon as they walk into the room. Some focal points are built-in, like a fireplace or a large window. If a room doesn’t have one, you can create your own.  You can get a large piece of furniture and make that your focal point. Or you could paint one wall a different color and decorate it with artwork and shelves.  Everything else in the room should complement the focal point and be secondary to it. Having too many attention-grabbing items in the room can create unwanted visual noise.

So you want to move BUT you just can’t make up your mind where to go. Let’s review some factors you might use as gauges when considering what could be a major life move.

• What environment causes you to feel the least stressed and most joyful? That might sound overly philosophical but it is possibly the most important factor to consider. If you love being out in the country and the sounds of traffic stress you out, then even if you took the best paying job in the city, you might not excel at it due to your increased stress level.  If you can’t stand being in the quiet amidst critters and birds and a two hour drive to any kind of good entertainment,  then a condo downtown may be your best choice. Again, your job choice may limit your options but take this point seriously when deciding where to go. You may end up being there a lot longer than you plan.
• Planning to rent…buy? Honestly explore your budget before jumping in with both feet. If you start your new life overextended and working just to pay bills, eventually you will hate wherever you are because you might be living but you won’t have lifestyle.
• Jobs? There are so many online options to search for jobs and even at home opportunities, that this is no longer necessarily the first factor to consider. Remember, your job is to provide for you/your family. If you hate your job, it’s hard to be happy. Good quote: “If you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Money is not the end all.
• Social Activities? When choosing where you buy or rent, consider what you like to do after work hours. ie: sports, concerts, theater, movies, community events, family activities, etc.  Your life reaches beyond your job. Keep that in mind when choosing where you live.

There are a lot more factors you can think about…do you need public transportation…are you close to retirement….are you retired and need easy access to medical care….are you single but planning to be married and raise a family….etc.  Simply said, think about more than your  job and paycheck when considering making a move so you can live in the song, “Don’t Worry. Be Happy!”

Do you find yourself questioning your own thought process as you move into empty nesting? Now that the kids are gone and you are “free”, you may decide to build a new and maybe even bigger home than you currently have. The “experts” say this is the time to downsize. Your family and friends think they’re being helpful by looking at you like you’re nuts for wanting to upsize or go through the process of building. Of course, they all say, now is the time to get that condo on the water, or downsize to a townhome or move into an Active Adult Community. And after you hear that enough, you may start to question your own decision making and planning. DON’T! This is time for you to do what you want to do and live how you want to live. If that means building a home with a huge Great Room and plenty of beds and baths so you can always have enough space for your existing or future grandkids to visit or to entertain like you’ve always wanted to or maybe you just want to have your own spaces plus great combined living areas, then DO IT!

Unless you’re in a job that requires you to retire at a specific age, if you decide you want to work into your 80s because you love what you do, then DO IT! If you’ve worked your entire life and saved to live the retirement of YOUR dreams then, DO IT!  Don’t let anyone (including your children) make you feel guilty for not saving to give your kids a bigger inheritance or to save every penny “just in case” something happens. Of course, be responsible but you can choose to be carefree too! You’ve earned it. You raised your children. You’ve helped them move into their next life step. Empty nesting means you are free to move into the life journey that you may have been wanting, planning for and hoping to enjoy as you step into this new phase of your life. Be brave. Be strong. Be your own decision maker. And then, whatever you decide, DO IT!

Moved into your new home and now trying to figure out how to make it “your own“? Putting your home on the market and trying to figure out how to make it “not your own“?

Explore basic elements of design that will either make your home your own OR that will neutralize it so it’s appealing to prospective buyers. Either way, your design must make an appealing and desirable statement!

Things to consider:

Color Scheme…Neutral does NOT mean white or beige. There are a plethora of color options these days that can change the most modest home into wow spaces! Take the time to review current home decor magazines and even brochures available at paint stores. If you’re decorating for yourself, don’t be afraid to be brave! Go ahead and paint that wall black or purple or whatever makes you or your family happy. You can always change paint if you decide it’s out of your comfort zone. Here’s the thing, sometimes getting out of your comfort zone via your home decor is a great first step toward doing the same in other parts of your life!

Furniture Arrangement…While you’re perusing those decorating magazines, take the time to review many different furniture arrangements that might work better in your rooms than your current layout. I came home one day and my teenage daughter and her girlfriend (with aspirations of becoming an interior decorator) had completely rearranged my living room furniture. With just a few simple changes, she transformed my room into a much more inviting and conversation welcoming space.

Window Treatments…There are so many options available now. If you’re selling your home, you might want to take down those 30 year old heavy draperies and replace them with something lighter and airier. Again, with so much available on the internet, if cost is a factor, you can review even the best options and then copy the style with something more affordable. Whether moving in or selling your home, before you put on those new treatments, dust or repaint the trim and wash the windows. There’s nothing more inviting than bright sunlight streaming through your windows (without showing all the dirt that was there before you followed this step!).

Organization/De-cluttering…Whether moving in or moving out, nothing feels better than a freshly organized closet, desk, bookcase, garage….get the point? Do it before you sell. Do it before you move in (meaning don’t move any of your old home’s clutter into your fresh new space).

It sometimes is really hard to do, but stepping out of your comfort zone may create the newest, most exciting “and comfortable” home design you ever imagined possible. Step up. Step out. Be Brave and Enjoy!

So you’ve moved into your new, perhaps older, home that wasn’t built with the largest of closets. Or, you have an extra room and even though you have a good sized closet, you’ve always wanted a special ‘dressing room’ all your own. Be brave. Get creative and turn that extra bedroom or den into your private retreat. And you don’t have to spend a lot of money. Add a closet organizer with racks and shelves to a long wall, add individual hooks to the wall to create a stylish display and easy accessibility of hats, scarves, jewelry, handbags…whatever works best for you. You can add a storage bench against a wall for more storage or use a larger upholstered one in the center of the room which adds to the design an storage space.  Add shoe racks or buy inexpensive racks that match the wall piece and stack shoes in their boxes or plastic shoe boxes. You can also add behind door shoe or purse racks or hooks for robes or sweaters. There are so many things you can do to make it your own! The space in the photo was created for under $150 over a weekend. (tip: Put hooks  up with 3m type adhesives so you can rearrange your wall and design easily and again at minimal cost.)

When the grandkids visit, you can always add a toddler bed or blow up mattress while they’re there and then simply put it away when they’re gone and return to enjoying your very special personal space.