Jennifer J. Koehler Design, llc
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What is one of the biggest decorating mistakes that you can make?

4/13/2015

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Decorating and shopping for your home, is kind of like shopping for new dress.  You know what looks good on you, and you know just the right style to accentuate those curves while disguising your little pooch.  But have you ever found yourself debating between two dresses the pricey one that you absolutely love, and a dress that's 85% off clearance markdown.  So what if the zipper is broken , you can replace it, and although its a little snug you could probably make it work with a jacket or poncho.  So you take it home, and its worse than you thought, but you are determined to make it work so you start layering baubles and bling.  Once its all said and done you probably should have brought one dress that you loved, felt confident in, and it looked great.  Why do we put ourselves through this?  You know what looks good on you, and why do we sacrifice style to save a few bucks, or to just settle so you can stop shopping.  Then to make it worse we decide that we can make it work by any means necessary.  Have you found yourself doing that with design choices as well.   One bad decision is equivalent to tripping down stairs, its hard to recover unless you have some pretty spiffy footwork, and you risk the chance of a very painful and embarrassing moment.

One of the biggest design mistakes you can make is to settle on design choices or finishes.  You must be wiling to accept your mistake, and correct it.  Purchased items can be returned and walls can be repainted.  You will soon forget the inconvenience of standing in line at customer service, or driving to post office for those annoying internet returns, and so what you out $30 for paint.  This is the advise I give to my mother every time she decides she wants to buy a new bedspread or sofa.  She goes to the store knowing exactly what she should purchase, and opts for the less expensive choice, or just settles because she is tired of looking.  Then 9 out of 10 times she is left dissatisfied and disgusted, then eventually she will go back to the store and get what she loves. 

Reselecting what you love will give you piece of mind, and sometimes like with that clearance dress you might be able to salvage your mistake and make it work  with the right accessories, but is it worth all the extra money, aggravation,  and effort?  

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Bookshelves aren't just for book anymore!

4/7/2015

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PictureTraveled Theme: a merge of older novel, antiquities from abroad, and fillers from Pier One.
We are living deep in the midst of the computer age. In a few clicks you can gain vasts amounts of knowledge on anything and everything. Back in the days of old, we had cookbooks, encyclopedia volumes, novels, and every children's storybook series.  Remember that?  Well now, you no longer have to flip through a hundred cookbooks to find that special chicken marsala recipe. Just google chicken marsala, and there it is all 40 billion versions of it. Its also kind of sad that the only reason I even go to a bookstore now is for solitude, and a caramel macchiato.  

So with the looming extinction of  written word, is there still a need for those huge built-in shelving units?  Why of course!   Book shelves were at one time a necessary functional piece in homes across the country, a place to house the family library.  These same shelves can be used to display procured items, collectibles, photographs, well-appointed accessories, and yes even a few books.  Just a tip: thrift stores are a great resource for hardcover books they are usually about a dollar a piece.

How do you make your bookshelves from blah to awwwh?  Where to place things? How large should the items be, and how many items should you use? Styling bookshelves can be a super daunting, and frustrating decorating task. It can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be, just keep the following things in mind:  

  1. Empty your shelves, and slowly add books to the shelves.  I usually arrange books on alternating shelves and alternating sides, stacking both horizontally and vertically.  This is a more interesting arrangement then the traditional placement.  
  2. Next on empty shelves add a few storage boxes, or baskets.  Not only are these elements functional they also textural.  
  3. Adding collectibles and accessories is a great way to add a pop of color as well as to fill in any blank spaces. Choose a few larger scaled items (clocks, vases, candles, framed photographs).  Items should also be complimentary in color,style, and or maybe a theme- that could be fun. For example a traveled theme (globes, clocks, think Pier One). A coastal theme (large shells, large twine balls, grouping of sea glass in jars) etc. 
  4. Group and layer like items to avoid sparseness , and edit items to avoid overkill.  Don't over think it , and have fun with it.

So just remember that successful styling is all about balance, blending, and editing.  Items should be placed intentionally but have a casual haphazard feel. So in other words, careful planning makes the placement seem effortless. Also if you would like to see tons of examples you don't have to go far.  Just google "book shelve styling" and 40 billion examples will pop up in a matter of seconds..trust me.

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    Jen Koehler

    Wife, mother of 2 daughters.  Resides in New Hampshire wishes it were Paris.  Loves all things creative..

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