Quick•Step

Low-cost decorating tips.

“You don’t have to spend a lot of money to give a room a new look.”

Add live plants — Palms are a personal favorite, but I also love more interesting foliage like a mini-citrus. I just added a really fun, funky Warneckii tree in the corner of my living room. I lit it from the back with an inexpensive plant light placed on the floor, which pumps up the drama. The effect is like a Palm Springs hotel! (Best part: the entire cost was under $100.)

Reupholster your dining chairs — It’s a quick and easy process anyone can do. I love to use a bold floral pattern, or even a bright stripe for the season. It only takes a few yards of fabric, an hour of time and a staple gun. This is an addicting process though, so beware!

Change your window coverings — If you want to bring in a new color to the space, or just get a fresh look, change up your window coverings. I usually update the look with a clean drape or by layering an interesting sheer with a beautiful striped silk panel.

Paint — It’s the classic solution for quickly and inexpensively updating a room because it is the most effective way to bring about the most change. If you’re thinking of painting, go for something bold, like stripes — even just on one wall. Take a darker or lighter shade of your existing color, and paint on some skinny vertical stripes or wide horizontal ones. Another favorite new look is glaze, which brings luster and depth to the walls.

Wallpaper is making a comeback, in a big way! — There are great prints and contemporary styles available that don’t look like your grandmother’s house. If you’re “commitment shy” and not ready to paper a whole room, try one focal wall behind the couch or behind the headboard in a bedroom. Nothing pulls a room together as easily as wallpaper. I even love the unexpected uses for wallpaper: in a small hallway, a closet, a ceiling, a door or even a bathroom cabinet! Tie the walls together by painting the remaining walls in the background color of the paper. Contrary to what you might think, small spaces are the best areas to go wild with colors and patterns.

Centerpieces — A bold new centerpiece on the dining room table is a quick way to change the feel of a space. I opt for oversized pieces, which bring more height and add dramatic interest. Varying shapes and sizes in a room adds to the texture and keeps the eye moving. Try a tall vase with some long stalks or a large bunch of one type of flowering foliage. Keep it simple, but make it special!

Replace the rugs — A fun new rug can change up the look of a room dramatically. I look for fun patterns and textures.

Crown Molding — This is an easy addition that will give your living room and dining room a quick facelift. It’s like adding a necklace to an outfit — simple and subtle, but with loads of impact.

Design basics.

“Some of my favorite ways to approach a design project.”

Get Inspired — Think about the things that inspire you. Color, shopping, Italy, the French Riviera? What do you want your home to look like? What does it feel like? Clean and airy, warm and cozy, bright and bold, contemporary and stark?

Start a Style Book — Pull images from magazines and books of anything you like ... color, a vase, the feel of a room. Don’t worry about which room it’s for or why you like it — just pull!! Then sort the images by interior, by exterior and by room. Cull them down and decide on a color for each room, or one image may represent what you want to accomplish for your entire home.

Color — Choosing a clear color palette is the first step. Decide on at least two main colors and one accent color for each room.

Starting to Design — If starting from scratch, wall color is a great place to begin, but it’s also the easiest to match and change based on other items in the room. If you already have a sofa, then that should be the lead for the room and you should start from there. Drapes, flooring and rugs come next in order of importance. However, any object can be the lead in terms of designing the room around it. If you have a floor type you love and you’re going to start with that, then the walls, sofa and drapes should all fall after that. Think of the design process in layers.

Go Out and Shop — Take an afternoon and search around the stores in your area. What’s out there? What does your budget allow? This will give you an idea of what you’re looking at in terms of availability in the marketplace. If you want a new sofa, can you wait 4 to 6 weeks? Or do you need it this weekend? Those items that you may need will also determine how you can place the color in your home. For example, if you start out wanting a gray sofa but can’t find one that you like, you may have to opt for another color — and then use gray on your walls or get a gray rug. The key is to stay flexible, be open to new inspiration and keep your design choices fluid.

Starting to design.

“Getting started can be the hardest part! Here are my tips to make it easier.”

Step 1: Clear the Clutter — Remove all the accessories, personal photos, children’s toys and knick-knacks.

Step 2: Deep Clean — No dust bunnies here, please.

Step 3: Assess the Situation — This means being very objective and realistic about your home, what it needs and the way it is furnished. You may need to bring in a stylish friend for advice, or hire a decorator for a consultation if you need another point of view. But don’t get discouraged — this is the hardest part for most people! Walk from room to room and make notes on what each may be lacking, or what it has too much of.

Step 4: Designer Don’ts — Too much of one thing is not a good thing. If you fell into the trap of coordinating your floral drapes, bedspread and carpet, you might want to reconsider that design statement. If you and your spouse tend to disagree on design decisions, you may want to sit down and try to have a very honest discussion about both of your needs and desires for the look and feel of your home before you start.

Step 5: Paint — Cleaning up the house with a fresh coat of paint is easy and often times very necessary. A fresh coat of paint brings new life to a home.

Step 6: Flooring — After you’ve taken care of the walls, the flooring is the next thing to consider. Be honest about the condition of your existing flooring. Replacing stained carpeting or worn wood floors with a more stylish and practical choice is not as daunting a task as it may seem. New floors will make the home sparkle and are well worth the investment.

Step 7: Flow — Make sure that the area “flows” and that furniture is set up to welcome you into the room. When you walk into the space, is it easy to access, or are there chairs and couches in the way? When you look at the room does it make sense? Or is the TV in front of the window or not visible from the couch? These are questions you need to step back and ask yourself. Think of things from a fresh perspective. If the room is overcrowded or an entertainment center is too large — take it out!

Step 8: Coordinate Furnishings — The trick to great design is to coordinate and contrast. That might seem to make no sense, but it’s really the entire secret to good design! A well-executed color palette can pull together any space with great results. However, if everything is exactly the same, it can also seem flat or boring. A space needs “pop.” This can be accomplished by using a contrasting color as an accent. If the room has blue walls, white sofa and dark furniture, you’ll need a “pop” color — like lime green, orange or fuchsia — to bring it to life.

Step 9: Accessories and Sensory — This is the final step. I think of it as accessorizing your outfit before you leave. It’s the time to add small touches, personal photos in frames, flowers, books, vases, live plants and all the smaller decorative items that are going to make it your own.

Creating personality for a room.

“Mix antiques, family heirlooms, new pieces and great finds at the local second-hand store to create a special space that is uniquely yours.”

Well-worn pieces of furniture, like these wing back chairs, can be transformed with a simple facelift. Consider repainting old pieces with a modern coat of high-gloss lacquer in a fresh white or tailored black for a lasting look. We choose black for the frames of these chairs, and to liven them up added silver nail heads. A vintage emerald green fabric was the perfect update — and really makes a statement in the room. Paired with a soft blue/green wall and coordinating drapery, the colors glow together.

Instead of a traditional sofa, consider a comfortable and well-made daybed for the living room. Daybeds are particularly nice as they are unexpected, and yet can move easily to a guest room in the future.

Mismatched frames and artwork create a great look in any room. Pull together flea market finds with frames from stores like Aaron Bros. to create your own personal mix. I like to frame pages from art books and line drawings, which allows you to create lovely displays in a day.

Decorating accents.

“Simple touches can have a dramatic impact.”

Pillows are a great way to bring pattern and fun into a space, and allows new and old pieces to work together. Pick up inexpensive silk pillow covers at West Elm, Pottery Barn and ZGallerie to mix with more expensive collective or vintage ones for a chic mix. Vintage fabrics can be picked up for a steal! Shop close-outs or flea markets for remnant fabrics to be used for chairs, pillows or drapery.

Add a wide crown molding to a room for an added touch of elegance. Nothing finishes off a space better than adding a bit of architectural interest to a room with the right molding.

An elegant pendant or chandelier sets off a room. Invest in hardwiring if you don’t already have a location for one. Recessed lighting also makes a big difference; and should always be placed on a dimmer. Most older homes lack ceiling fixtures, making the addition a worthwhile investment. Lighting is key to a great atmosphere in the evening.

Choosing a Color Palette.

“When choosing a color palette for your room, decide on two main colors and a third accent color.”

In this room, I started with Quick•Step’s Country, Rustic Cottage Oak (U1392) flooring, paired it with peach in the upholstery and wall color, and accented the room with lush gold tones.

The upholstered pieces in this room are in various shades of peach, which makes for a more interesting, layered look.

When it comes to accessories, a little gold goes a long way. Opt for a more burnished finish over a bright gold. You’ll also notice in this room, the white accessories lend a crisp pop against the more subtle tones and also tie together with the cream silk drapery and white hydrangea blooms.

Selecting the Perfect Floor.

“Selecting the perfect floor for your life doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Just follow these simple steps.”

Find your Color
When selecting a floor color, think about the tones of furniture you have. Don’t feel that everything needs to match. Contrasting tones make for a more pleasing design.

Define your Style
Next you need to think about your style. Quick•Step^® makes it easy, as they have arranged their floors into four distinct style categories, including Traditional, Unique, Tile and Scraped.

Select a Size
Quick•Step^® offers a variety of widths and lengths. Long, wide planks create an authentic hardwood look. Slim planks offer a strip-hardwood appearance.