Uncategorized Archives - Moonefield Interiors

All About the In-Home Consultation

by Michele Wesdock Filed Under: Uncategorized Leave a Comment

What is the initial design consultation?

Nearly every project begins with a consultation in your home. Generally, the consultation will last about two hours. I’ve found that two hours gives us ample time to get to know one another, address any questions you may have about the design process as well as tour your home and address solutions for your pain points. Often, I’ll be able to offer design advice right then and there. But sometimes I’ll take photos and notes to review on my own after our meeting. I may do some research, mull over paints and fabrics, draw a simple floor sketch or just let things “marinate.” It all depends on the individual project and what you’d like to accomplish. Sometimes the design solution is relatively simple but often a unique approach is needed which requires more thought and planning.

Within 2-5 days after our meeting (again, depending on your unique needs) you’ll receive a detailed presentation that includes a summary of our conversation and notes, any resources we discussed, inspiration photos and/or products, and a general proposal for moving ahead with professional design services.

If you choose to implement the suggestions on your own, you’ll have an organized presentation with solid ideas and advice to refer to whenever you want.

What is discussed during the initial design consultation?

Whatever you need! I’ve consulted with clients on floor plans for open concept living, whole home paint palettes, turning unused rooms into music rooms, and creating hangout rooms for teens. Some clients then go on to launch a full service project with my firm. Others garner advice and inspiration from our time together and choose to implement the changes on their own. Here are some other things we can discuss during the consult:

draperies and window coverings
styling existing furnishings and accessories
how to budget adequately for the changes you’d like to make
artwork and other ways to “dress your walls”
making a room more functional for your needs
helping a dated space feel more stylish and current

How can I prepare for a design consultation?

There are several things you can do to prepare for our in-home meeting and make sure you get the most out of our time together.

Write down all of your concerns ahead of time so you don’t forget a thing
Clip magazine photos or create a Pinterest board with images that appeal to you
Prioritize your rooms and design dilemmas. This will allow us to “dig deep” and focus on your most important concern and problem areas. I’m happy to discuss more as time permits!
Think about the mood and the feeling you’d like the space to evoke. Relaxed? Sophisticated? Soothing? Welcoming? Energetic and fun?
Think about function as well as decor. Who uses the room? Would you like a cozy corner for reading? Do you have pets? Do your children need a convenient spot for homework? Do you entertain in the space?

Ready to start? Email me or give me a call to set up your appointment. To learn more about my services go here.

I look forward to working together!

How to Make the Most Out of Working With a Decorator

by Michele Wesdock Filed Under: Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Many of the clients I work with have never hired an interior decorator. I think the idea of working with a decorator for the first time can be intimidating for a variety of reasons and I try to help my clients feel relaxed throughout the process. I have a few thoughts that I think can really help you make the most out of working with a decorator and help make the experience both positive and fun.

Reality TV is not real.

I think HGTV has given us all the illusion that buying, renovating, or redecorating a home is both easier and cheaper than it actually is. Projects that take months in real life are squeezed into a half hour program and often budgets don’t include the price of contractors or sponsored items from furniture companies. These shows are fun to watch but they most often don’t offer any real insight into the actual process and costs. On that note, it’s so helpful for you and your decorator if you can…

Be realistic about your budget.

When you decorate your home yourself, it’s usually done over many years and may include some pieces that were inherited or bought on sale. Using a decorator usually means buying many new and often custom pieces all at once. If you added up the cost of every single thing in your living room, you’d probably find that the total amount far exceeds what you might have thought. A good decorator will give you guidance and options to help you stay within your budget. A good decorator will also let you know if your budget is too small to achieve the look and the quality that you want.

Decorators know where spend.

Your decorator knows that certain things in your home are worth spending money on. Good upholstery that can take a beating from pets, kids, and red wine. A show-stopping piece of art that totally makes the space. A beautiful piece of art by an emerging artist. I firmly believe that a beautiful space is a mix of high and low. If your decorator chooses a pricier fabric, it’s because she or he knows the value it brings to the room. To stay on budget, your decorator might then choose lower priced lamps or end tables. It’s all about the big picture!

Know what you like. And don’t like.

Whether it’s Pinterest boards or pages from a magazine, it’s so helpful to have some ideas in hand before calling a decorator. Do you have to have your style nailed down? Not at all. Part of our job can be helping you to figure that out. But knowing your likes and dislikes can save us time and save you money. Even if its not something tangible but simply the “mood” and “feel” of a space. And don’t be afraid to speak up if your decorator offers up something you don’t like. This is a service based business and our end goal is always to create personal spaces that our clients love and feel comfortable in.

It ain’t easy.

Realize that if designing and decorating a home were easy, everyone would be doing it! It can appear easy these days when so much is available with one click and designer product lines are popping up everywhere. But we’re doing loads of work behind the scenes to help our clients create the illusion that their homes just happen to look effortlessly fabulous! We’re measuring )and measuring again!) creating space plans, ordering and tracking products, returning things that aren’t up to standard, choosing the exact shade of blue to go with your grandmother’s rug, finding the perfectly sized sofa to fit in an awkwardly shaped room…all of this takes time and lots of it. This time translates into the decorator’s fees, whether those fees are hourly or per project.

Trust your decorator.

There’s an element of trust in any service based industry and the decorator/client partnership is particularly intimate. We’re inside of your homes for an extended amount of time, often forming a relationship that you don’t necessarily have with your landscaper or mechanic. So you need to like and trust us without reservation. Please speak up if there’s something you don’t understand, whether it involves billing or that zebra print wallpaper that you definitely aren’t feeling for the powder room. A good decorator should be able to give you a timeline for the project, explain how she or he charges and explain the process step-by-step.

Have any questions? Please feel free to call, email or ask in the comments.

Click here to learn more about working with me

5 Easy Ways to Prepare Your Home For Spring

by Michele Wesdock Filed Under: Dining Room, Living Rooms, plants, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Baby daffodils from Trader Joes–I buy them every year 🙂

As I write this it’s 45 degrees and cloudy, but I have every hope that spring will eventually come. With that hope held tightly in my heart, I have six things that we can all do to prepare our homes for spring.

Kondo your family room! You’ve spent the past few months curled up on the sofa swapping germs with the kids. Spending more time indoors means the accumulation of more “stuff” indoors, so tidy it up! Anything that isn’t purposeful or meaningful needs to go. I’m looking at you, cluttered coffee table! Accumulated magazines, kids books and toys, random chargers, chewed beyond recognition dog toys…Be ruthless!
Doctor your plants. Read the plastic tag (you kept that, right?) and make sure you’re following the instructions for light and watering needs. Fertilize if you need to. Cut off any dead portions and repot if necessary. If a plant is truly on it’s last legs, throw it away (and don’t feel guilty.)
Fluff your throw pillows. Carefully unzip the cover and place the pillows in the dryer on the air fluff setting. Look over your covers and snip off any loose threads and spot clean with a mild detergent.
Rotate your sofa cushions.
Switch out the oil in your diffuser for a scent that smells crisp and clean.

Here’s a bonus tip: Don’t buy anything new! At least not until you’ve done the above five things. I know, I love Target, too, but most impulse purchases really are just clutter. Seriously! And after you’ve tidied and fluffed, you may be so happy with your clean, fresh room that you won’t want a thing 🙂

Does your home need a refresh? Craving a new paint color? Schedule a two hour, in home consultation. Our home consult is an information-packed, working session that will leave you with concrete ideas for moving forward with your plans.

How To: Choosing a Sofa

by Michele Wesdock Filed Under: fabric, Kids, Living Rooms, pets, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Are you happy with your sofa? Choosing a piece of furniture that you’ll spend hours of your life on (The Crown Season 3–I’m looking at you) can be overwhelming, There so many considerations…You want it to be stylish but comfortable. You have kids, pets, and you like red wine. And you still want to be happy with it ten years down the road. So what should you look for?

Shape: I think the best sofas have a classic and tailored shape. For simplicity in this post, we’ll stick with only five common styles: the English roll arm, a track arm, the Lawson, a slipcovered style, and a Midcentury style. You can see that the “style” of the sofa can be influenced by the shape of the arm. Your ideal sofa will be a balance between what appeals to you aesthetically and what suits your lifestyle. You may find that a higher, rounded arm is more comfortable to snuggle in for movie sessions while an English roll arm is perfectly at home in your front living room.

Size: First, assess the size and shape of the room. Draw a room plan or even tape out the dimensions on your floor with painter’s tape. If your room can handle an extra long sofa, go for it! Especially if you like to stretch out. But if your room is small or awkwardly shaped, opt for something a bit smaller with narrow arms. Nothing looks more dated than a hulking sofa, IMO! For comfort, you’ll also want to pay attention to the inside depth, which generally ranges from 22″ – 24″ inches. A 22″ sofa is easy on short legs while a deeper sofa is ideal for larger people. If you like to curl up or lay on your sofa with the dog, deeper is better. If you really like to sleep on your sofa or snuggle up with your partner, 25″ or more is even better.

Fabric: Today there are so many performance fabrics that it’s almost hard to find a reason NOT to use them. If you have your heart set on a fun designer fabric or if your sofa won’t be getting loads of use, of course it’s fine to use something else. But if you’re looking for a fabric that’s easy to clean, stain resistant, and fade resistant, you can’t beat the performance fabrics that are on the market today. Most polyester fabrics also clean up well and prints hide stains better than solid colors. Linens look easy, breezy and casual but may not hold their shape over time.

Revolution Performance Fabric

Comfort: Cushions that are all feathers will feel the most luxurious and comfortable, but over time will become flatter and flatter and need fluffing. A combination of foam and feathers will hold it’s shape longer. Spring down cushions have even more structure and will hold up the best over time. Look for foam or spring core cushions that are wrapped in an “envelope” of feathers for both comfort and structure.

Construction: Look for kiln-dried hardwood or furniture grade engineered wood. The frame should be corner block reinforced. Eight way hand tied springs are the gold standard, although sinuous springs can also make for quality suspension and prevent sagging cushions.

Need help choosing? Let’s chat about a service that might be right for you! A 30 minute phone call is always free.

Six Design Trends That Are Here to Stay

by Michele Wesdock Filed Under: Blog, fabric, Inspiration, paint, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Just like in the fashion world, home decor trends cycle back and forth over the years. Some come and go quickly while others have lasting power. I always feel that the best trends have roots in classic and traditional styles while still bringing something fresh and modern to the surface.

Over the past couple of years, I think we’ve seen a movement away from minimalist interiors and white walls toward more traditional spaces with color, pattern and patina. When I say “patina,” think barn wood, aged brass, gently warn antiques and reclaimed bricks. I think this rich, warm style is going to continue! Juxtaposing old with new and worn with shiny is such a great way to add character to a home and creates that “collected over time” look that I love.

Below are six things that represent home decor trends that I think will remain current for a long while.

Brass finishes and traditional shapes aren’t going anywhere! Brass pairs beautifully with jewel tones and adds so much life and warmth to a space. Notice how the simple shade keeps the lamp modern. We’ll be seeing vintage brass pieces and aged brass finishes on lighting and fixtures for a few years to come. Brass table lamp
Block prints have been popular for a while and the trend is holding up well. These prints blend seamlessly with traditional or more modern spaces and the hand stamped look adds so much charm. You’ll find these in both large scale and small prints and they can skew toward casual or have a more sumptuous look and feel. Pillow fabric available to the trade
Peacock blue has always been a favorite of mine. Paint your walls in this gorgeous Beau Green by Benjamin Moore for lots of drama or put a pair of blue velvet pillows on your beige sofa to liven it up.
Natural wood and in particular, unfinished wood, is becoming very popular in kitchen and bathrooms. While white cabinetry will always be classic, wood has a patina and old world look that’s very cozy and appealing. Vanity available to the trade
Wallpaper is having a huge resurgence and there are so many gorgeous patterns to choose from. This peacock blue with pink birds is unabashedly feminine and sophisticated. Use it in a powder room or in a master closet! Tori Teal Wallpaper
Performance fabrics are such an amazing technology and they just keep getting better and better. Kids? So what. Wine? Who cares. They’re available in so many colors and patterns there’s no excuse not to cover your entire house in them. Muddy paws? Bring it on. Kashmir Elephant Fabric

What do you think of these trends? Are you a fan of peacock blue? I’ve been dying to repaper my bathroom and I might be leaning toward something bold like this 🙂

Want to freshen up your home? Let’s start with a two hour, in-home consultation. Learn more here.

New Year’s Resolutions for the Home

by Michele Wesdock Filed Under: Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Welcome, 2019! Whether or not you’re the resolution type, it doesn’t hurt to start little habits to make your home a bit more pleasant in the new year. Winter around these parts can be a bit dreary (we’ve had so. much. rain) and I think doing some things that freshen your home can help combat winter fatigue and help your home be more comforting during a period when we’re indoors so often.

And doesn’t the house feel so lackluster after the tree is down? After the garland has dried to a crisp and the twinkle lights are put away, my house always seems to be missing something. So to combat the January blues, I’ve put together 31 days of easy home habits that I’m featuring on Facebook every day. One tip will go out every morning at 11:00.

Want all the tips at once? The image below can be easily downloaded and printed. Click here or on the image for the link.

Join the daily conversation over on Facebook! I’d love to know how your January is going. I’m needing quite a lot of coffee this morning…

Porch Life – A Modern Farmhouse Design

by Michele Wesdock Filed Under: Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Happy Friday! As promised last week, I’m bring you another porch design I’m calling Modern Farmhouse. Modern farmhouse combines the charm of the traditional farmhouse aesthetic with the sleek lines of more contemporary style. I also refer to this style as refined farmhouse because this design is more chic than farmhouse styles of the past. The key to success is paying attention to the contrasts between old and new and rustic and sleek. Pair a rustic wood dining table with simple chairs that have clean, modern lines. Upholster a contemporary armchair in a plaid or check fabric. It’s all about the balance!

outdoor barn light/door paint color/floral pillow/monogramed pillow

wreath/door mat/galvanized planters/bench/pig

I couldn’t help adding the cast resin piggy from Ballard Designs– I am from Smithfield! Enjoy the long weekend!

Need help planning your porch or another space in your home? An in-home consultation can give you just the jump start you need. Or let me do all the work and choose a full-service design plan.

Spring Cottage Inspiration

by Michele Wesdock Filed Under: houses, Inspiration, Uncategorized 1 Comment

Last week, I took my youngest to see the Peter Rabbit movie. He’s almost ten and all boy but still has a sweet, tender side that loves baby animals, hugs and holding my hand in public. Well, I made up that last part but I’m so happy that he doesn’t feel too old to watch Peter Rabbit with his mom 🙂 The movie was soooo cute and funny and if you’ve ever fantasized about living in the English countryside (duh, who hasn’t) then you’ll love it, too. Isn’t this cottage the sweetest? I decided immediately that I’ll one day live in such a cottage and I set to Googling “English style cottages in America.”

Bea’s Cottage

Bea’s Studio

What I found is that we don’t really have the type of architecture in the U.S. that we would think of typically English. What we DO have here that we often consider “cottage-style” are often craftsman bungalows, traditional Cape Cods, Tudor revivals, farmhouses with Victorian elements and shingle style homes. Add a lovely front garden that can only be described as “restrained chaos” and we can come pretty close to recreating the charm of an English country cottage.

This gambrel style guest home on Long Island is the perfect quaint cottage. Designed by architect Stuart Disston, it seems to capture that timeless feel of a house that has just “always been.”

The exterior of the home looks like a storybook cottage.

Gambrel Style Cottage by Stuart Disston

The interior designer, Douglas Graneto, perfectly marries the unique architecture with a layered, textural style that speaks perfectly to casual, seaside living. The exquisite drapery fabric sets the tone for the whole home, I think.

Douglas Graneto Design of Greenwich created warm, inviting interiors.

The kitchen is kept light and airy with traditional white cabinetry.

This shingle style home on the other coast was built and designed by Steve and Brooke Giannetti. You must read her blog, Velvet and Linen, So much eye candy. I’m so in love with Brook’s casual elegant style.

Steve and Brooke Giannetti's house in Santa Monica front garden

Steve and Brooke Giannetti house in Santa Monica

Brooke Giannetti house in Santa Monica

Steve and Brooke Gianetti

Brooke Giannetti house in Santa Monica

This sweet little cottage belongs to Frances Schultz, a contributing editor at House Beautiful.

Bee front exterior

Bee Cottage

Bee garden room

I love the iron gate at this charming Tudor. Nothing says cottage garden like climbing roses!

Our beautiful brick home is on the National Historic Register!

This sweet Tudor home in Birmingham, Alabama belongs to Betsy Fleenor and was showcased in Southern Living.

Tudor Cottage

Betsy’s Keys to Success: Improve Your Soil

Meandering paths help keep the garden organized and easy to maintain while staying true to the romantic, cottage style.

Multiple Seasons of Interest

And in my neck of the woods, there’s Colonial Williamsburg. Every time we visit my heart gives a little lurch because #dreamhome. The kids are admiring the muskets while I’m fantasizing about colonial cottage life. Without people trying to peak in my windows, of course 🙂

Photo Courtesy: Jerry Gammon

Custis Tenement Fred Blystone

Throw in triplet baby lambs and life would be just about perfect!

Colonial Williamsburg/Fred Blystone

Colonial Williamsburg Blog

Happy Spring!

Want to freshen up your home? I’d love to help!

What’s Missing From Your Dining Room?

by Michele Wesdock Filed Under: Blog, Dining Room, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

My girlfriend recently decided to turn her large but mostly unused formal living room into a dining room to better accommodate family get togethers. Great idea, right? I thought so, too, but the process turned out to be more of a project than she thought it would be, mostly because the new room is so much bigger than her previous dining space.

In a small or average sized dining room, you’ll usually have space for a table with seating for six or eight and either a buffet OR a china cabinet, but not both. The space and shape of the room will normally dictate where you’ll place these items. Throw up a mirror and a couple of pieces of artwork and call it a job done.

But in a large or long dining room, there are more decisions to be made. Larger rooms need larger chandeliers. Maybe even two. A large room can often feel “flat” without decorative moldings or wallpaper to give it added dimension. A large room can easily handle a sideboard and a buffet. Large rooms also benefit from larger artwork and larger mirrors.

For inspiration as I help her tackle this space, I’ve gathered together some ideas for creating drama in a dining room that might be larger than average and therefore need more decorative elements to help it feel “finished.”

First, consider adding wallpaper or a mural to give the space visual interest and dimension.

Leta Austin Foster

emily henderson design navy wallpaper dining room with white dining chairs

Emily Henderson

Check out these incredible murals from Mural Sources! This one is of an “idyllic Virginia coastline.” This would be gorgeous along one long wall in a dining room.

Grand Haven Watercolor

muralsources.com

Built-ins are always a great way to add practical storage as well as depth, dimension and a feeling of coziness.

Benjamin Moore “Harbor Haze”

Skip Sroka

A large room or long table can easily handle two chandeliers instead of one. Two lighting fixtures are practical, providing consistent lighting for large gatherings, and also add elegance and drama. Just remember to put those babies on dimmers!

Andrew Howard Interior Design | Arch Top Medium Lantern by E.F. Chapman | circalighting.com

Andrew Howard

Our dining room reveal... A traditional dining room features cloud wallpaper, double beaded chandeliers, parsons chairs and a beautiful wooden cabinet.

Addison’s Wonderland

Oversized artwork always works on a large expanse of wall. This room doesn’t have any mill work or crown molding to add interest, but the large print in the dark frame adds drama and contrast on the light walls.

Studio McGee

The dark mirror in this otherwise light and bright room accomplishes the same task, reaching all the way to the ceiling and drawing the eye upward. Imagine if the mirror were only half the size?

Image unknown

Last, consider adding wainscoting, crown molding or mill work to add dimension to the walls.

Romo Kiku Wallpaper

Decor Pad

You could argue that this room needs artwork or a mirror, but the mill work adds so much interest that the wall becomes a feature.

Transitional

Kerry Spears Interiors

The dining room below, with it’s pale, neutral palette, would fall flat without the built-ins and wainscoting. With it, the room is full of architectural interest.

Corner China Cabinet

Decor Pad

And here we have the ultimate in stunning mill work and lighting. I. Can’t. Even. with this dining room. See this entire INSANELY gorgeous 1920s colonial here.

Janet Gridley

Wanna take your dining room up a notch? Contact me to make an in-home appointment!

2018 Home Decor Trends

by Michele Wesdock Filed Under: Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Even though styles and trends don’t miraculously change on the day we flip our calendar page, it’s fun to talk about the direction that we see home decor moving toward in the upcoming year. Of course what’s “in or out” can be somewhat subjective, so I always like to abide by the golden rule of filling your home with things that YOU truly love, trends be damned. Lists like this work as guidance, not hard and fast rules. Also, there’s that other golden rule “do unto others…” That’s a good one, too 🙂

1. Refined Farmhouse So many people love farmhouse style so be assured that many farmhouse elements aren’t going away any time soon. There will always be an appreciation for well crafted simplicity such as we see with the traditional farmhouse table or a hand-stitched quilt. But farmhouse is becoming more refined and a little more sophisticated. How can you adopt this trend? Keep farmhouse elements to a very few well-loved things. Place a great value on authenticity. Pair a vintage chair with an crisp, modern fabric seat. Opt for clean lines.

Refined Farmhouse Style Lonny

2. Soft Curves In the coming months, we’ll see more furniture pieces with curves instead of angular pieces with sharp edges. So many pieces in a room are rectangular and square, from picture frames to chairs to sofas to TVs. A curved piece can soften hard lines and create intimacy and a feminine softness.

A circular sectional feels sophisticated, cosmopolitan, and downright statement-making in any space it occupies. Photo by Tony Vu.

One Kings Lane

Boat House Bed King 66

upholstered bed available to the trade

Demilune Console

curved console table available to the trade

3. Velvet Move over rustic. Lush fabrics in deep jewel tones are back and they’re here to stay for a while. That wallpapered ceiling? Also a trend…

blue velvet tufted sofa

House Beautiful

Roger and Chris

4. Matte black fixtures Unlacquered brass is still hot, hot, hot, but matte black is being seen all over, too. And you can definitely mix the two. In fact, mixing finishes adds a layered interest to any space.

blackhardware4

Studio McGee

modern black and white kitchen with leather stools, marble counters, black fixtures

source unknown

5. Bold florals: Feminine florals back in a big way BUT NOT in an 1980’s way. This year’s florals are jewel toned, graphic and bossy. Pair them with subtle textures and smaller prints to really make a statement!