Welcome to Posh Living!

webmaster — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:16:40 +0000

Posh Living, LLC is a charming, old fashioned design shop in Surfside Beach, South Carolina. Owners Layla Altman and Kerry Ann Dame specialize in homes that are warm, personal, stylish and practical.

Our philosophy of Substance & Style places an emphasis on stylish but relaxed living, keeping in mind practicality and sustainability. We are proud to feature natural flooring, recycled products and American made furniture in our store. Slipcovered furniture is our specialty. Our fabric department focuses on the classics - cotton solids and prints, linen and silk.

Posh Living was started in 2001 with the name Bungalow Heaven, by the Dame family. In spring of 2008, we decided it was time to grow. Happily, Layla Altman decided to join us and we changed our name to Posh Living.

We hope you’ll take some time to read about our products and services shown at right.

We’ve added some other links we’d like to share too.

Expand your knowledge of design by reading our blog articles. The most recent are below, and there are more in our searchable archive.

To see pictures of our work, just click on the Flickr widget.

On the lower part of the page, you will see links to our product lines. Search for product by clicking a link and we’ll be more than happy to place an order for you.

Thanks for visiting, and we hope to see you in the shop soon!

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webmaster — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:15:53 +0000

WINDOW TREATMENT

SALE

25% Off

Any In-Stock Fabric

Plus

Free Drapery Lining and Installation

NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30

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Window Treatment Design Solutions

Kerry Ann Dame — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:14:13 +0000

Decorating windows in your home involves much more than just finding the right color fabric; a well-chosen window treatment provides insulation, light control, pattern and color, softness, and can even improve the proportions of a room. In most of today’s new homes, large walls of windows have become popular; it is not uncommon to see French doors with transom windows above, and another bank of windows above that. A room doesn’t have to be a sunroom anymore to be flooded with light.

All of this sunshine, however, creates its own set of problems. In addition to privacy issues, large windows flood bedrooms with too much light at sunrise. They can cause furnishings to fade in strong afternoon rays and reduce usable wall area in a room, making furniture placement and window treatment design difficult. Large windows are quite fabulous, however, and most of us feel blessed to have them.

Today’s extensive array of window treatment designs offers choices that address all of the problems above, while adding personal style and charm to a home.

Blinds and shades are often the first product used to control light and provide privacy. Wide slat blinds are an inexpensive option and allow a lot of light to filter in. They can be tilted to protect furniture. They look best when left down, however, since they form a large stack of slats at the top of the window when raised. If you want an uninterrupted view, they may not be the best solution. Be careful when purchasing blinds to buy the best grade your budget allows. The cheaper the blind, the more likely it will yellow, warp, or tangle. Ask for specific warranty information. The major manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty on some of their blinds that indicate superior quality and long-term performance. Window treatment specialty stores offer the most selection, and will take the time to explain the differences between quality levels. An expert window treatment professional will help you choose the best your budget allows. Larger box stores are more self-service and don’t offer measuring or installation. When all is complete, often the price difference is minimal, but the service offered by an independent retailer can eliminate common mistakes. Blinds don’t add much in the way of color, but they control light with ease.

Many people begin with blinds, and then add curtains later for color and insulation. Instead of blinds, one could begin with light-filtering fabric shades, woven grass or bamboo shades. These fold up on themselves to leave the view open, and look attractive when raised. They should be lined to protect the fabric or wood materials from the drying effects of the sun. A heavy lining could also be used, to darken the room for sleeping or to provide effective insulation from extreme heat and cold. Used alone, they provide a more modern look, especially in a small room where long curtains might crowd the floor area. For a large window area, an individual shade for each opening works best, because shades that are too large can be impossible to operate. While Roman shades can be expensive to fabricate, they offer a lot of style and function.

Once blinds or shades are up, the room may need more color. Valances or top treatments are a popular and cost-effective way to brighten up a room with fabric. There are endless clever valance designs. Some designs trick the eye to make a ceiling seem higher; others add structure to an architecturally uninteresting room.

For double height ceilings, I sometimes place a valance or curtain rod above the lowest tier of windows. This creates a horizontal line around the room at a lower ceiling height, bringing the scale of the room down and creating a more cozy feeling.

Some tall ceilings create an echo in the room that can be decidedly un-cozy. This can be minimized by adding long, full curtain panels and sound-absorbing interlining. Add a soft rug underfoot and the room becomes comfortable for lively conversation.

For the largest, grandest windows, curtains are really a must. Old-fashioned, custom-designed, beautifully crafted curtains are back in style. Most designers wax poetic about the general fabulous-ness of curtains, but I think they are missing the point. Curtains came about because houses way back when were cold, drafty and stark. Even though our modern homes are insulated and newer windows keep out drafts, our trends towards larger windows make true climate control impossible. Curtains that filter the hot afternoon sun will save hundreds on air conditioning. Window films can slow down furniture fading, but not really prevent it. Window treatments are another layer that protects interior fabrics, wood floors and carpets. Large sliding doors need extra insulation for chilly winter days in the south. In bedrooms, blackout curtains create a cozy cocoon that make it easy to catch up on sleep or nap during the day. And as I’ve already mentioned, lengths of fabric add the softness we need to help those stark, echoing new houses feel like home. They create a wall of color instead of a black expanse of cold glass at night.

Be sure to use an experienced workroom that specializes in custom window treatments and offers design assistance. With large windows, there are many issues involved. Special hardware may be needed to traverse a large window or carry heavy curtains. What type of lining and interlining should be used? What length of fringe? The proportions of the design are important in relation to the window layout and size of the room. I have a large portfolio of our work that is a great way for clients to see different ideas; any window professional should have the same. It is also important to see actual work that they have done in addition to magazine pictures and books, so you can be sure things are well-constructed.

A professional designer whose work you’ve admired is the best source for a custom window treatment. The best pricing is found at shops that sell fabric by the bolt rather than out of swatch books. They will usually have a designer in-house and the better ones offer fabrication services. They should be able to handle the job start to finish, and bring a professional installer on delivery day. Shops that stock bolts of fabric are able to buy directly from the mills, and offer many of the same fabrics seen in designer books at half of the price. If they have an in-house workroom, the prices will be better than a designer’s markup. Custom window treatments are expensive, but they are a labor-intensive process that requires education, experience and good customer service. Purchasing fabric yourself and looking for a seamstress can have mixed results, as it may not save money and can create a host of problems. Be sure to get some good advice and think about privacy and light control before you choose a style. A good design shop will advise you on all of the areas I’ve discussed. They’ll also send someone out to measure in person; they may charge for an estimate, but it is money well-spent to avoid expensive mistakes.

Custom window treatments can be a significant project, but they are a real necessity with today’s large windows. With the right planning and advice, you can have something practical that will beautify your home for many years.

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A Passion for Blue and White

Kerry Ann Dame — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:04:56 +0000

Shades of blue and white in interior design have enjoyed almost a cult status since Egyptian times. From the blue lotus-flower murals of Queen Nefertiti’s palace, to the flower-rich cultures of Persia, China and Mughal India, the aristocracy has always been fascinated by the color blue. Despite being rare as a flower color, blue has a rich cultural history derived from the use of blue flowers in medicine and myth. The Romans believed blue flowers were created by the gods as a gift; irises were a symbol of the Virgin Mary, and she is usually depicted wearing a blue cloak. Violets were a symbol of Christin humility, and the pale blue flowers of rosemary were thought to ward off black magic and the plague. Even today, brides traditionally wear something blue, as the belief persists that it is a lucky color.

Historically, the color blue was not easily available to all; the dyes that make blue fabrics were derived from the rarest flowers. A blue or purple garment was a status symbol for the wealthy. By the eighteenth century, however, that began to change. Indigo was cultivated in larger quantities in the New World, and fabulous porcelains were brought back from the Orient in massive quantities. Our love affair with blue and white had begun.

Beginning in the 16th century European traders sailed the globe, returning with ships full of valuable spices and silk. In order to keep the delicate fabrics and spices away from moisture in the hold, they needed to fill the lowest parts of the ship with wares that wouldn’t be damaged if wet. Chinese porcelains were perfect. First seen only in the homes of the very wealthy, blue and white porcelain quickly became a collecting craze. Europeans were smitten by the shades of blue and handpainted designs. Its manufacture was a mystery; compared to European pottery, porcelain was miraculously refined, light, strong and white in color. It was the perfect vessel for drinking the newest popular drink, imported tea. Fascinated by the Oriental scenes depicted, French manufacturers copied the designs onto fabrics, creating the scenic toiles we still love today. To show one’s wealth and sophistication, a roomful of blue and white “China”, as it came to be called, was a must. Shelf brackets covered the walls, each holding a precious vase or jar, and plates hung side by side, closely filling the walls. Often the walls were handpainted to match, and blue and white fabrics covered the furnishings. After dinner, guests would relax for drinks in the China Room, and admire the host’s impressive collection.

It was many years before potters in Europe discovered the secret to making true porcelain, and the passion for blue and white could hit the mass market. By the early 18th century, German potters at the now-famous Meissen factory had finally created true porcelain; once the secret leaked out, it spread quickly to England. By the mid-1700’s factories in England were turning out copies of blue and white Chinese porcelain, and the passion for blue and white began to spread. Cobalt blue was a much cheaper glaze to produce, since it could be completed in fewer steps than multicolored pieces; in a short time the color became widely popular as a growing middle class could finally afford the magical China. However, these pieces were still handpainted and somewhat expensive to produce. In an effort to keep up with demand, English potters looked for a way to apply the decoration to the porcelain mechanically, so artists wouldn’t be needed. They developed a way of transferring design from books onto tissue and firing it onto the plates. By the 1760’s, factories were producing hundreds of thousands of pieces of “transferware” per year. While it was printed on a heavier pottery and not porcelain, the blue and white of the upper classes was finally available to nearly all.

So it was that the long-admired blue China spread like wildfire around Europe and across the Atlantic to America. Equally stunning developments in other manufacturing in the early 1900’s not only allowed accompanying fabrics and wallpapers to be mass-produced, the Industrial Revolution created the American middle class. Now millions of people finally had access to and were able to afford beautiful things for their homes. While it is a popular belief that historic homes were plain inside, in actual fact vibrant color was used to paint interiors as early as the 1700’s. Light blues were common for dining rooms, and deep blues for sitting rooms and libraries. Curtains and bed hangings were made up to match. So by the middle of the 1800’s blue and white had been enjoyed in the finest homes for over a hundred years, and it was looked upon as a symbol of good taste.

Throughout the 19th century Victorians, with their passion for collecting stuff, amassed millions of pieces of blue and white China. They ate off it, filled rooms with it, and hung curtains and wallpaper to match. Some of the wallpaper and fabric patterns created a hundred years ago are still popular today.

Nowadays, blue and white seems to wax and wane on the decorating scene. There are those who never seem to give up on it, as if it is part of their collective unconscious. Generations have grown up dining on American-made Blue Willow china, sleeping under blue patchwork quilts, counting the flowers on blue and white wallpaper. So many of us remember cupboards full of blue and white dishes, and many of us have inherited collections that we continue to decorate around. Even when the color trends stray from the blue family, it eventually comes around again.

Blue is making a comeback this year, as we revisit it in our homes and lives. It reminds us of our family histories and exotic travels. It echoes the sea, the sky, and the rare flowers that we enjoy in summer. Living with blue and white helps brighten rooms in dark climates like Sweden and cool down the heat of a French country summer. It can capture the feeling of the beach without using cliche’ elements like shells and sailboats. Like the limitless horizon on a summer day, blue and white seems to be with us to stay.

Copyright July 2008 Kerry Ann Dame. May not be reproduced without permission.

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Outdoor Rooms

Layla S. Altman — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:17:32 +0000

SIPPING ice tea, wiping a small bead of perspiration from the brow, and good conversations with friends. That should describe a true southern afternoon on the porch. And of course, a comfortable piece of furniture to sink into; durable, yet spunky tables and rugs, and maybe an outdoor window treatment for shade from the sun.

Our porches and decks have truly become an extension of our homes. It’s a place to entertain, relax, and spend time with family and friends. Luckily furniture companies have come out with a variety of furniture styles, colors and sizes to accommodate almost everyone’s needs.

As well, fabric mills have made it easy to maintain great looking fabrics that resist sun damage, mold and mildew growth, and are easy to clean. Just because your home may not have a grand terrace, with acres of lush green grass or a water view, does not mean you cannot create a “to die for” outdoor oasis!

Some of my favorites

All-weather wicker is great for folks who love the “cottage” or “vintage” beach look. It works well with traditional southern architecture and details as well. There are now bolder wicker colors and warm earth tones to choose from. At Posh Living, we love to show our customers furniture from Whitecraft, a company whose wicker looks antique and distressed, but comes in resin with Sunbrella cushions to be put right out into the weather.

If you seek the cool modern California look, check out these manufacturers of refined outdoor pieces — Giati, Henry Hall, and Janus Et Cie. These companies have a tremendous selection of furniture pieces made of stainless steel, aluminum and painted metal with polyester powder coatings for that sleek style you may be seeking. These materials can endure the sun and outdoor elements.

If you want something with a little warmer feel, these companies also specialize in resin-fiber woven furniture pieces that create a “faux rattan” look. The resin-fiber “Hularo” is pretty neat for two reasons — first of all it is recyclable, and secondly it resists tearing and UV deterioration. Another material that creates a clean look is furniture made of teak wood. Teak will stand the test of time and will help you to create a true coastal feel. Over time with direct or even indirect sunlight teak will “silver” and turn more of a gray color. To maintain teak’s warm golden color you can apply an oil and sealer, which most companies will recommend you do once a year before the summer season. There are also several modern designs out recently from Whitecraft.

You must have outdoor friendly fabrics to make the maintenance as easy as possible, and for them to last over the years. Sunbrella pioneered the outdoor fabric business. Everyone is familiar with their tough, fade-resistant fabrics on outdoor awnings for windows and doors on commercial buildings. There are several fabric companies who have followed their lead, including Robert Allen (the Susan Sargent line is fabulous), Duralee, OutDura and Perennials. You can find bright stripes and florals as well as more warm and earthy tones in these fabric lines. There are endless opportunities to make a “splash” with color for a bold statements or use soft off-whites and neutral color tones to create a tranquil outdoor living space.

If you are planning on taking a garden space and making it a cozy retreat, we recommend Elegant Earth lightweight concrete furniture pieces and accessories. Concrete pedestal tables, benches, and planters are weather proof and finished with interesting stone-look finishes for European chic.

Also popular are metal café tables and chairs. We prefer those from Fermob, a high quality French company that makes all of the furnishings for the parks and gardens in Paris. They are made of steel with a baked enamel finish, and stand up very well to the weather. Here in hurricane country, we appreciate the European designs, as they cleverly and quickly disassemble for storage. Fermob has designs ranging from classic ice cream chairs to sleek, modern, tropical colored lounges.

Once you’ve made your selections for your main furnishings, I would then recommend a fun outdoor rug to help tie it together. Our favorite outdoor and cotton rugs are made by Dash & Albert. If you are looking for something with a more natural feel that will blend with the trees, try an outdoor woven vinyl rug that mimics the look of sisal, but you can hose it off!

Lastly, choose accessories that finish off your outdoor oasis. Try not to buy everything at once and let the pieces reflect your travels and personality. This will add more interest and spark conversations while you are sipping your tea and enjoying good company. And don’t forget about adding candles and soft lighting to capture the ambiance of your Outdoor Room.

Enjoy your life outdoors!

Laylas S. Altman, ASID is the co-owner of Posh Living with her business partner, Kerry Ann Dame. She can be reached at (843)238-0078 or by email: layla@poshsurfside.com

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Designing The Pet-Friendly Home

Kerry Ann Dame — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:53:34 +0000

“Pet-friendly” is a term often used to describe places that welcome pets with their owners. A pet-friendly home, then, is a home that considers the needs of pet owners as part of the interior design. To avoid your pet-loving home looking like a dog house, consider the many pet-friendly materials that can be incorporated easily into your home.

Flooring and area rugs

“Easy to clean” is the key consideration, but the chosen materials should also be inviting to people. The best arrangement is a hard surface such as tile, stone or stained concrete, with low-pile area rugs for comfort. Area rugs soften the echo in a room and offer a cushy surface for the sitting area. They also allow for thorough cleaning, since they can be moved and vacuumed on both sides to remove fur and tracked in dirt while the floors are mopped. Stay away from looped Berber carpets or hooked rugs, as they catch toenails and end up unraveling. Instead, look for short, cut-pile carpet — it resembles something you might see in a hotel lobby.

I usually recommend 100% nylon fiber carpet, cut to size and bound into an area rug. Nylon is a commercial grade fiber then can be steam cleaned, resists stains and odors, and offers lots of beautiful patterns and colors. If you have a pet that has accidents, or a cat that leaves furballs behind, nylon is terrific because it cleans so well. If your pet is well-housebroken, consider a good wool oriental carpet. Wool cleans very well and the busy pattern hides footprints and fur between vacuumings. Avoid synthetics such as olefin fiber. They tend to hold onto stains and get dingy-looking over time. Be sure to have your area rugs steam cleaned professionally at least once a year, and two or three times if you have messy pets. Your cleaner can also leave you a bottle of professional pet stain remover to use in an emergency. A professional cleaning extracts dirt and sand out of the back of the carpet. This is very important, because the friction of dirt particles rubbing on the back of the carpet is what wears out the fibers. Professionally cleaned carpets last much, much longer.

A less expensive choice would be a natural fiber rug, such as sisal, jute or seagrass. The only one we ever use in homes with pets or young families is seagrass. Unlike sisal, which immediately absorbs liquids, seagrass is naturally water repellent, and spills will initially sit on top. We add a sealer such as Sisal-Guard on top, and puddles will bead up and not soak in immediately, allowing the owner a chance to pick up the mess before damage is done. Because of the tight, slick texture of seagrass, pet fur and sand sit on top and are vacuumed right up. Seagrass rugs are inexpensive enough that if and when they do become stained, they are easily replaced. Many of our clients stick with seagrass in family areas and simply replace them every few years. However, they can’t really be cleaned, so if you have an oily-coated or muddy dog like a labrador, we would recommend wool or nylon.

What about wood floors? Many of the modern engineered woods have highly protective surfaces and will survive almost anything a family dishes out. But some pets, like large dogs, will scratch even the most durable wood floors, and a wet stain can be a disaster. A high-quality laminate would be the better choice. There are many available that look exactly like wood when installed, and they are extremely scratch-resistant. Wet stains are a problem only if they are not cleaned up. Avoid anything too high-polish and slick, since you don’t want your dog sliding all over.

Furniture

What exactly is pet-friendly furniture? Assuming your pet is allowed on the furniture, it should be stain resistant, a color and texture that helps hide fur, and easy to brush off. If it has washable covers, even better. The first thing to consider is the color of your pet and whether it goes outside and digs or swims. A black dog mixes well with a navy sofa, a white cat would fit happily into a home with white canvas slipcovers.

We favor natural linen for sofas, because its oatmeal color and tweedy texture are highly effective at hiding dark or light pet fur and it goes easily through the washer and dryer. Fur is most obvious on dark fabrics, and dirt and oil left behind at a pet’s favorite spot can make light fabrics dingy-looking. A smooth fabric, like a canvas or twill, is easy to brush off and may seem like a great solution. But such a solid fabric will inevitably show every bit of dirt. Look instead for a mingled texture, or a canvas with a colorful print, but avoid loops that can catch toenails.

Outdoor fabrics, which are easy to wash or steam clean, are absolutely exploding with new colors and patterns intended to be used indoors. Their synthetic fibers are practically stain-proof and very durable. While they are more expensive than cotton, their reliable performance makes them worth it. Check out Sunbrella.com, OutDura.com, and Perennials.com for some of the latest outdoor fabrics.

The most pet-friendly furniture has covers that can be taken off and washed occasionally. A rattan or wood framed piece has only the cushions to worry about and so is a great choice. Zippered covers of a pre-shrunk fabric can be slipped over the cushions. For an upholstered sofa or chair, the best solution is a washable slipcover. The store-bought ones are the least expensive, but they do have a tendency to shift and fit poorly. They also don’t come in the best fabrics for pets. We recommend custom slipcovers. Made properly, they are tailored to fit your furniture and the fabric is preshrunk before sewing. This means the slipcover can be washed and dried and continue to fit well for a long time.

Sofas that are purchased slipcovered are not preshrunk, so the manufacturers usually recommend drycleaning. This is expensive and doesn’t work on certain types of dirt, like body oils. Many oily-skinned dogs, such as retreivers, will leave a gray residue on cushions where they sleep, or on the front of the sofa when they come to be petted. The best way to get rid of this is soap and water, so a washable slipcover is invaluable in the dog-lover’s home. If you purchase a high quality frame, your sofa and chair can get new slipcovers after several years, but the pieces themselves won’t need replacing.

Our final pet-friendly solution for furniture is to purchase a few extra yards of your furniture fabric. A hemmed runner of the same fabric as a sofa can be laid on the cushions for extra protection and washed more often. This is much more attractive than seeing your beautiful living room draped constantly with quilts and towels! Keep a few more yards in the closet just in case the furniture needs repair — a good upholsterer can replace a panel or cushion and extend the life of your upholstery. This is an additional expense in the beginning, but worthwhile in the end.

With the right choices ahead of time for flooring materials and furnishings, you don’t have to worry about pets (and other family members) wreaking havoc on your home. Pet-friendly materials that are easy to clean are really the most preferable for a cleaner, healthier and more relaxed way of living.

Kerry Ann Dame is an interior designer, and the co-owner of Posh Living in Surfside Beach, SC with partner Layla S. Altman. Kerry Ann can be reached via email at KerryAnn@PoshSurfside.com

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How To Make A House Into A Home

Kerry Ann Dame — Mon, 26 May 2008 03:37:35 +0000

WE all know that a home is more than four walls; we want a comfortable, relaxed environment that is inviting to friends and expresses who we are. But to have the kind of home that offers even more, the kind of place where memories permeate the air, we must pay attention to more than just matching colors and hanging pictures. Just what sets apart such wonderful places? Some of the good design principles below, combined with personal touches and collections, make all the difference when creating a home.

Furniture Scale

Old fashioned homes did not have ten foot sofas that were forty inches deep. Furnishings were smaller and more mobile in the old days. They were more human in scale, so you didn’t have to be seven feet tall not to have your feet sticking out like Edith Ann when you sat. And there was more flexibility - since a smaller chair is as comfortable in a bedroom as a living room, pieces would be reused as people moved from house to house. In addition to saving your budget, old pieces grow even more charming when you choose from the thousands of fabrics available for recovering, rather than picking from the manufacturers’ bland choices. Consider unusual fabrics such as toile, cotton ticking, or washed damask next time you recover, to give your home an historic air. In our business we recommend slipcovering for a washable, cozy look, and specialize in sofas and chairs of a normal scale. Measure well before you buy - nothing looks very big in a stadium sized showroom. In the condo living room above, we chose a medium sized sofa and small scale, movable chairs for maximum seating.

Even if you live in a large home with huge rooms, you gain nothing by using a ten foot sofa that only two people will sit upon. Divide large rooms into two or more cozy seating areas; make sure that people sitting in these areas are no more than about eight feet apart, so they can chat comfortably. Delineate the areas further by mixing area rugs, and denote uses for the areas, like putting bookshelves for reading, or a games table. Remember, really big rooms are still inhabited by regular size people; and the nicest times spent with family are often with different activities happening in the same room.

Practical Concerns

Make sure your seating areas have adequate lighting. Ceiling lights are not meant to light people, they are for artwork, pathways and task areas. Each chair and sofa should have a large lamp - at least 28″ tall, with a 3 way bulb. The light should be over your shoulder for reading, so choose a high enough end table. If you don’t read, keep in mind that most civilized people do! Make sure there are enough soft pillows, preferably feather filled since you can scrunch them up just so, flop on them, and fluff them up again. We recommend making at least some throw pillows washable, so you can really use them. Don’t put too many - one per chair, three to four on a sofa is plenty, since you want to see the seat cushions if you expect people to sit down. Pairs of chairs should be angled slightly inward for conversation, not lined up straight. Tables should be plentiful - each seat must have a spot to put a book or drink. Think outside the box - side tables can be anything from a 40″ round skirted table to a Chinese garden seat or small carved stool. At least one large table, deep in a corner or behind a sofa, can offer a large surface for piles of books and a potted geranium, or a collection of family photos, or an interesting display of travel finds. Keep photo frames all the same color scheme to avoid a cluttered look. A small stool beside a club chair is perfect for a glass of wine and remote control, and is easily moved when there’s a crowd. And don’t forget someplace to put your feet up!

This custom library we created (above) provides a home for the owner’s books and antiques; small stands and ottomans can move as needed, and comfortable pillows help create the perfect spot to curl up and read.

Personalize

I often wonder who people really are when I visit their home and there no mementos of trips, no original art, and few books. Nearly everyone is interesting in some way, and here is where a professional designer can really help. Check your closets for heirloom art pieces that can be re-framed or re-matted to personalize your house. Bring your collections out of hiding - hang plates on walls, fill bookshelves with trophies from childhood, make that funny old Chinese statue into a lamp. Buy lots of books, and read them. A professional eye can help sort out the really valuable things and make good use of them. Stay away from the mass-produced poster art sold in furniture stores - no matter how fancy the frame, it’s still just a poster! Why have a $400 picture of a watercolor painting when for about the same price, you can have the real thing? Check art fairs for talented unknown artists, find something you really like, and start building a collection of real one-of-a-kind art at great prices. You’ll have pieces with a story to tell, and if an artist becomes famous, you’ll have something of real value one day. Antiques shops are another great source for the works of unknown “Sunday artists”. It can be fun to work around a theme - some people collect dog paintings, or rose pictures, or still lifes, or botanical prints.

Our design for the Bel Air living room below includes antique lacquer boxes, French chairs, and 19^th century oil paintings, combined freely with vintage textiles to create an air of intellectual glamour. A backdrop of taupe silk curtain panels and walls calms the mix.

Control clutter by gathering pieces into collections and using a hutch, bookshelves, or large tabletop for tidy display. Set your things off with a strong paint color for an inexpensive change with dramatic impact. Remember, when you leave the furniture store with your new living room suite, you are not finished with the room. Really great rooms move way beyond the three fabric combination of retail. Mix in several other fabrics, varying pattern scale and texture, adding fringe to pillows. This is another area where design help can make all the difference. Look at the really fabulous rooms in national magazines and count how many different fabrics populate the sofas, chairs, ottomans, pillows and curtains in a beautifully finished room.

Speaking of Curtains

The loveliest homes are usually replete with some sort of window treatments. While custom treatments can be a significant expense, there is nothing you can buy ready-made that even comes close. Curtains control light, soften corners, hide poor architecture, quiet echoes, and create a human scale in high-ceilinged rooms. They also add pattern and color - in our business, we believe that not having curtains is wasting an opportunity for colorful excitement, or for a soothing cocoon of calm. You could spend a fortune on accesssories and not have nearly the impact of finely made window treatments and a pretty paint color.

We used yards of linen to give a relaxed air to this Lowcountry bedroom (above). Slipcovers keep the wing chairs from looking too serious for sitting, and the simple curtains allow the beautiful Palladian window and view to take precedence.

Get Help

I’ve encountered many homes cluttered with tchotchkes and too much furniture. Often people make one impulse purchase after another as they try to find the one thing that will make their home fabulous. One couple I worked with had five sofas, all bought within three years. Every time they wanted to perk up the house, they went to the furniture store! With professional help, after a couple of years of disciplined decorating, their home was a comfortable, charming and elegant showplace, with pretty curtains, oriental rugs, and slipcovered chairs. And when they moved, they had learned so much they didn’t need my help at all to make the new home just as attractive. As I tell my clients, if you add up all of the $50 impulse purchases we make in a year - the lamp that was too short, the picture that doesn’t match, the rug that was too big for the bathroom - and apply those funds instead to interior design, you may have enough in the budget for a nice window treatment or a slipcover. Combine that with some good professional advice and your own pieces, your collections, your travel finds, and your family stories, and you’ll soon have a home ready for creating even more wonderful memories.

Kerry Ann Dame is an interior designer, and co-owner of Posh Living in Surfside Beach, SC with design partner Layla Altman. Kerry Ann can be reached at (843) 238-0078, or by email at KerryAnn@PoshSurfside.com

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Three Things to Think About When Choosing Your Floors

Layla S. Altman — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:53:35 +0000

FLOORING is an important component to our home environment. We live on it day in and day out. It needs to be durable, easy to maintain, attractive and affordable. Durability may be a top priority for a family with children and pets, but may not be for a couple who jet sets and is only at home on weekdays. Maintenance is usually an issue for all of us, but some individuals may desire a particular look that can’t be achieved unless a higher maintenance material is used. Last but not least, affordability! We are all drawn to images we see in fabulous design magazines, not realizing that what we are seeing can cost thousands, or even hundreds of thousands to actually buy and install. On a positive note, you can achieve a similar look for less, but you may purchase a ceramic or porcelain instead of a high priced natural stone. That is where a professional flooring sales representative or interior designer truly comes in handy.

Durability. If there was ever an indestructible product to enter the market - concrete may be the closest thing, but it surely isn’t the most cozy for your home. My first question to a flooring specialist would be, “what’s the length of the warranty?” This will tell you what the manufacturer thinks of their own product. Is it a 15, 25 or 30 year warranty? Typically this applies to hardwoods & carpets, as they will show wear and tear more than any other product. Wood is not indestructible! My favorites, with a twenty five year warranty, are the engineered woods by Anderson Floors, which we carry in our showroom.

Maintenance. Where’s the maid? We all can’t afford a maid to clean our houses everyday. Everyone should look for a product that is as maintenance free as possible. We all have busy schedules, and who wants to spend more time cleaning? Here are some key things to ask when purchasing floors: How often do I need a professional to come in and steam or clean my floors. What will regular cleaning entail? What type of cleaning products will I need to use to clean my new floors? Be sure to check out some of our links to find out how to clean and maintain different types of flooring.

Attractive flooring. I don’t know if most people do the ceiling to floor look when they walk into a room, but that’s the first thing I do. Your floors are the foundation to your home’s appeal. Your walls wrap those floors creating the space or room that holds all your furniture and belongings. It is crucial to have a floor that can tie in your home décor, personal style and how you live. Don’t ignore your floors! It is a good idea to look through design magazines and see what you’re attracted to. Just don’t feel like you have to buy the same exact thing. You may be surprised at the cost.

Value. We all want a good deal. Most of the time we aren’t really getting one. The old adage, you get what you pay for, is so true in flooring. If a product cost less, there is definitely a reason. In ceramic or porcelain tile, the thickness can vary so greatly from one piece to the next, that your installer can have a difficult or impossible time setting your tile so that it is level. Another problem with second goods or poor tile manufacturing is that each piece may slightly be a different size; or, it is not square, again making the completed installation poor quality. There are good buys out there; you just need to have someone inform you of what you are buying. You don’t want a sales person selling you their “in stock” product just because they need to move inventory. Make sure you are getting a good buy for the type of product you need.

It has amazed me over the years that particularly in residential construction customers will cut costs on their flooring. Your floors get ten times the abuse any other surface gets in your home and they can be very difficult to repair and replace. If you don’t buy quality products the first time you may end up paying more in the end by replacing your flooring because it didn’t hold up.Why is it that we are drawn to historic homes, but yet our sensibilities about new homes are quite the opposite? We all want the character of older homes because they show the scratches and dents from living, but most of all they were built with quality materials. It is obvious that the materials they used were made to last a lifetime. And they have. Let’s keep that in mind when buying flooring. It should last a lifetime. Not just a period of time.

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Interior Design Trends for 2008

Kerry Ann Dame — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:40:23 +0000

SPRING of 2008 marks a true change of direction for the design world; for the past few years we have heard more and more about eco-friendly products, sustainable design, and organically grown materials. Not only has this movement taken over both Hollywood and High Point, it is finally taking on significance nationwide. The result of this change is that not only will we seek more responsibly produced and healthier products for our homes, but shoppers will be looking for quality.

The days of shopping as a form of entertainment, and replacing furniture every few years, are soon to be a thing of the past. As we become more conscious of where things go when we discard them, we will be purchasing pieces that are designed to wear better and last longer. In fact, the best selling fabric in our shop is a velvet that has a rating of 100,000 double rubs on the wear scale, which means it will last five times longer than the average sofa fabric, and it can go in your washing machine! Once our customers see it, they look no further. There is something appealing about choosing a piece for your home knowing that it will be with you a long time; you can decorate around it, knowing it will be there, and the money that would have been spent replacing a worn-out sofa in five years can be used for something else.

Since our interiors will be designed to last, we’ll be seeing eclectic looks continue to be popular. Handcrafted items such as embroidery, felt, beading, carving and handblocked fabrics are being appreciated more and more in the home, as the outside world becomes more technology focused, modern and cold.

Rather than a complete redo every few years and having things perfectly matched, we’ll take a more old-fashioned approach to design and see the home as a constantly evolving project. Well-made, inherited pieces will stay and perhaps be updated with new fabric or paint. Used furniture will take on more appeal, as it is becoming chic and sensible to have reused and repurposed pieces in the home. In the living room of today, the clean lines of a mid-century chair will go right next to the old leather sofa, bringing an energetic vibe and sophisticated flair to a classic look. Built of hardwood, a good quality sofa is a bigger investment, but it will last a lifetime, and recovering rather than replacing upholstery will be the norm, as it was years ago. All of this makes sense for today’s world. It also creates the opportunity for a family once again to build a home with a more personal style, a place for memories to be created and passed down. The classic American family home is making a comeback.

What will the colors be? According to the Pantone Color Forecast, lilacs, grays and blues will be popular, replacing the vibrant reds and greens and wild fabrics of the recent British Colonial trend with serene, calm hues and smaller patterns. Warm tones will include a canteloupe-like color, and a very sunny yellow that has an orange undertone. The newest reds have a blue tone, ranging from a deep raspberry to a bright fuschia. Pink and Lilac are fresh and new, being given a grown-up look by mixing with silver, gray and black. Navy blue, which has not been common for a while now, is already making a strong comeback, and the freshest version has a hint of peacock blue in it. Greens are always classic, but are becoming less lime green and more spring green, with a little bit of kelly green appearing now and then. To see the newest colors, check out these tones from Sherwin Williams: Prioleau’s Wharf, Plum Blossom, Vanity Pink, Stained Boards, Stirring Orange, Gracious Entry, Holly Fern, Ironwork, Confederate Flannel, and Cerise.

The true indication of our changing times is the fact that rather than dictating styles to us, manufacturers are listening and responding to consumer demand. Consumer awareness is driving the movement towards sustainable design, improvements in quality, and eclectic rooms. Colors may move quickly from the fashion industry into the home, but the resurgence of eclectic looks will allow us to use our favorite colors as we please, not having to constantly change to reflect the trend of the moment. Truly, a new age of design is upon us that focuses on quality, individualism, and respect for the earth.

Websites to visit:

storyofstuff.com
yahoogreen.com
pantone.com

Kerry Ann Dame is an interior designer and the co-owner of Posh Living, LLC, with her business partner, Layla Altman. She can be reached at 238-0078 or by email: KerryAnn@PoshSurfside.com.

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How to Wash a Slipcover

webmaster — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 04:41:16 +0000

If your slipcover is 100% cotton and has been preshrunk, you can easily wash it at home. The only way to be sure of the fabric content is to check with the manufacturer or point of purchase; all fabrics are tagged with the content when they arrive from the mill, and the store should have that information at hand.

It is very important to note that fabrics labeled preshrunk from the factory will still shrink further when washed and dried. The best way to stabilize the fabric and be sure it has been preshrunk adequately is to wash it and dry it in the dryer on a medium to high heat setting before cutting and sewing the slipcover. (This is also a great way to see how the fabric will hold up when washed). If you are sure this was done ahead of time, you can feel confident about washing the cover. All of the slipcovers we make at Posh Living are preshrunk this way, so if you have one of our slipcovers, you’re ready to go.

Most large slipcovers, like sofas, will fit nicely into two laundry loads, usually one for the cushions and one for the body of the sofa.

If you have stains, pretreat with a gentle stain remover such as SprayNWash. For a stubborn or very messy stain, take the cover to the sink and use a gentle soap such as Ivory Liquid. Put a few drops on the stain, add a little water, lather and rinse. Follow with SprayNWash - spray once and leave overnight, then spray again just before washing.

Wash light-colored slipcovers in lukewarm water; dark colors in cold water. Use a permanent press cycle, since the gentler the fabric is treated, the longer the cover will last.

Dry the cover for 10-15 minutes on a medium or permanent press setting. This will release most wrinkles and take a lot of the moisture out. Take the cover out of the dryer when the large flat areas of the fabric are nearly dry, but the seams are still very wet.

This is a great time to iron corner pleats or the hem of the skirt for a crisp look. Do not iron the whole cover, as wet ironing can stretch it and affect the fit.

Put the damp slipcover back on the furniture, leaving the areas that tuck in to the sides of the seat untucked and loose. Line up the cover with the shape of the sofa, and smooth out any more wrinkles with your hands. Put the covers back on the loose cushions and zip closed. Stand the cushions on end next to the sofa (leaning against it for support but touching as little as possible so air can circulate.)

Your slipcover will dry completely in a few hours (depending on weather). I like to wash mine in the evening and leave them to dry overnight while everyone’s asleep.

Remember, all fabrics will wear and fade with repeated washing. Cotton fabrics get softer and more worn with each washing, and darker colors can fade considerably, but that’s part of the charm of a slipcover. Your slipcover should last several years, since most are washed just a few times a year. If you have pets or small children and are washing frequently, it can be handy to have some extra matching fabric around to replace a cushion cover or make a repair. Or, have an extra seat cushion so you’ll always have a clean one if there’s a spill.

If you accidently leave the cover in the dryer too long and it shrinks a bit much, you can wash it again, put it on the furniture wet, and stretch the cotton back out again.

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