Don’t be Sleepless in Seattle because of design differences with your partner. Here are tips from a Seattle interior designer to get started and work thru your different tastes.

Are you and your partner planning a remodel, new furnishings such as an area rug, art, accessories or window treatments?  In my everyday design work, I find couples have trouble typically in SIX areas which leads to conflict and unfinished or stalled project.  Here are the problem areas and remedies to resolve those design differences and get your project moving.

·         Color     Translating a color selection from a small sample is daunting. Plus, one partner may like bold, vibrant colors and the other soft neutrals.  There are helpful websites such as www.myperfectcolor.com that show combinations.   Narrow the selection and then test the colors using a mini-can on your wall first.

·         Style      Use magazines to identify likes and dislikes. Independently, select rooms, styles of furniture, arrangements and accessories.  Then each partner can share the vision they have of the project. This is also a good opportunity to discuss the budget.

·         Fabric     The exchange of information from magazines shows who likes what with textures and patterns.  I find one partner may prefer something floral or printed and the other plains.  Use this information and decide if a floral might be on a pillow instead of a chair. Discuss smooth, soft fabrics vs. flat and also if leather is a preference.

·         Television      I know I will encounter strong feelings about the placement of the TV.  Today the large, black screens dominate.   How exposed will it be?  Will it be hidden or front and center. I find most family rooms fully expose the TV as this is the gathering place for family and friends.

.        Windows       In the Northwest, light is very important so windows are mostly exposed. Saving furniture and fabric from excessive sunlight is a consideration so some light control is important. Heat gain and heat loss are also important. Who wants what?  Again the magazine exercise is a chance to voice likes and dislikes. Do you like shades, fabric, side panels and so on.

.        Clutter      I generally find one partner is a neatnik and the other is less concerned with messes. I recommend drawers, baskets and boxes  to keep organized. Get in the habit of clearing off surfaces daily. Group collections of objects for impact and decide which room is best for display.

The most important element of this exploration for a successful remodel is a PLAN. I work with my clients to integrate the information into a strategy of selections, finish specifications and final choices. The finished room reveals a design that is a partnership. 

In my weekly enewsletter, I regularly offer resourceful sources and tips to explore as you dip your toes into a new project. Alternatively, you can receive  quick solutions by email.

What works best for you readers when you design with your partner?

Individual, colorful pieces energize a room  instantly.  Seattle interior designer, Faith Sheridan shares her tips about  adding  color accents and confidently infusing your home decor.

Choose pieces with flexibility. A colorful accent table can sit in the den today, in a guest bedroom tomorrow.

malachite is hot

• Choose a color that’s a personal favorite. You will find a spot for it somewhere because you love it passionately.

• Use a single bright or fun piece in a room with neutral colors or traditional furnishings. Color and whimsy are most effective when they are unexpected.

• Coordinate accent colors with existing colors. Add bright red bar stools to a neutral wood toned kitchen, for example. Or put a black dresser in an aqua bedroom.

• Don’t take yourself too seriously. It’s your home; decorate in a way that pleases you.

• Break some rules, inject your personality. Invite some comments, nothing is more daunting than a perfect room.

• Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. When all you’re adding is a single, inexpensive accent, you can afford an oops! occasionally.

Color choices in furniture over the past decade have been mostly “brown, brown or more brown,” says Louis Slone, owner of Slone Brothers Furniture in Longwood, Fla.  “People are tired of brown. We’ve been ramming it down their throats for years,” he says. “They’re ready for a change.”

Starting last winter amid the gray days of Seattle, I sensed and then witnessed that color changes were coming.  As I drove by Brooks Brothers in downtown Seattle I did a double take.  My perception of this company is conservative, traditional but there in the windows were bold cabana stripes. Talk about waking up the windows! That’s when my intuition was confirmed.  Color is on the way. And ready or not, we’re getting it.

Colors from Hickory Chair

“In home furnishings, we’ve had a long period of neutral colors in wood and upholstery. With concerns over the gloomy economy, consumers are looking for a spark of brightness — something that feels like fun and makes them smile.”

Some new designs feature hot pinks, oranges and yellows. Others come in cool but lively blues, greens and turquoise.

Pink and lime green ottoman

“In a tough, uncertain economy, people’s homes become their haven,” says Kris Kolar, vice president for interior design at Robb & Stucky Interiors. “Bright colors make their haven a happier place.”

None of these experts is advocating a total home makeover in lime green or fuchsia.  Instead, Slone expects that homeowners will be looking for unique, colorful items.  I already see this trend appearing in my projects too.  Pieces such as an aqua-lacquered bowl, a turquoise sideboard or sectional seating in a vivid fire engine red.

Using colorful accent pieces effectively adds a little lighthearted whimsy to an interior. I believe homeowners will inject color in small doses as we all seek a brighter side around us. They may add a doormat printed with daisys, a bed painted lime green to team with a turquoise chest, or a drum table accented with stripes.  But you can be certain, those stripes won’t be brown!

Last week I was browsing through some photos of my kitchen in a former home when I lived in Portland. I had totally remodeled it shortly after I moved in. Since much of the wall area was covered with cabinets, doors, windows, and such, I chose a red paint to create a burst and energy to a busy area of my home

Many designers would concur that RED is a secret weapon that instantly adds a statement to a room.  Even in small doses via a pillow, for example, it catches the eye.  I also think red lifts your mood and is a happy color and introduces a ‘wow’ factor into your interior.

Red Kitchen

There is a shade of red for every decorating style and to match colors already existing in your home. For instance, I love red with shades of lime green.  In traditional interiors red tends to be cranberry but in modern interiors it is more of a true red.  Asian style often includes red. In a room with little light, it instantly brightens the room.

As a summer project, consider painting an old piece of furniture like a chair, chest or bench a bright red gloss paint.  The  furniture piece will quickly become the eye catcher in the room. On smaller pieces using a can of spray paint is an option after properly prepping the furniture.

Think of red as you think of how you select your nail color or lipstick or purse.  If you have a built-in bookcase, consider painting the interior red or perhaps the ceiling of the powder room. 

Here are some of my favorite reds from Benjamin Moore:
2004-20 Chili Pepper
2003-10 Million Dollar Red
1322 Ladybug Red
1309 Moroccan Red
1315 Poppy

Do you have a favorite red to share? Please share yours with a comment. More tips

Teen bedrooms  need colors and designs that are fresh and exciting.  Benjamin Moore’s 2010 Color Pulse palette titled Ingenuity is about passion, creativity, free-form perspectives, redefining, renewing and re-purposing. Ingenuity colors are sporty with names like:  Salsa, Mesquite, Mauve Bauhaus, Yellow Finch, Seaweed, Bronze Metallic, Hummingbird, Midnight Navy.

Most often a re-do of a teen bedroom starts with bedding.  How about a rug to create a splash of energy as a starting point instead.  Here are some colorful rugs using bright colors and unusual shapes to jump start a teen bedroom design:

Company C

C Breeze Company C

Barbie Pink Foreign Accents

Surfboard Foreign Accents

Next Steps:

1. Let your teen weigh in on a rug of their choice.
2. Select an accent color from the rug.
3. Head to the paint store for paint samples to test on the wall. Remember color intensifies so go a shade or two lighter.
4. Use the accent color behind the wall with the bed
5. Find bedding in a solid color from the rug but different than the wall color.
6. Consider monograms on bed pillows.
7. Involve your teen for art like posters, photos.
8. Add a shelf to show mementos, stuffed animals, awards, ribbons, and such.
9. Find a funky, colorful lamp.
10. Fill in with fun, low-cost novelties like beanbag chairs in jellybean colors.