Archive for December, 2009

DECORATING ON A BUDGET THIS HOLIDAY SEASON?

Design Scheme Interiors, the tri-state area’s top interior designers, keep their finger on the pulse of what’s hot and what’s not in design and décor. Being financially concious is definitely the trend for this 2009 holiday season. Here are some budget friendly tips from DSI to help inspire your creative decorative juices. We recommend using these tips around the home, office or at your holiday party.

Tip #1

Shop around the house!

Take a look around your home, what items do you have that match the current holiday season colors? Let’s use Thanksgiving as our holiday example. Traditionally oranges, yellows, reds, and browns are used to represent this holiday season. Search your home and start collecting items that fall into this color scheme… don’t forget to check your closets, basement and/or attic! Grab anything and everything you currently own that falls into the color scheme: brown candleholders, orange trinkets, cranberries from your fridge (fill a large vase with cranberries), yellow or red curtains (curtains can be used for purposes other than covering your windows, ex: table cloth), basically anything that falls into your desired color scheme. Most likely, you will not use all the items you find, but you will be surprised once you have everything together what you combine and come up with for this season’s holiday decor.

Tip #2

Go green and shop outside!

Don’t be afraid to bring the outside in. Once again we will use Thanksgiving as our holiday example. This holiday, as well as others, have so much to do with history and the season the holiday happens to fall under. Use what is available, and FREE, from the outdoors to create beautiful ambiance within your home. Create a center/mantel piece and/or room focal point by, 1^st: Filling a vase with colorful cranberries, oranges, or rocks from your garden. 2^nd: Fill in with water. 3^rd: Grab sticks from outside and mist with gold spray paint. 4^th: Place the sticks in the vase and then place in your home. To create smaller points of interest around the home: create a bundle of small sticks and wrap the sticks in the thickness of your liking in orange, brown and red ribbon. Place the bundles of sticks around your home for pops of color. Be inspired and get creative in the great outdoors!

Tip #3

Potluck Décor!

We have all heard of potluck dinners, but what about potluck décor? If you are hosting a party or dinner this season have each person bring a center piece. Depending on how large your guest list is this year, you might want to place the center pieces all over your home for larger groups or place them all together on the dinning table for the smaller groups. The idea is to have everyone pitch in on the décor… have them bring a dish as well to make this holiday a complete “Potluck Party.”

To make this potluck décor interesting, tell your guests you will be having a competition for the best and worst center piece.

Some inexpensive prizes for the winner could include:

• $1 scratch off lottery tickets,
• “First Dibs” rights all night (first to be served at dinner, first to be served wine, first to be served desert, etc..)
• “Best Seating” privileges (ex: best seats at the dinner table, best seats while relaxing and digesting that amazing meal you cooked)
• And the best prize of all… relinquished of all clean-up duties!

Involving your guests in the potluck décor, food and/or competition, adds a little extra fun to your event as well as that much needed holiday color!

Tip #4

Change your shopping routine.

If you decide to shop for new items this year, check your local dollar store or craft store before purchasing new items at the more expensive department stores. Many craft stores have items for under a dollar available. When buying and decorating with smaller items, think repetition. Use repetition of color, shape, tones and number of items. Use the rule of three when working with small items; place three items together for one focal point. If you decide to purchase small bundles of imitation foliage to place around your home make sure the colors don’t clash with your current décor.

Design Scheme Interiors is only a phone call away, if you have any questions about interior design projects you would like to get started, just give us a call. We hope these tips are helpful and fun for you, your family and friends. Have a wonderful holiday season!

While looking for the perfect chandelier for a Feng Shui design client recently,  we stumbled upon Oly Studio’s Serena Bowl Chandelier in the Capiz Shell.

We absolutely love the color the roundness and the opulence this will bring our client’s Feng Shui redesigned dining room.  Oly Studio is a great find for the unusual and unique.

Oly Studio was founded in Berkeley, California in 1999 by designers Kate McIntyer and Brad Huntzinger.  Oly’s furniture and accessories present a fresh blend of clean lines and antique motifs.  Blending the traditional with the contemporary, Oly provides our clients with a style that works well in a wide range of environments.

Design Scheme Interiors, LLC is proud to be a dealer of Oly Studio products.  Call us today to order something special and unique for your home 301-317-7855.

The design team of Schemm and Ways have done it again!  In the Uptown Magazine October/November 2009 issue, Washington, DC local edition, the team is listed in their HOT List!   This is the second year in a row they have been listed!