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Get Organized for Fall…. starting with the closet.

While many people see Labor Day weekend as the last chance to squeeze in a mini-vacation before the fall, some are up to their ears transitioning their closets from summer to fall and getting organized and prepared for back to school. So for those who have opted to stay home, we thought we would offer some tips to organizing your closet in style.

Take an inventory:
In order to assess what’s in your closet, start by taking every single thing out. You’ll be surprised by what’s been hiding in the far corners and on hard to reach shelves. Once you can get a clear picture of everything you’ve got, be choosy about what you put back in. If there are items you haven’t worn in two plus years, it’s time to get rid of them. Donate to a charity and make room for new pieces. We love Working Wardrobes: www.workingwardrobes.org. If you have a ton of outgrown kids clothes, make some extra cash by taking them to a children’s consignment store such as PrettyDotz in Corona del Mar. Once you get things cleared out, stay organized year-round by spending 10-15 minutes each morning making sure things get put back where they belong.

Create a Hideaway:
Consider storing off-season clothing such as bathing suits and sundresses elsewhere. These items don’t deserve prime closet real estate and can easily be tucked away until the summer weather rolls around again next year. An attic, garage or extra closet in another room is a great place to store boxes. Also consider creating mud room area in your garage with wall hooks and a bench. By leaving items such as coats and shoes just outside the door, you’re saving much-needed closet space.

Invest in New Hangers:
You know those wire and plastic hangers from department stores or dry cleaners that somehow always manage to find a home in even the nicest of closets? Well get rid of them! Any dry cleaners will take them back and recycle them for you. Splurge on nice, wooden hangers that will keep the form of your clothes and you won’t regret it. Investing in all matching hangers, which will also allow your clothes to all hang at the same height, is one of the quickest ways to make your closet look and feel more organized. And don’t forget about the kids hangers! As your kids grow, and so do their clothing sizes, make sure to get rid of old hangers that are too small. Involve the kids in any closet organization projects, so they can learn how to do it for themselves as they get older.

Make the Most of the space you have:
Don’t let any space in your closet go to waste. The simple act of adding hooks to the backs of doors gives scarves, purses, belts or long necklaces a tidy place to hang out. If it will work with your closet configuration, install two-tiered hanging rods, allowing you to hang blouses and shirts over your pants. That way, you’ll get twice the amount of clothes in a smaller amount of space. Purchase plastic bins to store knits such as cashmere, that lose their shape if they are hung, and stack on shelves above your clothes racks.

If you don’t have shelving and your closet will allow for it, consider having something built. Chameleon Design can work with you to design a beautiful custom built-in for even the tiniest of spaces in your home. It will leave you feeling not only luxurious, but fresh and organized for the new season!

Proportion Parameters

One of the biggest telltale signs that a home has not had the input of a designer is that it is out of proportion. I see a lot of out-of-scale furniture, underutilized space and awkward floor plans. I was just in a house recently where this was apparent. It was sort of odd how they arranged things and uncomfortable to move from room to room, making it feel un-inviting. But the homeowners didn’t know what they were missing because no one had taken the time to rearrange it and edit it for them!

When putting together a room, it’s really worth to hire a designer for a few hours to help out. They can help you create a floor plan which is useful in many ways.  They can also do some drawings to scale so you know what fits size-wise if you are going to buy the furniture yourself. Even if you want to do it one piece at a time, you have that background of information to use for as long as you’re in the home.

This kind of consultation is something just about any designer will do. It can really help you create the kind of space that people will want to be in AND stay in.

Below are some photographs of a media-living room-dining room that was tricky to design.   With a little expert planning and design they came together beautifully!

 

Transitioning Kid’s Rooms

As our kids grow, their tastes change and they literally grow out of their old rooms. Your 12 year old might have hit a growth spurt and has feet dangling off the bed he or she had as a child! Their needs also change. They don’t play with the same “toys” that used to entertain them for hours on end. Once kids are in early elementary to late elementary or middle school, it’s usually time for a transition. People often do a beautiful job from the nursery to the little kid’s room, but changing a room to be tween/teen can take a little bit more thought. They aren’t grown-ups yet, but will be adults by the time high school is over. Such a broad range.

The main idea: you want to think about this as a cool place where they can hang out with their friends— better your home than somewhere where you can’t keep an eye on them! This is going to be their sanctuary where they begin to develop a sense of self and identity. I’ve recently done a few of these rooms and they can be really fun to do.

• Out with the old: First you want to take all the kiddie stuff out—the castle, transportation-themed items, over-the-top glittery and girlie, childhood characters, etc.

• Bedding matters:  Ever wonder why kids are drawn to your bed and don’t like to be in theirs? Part of it is that your bed is super comfy! You’ve made cozy bedding a priority. Your kids would appreciate the same consideration. Why wouldn’t they want to sleep in a nicer bed? If you can believe it, kids can make a distinction of thread count. A pillow top mattress with a down-filled duvet they would be happy in their own bed. But if your worried about spending money on a bed you fear will get destroyed quickly, you can get high thread count sheets at Target and Costco.

• Kids today:  The days are gone when kids sit at a desk and do homework. They are sitting in chairs with laptops or iPads, so they need a surface for writing. A chair with a little table next to it that will swing out for them to work is great use of space and practical for their needs.

• Friends are huge:  Remember who will mostly be in this space— your child and their friends. Think about what will make them want to hang out in there. Use lots of photography of them with their friends and the activities they are involved in. It will give them feeling like this is THEIR space.

• Dealing with trends:  If your child is really into something you think will soon fade, a good idea is to wallpaper a wall with tackable surface (it looks like fabric). Your kid can just pushpin things right into the wall with their changing tastes. It’s also great to organize it like a giant bulletin board to keep track of the most recent things happening in their life.

The INformalizing of the Formal Dining Room and Living Room

The case of the unused formal space is pretty common. This is an example of a home I recently did where a family in Cameo Highlands was looking to make better use of their formal living and dining room. They didn’t need the formal space, and it was going unused.

Their objective was to uphold the distinction between the entertaining area and the everyday family room and kitchen, while softening the space so that it became a relaxing place to read a book and take in the view. Truth be told, the husband was the one asking for a place to get away, and with a traditional “man cave” not in the cards, the couple reached a compromise. The designers at Studio Chameleon were able to re-imagine a space that fulfilled both her needs as a hostess, and his desire for a quiet retreat.

Christmas in August: Redecorating Takes Time

Hope you’ve had a great summer! It might seem crazy with the warm weather and grilling, but it’s time to start thinking about holiday decorating and the design projects you want finished in time for guests during the holidays. I highly suggest enlisting the help of a designer. Even if you are just repurposing items from last year and don’t plan any new purchases, a designer can help you lay out your decorations and furniture to make hostessing a breeze.

Here are some things to think about when working with a designer to plan your holiday look.

• Establish budget. This is so important! You need to know what you can spend in order for your designer to be able to plan appropriately. Telling your designer you don’t know what your budget is can lead to problems. There is such a variety of pricing on items.  You’ve been to IKEA, Room & Board and high-end boutiques, right? So, just think about the variety of pricing. It’s even broader when you deal with a designer who has access to even more furniture. You also might need to refresh a few things like outdated or broken items.

• Schedule accordingly. You need to give yourself about 12-14 weeks from the day you start talking to a designer until completion. Remember, if you are ordering furniture or even certain decorations you should plan for 6-8 weeks for delivery. You can’t make a decision that quickly. You might get lucky and find your items on the showroom floor, but don’t count on it.

• Be prepared when you meet with the designer. The more prepared you are, the more you will save time and money (and energy). Designers work on an hourly basis. You will save the designer from having to create a million different concepts if you have a clear vision of what you want or at least come with ideas and know what you DON’T want. In your first meeting you will discuss concepts, so be prepared!

• Final decisions. After you discuss concepts the designer will go back and begin pulling what she thinks will look best and is in your design aesthetic. You will have a design development meeting with specific selections and pricing for you to approve.

• Orders are placed!

• Wait. While you’re waiting for your décor to be delivered start planning your menus, preparing invitations and relax a little before the mayhem begins!

• Delivery and staging. Yay! Your purchases are now ready to put in your home and the designer will help the look come together with existing pieces.

Studio Chameleon does lots of this work and we’ve already begun helping a few clients prepare. Would love to help you too! Call us today at (949) 650-7979.

Monochromatic Makeovers

People who go monochromatic often do it because they get tired of things quickly. They need something that is very timeless and will work forever. If you did something like a red sofa it can look really cool, but a lot of people will just get tired with such a strong color after awhile. People like their basics to be neutral. Before you know it you have a neutral scheme. Then you can just add beautiful neutral looking throws, pillows and art. Successful ones are typically in warm tones. Your browns, golds and taupes. If you do something like all blue, with baby blue walls and denim fabric it gets overwhelming. If you are someone who likes to entertain and throw parties, remember your guests will look good in the backdrop of a neutral color scheme. It will make for better photos!

One thing to remember if you are afraid of the monochromatic is that even if you have a mono color scheme you really don’t. You have plants, you have the flooring and even the food and people you have at your parties has varying color. You can change out your accents with the seasons with a pop of color, too.

These contemporary pieces from artist Dan Sayes are examples of neutral accents that would look beautiful as part of your monochromatic decor:

How about you? Any monochromatic successes or flops?

Doing the Home Bar Right

Recently I did a series on “What We Love About Home.” One of the things I’ve noticed in the last few years is that people are really investing in their homes. They are really focused on putting love into them and making them spaces where people want to gather. Why go out when staying in is just as fun? One of the ways to really complete a home for entertaining is making a great home bar. If you do it right, friends and family will always want to return to your cozy cantina.

The first thing you will want to do is make sure you are stocked with the right supplies. Here’s a good checklist:

-Ice bucket and tongs: no finger picking, please!

-Bottle coolers: keep your Chardonnay & Champagne at the perfect temperature without the fuss of ice

-Cocktail shaker: Make sure to get a large one since this is for entertaining (at least 2-3 martinis per shaker). The small, personal ones won’t cut it.

-Decanter: let your wine breathe a little!

-Barwear and glasswear

-Coasters: Ack! Rings on your wood are no good.

-Rings for wine glasses: so your Pinot doesn’t get picked up by the wrong person

-Wine fridge: Even for the smallest bar, you will want your wine at the perfect temp.

We have a variety of beautiful decanters in-stock that will fit the style of any home.

Now that you are stocked, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got the right furniture. Whatever you are using as your prep station, you will want at a bar height which is at least 36”. This is so you stand and prepare without hunching over. I really recommend that even for the smallest bar you want to get a wine fridge so everything is at the proper temperature, unless you are fortunate enough to have a cellar! Also, you want to make everything really accessible. An icemaker drawer installed in your bar is great to keep you from running back and forth to the kitchen. When you entertain you need a lot of ice, and the freezer is usually already full with party food!

If you have cabinetry, you will want to use for hard liquor and to keep mixers there. Storage for all of this requires a decent amount of space. If you don’t have a lot of space in your bar area little, think about keeping all of your items like glass wear and mixers elsewhere. You will really want to think about how to maximize your space no matter how much you have. Hiring a designer for a couple hours to help you plan the space will be a GREAT investment.

What other things do you find essential for creating a great home bar?

Under the Sea: Oceanic Offerings for the Home

Beneath the waves are crawling crustaceans waiting to inhabit your home. Luckily, our Bone Crabs and Bone Lobsters are easy to care for and will be a welcomed addition. Each is handcrafted with lifelike detail, including moving limbs. No worries about your wallet feeling “the pinch,” the small ones start at $225.  Buy a few and start a family!

Two fab crab! All of our sea creatures are handcrafted and made of bone.

Rock lobster! Made of bone, with the look of ivory.

Make your new family of undersea creatures feel at home with beautiful ocean views by artist Deborah Brenner. Her minimalist design creates a serene beach scene.

Deborah Brenner’s Coastal Shore 1 (16×20) and Coastal Shore 2 (20×16) take you to seaside escapes.