5 super simple things to update your dining room

Inspiration Board

Ever wonder what simple things you can do to update one of the spaces in your home? As a big "D" wading through the mud of a fabulous and inspiring new economy, I am approached with this question pretty much everyday. How can I get an incredible new look, on a shoestring budget?
After meeting with a client that I adore, we decided to do just this. She has a wonderful loft space here in downtown Nashville, and she was tired of her existing traditional space. To spice things up I decided on a very eclectic, and collected look based on the
 inspiration board she created. (shown above)

She has wonderful built-in bookshelves, like the ones shown below, but many of her pieces were dated and did not suit her lifestyle or personality. Her board was fun, imaginative, and spicy. And if you knew her, you would see that this board suited her perfectly. Karen is a free thinking, singer song writing rock and roll junkie, with twigs in her jet black hair, and in my book a modern day Jean Harlow hippie. Freaking awesome!

Credit

Her jumping off point was this Valentino photo above. This photo encompasses everything she loves. In her words to describe it: High Fashion, Titillating couture, Old world, Valentino red, Style, Sophistication, Chic chic, Glamour, and relaxed luxury.

One of the most exciting things about her space is the wall to ceiling bookshelves. It adds an unexpected focal point, that is dramatic and eye catching. Libraries are essentially a collection of books that add sophistication, refinement, and exude culture and experience, just like Valentino. So we combined her library and dining area into one large space so the table could double for a book research surface, and a fabulous dining experience. 

So what are 5 super simple things you can do to update your dining room?
1) Replace your captains chairs with something fresh. Either reupholster the ones you have 
or purchase new ones.
2) Add a new chandelier. The one above adds an incredible pop of color, and va-va voom for less
than $400 bucks.
3) Add candle light to your table top. Hurricanes are gorgeous accessories in the day time and create a 
wonderful glow in the evening when the candles are lit. And remember the AB HOME credo: 
Go Big or Go Home. Buy hurricanes that make a statement, and add tremendous weight to your table!
4) Purchase a new rug or layer a new rug on top of your existing one. Both will add a new element
 of depth and texture, and bring in some much needed color and style.
5) Fresh flowers. I cannot say enough about fresh flowers. Your home is your haven, make it inviting. 
There is no better way to welcome your guests, then to add fresh roses, lillies, peonies or 
any one of your favorite flowers on the table. 


Like what you see above? Here is our shopping list of items we used:

Items in this set

	Amazon.com: Gaiam Recycled Plastic Reversible All-Weather Indoor/Outdoor Ru... $89 - amazon.com
	Beach Rug AT064 Black / Ivory Boardwalk Stripes Rug - AT064BKIY $155 - csnrugs.com
	smoke chair $4,301 - hivemodern.com
	Roxy Euphoria 9 Light Polished Chrome Chandelier with Red Lucite Jewel Ligh... $329 - homedepot.com
	dining tables abchome.com
	Williams-Sonoma Home | Campo De Fiori Aged Terracotta Hurricanes $135 - wshome.com
	book lovers never go to bed alone bookshelves.tumblr.com
	Elegant Flower Arrangements, Orchid Arrangements, Unique Floral Arrangement... katrinaparrisflowers.com Need design help from an experienced design professional with over 12 years experience? Want to work with someone who listens to your needs and sticks to your budget? Call our office for a design consultation that will change the way you live and think about your home. Contact us @ info@abhomeinteriors.com or call us @ 615-750-2763 Like decorating but don't know where to start? Want to learn the insiders secrets, tips and tricks? Sign up for Design Strategies 101! (August classes are sold out! Sign up today to reserve your seat for September) Are you a designer in the Nashville area looking for mentorship in a nurturing environment? Want to learn the ins and outs of the business that school didn't provide? Sign up for Designer Bootcamp to learn the skills necessary to be a true design professional! Don't forget to follow us on twitter! And become a FAN on our  AB HOME facebook fanpage! Graphics and shopping program

Nashville decorator on Family rooms. How to make them versatile.

Family rooms are the most versatile rooms in our house. Whatever your lifeSTYLE, they can be used for watching a movie, entertaining guests, doing homework, listening to music or quietly reading a book~assuming you have purchased the right sized lamps!

Troy Beasley

The most important thing when putting together a family room is a PLAN or as I like to call, the Design Diarys.  Whether the space is big or small, the right furnishings will put more STYLE, personality, and function into your room.

Gregory Augustine

When designing a family room it is important to capture your STYLE, so the room lives and breathes the way you do. For example, if the room will only be used for entertaining and music then there is no reason to spend thousands of dollars on an entertainment unit that holds a TV. You will put yourself at ease by following your design diarie's and tailoring the furnishings accordingly. 

Kenneth Brown

Once you have determined HOW the room will be used, select fabrics that function appropriately for it's use. Obviously if kids will be involved the fabrics need to be prepared for combat. Different fabrics express different levels of formality and they need to sync well with the rooms purpose.

Ammie Kim

Always dress your windows with draperies. Draperies play a major role in building your STYLE, and they too can determine the formality of the room. Windows without draperies look naked, and the room will look unfinished. BUT make sure they are the correct SCALE, don't throw some Bed, Bath and Beyond draperies up for the sake of having your windows dressed. As a rule of thumb remember, GO BIG or GO HOME. 

Troy Beasley

Tell a story with your furniture. Don't select the entire suite from the furniture store. Choose pieces that speak to you and your personality. Stick to your diary, and choose items that read closely to your rooms function without sacrificing the end goals. This will give you your STYLE!

Lori Dennis
Lastly, design with flexibility in mind. Always have lightweight options, like stools, that can be easily  moved around. Or leave open space so that chairs or other seating from other rooms can be added. Small tables are lightweight and can easily be moved for different settings.

Troy Beasly
Mix it up have fun, and remember, stick to your diaries so you don't lose your STYLE!

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Style-Does your home reflect who you really are?

How well do you know yourself? Do you know what the elements of your style are? How exactly does one find or create S T Y L E ?

www.omniartedesign.com

Your home is a snap shot of who you are. A reflection of your personality, your likes and dislikes. Does your home really show you off? Often times when I go to a potential clients home it is like stepping into a 20 year time capsule of their life cycles instead of their life STYLE. Strolling through an ill assorted casket of treasures from the cherished to the unknown. I find it funny how so many of us "hang on" to something from when we were "in college", "first married", or "just because". And we are ALL culprits of this mentality. We ALL do it. But does it really show us off? Show the unique, extraordinary individuals that we are?

Lori Dennis

Our homes are our havens. Our refuge. A place to come home to after a long day of work, or a place to work from. It is by far THE largest investment that we make in our life times. Our homes bring us peace, security, comfort, and they support us through all our moods. Our homes see the best and the worst of us. They verifiably see and breathe our authentic selves. The old saying of "if these walls could talk" is truest to life. So why is it we allow ourselves to live in life cycles rather than a life STYLE?

www.omniartedesign.co

Lifestyle Caravan

(This is a Travel Trailer)

So often consumers want to rush out and BUY as much as possible-ALL AT ONCE! The idea of instant gratification. This is not a lifeSTYLE. This is making a lot of unwise buying choices all at once, and one of two things will happen. 1) You hang onto it for 20 years (for reasons yet to be understood) or 2) After a few years you realize the choices were made in haste, you hate everything, and all those dollars are thrown down the drain, and you start the life cycle over again by running out and making more unwise purchasing decisions. ~insert hiring a Professional Interior Designer here~

Lori Dennis

Creating a lifeSTYLE isn't as perplexing as Martha Stewart's inability to age. It is about making wise purchasing decisions, and having a plan. (Don't know where to start? Try reading my post on Designing a Room, where to start. )A lifeSTYLE is all about living your best life. Living amongst things that bring you the most joy. Is that inexpensive Ashley sofa really bringing you joy? Or was it appropriate for that particular life cycle two years ago?

You want your home to be a genuine representation of who you ARE, not who you have been or were 20 years ago. Your home should bring a smile to your face and give you undeniable bliss. Don't allow it to become a junkyard of days past that may have been difficult. Our lives are complicated enough. We need to be surrounded by things that are pleasant and agreeable. Things that bring us pleasure whether they be simple or complex. When you live in a life that surrounds you and supports WHO YOU ARE, you become even better. You perform at your best and become your best. This is a lifeSTYLE. 

So the next time you want to rush out and make a quick buy to update your room ask yourself these questions:

1) Is this a part of my plan?

2) Do I LOVE it? Does it bring me joy?

3) Am I looking at the object or am I looking at the price? (If you are looking at the price you are being sucked into your pattern of life cycle. This will only add to the junk yard casket of treasures)

4) Does this fit my lifestyle? My personality? Does this add to living my best life?

We can all use a little less stuff in our lives and add a little more 

STYLE!

Karim Rashid by Amanda Burdge, Nashville Interior Designer

Karim Rashid is one of the most innovative designers of our time. He has conquered over 3000 designs and has an astonishing 300 awards! Working in over 35 countries his award winning designs include democratic objects such as the ubiquitous Garbo waste can and Oh Chair for Umbra, interiors such as the Morimoto restaurant, Philadelphia and Semiramis hotel, Athens and exhibitions for Deutsche Bank and Audi. Karim has collaborated with clients to create democratic design for Method and Dirt Devil, furniture for Artemide and Magis, brand identity for Citibank and Hyundai, high tech products for LaCie and Samsung, and luxury goods for Veuve Clicquot and Swarovski, to name a few. Karim's work is featured in 20 permanent collections and he exhibits art in galleries world wide. Karim is a perennial winner of the Red Dot award, Chicago Athenaeum Good Design award, I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review, IDSA Industrial Design Excellence award. You can read more on this prolific designer from his website, Karimrashid.com.

I had the honor and the privilege (keep in mind it doesn't take much to get me excited) to meet Mr Rashid in October while at Highpoint Market. I was familiar with his work, however completely unaware of ALL his accomplishments. His laid back Q & A was extremely engaging, not to mention his uber cool attire. (he mentioned traveling an astonishing 300 days a year, he NEVER checks luggage, and only travels with one suit!) Listening to all his ideas on how his team came to build a cell phone, or design a vacuum, or develop a chair was very inspiring. Never a dull moment Mr Rashid is not only a "creative", but very articulate and well traveled; his ideas fascinated me. (I thought my 50 something year old mother was going to pass out from boredom. She just wanted to know where the food was, and if they had ANY booze) I truly believe she thought he was an alien. But she's a left brain and couldn't possibly understand. Here are a few of my favorite things he has designed.

http://www.offecct.se/_eng/produkt.asp?FAM=5&ID=146

SOUNDWAVE FLO by Karim Rashid

Felt sound absorption panel by OFFECCT

Flo is designed to be used as lightweight sound absorbers in the upper frequency range (500 Hz and above). These panels help reduce disturbing reflections of environmental sounds such as voices, telephones etc.

KANDOR chair

"Sincere", "honest simplicity" and "research into purity of form" are, says Karim Rashid, at the basis of Kandor's design. This swivel chair is perfect for a modern workspace, but also for a young, colorful home environment.

Rashid Poly Chair

The Poly chair as in “polycarbonate”, the material from which the chair is entirely made, through a process of injection moulding with a particularly large and powerful press.Three different prototypes were created during the planning stage with the aim of obtaining the maximum level of comfort for the seat and a perfect degree of inclination for the chair back: together with virtual testing of the chair’s mechanical resistance in order to satisfy resistance criteria for CATAS certification.Poly has a young, original, geometric design. Both chair and back are made of different surfaces that intersect and yet the chair as a whole does not appear angular. It looks inviting and comfortable and this aesthetic impression is confirmed by the comfort of the seat.Poly can be stacked and is also suitable for external and contract use. It comes in a variety of colours and finishes: transparent, semi-transparent pink, semi-transparent lime and black and white shiny versions.

VOLCOINO: When is a piggy bank not a piggy bank? When it's designed by Karim Rashid. Volcoino is designer Karim Rashid's interpretation of a piggy bank for those of us who like sculpural forms instead of literal representation of a piggy bank.

KONE lavender vaccum

The Dirt Devil KONE™ is a cordless hand held vacuum cleaner unlike any you've seen. Dirt Devil had famed product designer Karim Rashid create an elegant, sculptural form that can be left on display - on your table, shelf, or counter. The cone shape means that the vac is always stored in its base, so your hand vac will always be charged and always ready.