Tasetful and Bold!

Here are a few fun photos I have collected for what I call Tasteful Bold Color.  I have seen some really ugly bold color schemes in rooms. Colors need to be simple combinations and not fight with each other.   You don't want a room that screams at you.  I think these ideas are tasteful. These are very bright but they are simple and in most cases it is one or two pieces that creates the drama.  Much of it is only paint so take a look and see if you might be bold in one of your rooms this year.

If the room on the left is just too much for yourtaste try adding just one item like this a cute little ottoman with dressmaker details for a little punch.

Add a statement chair and a high contrast pillow for a simple piece of drama to a room. The painted stripe side table adds just enough color to make it very interesting. This could be a do-it-yourself project using bright lacquer paint and painters tape to keep your paint lines straight.

On the right is another version of the darling little ottoman.  What a statement that would make in a girls bedroom. Teens and little ones alike would appreciate this cutie.  The room on the left creates its bold look with two contrasting colors (aqua and various shades of pink). They kept neutral walls and main furniture The bulletin board with it's tasteful bold color as well as the 2 book shelves are what carry the room.  By grouping the  accessories into  a variety of shades of the same color  you avoid the screaming effect you might have if too many colors were used.

How about ONE wild chair.  Notice how color changes a traditional wing back to a contemporary statement piece.




For more bold color ideas click on the right side column on Bold colors.  You will be directed to an idea book I put together for fun Bold Color rooms.  Remember, NOT TOO MUCH, and paint is easy to change when you tire of the combination you have selected.


We offer color consultations as part of our full service design. Give us a call.

Suzanne Marie's Interiors: Treat Yourself to Beautiful Custom Bedding

Suzanne Marie's Interiors: Treat Yourself to Beautiful Custom Bedding

Treat Yourself to Beautiful Custom Bedding

There is no end to the beautiful bedding styles & designs you can have when you do custom or semi-custom.

Custom pillows, duvets, comforters, full spreads, dust skirts.

Any combination of fabrics, buttons, trims.

 dust skirts

 Pillows

 Draperies

Call for a free in home appointment to design your new bedroom.

Custom  Dressmaker Details

 Mix & match your fabrics.

Sized to fit your bed.  

 We do Kids rooms too.

Mexican Architecture

As you may know, I love Mexican architecture.  I plan to have a home in MX so I have been collecting great ideas.  I thought I would share a few.

This is the gate to my lot in Baja.  I can't wait to use some of my ideas for my Abuela casa.

This is call a Kiva.  It is just the right size for the few cool nights that a little extra heat could be used.  And how cute it is!  I like the style of the one below too. Would make a nice sitting area.

 

Isn't this a fabulous arched courtyard
gate.It is tile mosaic and is at the Jill Logan Galerira in Todos Santos Mexico. She has really great art there too.

I am not wild about the fountain but I really like the colorful tile floor.

I love the outdoor stairway to the roof.  I would like to have a roof top art studio.

I really like the out side detail of the lattilla awning and the wood vegas.

 I like the ceiling detail with the vegas and the wood insets (I forgot what they are called).  If you know let me know too.

I really like the color of this exterior.

  Isn't this beautiful.

 Ceiling detail in kitchen of home my son is currently building. The top of the brick dome has little windows that let it light. (not seen in photo)

 Exterior wall surrounding whole home.

 Outdoor pizza oven.  Cooks great chicken too.!

 Interior of pallapa roof system in home my son is currently building.  Water tight.

Project under construction still.  Note all the molding detail around the round window & arch entry.  Curved bar is waiting for a wood counter & all the cabs.

Do you need a builder in the Baja?

My son lives in Pescadaro (8 miles south of Todos Santos and about 45 min north of Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific side.) He is a master craftsman and builds everything from Cabs to fine furniture. He builds homes in MX and will be building mine for me when I get to do it.  If you need a home built or cabinets or custom finish work you can contact me & I will get you connected with him and his crew..  He has a full shop and is able to take on most any size job.

Tips for an Organized Senior Move

Whether you are moving to assisted living, a retirement community or another house, staying organized is the key to a stress-free move. This checklist contains suggestions and tips to make your move as simple as possible. These are the type of services a Senior Move Manager (SMM) can assist with if you decide that you would like help.

Moving Seniors in Oregon is a division of Suzanne Marie's Interiors 

Offices in Bend and Salem, OR

Email for Free Estimate

503-364-4237

Six-eight weeks before your move:
Pick a move date. This is very important as you will need to make reservations based on this date.

·         Consider if you will be using a Senior Move Manager (SMM) or if you will be handling all or part of the move yourself. Get an estimate for SMM services. Be sure to be clear about dates & what part of the move you want to have help with in order to get a more accurate estimate.

·         If you decide to use a moving company to transport your furnishings and; boxes get a quote from at least 2 companies.

·         If you decide to move everything yourself, check on truck rental if necessary.

·         Assemble moving supplies: Boxes, tape, markers, bubble wrap, etc.

·         Find out who among your friendsand family will be available to help with any part of the moving process.  Be realistic about the amount of help you will really have.

·         Begin a family home picture album.  It can be digital for ease of storage. Before moving anything, be sure to photograph everything that you want to remember. Don’t forget to photograph collections, art, etc that you will not be keeping.

·         Get measurements from the new residence & prepare a floor plan.

·         Calculate how many LF of closet and storage space you will have for clothing and misc.

·         Decide what furnishings you have that will fit into this plan and make arrangements to dispose of the items that will not fit. If new furnishings will be needed, you should begin shopping for the appropriate sized items. Be sure to check your required bed size.

·         If you will need a storage place, start looking for one and book it.

·         Make an inventory of household goods and begin to remove clutter.

·         Start a file where all your moving notes, receipts and estimates will go. Be sure to save all the receipts for your moving expenses as they may be tax deductible

·         Organize all your important documents like birth certificate, medical records, passports, tax returns, bank statements, etc and put them in a safe box.

One month before your move: 

• Finalize your selection of a moving company if you are going that route. Confirm the date, the price and other moving details. Be sure to get all the moving costs in writing.
• If you are not using a moving company, reserve a rental truck. Be sure you will have someone that can drive it & people to load it.
• If you are using a SMM be sure to confirm that all the arrangements have been made & that move dates are on track.
• Reconfirm with friends & relative who have offered help & find out what kind of help they are offering. Make sure you have a specific date and time for them.
• If you are moving out of the area obtain all your medical records & pack them in a safe location.
• If you plan to sell any of your furnishings have antiques, art & other valuables appraised. Decide how they are to be disposed of.
• Begin sorting items that will go to relatives, charities, an estate or moving sale or Craig’s list. Have a plan to dispose of “stuff” that is no longer useful.
• You can begin packing things that that won’t be needed until after arrival at the new residence.
• Collections and family memorabilia that will be going to family members, friends etc should be photographed for your album or photo disc.
• You can begin making arrangements for gifted items to be shipped or picked up by the new owners.
• Cancel or transfer magazine and newspaper subscriptions
• Make a list of relatives, friends and other people you want to inform about your move and give them your new contact information.
• Contact your bank to make arrangements for transferring accounts, if necessary and order new checks with your new address.
• Call your utility service companies for your cable, gas, water, internet, telephone, etc to schedule a disconnection date for your old house and connection date for your new home if needed. Don’t underestimate the amount of time required ahead of time for appointments to get these services into your new residence.

Two weeks before your move: 

• Contact the moving company or truck rental company and reconfirm.
• Check again with your family & friend “helpers” if you have any doubts that they may have forgotten the dates.
• Continue packing. Make sure to label each box and keep an inventory.
• Plan to have your moving sale during this period of time.  Price items & arrange in a convenient location. Prepare bright readable signs & place ads on Craig’s list or newspapers .Make sure you have adequate help for this. It is a lot of work.
• Make sure all items to be donated or disposed of are taken care of. 
• Notify the Post office of your new address.
• Make arrangements with a cleaning service to clean your old house, if necessary once you leave.

One week before your move: 

• Finish packing. If you are not doing it yourself let the SMM or others pack your belongings. Make sure the room location is noted on the box.  Also number your boxes and create an inventory of items included in that box. This can be helpful if not all boxes are to be unpacked immediately.
• Pack a travel kit .Put aside all needed medications, personal items, ID, checkbook and credit cards etc. that you will need.
• Pack a suitcase with clothing and other personal items.
• Fill any prescriptions or medications, if necessary.
• Plan meals for the whole week so you can start emptying your refrigerator.
• Pack a box marked “LOAD LAST” with items that will be needed first at the new location.

The day before your move:

Start early to avoid confusion rushing and stress. 

• Finish final packing and labeling the boxes.
• Locate your suitcase & make sure you haven’t forgotten anything that you will need during the move.
• Check all cabinets, drawers, and closets to make sure you packed everything.
• Set aside boxes, tape, scissors, rope, markers, etc for last minute packing.

Moving day:  

• Do not make any plans for the day. Chances are you will be home the entire time to supervise the move. If you have a SMM then take the day off and relax. Go visit with a friend.
• If you don’t have a SMM then be sure that the truck that shows up belongs to the moving company you chose and that you have their cell number and they have yours.
• Verify the delivery address, delivery date and directions are correct.
• Carry all valuable items yourself like important documents, jewelries, etc.
• Before leaving the house, make sure to check the entire house to make sure you don't forget anything.
• Turn off all appliances before you leave.
• Notify family or close friend of our itinerary for emergency purposes.
• Once the house is completely vacated then arrange for the house cleaners to come to complete the cleaning.
• When your items arrive at the new location, check the items very carefully. . Note on the inventory paperwork of any visible damage. Make sure that they place each box in the correct room.
• Unpack the bathroom and bedroom items first.  If you have a SMM then she will know where all the furnishings and contents of boxes are to go.  She will oversee unpacking, art hanging, closet organizing etc. for you.
• Time to meet the neighbors and start enjoying your new home.

To Print this list with text only click here.  You will be able to copy & paste text only from location.

What is a Senior Move Manager?

Senior Move Managers are service professionals dedicated to helping seniors relocate or prepare to age-in-place.  Orchestrating a late-life move or preparing a home to meet the demands imposed by aging-in-place is an emotional and complex time for every family.  Qualified Senior Move Managers can help ease seniors and their families through these difficult transitions. 

Senior move managers have significant expertise and resources to help save time and money, reduce the emotional and physical stress and direct a move that is a “dream” not a nightmare.

Services are client-centered and personalized to meet the client’s needs and preferences. Families, particularly, should never doubt the value of an outside expert!

Although services may vary, most Senior Move Managers can help with some or all of the following:

Developing a move or “age in place” plan.
Organizing, sorting and downsizing.
Space Planning.
Arranging for the disposal of unwanted items through an estate sale, donation, consignment, Craig’s List etc. Arranging shipments and storage.
Scheduling and overseeing movers.
Assistance with packing.
Unpacking and setting up a new home.

One call to a senior move manager can connect you with services older adults and families need for a seamless, successful transition.

“Moving Seniors in Oregon” is a division of Suzanne Marie’s Interiors. We have been in business since 1989 serving clients in the Salem and Bend Oregon areas. SMI offers full-service interior design, custom window fashions, age-in-place design, and Senior Move Management.

Avoid Being the REALLY Shocking House in the Neighborhood.

Be kind to your neighbors and think of resale value for the whole neighborhood when you decide on your exterior paint colors.  If you think any of these are great then you probably need a paint consultation before you paint next time.
Click to see  Really Shocking Exterior Paint Combinations.

Equally bad is to need a paint job and not get to it before it gets like this. Not only does it look really bad but it also ages your house way beyond its years.  Paint is a protection as well as a beautifier.  Wood will rot very quickly if not painted with a good quality paint.

Behind the Scenes Creating New Colors

Ever wonder where new colors come from or how they are decided on?

This video from Pantone (color marketing) is insightful.  Take a look.

If you would like to freshen up your colors for the coming seasons give me a call.

What's New With You?

I am always interested in what is new in the design field.  What kind of a project are YOU working on.? Send me a before and after picture of your project with a brief description of the project & I will post it to this blog..

Send your poroject ideas to me.  mailto:smint@comcast.net

Senior Moving Assistance

Do you know a senior who needs to make a move to either a retirement facility or assisted living?  We can help with that move.  Be sure to check out our services available for this type of move.  We can assist in Salem, Portland, & Bend (all of central Oregon). Space planning, packing, moving  shopping, hanging art, getting curtains, anything that needs done to make it like "home".
http://suzannemariesinteriors.com/33001.html

Art Fair in Bend OR/floating the Deschutes river in Sunriver

Had a great time at the art fair at the Old Mill District in Bend OR this weekend.  Lots of great artists and a really nice variety of art.  It was pretty hot on Friday but we were able to take a break at patio restaurant and go back after we cooled off.  Nice venue. Will do it again next year.

Next day we went floating on the Deschutes in the Sunriver area and bit off more than we expected.  Got a later start than we had wanted to due to a faulty Google map.(or maybe we were faulty map readers). Once we finally found a place to get in it took a lot longer to get down the river in our little foatilla than we expected and by the time we got down to the Sunriver take out (it was still  about a mile to where we expected to take out) it was raining and thundering and the wind was blowing us backwards.  Thank goodness there were some late rafters who had cars that offered us a ride to the Sunriver Market where we were able to call our ride.  Had they not been there we would have been up a creek.  (didn't really know where we were) and were way too tired to have hiked out to the road. Thanks to the rafters who helped us.  We know better now what to expect in regard to timing and take outs etc.  We thought we had prepared well by info we got of the internet.  Just didn't know how the reality of long it would take vs. what we had read on the internet.

Out of the Ordinary Refrigerators

If you want an unusual look for your kitchen you might want to check out some of the Sub Zero refrigerators. There are a lot of great configurations, and options including a glass front fridge (if you keep your stuff neater than I do).  There are drawers, wine coolers, side by sides, side by sides with bottom drawers, stainless finishes, and kits so you can put wood fronts on to match your cabinetry.

You might even want to do some unusual inserts like chalk board panels, a hand painted masterpiece or colored panels. There is no end to the ideas and possibilities.

Below are some hand painted panel ideas and some very interesting wood designs that could certainly fool the eye into thinking they were a beautiful cabinet..

I didn't say ALL hand painted ideas were good but this might be fun in a dorm.

If you want some help with a truly memorable & functional kitchen remodel I offer kitchen design and redesign services.