January 2008 News

This Month's Tip:

DECORATING STYLE - Base yours on personal taste!

By Sharon K Miller

Dove’s Nest features a variety of home décor items to compliment any decorating style.  This month, we want to feature three specific decorating styles—Cottage, Traditional, and Contemporary.   Next month, we will explore three additional styles.

Cottage Style is comfortable, homey, and easy-going; it evokes warmth and speaks of a lived-in home, of days gone by.  There are sub-styles of Cottage (Shabby Chic, English Country, French Country, etc.), but the basic look of Cottage is that of a weekend beach house or of perpetual summer.  It is nostalgic, yet functional.

Pastel colors, floral and striped fabrics, crisp cotton, white wicker furniture, and bringing the outside indoors is what Cottage is all about.  Track lighting or recessed lighting draws attention to the art and accessory pieces of a Cottage home.  Collectibles make a fun artistic statement (a vase turned into a lamp, garden items hung on the wall, an old ice box turned into storage space).

Flowers brought in from the garden, twig-style accessories, old hats, musical instruments, old signs, pretty little pillows (especially from vintage material), and interesting frames can make your home a Cottage.

Tone-on-tone palettes (shades of taupe, cream, brown, pure white) with shots of color on one wall, a floor rug, or special pieces of art will give off the comfortable casual look that belongs specifically to this style.

Traditional Style is luxurious and elegant, refined and graceful.  It utilizes the large and formal in furniture with warm, dark, and rich finished woods (solid walnut, mahogany, rosewood), often with intricate carvings.  Colors used in this style lean toward jewel tones (gold, deep burgundy, marine blues) and neutrals.

Fabrics in a traditional style home are luxurious and heavy (needlepoint, tapestry, silks, satin, velvet, and brocade), and draperies are full with tassels, fringe, and braid.  Needlepoint fits in perfectly and tables are often skirted.

Accessories include crystal chandeliers, brass fixtures, gilt mirrors, nailhead trim on sofas and chairs, and bronze or pewter lamps.  Details are important with Traditional--ornate picture frames, pictures of ancestors, family heirlooms, and collectibles all work well.

Four-poster or canopy beds, upholstered chairs, leaded crystal, large bowls of fruit, leaves and vines, and still-life paintings will all contribute to the Traditional Style look, in which rooms appear to be full, but not cluttered.

Contemporary Style is the look of the 20^th century.  It is open, light, and uncluttered, emphasizing sparseness and simplicity.  It is sleek and geometric, allowing rooms to feel bright, light, and spacious.

Natural materials will be reflected in the choice of furniture and accessories—light colored wood, glass, chrome, wrought iron, and rattan.  The lines of Contemporary are

Simple and hard with few curves, yet some curves help avoid stark-looking rooms. This can be accomplished with accent pieces or an interesting piece of furniture.

Lighting is elegant, almost invisible, with nothing to stop light from entering through the windows.  Pure white is popular, especially with black and accent pieces of a bright bold color to add contrast.  Contemporary Style focuses on line, with high ceilings, bare or almost-bare windows, and geometric shapes in wall art and sculpture.  Each piece is able to stand out as unique. Less is more.

Fabrics emphasize the natural look (wool, cotton, linen, silk, jute); there are no trims or tassels, no ruffles or floral prints—just basic, bare, bold.  If carpet is used for warmth, it is usually commercial grades.  Organic fabrics such as fake fur, suede, and canvas are used.  Animal skins are seldom used due to environmental issues. Non-essential woodwork and accessories are avoided.  Often, walls are removed to form an open-floor plan and avoid traditional room layouts.

Contemporary Style can take advantage of structural items in the home.  Exposed plumbing pipes are acceptable, air ducts often hang from the ceiling, and broken bricks provide texture.  Any of these structural details can be painted in bold, contrasting colors or painted to blend with the neutral tones used in the rooms.

Visit Dove’s Nest to find just the right items to showcase your particular style.  Our friendly staff will be happy to assist you and show you what we have available.

Not sure of your decorating style?  You might want to check out the following website quizzes:

www.decoratingsecrets.net/quiz

www.bargainclicks.com/Store/Style

Stop by Dove’s Nest at your convenience and check us out! 

Store hours:  Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed on Sundays