Take your she shed to its ultimate potential with these essential design strategies and elements.
- Create a mood board to visualize the style of your space. This will include colors and images that inspire you. This helps you to figure out your own style and play around with options. Inspiration is at your fingertips. Online the world is a small place. Travel the globe without leaving home.
2. Zones can be used to define function in your space. The zones will give each area purpose so you can have multiple uses for the space. By adding zones to your open floor plan, you can easily separate different spaces and different activities, keeping your space cozier, more private, and more organized. Measure your space and your potential purchases before you buy to ensure that they’re the right size. Tape the measurements out on your floor using masking tape to get a feel for how the furniture will fit in to the room. Don’t forget to measure your door – there’s nothing worse than finding out a piece of furniture won’t fit through your doorway after you’ve already bought it.
3. Lighting is key to giving the space proper lighting and is also decorative. Tracey Hiebert shows us how a beautiful brass pendant light can be effective in her shed, (hydrangeafarmhouse.com). Great natural light is a must. Be sure the lighting fixtures are to scale. Soft white light bulbs are my favorite, they are easy on the eyes. Don’t forget to use a dimmer when possible. Adding a pendant light in the center of the room can radiate and add elegance to the whole room.
4. Rugs are a great way to add color, texture and define the space. Lorraine Lerner’s shed surely shows how the rug can define the space and connect the furnishings to become one inviting space. Be sure when shopping for rugs to purchase them large enough to have an impact in the space. Small rugs can appear to add clutter rather than purpose.
5. Consider doing a gallery wall in the space, it can be dramatic. You can hang nine 8 x 10 art frames to a wall, three across, three rows or select a smaller size frame to cover the top half of one wall. Choose a theme to compliment the space. Practice art walls, stick your swatches to the wall and move them around so you determine the best position for the art. Cover your walls with art that you LOVE.
6. – Indoor plants will surprise you. Bringing outdoors in make for a happy home. Adding at least three to a space can bring nature to the space and as the plants grow, they become a part of the space. Plants can metabolize carbon dioxide in the air to produce valuable oxygen. They can help control room humidity and decrease room temperatures by as much as ten percent.
7. Tall vertical double door cabinets can be great for concealing storage and used to flank a table top/desk for a custom cabinetry look with lots of function. The cabinet in the photo is from Pottery Barn (Aubrey 6-piece office suite) Storage is all about everything having its own place. Make it affordable and easy to install by purchasing two vertical cabinets and adding a wood top to cover the whole wall. There are many brackets to choose from for securing a wood top. Plus, the vertical cabinet will make the room appear larger, it brings the eye up.
8. – Textures are important in a room; they can be monochromatic but with lots of texture. Mix different textures together to keep the space interesting to the eye. One of the easiest ways to add texture to a room is by using a mix of textiles in everything from rugs to window treatments, throw pillow and blankets, bedding and furniture upholstery.
9. Color is everything, it is considered to be the most cost-effective way to transform a space. A simple touch of color can brighten up your day. Color has the power to change or lift your mood. For example, yellow is warm, sunny and fun, green brings in nature, orange inspires us and is zesty, blue is cool and calming, just like the sea, pink is fun fresh, earthy tones are warm neutrals and mild-mannered and can complement brighter shades, greys are considered to be neutral, works with everything. There are many options for how to use color. I recommend you select two or three main colors and two more for accessories to spread around the room. Repeating the same colors will result in a cohesive space. Color can affect the mood of the space, there are warm colors and cool colors, it is fun to learn all there is to know about color. Another idea is to use the color blocking method to add bold color to a space. Color blocking – two colors unexpected colors used to decorate a wall with paint. Grouping items of the same shade together can make the color pop.
10. – Wallpaper is the new art in a room, it is back and there are plenty of great ways to add it to your space. Think outside the box, it can go on one wall, even the ceiling. The drama will be a big statement in the room.
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