Kim's Giveaway

Kim (catch up with Kim here, here, here, and here) at Charmed I'm Sure is having a clock giveaway sponsored by CSN who carries everything from clocks to mattresses. Stop by before 11:59 pm Mountain Time on August 28th and enter to win.

Go check it out for a chance to win- I'm headed there now myself...

Mrs. Holland's Built-Ins

Catch up with Mrs. Holland here.

Dear Christine,

Our new home is everything we ever dreamed of owning, but because I have very little experience with decorating and I am a nervous wreck trying to make decisions. I am turning to you for advice. There are tall windows everywhere. The main room is huge and the living room, dining room, and kitchen are all combined as one large space. As you can see there are beautiful built-in bookshelves, a space cut out of a wall in the living room area for a large screen t.v. and there are two sets of french doors which open up to a large balcony that overlooks a small waterway (bayou).

I love the taupe colored walls with white trim and am thinking of leaving this color as is. The kitchen appliances are black and all cabinet knobs, ceiling fans, etc. are silver. A large part of my dilemma is color. I have no idea where to go with furniture and accent color. I am open to suggestion and would be more than appreciative if you could lead me in "any" direction.

Mrs. Holland

Today let's work on your built-ins. I love a home with wonderful built-ins and it looks like yours is one of those. With that said- a couple of things I would do:

1. Add a sofit. It looks to me like you have less than a foot or so above the built-in. That is nothing but a dust catcher- plus the lack of moulding at the top feels so unfinished to me. I would add- starting from the ceiling- a crown moulding- similar to your kitchen cabinetry- followed by a flat panel- large enough to cover the gap to the existing built-in- finished off with a bead that covers the transition from the new to the old- then paint it all to match. It will look something like the bookcase in this post.
2. After that- the decorating of the bookcase area is very important- don't just fill it with your books. THIS IS NOT A STORAGE AREA :). Decorate the area carefully and beautifully. I really want to come there and do it for you. But if you follow my instructions you can do a terrific job. Look for my instructions in this post. I really do want this area to look like it was staged for a magazine. That will be the difference from it being AMAZING or cluttery.
3. I am going to give you some specific ideas on accessories to purchase for this area- add to this some good looking books. place larger items in first, then medium sized items, small items, and end with books. Use books vertically, horizontally, and under accessories. Have greenery items throughout- here and there. This tray is from Uttermost- get a plate stand hand have it sitting like a charger. Buy some nice picture frames like these from Pottery Barn. I would use all black and white photos. There are so many cool "containers" out there. In my home I use them for putting things like my old trophies or ribbons or things I can't seem to get rid of- but don't want to display. The containers above as well as the round one below is from Uttermost. I like a little statuary going on also- birds- rabbits, golfers- whatever you are into. The bird below is from The Import Collection. Baskets are our friends- a great place to put some books that are not pretty enough for display- or a throw blanket- toys for the kids- leapsters- whatever- they hide it. I would get about six or eight for your area- find some that are as close to the width of your shelving areas as you can. The baskets below are from Pottery Barn. I love a nice table clock- place it at eye level. This one is from Uttermost. Add a splash of color. I like the idea of combining yellow with the taupe- as I suggested in the bedroom post- so I went with a few yellow accessories. These urns are from The Import Collection. You absolutely need to add some greenery- but I wouldn't expect it to grow- so I selected some faux items for you from Uttermost. Chargers are a nice look- and easy to find- I like a simple look in your case as it is going in such a busy are to begin with- lots of different patterns would cause visual competition. I am not suggesting you light any fires in your bookcase- but you can get little LED candles- and some candle light- even fake- is great for atmosphere. These holders are from Uttermost. Beautiful book ends are very helpful- and a nice look. These are from Uttermost again. I like using bowls in my decorating- and then also using them when I need them for entertaining. This set is from Uttermost. Another splash of yellow with these canisters and you are done. (from The Import Collection) Be deliberate in decorating an area like this- set aside enough money for accessories- it will make all the difference.

Just in time... for your fireplace mantle

Here is a beautiful clock from Cooper Classics - at a sizeable 36 inch diameter! Perfect for a good sized mantle.