Saying Goodby to Tired Southwest Look

QUESTION: A few years ago we decorated our condominium in the Southwest style. Now we are a little tired of the look. Without replacing everything, how can we update our style?

ANSWER: To update the overworked Southwest look without replacing everything will require creative thinking. Assuming that you do not want to go from one trendy style to another, your objective will be to create simple backgrounds that will offset art and accessories you will choose now and in the future.

Let’s suppose these are the things we have in our Southwest home:

--White walls with cactus border. Solution: paint all walls off-white.

--False lodge-pole beams. Solution: Remove beams.

--Saltillo tile floors and geometric area rugs. Solution: remove rugs. Future: replace with some classical-designed rugs and carpet some areas.

--Salt-cedar vertical window coverings. Solution: Remove. Future: Add soft treatments such as valances, Roman shades.

--Whitewashed furniture. Solution: Strip and refinish.

--Distinctively carved dining chairs. Solution: Upholster over both sides of back to hide carvings.

--Cactus collection. Solution: Replace with darker, softer plants such as palms and ficus.

--Southwest accessories (howling coyotes). Solution: Pack away for desert house or revival in year 2020. Replace with classically designed pottery, glass, etc.

--Pastel desert and Indian prints. Solution: Pack away with accessories. Replace.

The first thing to do is to establish your new color palette. An intelligent way to do this is by spending time selecting your new art. This need not be expensive. There are prints and even posters available in abundance.

After you have selected several complementary pieces, your color palette may be pulled from your art collection.

Your interior designer will start by placing paint chips on a color board. From this palette, fabrics, rugs and all other interior finishes can be easily selected.

MARY CHABRE, ISID, Orange County

Will Designer Help Client Who Is Moving?

Q: We will be moving soon, and we want to take some of our furniture to the new home. Will an interior designer work with existing furniture and what benefits will be provided by using a designer under these conditions?

A: Yes, interior designers often work with existing furniture and existing backgrounds such as flooring and wall coverings. Many clients have antiques, sentimental pieces, upholstery, rugs and artwork that must be used in the new residence for budgetary reasons or because they are collectibles, or just enjoyed by the client.

Many times, clients have asked me to visit a home that they are considering purchasing just to make sure that existing furniture, artwork and colors can be utilized.

When critically reviewing the possible new home, I make sure that enough wall space and ceiling height is available for large antique pieces and artwork, that window sill heights allow for placement of some furniture under the windows, that lighting is ample or new lighting can be installed for artwork, tasks and atmosphere; and that there is enough square footage to accommodate the pieces that the client desires to keep.

I also look at the colors, textures and condition of the backgrounds and make the client aware of changes that must be made. A budget is often developed at this point, which informs the client of the costs to get the new home to the comfort and aesthetic level that is desired.

The hiring of an interor designer will therefore assure the client that the existing furniture, artwork and sentimental items will be used and viewed at their best. Also knowing what can and will be used before the move will cause an organized move and new backgrounds and necessary furniture items can be planned to be ordered upon close of escrow to save time. An interior designer therefore saves the client time, aggravation and even possibly money by eliminating costly mistakes.

CARL E. CLARK, ASID, Monrovia

How to Modernize Small Bathrooms

Q: My husband and I have recently bought our first house. We are very excited about it, but the house needs a lot of work. The worst areas are the bathrooms. What can we do to modernize them and make them look more attractive? They are not large rooms.

A: There are many things you an do to give an older bathroom a face lift. Sometimes changing the tile, flooring, wall covering and repainting is sufficient and easier on the budget. But if it is also necessary to change the sinks, tub, shower and commode, then your dollars would be better spent by pulling everything out and starting over.

Usually, in older homes, the lighting is not sufficient. Placing recessed floods in the ceiling over strategic areas such as the sinks, commode, tub and shower (these must be waterproof) will brighten the rooms. Wall sconces could also be used.

Adding a skylight will bring in natural light and really open up a room. Raising the ceiling or adding a dropped soffit over the tub or shower area adds architectural dimension. Mirroring the walls and even the ceiling will make a small room appear larger.

For an elegant look, marble tiles are less costly then slab and adapts well to either traditional or contemporary rooms. There are also many beautiful ceramic tiles to choose from, styles ranging from Art Deco, Santa Fe, contemporary, traditional and country, in prices to suit your budget.

The layout of your bathroom is very important and can be changed to make it appear larger and be more functional. An experienced interior designer can help you make the right choices and deal directly with contractors and suppliers while helping you save money and avoid costly mistakes.

SUZANNE FURST, Allied member, ASID, Los Angeles

For an Addition, Team Architect and Designer

Q: Is it necessary to hire both an architect and an interior designer when planning a room addition?

A: The input of both architect and interior designer are essential if you want the addition to look like it blends with the original house and have a well-planned interior that is visually pleasing and meets your needs.

Architects are generally concerned with the structural aspects and the exterior design. Elements such as fireplaces, windows and doors are often placed according to exterior or construction considerations. Interior designers, however, view these as elements that affect the arrangement of furnishings and the flow of traffic through the space. Both approaches and design solutions are important from the onset of planning.

The interior designer and architect can work together as a team. Generally, the structural and exterior design, property setbacks, permits and specification of building materials are handled by the architect. Interior designers are primarily responsible for interior space layout, kitchen/bath design, selection of surface materials, furniture arrangement, color scheme, built-ins, plumbing and hardware selection.

The interior designer will help determine how much space you really need by doing preliminary layouts showing how the area will function and flow. You will see how traffic patterns, furniture, doors and windows all relate. If there are problems they can be fixed with an eraser rather than a wrecking ball.

It is amazing how many people estimate the size of room additions and roughly guess where furniture or cabinets would go, then discover after construction that things won’t work as they thought. Often just a few inches could have made the difference. If you’re doing an addition, I strongly suggest hiring both architect and interior designer up front.

ROX ANN JOHNSON, ASID, Orange

Take Long Look Before Starting Update

Q: I would like to update my present living room. I’ve been looking through decorating magazines and read about “accessorizing” a room. The word leaves me confused. Where and how would I begin? I have a limited budget.

A: You are not alone looking at a room that you are quite familiar with, and trying to decide how to change a tired look. It can be frustrating.

To begin, sit quietly in the room and take time to think through carefully what you really like, what makes you feel comfortable. Next, consider the things about the room that you would like to change.

You may like all your furniture, but have found that it is not arranged for easy conversation. Or, you may now realize that you do not have one focal point in the room and you would like to incorporate one.

You may conclude that a new couch cover is your answer, when what you really need is new carpeting. Or, perhaps, you need some pillows to complement, contrast or bring color into the room for eye movement. You like your pictures but some need new mats and frames plus a little rearranging.

This exercise is something like looking into your closet. What do you do to make your wardrobe current? Indulge yourself with a smashing belt, new handbag and shoes and some big gold earrings. These items will give you lots of mileage. You may feel more comfortable accessorizing your wardrobe, you’ve done that before, but is a room different? Not really.

It may be wise to engage a designer for a consultation. An experienced person, one you can relate to, can sort out your objectives and give you direction. A trained eye can zero in on areas quickly and save you time, mistakes and money.

EDNA M. ULASEWICZ, Allied member, ASID, Glendale