Relating Rooms within Small Spaces

During college and graduate school I loved living in Boston but was not always a fan of small apartment limitations. Decorating and designing a home or room is a lot of trial and error, even for us professionals and small spaces are often the most challenging. Here are two tips from my personal experience of city dwelling.

Use Gradient Paint Schemes: Very often we fall in love with idea of certain colors for certain rooms but within small spaces this can seem too jarring. If your lease permits you to paint your apartment, I would suggest you go for it! Color says a lot about your personality so think about what you like and always consider your day lighting and decorative lighting sources when selecting a paint color.

I like to use a collective palette of color values. Confused? Don't be. If you look at a paint chip sample, take notice of the colors adjacent to it. Usually there are different values of the same hue that all go together. Rather than limit yourself to one color saturation, look at the various options of the not too creamy not too brown straw yellow. For example, if you want more color vibrancy in your kitchen use a medium value and then use the softer version in a living area or bedroom. I even like to use the lightest value on the ceiling instead of white or try it in a semi-gloss finish for mill work. If your space is very small, paint one wall with a soothing shade that just adds some interest to your standard apartment white walls.

Accessorize by Color: In studio apartments your living room is also your bedroom and dining room so it is important that everything looks cohesive and not compartmentalized. If you purchase and collect accessories and soft furnishings of a certain color or theme then you can frequently mix and match things without being limited by area or function. For example, if you are going for a coastal feel, then buy your accessories in neutral browns and ocean blues, greens and grays whether you are shopping for bed linens or sofa throw pillows. Try and experiment with different textures within a color palette. I missed the ocean while living in Boston so I started a collection of all blue objects that continues to grow.

These design tips not only apply to small spaces but large ones as well. Right now I am really into painting baseboards and door casings in pale green instead of plain glossy white. Decorating a space on a budget can seem less daunting when you are gradually collecting pieces that relate to one another. Remember that great design does not have to be completed in one day so take your time to select accessories and paint colors that truly inspire you.

Enjoy!

Sara

Easy and Affordable Artwork

Recently I was organizing all of my crafting supplies by category, paints, papers, ribbon etc. and came across a few small square canvases. I remember buying the miniature canvases on sale, knowing I wanted to use them but nothing was inspiring me at the time. On a spring cleaning binge I tucked the canvases away and luckily I now have the perfect use and necessary supplies. Even if you claim not to be artistic, I think you will want to try this craft.

As a designer, it is the nature of my work to be constantly surrounded by samples, images and articles pertaining to color and color theory. While I am always interested in forecasting the next big trend I am equally excited to be playful with color combinations. I still break out my color wheel from time to time and recall every lesson I learned regarding primary, secondary and complimentary colors. I have utilized this whimsical approach to color with my mini canvas painting project.

This craft is a method of creating a painted series for wall art. I prefer to use square canvases for a uniform look but feel free to use rectangles or a combination of the two shapes. Since I personally sketch much better than I paint, I used a stencil on my canvas. To keep this affordable I opted for a sturdy metal cookie cutter to use as my icon. I placed the cookie cutter onto the canvas and traced it lightly with a pencil onto the center of each piece. Next I thought about what colors would contrast yet compliment each other. I wanted to keep a relationship within the series of paintings so I used the same colors on different canvases either as the 'icon' or 'background' and mixed up the combinations.

With nine canvases in total I have enough pieces to hang my artwork an interesting way. I opted to make a 3 x 3 square of paintings in place of one large piece on a blank wall in my bathroom. I also think this would be chic in a larger format for stairway artwork that staggers at eye level or mixing up small squares with large squares would be a nice form of controlled randomness.

The pricing for all the supplies is very inexpensive so this is an ideal craft for getting the kids involved and if you do not make too much of a mess you can probably re-use the cookie cutter.

Hope you enjoy this easy art project and I look forward to bringing you more ideas in the weeks to come.

Enjoy!

Sara

Materials List:

1. Blank white canvases (the total number is up to you)
2. Clean and dry paint brushes
3. One metal cookie cutter (look for a shape that is easy to trace & recognizable)
4. Tubes of acrylic craft paint

Helpful Hint: Buy an extra canvas so you can paint test spots of your color palette to see how the hues look together and absorb the canvas when dry.

Fall Inspiration

I hope that you are all soaking up the last of the sunny beach days. As summer winds down I usually feel like a student returning to school not ready to let go of the sand in my shoes. Yet, this year I feel inspired to make a new start and I am doing so with Saltworks Design.

I tend to think of myself as a purist that refuses to put away the deck furniture and hang the bittersweet wreath until the first day of Fall. Earlier this week I was stalking the aisles at Home Goods in search of a replacement Mercury Glass pumpkin and realized that maybe it was okay to start the season early. My eclectic style often breaks predictable design rules which can be sort of fun and often creates a a favorable outcome. With this revelation I decided to break some other traditions and not wait until September 21st to decorate the house and plant my mums. Just by by welcoming the onset of Autumn I feel ready to tackle business with a fresh approach.

Since I have been slacking with my blogging, here is a brief recap of the summer. Two of my major residential design projects kept me busy while starting construction. A third project in Sandwich, MA broke ground in late August and will hopefully be weather-tight by early winter. As the footings are poured and framers are locating walls I am bracing myself for the next challenging months as a small business owner in an industry that has been hard hit by the current economy. I am continuously researching and creating innovative, cost effective design solutions that benefit any project budget. I am also developing plans to make design assistance and advice more accesible to clients on a strict budget.

New Englanders are so fortunate to have a traditional Fall that provides such beauty and iconic charm. I put together these images which are currently me inspiring me to enjoy the season...even if it is a bit early. Please stayed tuned for weekly updates sure to be full of unique ideas and helpful tips for keeping your space fresh and crisp. In the meantime I would suggest savoring a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks or lighting a great scented candle; currently I am obsessed with Slatkin & Co.'s 'Autumn' available at Bath & Body Works.

Happy September!

Sara

Three Fresh and Affordable Ideas

Just like the weather this time of year, I feel like my home is between seasons. The holiday decor is in storage but I am not quite ready to dig out the summer linens and pillow covers. (Yes, I do switch out my linens, shower curtains etc. in the warmer months).

In an effort to change things up a bit without spending much hard-earned cash I tried a few new tricks and reinstated some old standby traditions which I thought I would share with all of my followers.

1. Re-purpose Vases and Vessels:
Some of my family members think I collect way too many decorative vases. While that may be true, I do not purchase these objects to fill them only with flowers. When I see fantastic color or texture on a vase I do not always envision an arrangement of roses, instead I look at the shapes and imagine these as containers for my clutter that should always be on display.

Throughout my humble home I have tall cylinders concealing combs and brushes, a tapered bubble glass vase doubling as a headband holder and a porcelain pitcher confining all of my kitchen utensils. Open container objects make contents accessible yet neat.

Recently I purchased two stray glasses from the discount shelf. I was not sure what to do with a single tall green glass or a lonely short green glass but liked the pattern and color. Instead of adding these pieces to my glassware collection, I put these out on my vanity table and added make-up brushes, eye-liner pencils and mascaras. Now I do not have to rummage through a messy drawer to find what I am looking for while getting ready each morning.

2. Problem Solved; Thinking Outside the Can:

I have been struggling for over a year to find the perfect bathroom wastebasket. With two very cute but curious animals in my household a lid is a must on all trash containers. Most options for waste management lack character and design which are essential when you have a small space (and practice design for a living).

It sounds cliche that you always find what you are looking for when you are not really looking at all but that is exactly what happened to me in the aisles of the Home and Garden department. I was merely browsing and daydreaming about sitting out on my deck again when a turquoise lidded planter/jar caught my eye. The size, the shape, the cute final adorned lid and the weight were all perfect and the texture and whimsy of the piece were too cute to resist. Now I have a functional and pretty piece instead of a hidden basket under my bathroom sink.

3. Don't Be Afraid..of Decorative Decals:

So I have been noticing vinyl wall stencils everywhere but have been skeptical. Sure the Colorform-like pieces seem like a fun way to dress up a plain wall but I was not certain how they work, if they peel off or are hard to install. I was in a long checkout line recently and as an impulse buy picked up a pack to try out.

I brought the package home and was not sure where to use it at first but ultimately opted for my bathroom. I have bright lilac walls and a narrow space enclosing my vanity. Due to the tight space, I never wanted to project off of the wall surface with artwork or a mirror yet the walls were so plain;plain until I added the black vinyl decals. The pattern was easy to make my own, the installation was not complicated and the result was the perfect solution. The best part about the decals is knowing you can remove and reposition them which is ideal for all you renters and those with a decorating fear of commitment.

These tips are basic but I hope the gist of the ideas inspire you to get creative with your space and your decorating budget. Remember that making small changes can make a huge impact. Enjoy!

Welcome to Saltworks Style

It is a quiet snowy evening on Cape Cod and it seems like the perfect time to cross one more thing off my to-do list and start a blog, hence the debut of Saltworks Style.

This blog is an offspring of Saltworks Design; a small and relatively new interior design company based in Dennis, MA. I am Sara Hamilton, an interior designer and Cape Cod native that opened a design studio two years ago in an effort to bring my eclectic sense of style and design to clients at all price points.

So far I have been having a blast working with great local contractors and builders on small and moderate-sized renovation projects on the Cape and South Shore. I am also the proud designer of two very exciting projects in Milton, MA which are soup-to-nuts new construction (pictures soon to be posted).

I am enjoying what I do and hope that you'll follow me as Saltworks Style and Design grow and keep checking out this blog for style tips and trends.

Enjoy the winter wonderland!

Sara