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