Are Your Book Cases A Clutter?

Whether you are a bona fide book worm or book shelves came with your Manhattan apartment, you’ll want to make the most out of your book cases. Read our tips for keeping them organized and looking their best:

• If the book cases in your San Diego home only feature a few scattered books, place picture frames, bud vases and other items on the shelves to add dimension and fill up the space.

• Select one color—if you aren’t afraid of color choose red or yellow—to tie everything together. If you have a red end table in the room, for example, tie in the color via a red picture frame and red vase.

• Paint the insides of your book shelves to add contrast and highlight the objects within.

• Even if you don’t have tons of books, place a cluster of books on each shelf.

• If you do have lots of books, arrange most of them vertically (to save space), but set up a few horizontal stacks to switch things up.

• Even though real estate might be at a premium, make sure to incorporate decorative items nonetheless. That goes with free space, too. Leave at least ¼ of each shelf free.

• If your book shelves house books and other forms of media, try not to display anything not worthy of display.

• Even if your book case is devoted to DVDs and other forms of modern media, add a few vintage touches for character.

Spring Décor

Dust off the winter doldrums, spring is around the corner! Chances are you’ll soon be spending more time outside, so why not bring the outside in by inspiring your space with these 3 basic tips?

Color. It’s the name of the game. A gallon of paint can do wonders for a space. Bright shades of blue, green, yellow, purple and coral are associated with spring, so are pastels. So pick a color and go for it—whether you’re covering an entire room or just one wall, your space will stand out. And if you tire of your selection in the fall, you can always cover it.

Textiles. Designers have already brought out their spring lines: pillows, slipcovers, rugs and linens. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend a bundle to get the look. Add a burst of white to the dining table. Floral patterns are inherently springy. Swap a heavier floor covering for a jute or seagrass rug. Drape a vibrant throw over your favorite chair. If you want a custom look, go to your local fabric store, where you can coordinate color, textiles and window coverings for a seamless look that’s sure to impress.

Window Coverings: The dark days of winter are over. While the sunshine is a welcome change, it may be more intense than your house can handle. So how do you avoid heavier drapery fabrics in favor of a more season appropriate window covering, without sacrificing shade? Roman shades are a simple, clean option to block the sun and maintain privacy. If you hang them in a basic white or cream, you can then layer them with patterned or bright colored drapes. It’s also possible to have linens lined with a thick, sun-stopping fabric.

The best part about switching up your style? It doesn’t have to cost a fortune. By integrating a few updated pieces, your room will sparkle like new.

Warm or Cool - Color Schemes to Fit Your Mood

So, we recently posted about color theory in regards to home decoration. We'd like to continue that discussion by talking now about the different types of color. Let's start with the main colors and what type of feeling each conveys.

Cool colors -
Cool colors in general convey a sort of serenity and peace in a room. They are soothing and zen-like. Blues are remeniscent of the ocean and sky. Blue can also show professionalism. Purples are cool tones, but convey a sense of regality and money. Cool colors in general tend to recede in a room. They are not the dominant colors.

Warm colors -
Warm colors are stimulating and advancing. They command attention and power. They spark creativity and warmth. In a sense they reflect objects in nature - the sun is yellow, fire is red and orange. Red and yellow make us hungry. Look at the colors of all your favorite fast-food joints. These colors tend to be the dominant colors.

A tip to follow when decorating - For either color scheme, warm or cool, make sure to balance it with pops of a color from the other side. Perhaps add a green plant to a warm room, to cool it down. Add red pillows to a blue and white living room sofa to warm up a cool color scheme.

Either way, carefully plan what type of feeling you want your room to have and plan accordingly. The worst thing to do is to start decorating without a plan.

Using Color in Your Room Decor

At Zara Furniture, we have an in-house team of interior design experts, ready and able to help you with all your design needs and advice. Today, we want to talk about color and how it can affect the design process.

So, let's start with a little lesson in color theory. Traditionally, artists defined red, yellow and blue as the three primary colors from which all others on the color wheel can be mixed. For decorating purposes, we like to point this out because you need to understand the relationships and harmonies between different colors. For example, how purple relates to both red and blue and how green derives from yellow and blue.

The basic color wheel that you are most likely familiar with, shows the pure hues of colors. However, with design and decorating, you most likely will be using tints and shades of those colors. Tints are lighter values of a color. Shades are darker values. Colors that lie opposite each other on the color wheel are known as complementary colors, meaning that when paired, each makes the other appear more vivid. The next thing you need to know is that colors that sit next to each other on the wheel are known as analogous, meaning that the always look good together because they share a common hue. Lastly, triads are any three equally spaced colors on a wheel. The purpose of this combination is to obtain a lively balance.

So, why does all this matter? When it comes to purchasing furniture for the room you are designing, and choosing paint colors, you need to best plan out a color scheme that works best for you. Otherwise, you may run into a poorly colored room, with mismatched colors all over the place. A room should be a neat reflection of yourself. It is your space, so when picking out living room furniture or choosing paint colors, think about yourself and what you are trying to express.

In the next post, we will talk about the different colors and how they make you feel. Stay tuned...