Rest Easy... Sleeping Beauty

When you come home from a long day do you look forward to diving into your pile of sheets and pillows or are you dreading the itchy sheets or hard pillows?

What you put on your bed and IN your bed makes all the difference.

How to make the most restful experience also a design experience:
Our TOP choice is always this... WASHABLE BEDDING:
There are so many beautiful bedding designs out there... that are NOT washable.  

And that is NOT practical. Your bedding is what gets some of the most use in your everyday life. Why in the world would it not be washable.  
This is a must for us and our "ease of glamour" mentality that we live and design by.

What is the one thing you think of when you think of bed comfort? 
PILLOWS
But one rule of thumb by TCI. Yes, it IS possible to have one too many pillows. We like to have enough to be comfortable, but not so many to overdo.


Something that always steps up the comfort is ... 
adding a second duvet (or blanket or throw) placed over the end of the bed. 

And last but not least, don't forget about the headboard! The comfort of the headboard IS where you will rest your head as you sit up in bed, watch TV or read a book!

Sleep tight!
*all photos are designs by TCI!

STYLE THAT: China and Bar Cabinets Edition

Styling: The art of arranging ordinary and unique items alike to tell a story of uniformity, organization, decorative taste within a beautiful design.

Styling - you can love it or hate it. Maybe it makes you hyperventilate thinking about having to arrange vases or books on a nightstand or what to put on a mantel... well TCI is about to embark on a series throughout 2017 about styling each area of your home.

Today we start with a fav ... Bar and China Cabinets 

1. Simplicity Rules:
In this unique bar built-in, we chose to use all white glass and ceramic pieces to create a uniform look. By only adding a few pieces to each glass shelf, it's easy on the eye, beautiful on the shelf and all in all simple to carry out


2. Materials and Finishes play into styling:
As we designed this bar, the beautiful caramel color we chose for the cabinets played into the copper accessories we used throughout. 


3. Stand alone bar carts can be just as fun:
A couple glasses, a simple bottle and one fun accessory can turn it into a WOW


4. Display person collections:
These types of cabinets are perfect places for collections. It comes down to the arrangement of these items to make them look spot on. Group like items .. create symmetry with colors and items...add in a simple accessory to break up lots of like items

5. The SHOWSTOPPER:
A wine room for all. What a beautiful space to display a collection and hobby of this homeowner. We created space for display, a "wow factor" of a backlit beauty, and functional storage all in one!

Style that .... and get to work!

Get in the Valentines Spirit ;)

Whether you're a fan of Cupid's holiday or not, its right around the corner!

And we are here to show you some modern Valentines decor for that perfect party or brunch you might decide to host!

An easy trick -- using some twig sprigs to be your "modern tree" and adding heart cut outs as ornaments! Takes up a lot of space and is the perfect simple centerpiece.



Flowers, flowers and more flowers. Just add some pink and red flowers to a table for instant modern glam.

This tablecloth is quick and easy to make. A plain white table cloth + marker and some X's and O's = Perfect Touch


Heart shaped name cards. Easy, personal and decorative.


Not into pink? That's ok too! Glam it up with black, white and gold!


And our fav - The Love Potion #9 Martini! Recipe HERE

Hope this gets you in the spirit! ;)

Where to Splurge and Where to Save

Design is all about splurges and saves.

Where do you allow the EXTRA and where can you afford to save?
We like to work with our clients, their dreams AND their budgets to make their home the best.

We love this list of splurges and saves from Houzz:

SPLURGE:
Statement lighting - lighting can change a room in its entirety 

Save:
Functional Table - Even a simple table can look high end if paired with the right things

SPLURGE:
Quality Countertops - beauty and function come with a price

Save:
Classic Tile - Yes, there are times when statement tile is needed, don't get us wrong, but sometimes the most classic tile can be beautiful

SPLURGE:
Fun Faucet - It's the "jewelry" of the vanity

Save:
Minimal Vanity - easy and clean!

SPLURGE:
Investment Sofa - This MIGHT be your most used piece of furniture in your house... don't skimp!

Save:
Funky Side Chair - A small side chair doesn't have to break the bank!

Take these into consideration and lets get ready to put your house together!

Don't Knock the Kiddie Table

Part of our business is making design and beauty AND life all one easy mess. 

That INCLUDES those kiddos. Many of our clients have young kids (and even our designers! So they are first hand witnesses). Lots of kids want a space to call their own as well! They see their parents dreams coming true, and why wouldn't they want theres to as well?

We make that a priority. 

Right now, one of our own designers is working on a new desk niche for her two kids. So while looking for inspiration for her own house, she was inspired for future clients as well!

HOW TO create the kids "space" without disrupting the flow of the house:

TCI recently finished this beautiful home, and in it was this wonderful little nook for a young kid to dream, grow and learn. 
Lesson #1 - Even modern chairs come pint sized: We died at this orange mini desk chair.

TCI Project

Lesson #2: Work with the color scheme:
Creating their own space + making it jive with the rest of the room all starts with coordinating the colors

Lesson #3: Choose furniture that fits the flow and style of the space
Don't bring in a giant purple bean bag if the rest of the space is clean lined and neutral. This behind-sofa console table turned childs desk is amazing.

Lesson #4: Think adult style but miniature. Would you have even noticed this was a kids corner at first?! How stinkin cute is the mini table and chairs 

Lesson #5: Keep in line with the function of the room. If the room is used as an office space, create a mini office for the child. 

Ease of glamour ... this is exactly what we mean by this phrase. Making design easy yet glamorous and working for every phase of your life.

Wallpaper 101 Continued ....

Earlier in the week we educated you guys on wallpaper lingo.... 
Today we are showing you the "odd" places to use wallpaper that actually AID in the design.

Wallpaper is like good make up; it can disguise or enhance elements that we choose. It can hide irregularities, or create separate zones for better function.

Here are some perfect solutions to needed help:

Have an off-kiltered design place in your home... accentuate it with a little wallpaper to make it seem ON PURPOSE.


Many people have these "under the stairs" powder baths ... this designer wrapped the ceiling down the wall to pull the eye to the design of the paper not the low ceilings.


Another powder bath flaw... many can be tiny. Instead of a coat of paint that may make it feel closed in, wrap that bath with a patterned paper for pop and creativity.


Got uneven walls or bumpy areas in the sheet rock? A good wallpaper installer can smooth that out and hide the flaws with wallpaper in no time.


Who says wallpaper has to be inside?? Outside is just as fun and surprising as well!


Add texture ... many people are in to these reclaimed wood walls. But with wood comes mold, allergies, dust etc. This TEXTURED wallpaper looks and feels real. 


Take the place of art - No need for an art piece when your wallpaper mural says it all.

Who's convinced? Hopefully this "week of wallpaper" got you on board!

Wallpaper Lingo - A Little Learning Tip

It is no secret that Traci Connell Interiors loves us some wallpaper. 
No, we aren't in the business of matching wallpaper to curtains like the 80's ... 
don't worry. BUT we are in the business of creating WOW factors and adding 
the unordinary to your home.

Have you ever heard someone talking about wallpaper and felt completely lost? 
We thought you might like a little crash course in wallpaper lingo... Listen closely because there will be a pop quiz at the end.... (jk)

A Repeat:
The repeat is the number between one design element and the next... the "repeats" on the wallpaper.
Don't be confused though between a small pattern being a lot of "repeats". Some small patterned wallpaper may be slightly different and actually have a large repeat.



Pattern Match:
This refers to how the wallpaper will be adjusted on the wall so the design matches up. Some patterns have a straight match, and requires little adjustment. Some other patterns require a drop match and have more waste than the prior.

 Some other patterns require a drop match and have more waste than the prior.


And yet other patterns have a random match, and you are able to line the wallpaper up easily with almost no waste.  

A typical American roll of paper is 27" wide and many manufacturers will make "double rolls" with twice the amount of paper for ease of purchasing and installing.


We believe wallpaper makes a LARGE impact and is worth every bit of the confusing language that it comes with !

Favorite Color? The Psychology of Blue

It's no lie that TCI likes the color blue. 
While we have a ongoing portfolio of color after color in all our clients homes, we do have quite a few clients that choose to use the color blue in some form or fashion!

Why?

We are looking into the psychology of the color BLUE today. There are many articles written on this subject!

Blue is the color of the sky and sea, it has a calming effect on most. 
TCI Project link

It represents trust, truth, wisdom and stability. Blue greens can feel more creative while deep blues feel more serene. Theres many shades within the color BLUE.


TCI Project link

The water element in blue represents relaxation and confidence. Feng Shui uses the color blue in lighter hues to represent youth.


TCI Project link


When one remembers the color blue, they may think of a Caribbean vacation they had been on, or long walks on the beach, hence giving the person a relaxed and calm sense of being.
TCI Project link

It's versatile and well-loved. You really can't go wrong using blue in a design. It works in any room of the house, from the playroom to the master bathroom.


TCI Project link


Everyone has their preference on shades of blue... whether light or dark, this color will be a classic one for the ages!

TCI Project link
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