Pamela O'Brien

The Guest Room Redo

With summer winding down, many of us probably have house guests. Having a great guest room is a wonderful way to make your family and friends feel more welcome in your home.

The guest room can be colorful and dramatic -- Have some fun with it!  Make it express your favorite colors, hobbies, places you have traveled, whatever inspires you.

Some nice additions to a guest room can include: 

*  A bench at the end of the bed can be useful not only for putting on shoes, but also for unpacking a suitcase.

*  Comfortable cotton sheets with a high thread count are a must whether on a bed or on a fold-up futon.

*  Towels and a basket of essential toiletries are also nice considerations and help provide that spa-like ambience.

Empty out the entire closet or at least a clearly accessible area for hanging clothes. The same is true for the bureau or dresser.  Guest rooms tend to become storage sheds so be sure to have some space for your guests and their belongings.

And the best tip of all – always spend a night in your own guest room so you can get a good feel for the level of comfort and any additions you nee to make to turn your guest room into a 5-star retreat.

Room Redo Quick Tip: The Fifth Wall

While working on our decorating projects here are Room Redo, we often are asked for help with paint color, texture and faux finishes.  Once we make selections for the walls, it is only natural to think about the ceiling.  In fact, in my decorating classes, I ALWAYS get the question:  "What should I do with the ceiling?" 

Well, here are some great answers.  First of all, a white ceiling does help bounce light around the room and make a room appear taller, so if those are your needs, a ceiling in a bright, white, flat ceiling paint is a good solution.  For more glamour, I am partial to a pearly shade which gives a creamy, opalescent look without detracting from the light distribution in the room.

Another great idea is to go a few shades darker or lighter than your wall color.  You have a guaranteed color match with more interest.  Remember that you would normally use a darker shade only when you are comfortable with the height of your room.

Lastly, faux finishes are great options.  We have done beautiful skies, clouds and sunsets, dramatic ceiling medallions, constellations, planets and stars. We have many beautiful metallic combinations which make for very dramatic and rich ceiling treatments.  We are currently replicating a design from a Renaissance chapel in Paris and the list goes on...  The only limit is your imagination but we can help with that!

Check out my web page www.businessandlifewithstyle.com to see our favorite faux artist, Robin Clark.  You can also see more of our projects on our web site www.roomredo.com and there is an area which features Robin's work as well.

So, while planning your own redecorating projects, remember that fifth wall and give Room Redo a call!

Room Redo Quick Tip: Feng Shui for Romance

Most Feng Shui cures for romance start in the bedroom.  While doing my decorating projects, I often learn about people’s private lives.  Sometimes, when they are interested in meeting a new partner or perhaps strengthening their current relationships, you can tell they are not completely successful by looking at the bedroom.  Feng Shui encourages success in your endeavors so, if you are interested in finding someone new or solidifying a current relationship, consider these tips:

Keep your bedroom neat and organized

Have two nightstands if possible

Display art that reflects happy, positive concepts and romantic notions

De-clutter your dresser and nightstand to remove confusion

Note in the photo that we created a warm and romantic bedroom with a combination of delicious colors like butterscotch, caramel and chocolate.   We designed draperies and a valance behind the bed to cover a small and unattractive window.  The window treatment is very sumptuous and really makes the bed stand out and look inviting.  We continued the softness of the fabrics with a new bedding ensemble including fluffy pillows, shams and a comforter.  The room is also well balanced for two people with a pair of nightstands, matching lamps and a pair of palm prints.

Room Redo Quick Tip: Feng Shui for Career Success

At Room Redo, we often are asked to help with large commercial spaces, small offices and even individual offices.  How your work space looks, feels and functions can go a long way towards helping you achieve success.  Consider these tips when decorating your workspace: Keep your desk organized and tidy and have adequate storage.  You will be more productive. If possible, add a green plant.  Rounded leaves are better for prosperity. A little movement is good to encourage the energy to circulate so consider a small fountain or fan.  If you have a home office, a wind chime is another good solution. Display your credentials and awards proudly so others will see your accomplishments.

Feng Shui the Fun Way

This is actually the title of a class that I teach through Leisure Learning (www.llu.com).  Throughout my decorating career, I have found that simple principles are often the best.   Many of these are long-established fundamentals of Feng Shui.  My clients love it when I use a little Feng Shui in their home decor so I thought I'd provide a brief introduction.  Also, over the next few weeks, my short tips and commentaries will give goal-related, specific Feng Shui cures that will not only make your spaces look and function better, they may even help you achieve those goals!

Feng Shui translates as "wind" and "water" and basically describes the movement of energy.  Similar to our western study of physics, Asian cultures believe that the movement of energy can have positive or negative effects in your environment.  Basic ideas include safety with proper lighting, clear pathways and well-built structures; keeping areas organized and free of clutter; getting rid of broken, worn out items and reminders of bad time; planning for future success and adding items that are inspirational and meaningful to you.

An example of this might be to position your desk at work so that you can see the door and if possible, also have a nice view.  Try not to face a busy corridor or hallway directly since it is distracting.   If you want to expand your business, set it up so that you will have room for an assistant or an associate.  Keep the room well lit so you can easily complete your tasks.  Have good ventilation and air circulation so you will be more energetic and productive.  For decoration, hang an attractive picture of something you desire like a sailboat, a cabin in the mountains, a luxury car, etc.  Be sure to watch for the specific cures over the next few weeks.  I'll discuss more ways for you to improve your career success, your finances and your love life.

Outdoor living spaces

Add a room, the easy way.  Outdoor living is at its best in Houston.  With today’s new options like outdoor appliances, fans, heaters and pest control systems, we can truly enjoy our decks, patios and balconies year-round. 

Another huge advance in outdoor living is the vast array of furniture and fabrics.  You can recreate a tropical resort or a vintage veranda.  The furniture can be all-weather wicker, wood look-alikes or attractive metal options.  Fabrics are comfortable, colorful and fun.  You can even add trim and accessories to pillows and cushions.  The possibilities are nearly endless.

When wanting to add more living space to your home or office, consider making your outdoor environment a better place to be.  Using the same concepts as we would for interior decorating projects, here at Room Redo we carefully plan your outdoor rooms and how you want to use them.

Room Redo Quick Tip: Guys and Design

Men, as a rule, are excellent about purchasing for value.  Even though the average listener may not very often think about professional interior decorating, having professional help in putting together a home or an office is a great value for anyone who needs and/or wants functional, attractive and comfortable spaces, whether at home or at work.  Some ways Room Redo assists the Gentleman who needs some decorating help include:  assisting with moving from one home or office to another, reusing existing furnishings to their maximum potential, finding and purchasing new furniture as needed, pulling the look together with art and accessories.    The result is a great new home or office that looks great, works really well and was nearly effortless for the client.  What a deal! 

The Gentleman Client

We are going to start a few segments on a possibly under-served market in the world of home and office décor and interior decorating - MEN!  Since many of the listeners are guys, I wanted to discuss how here at Room Redo, we really enjoy our "gentleman clients."  Although, they may not immediately come to mind for your everyday home decorating project, many men really enjoy getting professional help for their homes and of course, in commercial projects, men are often the contact point for remodeling, new construction and office upgrades.  Sometimes men call so they can lend a hand at home if their wives are busy or unavailable and often couples like to work on home projects together.  We have many appointments where both the husband and wife want to be there involved. Other ways we work with men is after a life change, such as divorce or having their children visit more often.  These gentlemen want to have a nice, comfortable space for themselves as well as their friends and families.  Many times they are either too busy or not really interested in shopping and putting together a home.  Room Redo is a great answer to their needs.  We put together a wonderful new home for them with minimal effort on their part.  Add the office decorating projects and you can see how the "gentleman client" is really a great market for Room Redo.  We take excellent care of the guys and love working with them.  Please see below the before and after shots of a successful project.  We helped this busy hotel executive by completing decorating and out fitting his new apartment in a 30-day period while he traveled extensively.  He lived there happily for nine months and called us to help him select and furnish his new town home.
After	Before

Faux for All - Decorative Paint for Home & Office

Last week I had Robin Clark, professional artist and muralist with Wallflower Studio on the show.  In the home décor and interior decorating business, one of the most exciting projects is faux painting and murals for your home or business.  It is completely custom work, it can look however you want and it really helps make your home or office shine as well as stand out from the other properties.

In our decorating work, we have used Robin to create fabulous ceilings with metallic finishes in Houston high rises, precious nurseries and children’s retreats all over town, magnificent murals in art niches in Camp Logan, fabulous powder rooms galore, master bathrooms in Pearland and a host of commercial projects.   

She has even created a mural of movie stars which disappeared behind an automated screen in a media room and created a tropical bamboo mural on grass cloth in a downtown wellness clinic.  The possibilities are endless.  Think about adding a little faux to your home or office and start enjoying the response you’ll get from friends and clients.

Bathrooms Are Big Business And Homeowners Profit!

No longer just the “necessary room” bathrooms are becoming destinations in of themselves. Clients want them to be restful, tranquil and spa-like or well-appointed and luxurious. Some of the specialty features we see more and more include: audio/video systems; small coffee and wine bars for beverages and snacks – especially nice for new parents who have to get up frequently during the night; air jets in all the tubs in the household with large, luxurious tubs in the master bath; multiple shower heads, including heads for steam and rain baths; large showers to accommodate more than one person; lots of natural stone on floors, counters and walls; accent mosaics out of stone, tile and/or glass tiles – often a combination of all three; and decorative metal tiles for added punch.

At Room Redo we like to focus on a comfortable, relaxing environment in a bathroom. I also believe they should be easy to maintain so that they feel luxurious but are also easy to keep clean. Bathrooms need to function well. I am seeing “double” – i.e., lots of double sinks, double vanities, separate showers, baths and water closets so that busy couples and families can all get ready quickly and easily.

The master bath has always been one the rooms in the home that people like to splurge on when they could. Now we just have even better products and more dramatic finishes. The trend is to use serious decorations just like you would in any formal room. I like to use a nice area rug, not just bath mats and also interesting art. Window treatments add glamour and soften the windows and look great above the garden tubs and in the separate water closets.

I think the bathroom is one of the only private places left for most people so they want to be able to really relax and enjoy the time they spend there.  How nice to have a lovely place to begin and end your day.