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A few simple ideas to create a “new” look in your home

A few simple ideas to create a “new” look in your home

When you are ready to furnish your new home, or the home you have been living in for a while, creating something “new” does not always mean complicated or expensive.  There are often many opportunities to take something that you already have, and turn it into a beautifully designed and practical piece, and without a major re-do.  Furnishings can be repurposed, or perhaps repositioned, to be used in a different or better way.

As an example, a client I was working with needed a new desk in her home office.  She also had a beautiful slab of wood, given to her by a friend, that had been leaning against a wall in the office and we needed to get it out of there.  The shape of the wood, where it had a natural inward curve, suggested the perfect spot for placing a desk chair.  The size was appropriate as well.  So, with some adjustable steel legs attached, we created a magnificent desk.  Then, from another room, we brought in a tall chest with a combination of drawers and doors to serve for all her storage needs.  Not your “usual” office furniture but far more beautiful and practical as well.  

Love a piece, but it’s not the right size?  Get creative! Another client needed a pair of nightstands for her new bed, which was higher than the one it replaced.   In a guest bedroom she had a pair of custom-made nightstands that she loved.  Contemporary in design, finished in the perfect shade for the master bedroom, yet they were not quite high enough.  Searching around I found some stainless steel extensions made in Germany, most often used to hold display panels away from gallery walls.  These were ordered and I then had ¾” glass cut to fit the top of each chest with holes drilled in the corners.  The glass was attached to the nightstand, using the extensions, raising the top 2 3/4” and creating a shelf between the glass and the original top.  They were now a perfect fit, and the client was able to keep something she really liked.  The cost was minimal and the only labor required was to attach the extensions to the cabinets and thread them through the new glass tops.  We then used her original pair in the guest room.

I once had a challenge where a client had a leather wingback chair he really loved, it was a comfortable fit for him yet the leather had become rather worn, though still in good condition.  We discussed re-upholstering it and had selected a very contemporary abstract print in vivid colors.

There was an artist living here in Sonoma whom I knew well.  I approached her, asking if she could paint on leather, and, did she think it would hold up with wear?  This was a creative woman who also loved a challenge and so what we did was to take the pattern from the fabric I had found and she painted the leather in those same colors.  It turned out absolutely stunning and became a piece of modern art.

How about those dining chairs? Are you bored with looking at six to eight matching chairs?  There are many simple ways to be creative with dining chairs.   By selecting fabrics that combine complementary patterns and colors, and by placing the pattern in random ways, a fabric can be applied to make each chair distinctive, yet beautiful together.    Another idea would be to change the fabric on just the back panel, or on the seat, adding some decorative trim, making a chair more interesting.  Custom printed fabrics, from your own design, are now readily available and the possibilities are endless.

Placing a pair of chairs at the head/end of the table, that are of a different style from the side chairs, such as wingback chairs, will visually break up a set.  Then again, not placing chairs at the head of a table, but rather lining them up on the sides, suggests a less formal arrangement.  Using a banquette or a bench on one side with chairs on the other is also a nice way to mix things up.

Mary Courtney  has been practicing Interior Design professionally for thirty five years.  Mary’s work takes her all over the country and she currently is based out of Sonoma. Mary may be contacted at
707-721-6175 or courtneydesigns@cox.net.   www.marycourtneydesigns.com