It’s finally here!

One  definition of the word “root” is to implant or establish deeply and become fixed. Think of those daffodils for a moment. There are perennial securely planted bulbs that brave the unpredictable March weather year after year to give us the first glimpse of the beautiful colors to come. Their bullious roots are vital for stability and nutrition. However, you can also unearth or “root out” edible “roots,” cheer on or “root” your favorite team to victory, and you can delve into or “get to the root of” a problem. You can “root through” an attic full of treasures and, most certainly, discover your heritage and origin, i.e. “your roots” as chronicled in that book and mini-series. But with all the usages of the word, what I am referring to now is the fact that your home furnishings can seemingly “take root, ” becoming permanently afixed to one place and one purpose, thus becoming almost invisible. Spring means rebirth so it is the perfect time to wake up, shake up, and “uproot.”

Look at each room in your home with fresh eyes and a new perspective so that furnishings and accessories may be moved, repurposed, and reorganized. A stagnate arrangement can lose its luster quickly especially when months of winter’s cold keep us indoors. Spring cleaning may have a cleansing and cathartic effect with a bit of imagination and creativity added to the process. It’s time to awaken from our collective long winter’s nap and take stock of our surroundings. So, whether you buy something new or rearrange what you already have (or both!), you’ll put a Spring in your step and “get to the root” of our decorating dilemmas. Here are some suggestions to help you “Spring into action,” and I promise that’s the last of the puns.

• Relocate or reposition are rugs throughout your home.
• Slipcover your upholstery for a light, fresh look.
• Rearrange your furniture, or regroup accessories if a large-scale move isn’t possible.
• Take down all existing wall art, edit and regroup, then rehang all the pieces you hardly noticed. They will become the pieces you love once again.
• Change your lampshades, they get as dull and dreary as a January day.
• Freshen your florals and greenery and bring the outdoors in.
• Lighten up your window treatments for a breezy, warm weather look.
• Redress your fireplace mantle as it is a focal point for any room.
• Do as little or as much as your wish but do something to bring you home back to life.

In Tiffin, a redo of the La-Z-Boy Gallery will provide a fresh, new look to offer inspiration and, hopefully, increased sales. The company has seen yearly improvement in sales volume and has been top in its region several times, so a new presentation of the furniture should only further our success. We’re setting up new vignettes, reconfiguring floor arrangements, and giving customers an interesting shopping experience with unique ideas showcasing La-Z-Boy’s comfort and style. By reorganizing and repainting, everything seems new to everyone, including the employees. Updating wall colors and accessorizing with new artwork and trendy accent pieces creates interest and intrigue. We’ve certainly got quite a mess, but I think the end result will be worth the effort.

Deckers Findlay location is transforming as well. By constructing vignette walls to enhance the furniture settings, increasing the dining room displays, and, most significantly, constructing showroom space for a new bedroom gallery, the Findlay store is expanding to meet customers’ needs. The Amish-made bedroom gallery is the result of a successful collaboration between the company and several Ohio Amish master craftsmen for bedroom as well as dining room, entertainment, occasional, and custom-designed furniture pieces. The new gallery is almost complete, and highlighted by a subtle, tranquil paint palette and new accessories, the beauty of the furniture will be greatly enhanced.

A retail store must be merchandised in an attractive and eye-catching way. But most importantly is must be thought-provoking as the sales floor is any store’s larges and most valuable sales tool, and the customer’ most helpful too to visualize the merchandise in their home. The displays must be updated, innovative, and relevant to the clientele. And they must change because just like one’s home environment, a stagnate uninspired arrangement or environment for a furniture store will not inspire the customers to buy or the employees to sell.  Times change, styles change, and so do people. It is vital to the success of Deckers Furniture to change with them.

Come in to browse and buy, hopefully one of our locations will provide inspiration and ideas to initiate a change in you.

“Viva La France”

While European and Mediterranean designs have always been an integral part of our aesthetic, now, more than ever, French design and culture are key. The influence is far reaching, such images as the Eiffel Tower, the French flag, and Parisian cityscapes are used for anything from art to accessories. Bistro style for kitchens is classic, but today’s adaptations of checked patterns give a modern twist. Anything from the rural countryside to metropolitan Paris offer interesting French decorating details for any interior.

Texture, Texture, Texture

One of the basic principles of interior design, texture is now more important than ever. Avante garde blendings of textures provide a uniquely modern look to any design style. Heavily distressed leather with crisp cotton and washed linen or plush, sumptuous velvet combined with seagrass and jute are just a few of today’s non-traditional combinations. Rough burlap draperies used with raw silk pillows for example, would never have been considered, but now such unorthodox textual marriages are unexpected sophisticated, and new.

Animal Prints

Yes these are certainly not new but their integration into every aspect of home decor is. Once used sparingly and reserved for exotic interiors, animal prints of all kinds are now almost neutral and can be used on any piece of furniture, carpet, or window treatments. Mixing zebra, cheetah, cow, and giraffe patters together in any style of interior creates interest, especially when they’re printed or woven in diffenet types of fabrics from twill to velvet with unexpected color combinations.

Language and Writing

Calligraphy, phrasing, and all types of language are adorning everything from area rugs to artwork. Calligraphy and old-time penmanship are collectible art forms and can be used anywhere. Monogramming adds a bit of elegance and personality, while using a favorite name or word, phrase, or poem on a wall (like stenciling a simple recipe on a plain kitchen surface) creates a unique and personal touch in a room. Fabrics with document patterns, nostalgic stayings, foreign writing, or bold lettering are all high impact covers for upholstery, pillows, and bedding.

Anything Asian

Like the French style elements, Asian and Oriental designs are classic and timeless, but are being adapted in different ways for today’s interiors. Instead of the formal, highly polished ebony and burkwood pieces that identified Oriental decor, today’s pieces are much more natural with reclaimed distressed woods to blend with the textural fabrics. Tranquility and contentment are hallmarks of Asian design; simple lines, ancient symbols, and even Feng Shui design guidelines contribute to this feeling which is highly desirable for our fast-paced, technoogy-driven lifestyles.

You need only to look through a catalog or visit a department store to see these mass-marketed decor trends. And while I have cautioned in past blogs about avoiding fads which aren’t a true reflection of you and your personal style, these trends are almost universally appealing. Add a single item to your existing decor as a fun focal point or combine them for a one-of-a-kind updated design that is a sophisticated, comfortable, and stylish look for 2011. If it’s new and it’s you…then redo!

Remember, too, studying the color wheel and its many applications including monochromatic, complimentary, and analogous schemes? These conglomerations, from a long ago art class, are helpful now when selecting paint, fabrics, upholstery, and carpet.

The simplest is the monochromatic color scheme which includes different values (tints and shades) of one color contrasted with neutrals such as black, gray, beige, and white. Opting for a cool palette in green, blue, or violet will result in a tranquil environment nuanced with natural elements. Choosing a warmer color palette in red, orange, or yellow punctuated by black or white will produce vibrant, energetic spaces which promote activity and creativity.

The opposite of the “mons” or single tone concept uses a color’s opposite or complement on the color wheel. Red, blue, and yellow are primary colors because no other hues can be mixed to create them, and mixing them creates the secondary and tertiary tones which complete the wheel. Because “opposites attract” a hue’s compliment is always its most perfect counterpart, and the juxtaposition results in a bold, dramatic decor in either warm or cool combinations. Wine and sage green, teal and burnt orange, or yellow with periwinkle blue are all classic complimentary schemes.

An analogous color treatment in an interior is a bit more subtle and unique, and can be very interesting and sophisticated. It involves colors that are adjacent to each other such as green, aqua and lime. This scheme is a bit edgier because the tones are in the same family but can come from different bases which tends to create an interior with contrast and an unexpected modern twist. Many updated upholstery and drapery fabrics or bedding ensembles are designed with an analogous palette.

Any room can be decorated with at least three color tones plus neutrals. For example, a monochromatic design could include a deep aqua seafoam , and a pale mist with an accent of ivory. Dress the design with crisp cotton and linens plus natural textures and the result is spa-like. Complimentary schemes are traditional and time-honored, adding a tint or shade of one of the hues like peach to highlight burnt orange paired with teal or turquoise plus a sandy neutral achieves the essence of the desert Southwest. And the analogous option is both classic and modern. A brilliantly hued graphic fabric in fuschia, crimson, and orange seems cutting-edge but is, in fact reminiscent of the 1950′s and 60′s style – it’s new and retro.

The science of color is complicated. Light is fractured into the spectrum and the spectrum of color are aligned into a wheel that establishes their relationship and the myriad of possibilities available. The aforementioned schemes are tools that showcase these relationships and provide the knowledge to combine colors with confidence and panache. The art of color starts with the elements of the spectrum – ROY-G-BIV – and ends with an interior color scheme that is rooted in principles and rules, but is the essence of unique and personal style.

The season begins with Halloween when we adults, long past the age of wonder, fondly reminisce about younger days and the magic of scary costumes, carved Jack-O-Lanterns, and trick or treat. To me those memories are so clear that I can even recall my most unusual Halloween confection – a slightly over-ripe and very juicy tomato from a gruff old man in the neighborhood. At the time my only thought was how this “treat” weighed heavily in my goody bag, but now I see he  was obviously concerned about tooth decay and my cholesterol and antioxidant levels.

Next comes Thanksgiving, a time to remember our blessings and give thanks for those we love and all that is good in our lives. Tradition requires a huge turkey dinner, lots of relatives, and  a nap in a comfy recliner during a Detroit Lions football game.

Then one day past the dinner it begins, the countdown to Christmas, glorious and remarkable Christmas – the holiday of holidays. It is a time of redeeming, rejoicing, and regaling; and again we adults regress to childhood by reliving long ago Yuletide recollections of rosy cheeks, red suits, and reindeer. Christ is born in Bethlehem, Santa comes calling with wondrous gifts (I remember an “Easy Bake Oven” and a “Betty Beauty Parlor” doll!) and those relatives revisit to eat more turkey. Family traditions are renewed and the special meaning of Christmas is relived again and again.

Last comes New Year’s Day with with parties, parades, and the Rose Bowl, and all is good and right again. And with a new year comes hope and optimism, renewal and rejuvenation and once more we feel a bit younger with the anticipation of what may come. Don’t let that excitement fade intot he mundane daily routine as January extends into February and so on.

One way to renew is to redecorate and thereby carry forth that January 1st feeling. One new and perfect piece, well placed, can change an entire room and your perspective as well. Renovate and repaint, reorganize and refurbish and you’ll realize that excitement again and again.

So in these bleak mid-winter days after the champagne toasts and tinsel are gone, you’ll want to stay inside. Refresh the inside and you can refresh yourself. Relax and enjoy a new look and remember the “R’s” of the holiday season and particularly those of New Year’s, because it a long time until the next holiday. Redecorate and Rejoice.

If you answer is an emphatic “no,” perhaps I can help. Over the years I’ve been asked many Christmas and holiday decorating questions, so I thought I would share a few with you. Obviously, your choice of seasonal decor is a very personal one, but, keep this in mind. You are not only “decking the halls,” but you are also setting the backdrop for your family’s treasured memories. Granted most of us don’t have chestnuts roasting on an open fire, boughs of holly, or sugarplums dancing about; but even so, the surroundings you’re creating are just as crucial to making “the most wonderful time of the year” just that! So here goes…

Can you make the most of the least?

The answer is as unlimited as you imagination. Go outdoors and collect nature’s decorations. Twigs and branches, fresh sprigs of pine, and berries tied with twine make wonderful, inexpensive and rustic holiday trimmings. A vacated bird’s nest with pine cones and nuts nestled in greenery make an interesting natural centerpiece, or can become adornments for a wood winter tree. However, if you favor a more modern look these gifts from nature can still be utilized. By spray painting in any festive color, the interesting shapes and textures can be greatly enhanced, and a chic and individual look achieved.

Another inexpensive but intriguing suggestion requires advanced planning which can result in a memories-in-the-making adventure for you and your young family. With a limited budget but unlimited inventiveness and spirit, go to flea markets and garage sales seeking interesting items to be used on a “Flea Tree.” Hunting tea cups and toy soldiers, antiqued handkerchiefs and plastic what-nots or thing-a-ma-jigs can make for fun family outings in the summertime and then one-of-a-kind holiday tree the whole family will treasure for many years to come.

Question: What if your home’s interior color scheme is not compatible with the traditional Christmas colors your prefer – can you use red and green decorations without having a red and green home interior?

The answer is definitely! Christmas (and every holiday for that matter) is all about tradition. Much of what we choose for decorating is based on childhood and that which evokes those special memories. You may not wish to live with a red and green color scheme everyday but during this time of year it just feels right. Ornaments, wreaths, stockings and wrapping paper with festive bows come in any color and style imaginable, but if your vision of the perfect Christmas means classic, time honored customs and colors even in an untraditional setting – then go for it. Being a personal expression like a work of art of a special floral design, the beauty lies in the uniqueness. And nothing is more spectacular than a tree, laden in tinsel, with green and red ornaments and perhaps some silver and gold ones as well.

Question: If you love Christmas and decorating, can you overdecorate for Christmas and decorating, can you over decorate for Christmas? How do you know when just right becomes just tacky?

I love both too, and the answer is yes you can definitely overdo. But so what? Yes, dancing Santas or a life-sized Rudolf  with the flashing red nose are hitchy but it’s only once a year and when, other than the holidays, can you over indulge your decorating desires? Everyone (including those aforementioned carolers) will enjoy it. Remember, the song says “It’s the hap-happiest season of all!” If a dancing Santa Claus makes you happy through all the hectic holiday hubbub, then it’s just right. And imagine how Santa himself will laugh when he comes down your chimney.

Remember the last time you paged through a fashion magazine and ended up looking at the models instead of the clothing? Statuesque and stunning, they have voluminous tossed hair, pouty lips, and porcelain pore-less skin. Whether waif like or voluptuous, these women are the picture of perfection. Looking at one glossy image after the next, each airbrushed and retouched, you wonder what must it be like to walk through life in their Italian designer shoes. But bare in mind, the flawlessness is flawed because it isn’t real, and even the models themselves can’t live up to the images they portray.

Now remember the last decorating magazine you poured over, dog-earring the pages and dreaming? The same premise applies here – glossy pages portraying unrealistic room images of the perfect family living in the perfect home. These aren’t real either. Professional designers, photographers, and staging artists are behind the scenes, displaying everything in each room like the stylists dressing those models; and the results are just as unattainable and unrepresentative of a real family’s life.

Look at home decorating magazines as fantasy mixed with reality. Perfectly arranged furniture may photograph well, but, for instance, can the family watch television comfortably – and where is the recliner? A beautifully tablescaped cocktail ottoman is a focal point in the room but how can it be used? Expensive objects that are interesting, unique, (and often fragile), yet there are children and pets living in these beautiful homes. Because these rooms and homes are more like staged sets (meant to draw readers in and motivate consumers) than any true-to-life portrayal, they are model homes.

Your happy but harried homelife is real, full of muddy paws, messy kids, and lots of mayhem. So naturally your home will never emulate the faux-perfection portrayed in those magazines. While real families do actually live in those featured homes, when they are photographed they become actors on a stage directed for just the right shot. But when the glamour ends, the featured family members return to their featured home to the mayhem we all experience.

So, when you ask a professional designer to transform your home into a dream home like those beautifully photographed images on your magazines, keep this in mind. Function and beauty are equally important in any successful decor and your family’s needs for comfort and convenience are as unique and individual as they are. Make very sure your consultant knows how you and each family member really lives. When the redo is done your home may not be in “House Beautiful” but it will be a model of perfection.

#10 The Flying Feline

You sit down at one end of the sofa ready to snuggle with a good book and a bowl of popcorn. You realize the sofa is “a little worn” but a strategically placed Afghan and some pillows have hidden the wear. Unfortunately, the frame and cushion of your couch are more than “a little worn,” so, as you get set to snuggle, something snaps. Your cat who’s napping comfortably at the other end is suddenly launched into the air along with your popcorn and the bowl. Also unfortunately, Kitty lands claws out snagging the fabric again, and that Afghan isn’t quite big enough!

#9 Ooh – That Smell

That’s that strange odor surrounding your husband’s old recliner? It has defied Fabreeze, Air Wick, and all types of scented potpourri. Perhaps the sauce is the dark greasy spot where hubby’s head rests, or maybe the beer can-sized rings on the armrests. Too many snacks and naps have finally killed this smelly eyesore and you couldn’t be happier.

#8 The Fabric Faux Pas

“OMG” – if I have to look at this hideous upholstery fabric much longer I’m going to hurl, hopefully all over the sofa! You’ve been texting and telling your friends this for awhile now and they’re tired of listening. Some years earlier you were sure you would love it forever and now forever can’t end soon enough. “What was I thinking?” you wonder as you look at your great room sofa, loveseat, and chair all covered in the same awful material.

#7 A Table for Two

You and your wife purchased dining room furniture when you were young newlyweds feathering the nest. And now you are a couple of older and wiser empty-nesters, but why do they call it empty? There are grown children and their spouses, many grandchildren and good friends forming a large boisterous bunch full of  mischief, messes, and wonderful memories. The holidays are coming, and so are they.

#6 The Retro Rug

Your carpet is a shag – unfortunately not the new and updated tactisse – style pile but the 1970′s original. It requires a rake. Enough said.

#5 Are You Ready for Some Football?

It’s football season and you have a family of fans. You also have a console TV with rabbit ears and duct tape. Then home comes Dad with the newest in TV Tech, and there’s no place to put it. If it’s time for fun, family, friends, and football then it’s time for a new entertainment unit. Otherwise, the new flat screen TV will have to stay in the box, and someone will be in charge of adjusting those rabbit ears.

#4 The Budding Picasso

Your paint is dinged up, dingy and dated. And thanks to your child it has also been drawn on many times. Several places around the room from the baseboard up to the chair-rail are displaying new and creative artwork. “Priceless” murals, landscapes, and modern compositions in vivid colors abound and unfortunately rearranging the furniture can only hide so much. It’s a shame everything isn’t as permanent as a permanent marker or as colorful as a 64 count box of crayons.

#3 The Case of the Dog and The Droopy Drapery

It’s a mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes. Your window treatments were working perfectly, opening with ease and staying in place when closed. But now strange things are happening. The blind slats are constantly askew and are breaking at an alarming rate. Meanwhile the drapery seems to be wearing very thin in spots right around sill heights. Underneath, the lining is in tatters. And the #1 suspect? Could it be your lovable and lumbering Labrador who likes to look out the window – the same window that faces the mailbox? Hmmmm….

#2 Dreams or Nightmares

You’ve just inherited Grandma’s antique bedroom suite. It’s lovely, reminiscent of the furnishings in a Victorian B&B and you recall many nights spent snugly tucked into that bed nestled in softness. You are, of course, flushed with the anticipation of recreating those childhood memories. Unfortunately, you dream of luxurious and restful comfort becomes a nightmare when, as a mature and married adult, you and your spouse actually try to sleep on a quaint 3/4 size bed with a “vintage ” mattress. How can you get a good night’s sleep when forced to roll over in unison? And ultimatum is set, and you must choose to save the bed or your marriage (and your back).

#1 And the Winner Is…

Hopefully this list of silly scenarios shows that the reasons to redecorate are as individual as they are universal. Times and circumstances change and so do you and your family. But I think the best reason is simply for renewal. Whether it’s a recliner or an entirely new room, a freshened environment provides a new perspective and attitude. So come to Deckers Furniture for you next redecorating project – we are ready to offer help and guidance for any of the reason on your list.

Say, for instance, you are redoing a room or an entire home and have enlisted the help of a professional designer, but have not divulged this vital information. With the unlimited price ranges for furnishings, your valuable time is wasted if the consultant selects a beautiful but expensive sofa as the focal point of your project but your budget is limited.

Likewise, if a luxurious and pricey piece is what you secretly desire and the consultant isn’t aware of this, the overall project and relationship can be compromised. Or, worst of all, the job is done (almost) and everything went well. But now, because of a lack of initial communication, all those very important details and unique accessories that personalize and finalize the look aren’t figured into the total and your finances are depleted. Those finishing touches may be out of reach for quite awhile and you’re left with disappointment.

So, please, in order to have a good and successful experience working with an interior designer, do a little research beforehand to know some basic pricing guidelines, and take an honest evaluation of your budget constraints. But most importantly, be willing to discuss this candidly with the design consultant – it’s as fundamental to the process as any subject can be.

First of all there are a wide variety of options for wall finishes including wallpaper, tiles, textured surfaces, paneling, and even fabrics; but paint is, by far, the most popular choice. Easy application, versatility, and comparatively low cost all contribute to its appeal, but paint’s biggest plus is the infinite range of colors available. However, that which should be such a plus, the endless spectrum of choices, can make your head spin. Which is better “Peanut Shell” or “Peanut Butter,” is “Off  White” or “Nearly White” right? Put down the myriad of paint samples for awhile, reprioritize, regroup, and save yourself from a potentially time consuming and costly redo.

Try approaching your decorating project by tackling the most difficult aspect instead. In a seating area, for example, the choice of your upholstery should be first for several reasons. There are many requirements to fulfill in a sofa, loveseat, or a sectional such as comfort, size, durability, and quality of construction, cost, and style along with fabric availability and wearability. With so many criteria to satisfy, once this selection (complete with the preferred fabric) is made, your carpet or area rugs, window coverings, plus wood accents and accessories will be much easier to determine. Likewise, with a bedroom area where case goods are the primary furnishings, choosing your bed and window dressings first will help to set the tone for the space. Again considering cost, style, quality, material or privacy requirements for window treatments and bedding can even help you with picking the perfect bedroom ensemble. So do what the professionals really do, forget the design principles because with so many decisions to make, making the most difficult ones first will facilitate the rest – then its time to paint.

Now you can relax a little. Stressing over the perfect hue is unnecessary because a favorite fabric on the sofa you found will help point the way. Certainly fretting over the value (i.e. tint or shade) of a particular color is eliminated because it will also be dictated by that same fabric. And most importantly, the dilemma and the disappointment caused by finding the truest of your dreams, the ideal drapery to fit your window and your budget, or a beautiful and comfortable davenport in your most favorite pattern after the painting is done (and sadly isn’t quite right) is avoided. Please don’t misunderstand though, a general idea of your wall color palette is fine, but with the flexibility of paint tinting, a slight formula change can make all the difference. So by following this important guideline you can eliminate costly, time consuming and frustrating mistakes (and just maybe save your marriage too!)

The bottom line is, the walls of your home are an integral feature of your decor, a very large blank canvas waiting for you to express yourself. But this isn’t something to rush. A little smart planning, some research and a lot of diligent shopping before painting will help to realize your vision without redos and regrets. Painting should be like icing a cake, it’s an essential part of the mix adding flavor and enticing appeal, but adding it too soon may spoil the recipe. The pros know – the most important ingredient in a successful decorating project is PLANNING!