Post pictures of or write about your LEAST favorite room in your home on our Facebook page for a chance to win a room re-do between now and February 20th!  Leave a brief description about what you dislike and why. Encourage friends to “like” your post.  The person with the most “likes” will win. The winner will be announced Monday, February 27th. Details are below!

5 Easy Steps:

1. Log into your Facebook account.

2. Find us on Facebook at:   http://www.facebook.com/ParadigmInteriorDesignInc  

3. Click on “Photo” which is write next to “Post”.

 4. Select Upload a Photo

5. Click “Choose File” to select the image you want to upload

Contest Details:

- Submit photos of one room – post via your computer or phone to Facebook.

- Encourage friends and family to like your post and picture.  The person with the most “likes” will win.

- There are no restrictions on the location of the property.

*Winner will receive a room re-do. We start by rearranging your existing pieces of furniture to make the space more functional and visually appealing.  Next we can help you select paint colors, accessorize, and fall back in the love with your home!

- Winner will be announced February 27th via Facebook and our website/blog.  Pictures of the before and after will be posted on our blog upon completion.

 Before

After

Bored with your home?  Looking for some easy, affordable ways to freshen things up?  Look no further!  Here are some quick fixes to update any room in your home.

Option 1: Paint

Get rid of the boring beige.  Below is a great example of how a little color on the walls can brighten up a space and make it feel larger.

 Work to find the right balance of light and dark.  This will prevent a room with dark walls from feeling small.  The light floors, cabinets, and ceiling are a beautiful contrast to the navy walls.

Don’t be afraid to try a bright color.

That said, neutrals can also make a statement when the right hue is used.  Notice how crisp this color looks with the white trim.

Try a pattern to make a bold statement in a small space.

Consider putting the pattern on the floor.  It is a great way to provide color and visual interest in any space.

Option 2: Revamp or upgrade a light fixture

This is a great example of how an old brass chandelier can have a new life if you have the time for a little DIY project.  Try a spray paint with a gloss finish.

I had to throw this in.  I made a wine glass chandelier to go with my thesis project back in college.  It took 36 wine glasses, fishing line, and a single light bulb.

I love using chandeliers in different spaces such as bedrooms, closets, or bathrooms.  They add a touch of nostalgia and intimacy to a room.

A funky grouping of fixtures can make a dynamic statement.

Option 3: Make your bed the throne of your bedroom

Reinvent your headboard.  Try a found material like the one below made of old plank floor boards.

Consider reupholstering an antique headboard with a bold color or pattern that draws the eye.

If you don’t have room or the budget for a headboard, consider a wall decal.  They are an inexpensive, fun way to give a room character.

Option 4: Reupholster or refinish

Find a piece of furniture that has good bones but is in sad shape.  Give it some TLC and the end product can be stunning.

This console has an old school finish, but a carefully applied coat of paint gives it a lovely new life.

Option 5: Invest

Invest in ONE “statement piece” of furniture per room.  It can be a piece that you lovingly refurbish or one that you choose to splurge on.  Whether a chair, desk, mirror, accent piece, table, or rug, the choice is up to you, but one thing is certain – it must steal the show.  What is your eye drawn to in the images below?

The kitchen is a gathering space.  Along with the friends and family who often congregate here, the kitchen is home to a million types of utensils, appliances, pots, pans, junk drawers, and much more.  The amount of “stuff” we accumulate in our kitchens can be overwhelming.  There are never enough nooks, crannies, cupboards, drawers, or shelves to put everything away.  Instead of trying to hide the things that make your kitchen a kitchen, consider a different way to store or display them.  They just might blend right in when given the right home in plain sight.

This is a beautifully simple kitchen.  Everyday items become the visual focal point from countertop to ceiling on butcher block shelves.

 I love the vintage table used as an island, open display of kitchen knives, and unique wall pattern that contrasts the plain white cabinets.

Try putting your coffee grounds, sugar, flour, and other household staples in glass jars instead of hiding them in cupboards.  The different colors and textures provide visual interest.

If you don’t have space on a shelf for your spices, try using the bottom side – buy matching jam jars with metal lids that you can tack to the underside of a shelf.

Warm up stainless steel with a few accents that bring your personality into the kitchen.

Pick two styles of containers/baskets that have different textures to organize open shelves.

Layer objects of varying size and scale.  Stack shelves of different lengths and widths to give a wall depth.

The perfect spot for every utensil.

Combine shelving and basic wall-hanging elements to create your own storage unit.

Now lets switch gears and put all of these pieces together.  Below are a selection of beautiful kitchens that caught my eye. Enjoy!!

January is the month of resolutions and slogans like “A new year, a new you”.  Slogans that we tend to forget about by the time month two of the New Year actually rolls around.  In the past, my personal resolutions have been a lofty statement filled with vague ideas and good intentions, but no direction on how to get there.  So this year I decided to try making my resolutions on a smaller, more intimate scale.  For example, instead of saying that I am going to get organized, I focused on what I could do in my life to make that happen, and for me that meant finding simplicity – in my home, at work, and in my relationships. To me, simplicity means decluttering your life of the things that hold no personal value to you, get in the way of what really matters, and stop you from expressing who you genuinely are.  Try taking a fifteen minute inventory of all aspects of your life and what is most important to you in those areas.  Now come up with five improvements that if made would create positive, progressive changes in your life.

This week we are focusing on the home office space.  To be happy and productive at your desk, the environment it sits in needs to reflect who you are and how you like to work.  The goal is to strike a balance between form, function, comfort, and style.  You will notice how different all of these office spaces are – some feature very clean lines and little color, while others are highly stimulating with bold patterns and a plethora of eye candy.  Focus on what speaks to you and gets your creative juices flowing!

Tip 1: Have ample lighting and preferably some natural light in your work space.

Tip 2: Organize and declutter!  Find a system for storing your stuff that works for you – it can be baskets, bins, drawers, jars, shelves, etc.  Get creative, it should be a reflection of how you function.

Tip 3: Make use of the space you have.  An office doesn’t require a room to itself.  It can be integrated seamlessly into your home, creatively disguised behind a curtain, or tucked neatly into the confines of a closet.

Cheers!

-Collette

So come on in and curl up by the fire!  There is something so cozy and comforting about the flickering flames of a fireplace on a chilly evening.  Adding a fireplace to a room can completely change the feel of your living space.  It adds a warmth both visually and physically that neither lights nor candles can compare to.  Like the kitchen island, it becomes a place that friends and family gather around.  They are a beautiful addition to a living room, bed room, or den/office/library.  Here are some of our favorites in honor of this age old invention…

A traditional fireplace that exudes classic elegance with a soft monochromatic palette.

Love the combination of wood and metal.  The sleek modern design is beautifully contrasted by the rustic storage of firewood.

The above two fireplaces are by Focus.  They are more industrial and far less traditional, but present some interesting ideas on how to incorporate a fireplace into a small space.

An antique fireplace by Mary Jeanne Kneen makes a stunning statement when paired with this painting.

Natural and modern, the rich wood finish and asymmetrical shelf provide visual interest to a soft background color.

I have an obsession with this style of fireplace.  They are typically found in old homes or brownstones in the NYC area.  I dream of one of these some day because the way the fire lights the patterns on the metal face is something that can’t be reproduced.

We all love before and afters so I wanted to start chronicling my projects.  This first one is a gut renovation of a ranch style home in Denver, Colorado.  The square footage is right around 2,000 on the main floor; basement is not included in the reno.  My client had purchased the house a while back and then rented it until they were ready to fix it up for themselves.  So on May 1st we began demolition by removing most of the walls in the public spaces.  Here are the photos that we took minutes before demo.

Kitchen with door to patio.  The door will eventually become a window.

Eat-in kitchen area.  To the left is an exterior door, stairs and garage access.  This corner will become part of the expanded kitchen.

Dining room from kitchen door way and looking into the living room.  The French doors lead to the patio.  All interior walls will be removed to open up the space.

Living room looking out to the patio.  Fireplace and the “wing walls” on both sides will be removed and the fireplace updated to a modern design.  No more brass here!

Guest bath/powder from doorway.  The shower is to the left through the dark doorway.  Layout will remain fairly similar; just a dramatic face lift.

Master bath layout will change however the vanities will remain on the same wall.  There is currently a large tub (see below) opposite the vanities.  The tub will be removed and a large walk-in shower will be on the far left of the vanities.  The toilet will be enclosed in it’s own room in the current tub location.

The den, which is off the living room, will remain the same foot print.  The bar and wood paneling will be removed and the entry way will expand from 3 feet to 9 feet so access can be gained through the living room not just the hallway.

The entry hall by the kitchen.  The left wall will be removed to expose the stairwell going to the basement.  The right wall will be pushed out into the garage and house a wall of cabinetry to include a desk area, coat closet, pantry and a bar.  Goodbye long, dark hallway.

Because we are now in June, I will post some of the construction photos next week untill we get up to speed.  Till then…happy remodeling!

On May 14, 2010 Paradigm Interior Design and Nest Architectural Design were awarded first place for Primary Residence Under 3,500 SF by ASID.

Natural light floods this ranch style home located in Denver’s historic Bonnie Brae neighborhood.  The soft, neutral palette provide the perfect backdrop to the client’s extensive art collection while providing a relaxing atmosphere.

Paradigm assisted the client with paint selection, granite and tile selection, draperies, art and furniture placement and decorative lighting fixtures throughout the home. 

All pictures will be posted to the Paradigm’s ”Work” tab soon but here are some of the highlights.