Dear Joe:
I just bought my first condo in the River North area. It is a one bedroom, not real big but big enough for a single guy like myself. After years of 'dorm room' sort of decorating, I have decided to make this a 'grown up' space. The economy being what it is, the budget is tight. I plan to paint the rooms and start buying furniture one piece at a time as I can afford it. Any guidelines on color and furniture selection would be appreciated! My taste runs toward contemporary and clean lines.
Aaron
Dear Aaron:
This is a service that I love doing for my clients! It is always exciting to listen to someone's vision and guide them toward it!
There are no hard and fast rules for your situation. There are, however, some helpful ideas that I adhere to when working on this sort of project!
—Before you do anything, establish a budget.
—Having decided on how much you have to spend at the start, begin to establish which items are of most importance to you on a daily living basis. For example: you need a bed, a sofa for seating and a table with at least a couple of chairs for comfortable living. You may already have the bed and may possibly have to make do for the time being with the 'dorm room' stuff. Pieces can be replaced as your budget allows it.
—Paint all of the rooms the same color, or various shades of the same color. This will help to expand the space. This is also a good idea to help achieve a 'clean modern look'. The baseboard and woodwork can be painted in a shade of white, but paint all untrimmed folding doors the same color as the wall; this will help expand the space as well. Don't forget to figure the cost of painting into your budget!
—And speaking of forgotten costs, don't forget the window treatments! You will need something on the windows for privacy and sun protection. There are many different types of shades on the market that can be used if they will work on your windows. These are probably going to be cheaper than draperies. Also, you can layer in time by putting up the shades now and adding a drapery treatment over them in the future.
—Start your furniture selection by measuring your rooms completely and deciding in where the planned furniture is to be placed. If you can do it, a drawn up floor plan would be best. I cannot emphasize the need for measuring enough! There are too many horror stories of pieces bought that do not fit and cannot be returned!
—When you start to look for furniture, rugs and accessories, don't limit yourself to what is needed immediately. Think in terms of the completed room and look at all of the pieces you will eventually want to buy. If you decide or are at least familiar with the possibilities, you will have a far less chance of making mistakes or buying items that severely limit future selections.
—Keep a file/folder of all the decorating information; floor plan, paint chips, furniture tear sheets, fabric samples, pictures of rooms that you like, etc. . Yes, this is what I do for every client. It is the only way to keep order and have all the information in one place. Take this folder with you when your are shopping for any addition to your home.
—Look at as many stores as possible for your furnishings. There are a lot of great places out there, each with something that may be used. Don't allow a furniture salesman to push you into buying all of the furniture and accessories in one place. This makes for a 'cookie cutter' look.
—I could devote many columns to this, but study up on the quality of furniture and all of the other components in your decorating. Look at all different price ranges ( even the ones that are way over your budget ) and observe how some pieces are made better and sturdier than others. This will help you get the best value and have your purchases for a long time!
—Be patient! I often tell clients 'Rome wasn't built in a day'. You may have to look long and hard for that one special piece, but that is far better than settling for a constant disappointment!
Please send your questions to jos.riceinteriors@att.net . In the subject box, fill in 'WCT Design.'
Joseph Rice is an interior decorator who offers full decorating services. With 25 years of experience, he specializes in hard-to-treat windows. You can contact him at 773-271-2361, through his Web site ( www.josephriceinteriors.com ) or at the above e-mail address.
