House Calls
By Amy Ross

All the glitz, glitter and gold from the holidays is packed away does your home feel …
Cold
Dizzy
Fatigued
Lifeless
Agitated
Alienated
Suffer from “Country Blues”
If your home has any of these symptoms, it may be suffering from what I call Decoralacksafocus. This is a common ailment in older homes and they just need some natural remedies to make them feel young and vibrant again.

Everyone lacks a little color in winter so take a look at your walls – are they still “contactor white”? It’s time to paint those walls and add some spice into your life choosing the colors you love or add a new designer faux finish to give it a rich warm feeling!

Lets start with exercise and rearranging your furniture, establish your heart rate as you choose your focal point. Start by placing the sofa in front of or at an angle in front of it. This focal point may be an architectural feature like a fireplace, a view of the outdoors or non-fixed, like an entertainment center.

Is there a cozy conversation area or is your furniture alienating each other placed so far apart or lined up against the outer walls? Bring it in and introduce them to each other again.

Make sure you have enough lighting in the gray of the winter season to keep your mood and energy up! There should be a minimum of three light fixtures in a room, or maybe you need to change your light bulbs to see what you have been missing. Look for the new bulbs offering true white light – see what a difference a day can make!

Is the artwork on your walls so high you get dizzy looking at them? Bring them down to eye level and depending on the space you are in eye level means different things – In pass through area where you are standing eye level is about 5 and a half feet from the floor. But in a rooms where eye level is at seat height – bring it down for more comfortable viewing.

Is your furniture tired and dated? Slipcovers can change your mood, your style and with all of the patterns and textures they can meet every season! So give your furniture an instant makeover!

Maybe there is just too much going on that you feel agitated in your space? Calm it down, and simplify! Remove half of the decorations, and /or furniture, remove busy wallpaper, paint the walls in warm, soothing colors.

Do you have the Country Blues? The “new” look of Country exploded a decade ago in new colors and crafts and with it came a lot of ducks and geese… Country has new colors and is eclectic mixing old and new in the simple palette of nature.

As we settle in for the cold of winter, and retreat back into the warmth of our homes, how does your home make you feel? I can help you find your own remedy to create the home of your dreams!

Amy Ross is an Interior Consultant and owner of …Er Designs: specializing in Professional Organizing, Interior Redesign, Real Estate Staging, Move-In/Relocation Services, Color & Space Planning. For your personal space solutions call Amy: 724-575-2880 or Visit www.erdesigns4u.com