Monthly Archives: December 2013

Nightstands: Accesories for Your Bedroom

bed with nightstandNightstands are both utilitarian, and harbor design elements in a bedroom. They function as a surface for lamps, books, or candles while also adding balance to the room. When it comes to bedroom furnishings, nightstands are the accessories to what can sometimes be a rather boring room. Enhance the look and functionality of your bedside storage with a variety of nightstands in different finishes found at La Maison Interiors.

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When choosing a nightstand the wood finish doesn’t have to match with other furnishings in a bedroom. Often, a nightstand is an opportunity to add design elements into a space. Keep in mind, you want to continue the same theme of design throughout the bedroom, but you can play with color and texture when choosing a potential nightstand. You may want to choose a nightstand chest on the side of a bed, and a shelf on the opposing side. This will create a balance for the room, and functional versatility. A small bookcase doubles as nightstands if you love to read or want to store personal items on the shelves.

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Size is one of the most important facets to look for when searching for a new nightstand. Measure the height of your bed from the floor to the top of the mattress, and keep in mind the nightstand should be no taller than a few inches above your bed. Too tall and you will find yourself reaching for items, but too short and your bedroom will look unbalanced. Align your nightstand by sitting on your bed, and testing out where you feel the most comfortable placing items. Most often, a nightstand is just a few inches taller than your bed. When in doubt go taller, not shorter. Make sure the surface area of the nightstand is large enough for all the items you want to place on top such as, a lamp for reading at night, a clock, a space for candles or a drink coaster.

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Nightstands act as jewelry–like an accessory to the bed and in the bedroom. It can make a space appear entirely different if you want to choose a bright color to pop against neutral bedding. If you are simply trying to revamp the look and feel of your bedroom and functionality is not as important toyou there are many creative options. Remain in sync with your already chosen design elements although do not be afraid to mix contemporary with traditional. Accessorize your nightstand with candles and lighting of your choice to complete the look and feel of your space to create a relaxing environment.

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Sofa Selection: Seating Comfort at La Maison Interiors

A sofa may be one of the most important furnishings you will purchase! It’s the furnishing that certainly gets a lot of use, particularly if you have a large family or a lot of houseguests. First decide if you prefer a leather or upholstered sofa. If you have pets with claws who might scratch or cause damage you may want to stay away from leather. Should you choose leather, there is a myriad of leather colors and types to choose from. When it comes to upholstery, there is also a myriad of fabrics from which to choose. Many fabrics today are stain resistant and will stand the test of time.

Contemporary sofaSize and height are two important design elements to remember when selecting a sofa. Take a look at functionality for size, and ensure you can sit comfortably with your legs and back in a comfortable position. Sofas are beautifully finished with unique embellishments so you aren’t restricted to placing the sofa against a wall. Placement is important as you take a look at functionality.

Throw pillows with contrasting colors or textures can add a pop of color to the space, and make your sofa even more comfortable to sit on. Some styles are either loose-cushion back, tight back, or pillow back. Decide which style you prefer—tailored or slightly messier, and select a sofa based on the construction of cushions. Your sofa should be comfortable to sit on, for both you and any houseguests. A sofa with spring construction will stand the test of time, much like a bed mattress. Any good designer, sales associate or manufacturer will be able to inform you of all the construction details.

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_2_STRATA_2_Contemporary sofa looks are more tailored, and today’s trend calls for a smaller sofa. A great option for a larger room is two smaller sofas, traditionally known as a love seat. If you don’t want an oversized sectional stick with a three-seated sofa. Rest assured, however, that there is a wide selection of traditional, contemporary, and transitional sofas available to suit your needs. Don’t shy away from color, as a bright palate against a neutral base such as grey, beige or black is an opportunity to explore focal points of color in pillows or throws.

uc3536_rsCome visit our showroom at La Maison Interiors in Scottsdale for today’s contemporary sofa designs to help you decide on the perfect addition to your living room. Discuss different ideas with your designer, and invest in a sofa you won’t even want to replace. At La Maison Interiors we have the right ideas to help you find the perfect sofa for your space. Invest in your sofa and you will be pleased to have a furnishing that will fulfill your seating needs AND make a style statement.

Refine Your Taste in Designers: Choose the Right Person For the Job

Selecting the Right Designer:

If you are thinking about redesigning a room in your home, or even your entire home selecting a designer who you enjoy working with and generally like as a person will make any renovation easier and more fun. Choose a designer whom you are comfortable working with, and understands your personality. Your choice of a designer should be open to your wants, and present you with his or her knowledge of interior design. Asking for a portfolio of past work, credentials and referrals is a great way to ensure you are a making the right choice for your interior designer.

When redesigning a home by yourself it is much easier to make decisions, but if you are a couple decisions might take more discussion, and there will be more pushback as both of you could possibly have different tastes or ideas on the right color choices, furniture selection and overall theme of your renovation. Being able to communicate with your designer openly will benefit both of you as a third party observer is often a good way to mediate on tough design choices.

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Your First Meeting:

As you begin working with a chosen designer formulate a budge for the initial meeting. This will help the designer gain a better understanding of what you are willing to spend. Your designer can also help create a working budget based on his or her knowledge of your design objectives. Don’t be afraid to express your concerns or ask questions, and ask yourself questions about how you feel in relation to the elements of design such as color, art choice, furniture selection, and how you want to feel when you walk into a room. Remember, this is your home, and the designer wants to work with you to make sure you are getting exactly what you want. If you are hard pressed to make these big decisions, and have no starting point for your new look let your designer know. He or she will be happy to help cultivate a new look that will not only satisfy you, but also incorporate a fresh new feel to your space.

Prepare for your meeting:

Begin collecting a selection of photographs from magazines, Pinterest, Houzz or other media outlets that will allow you to supplement your feelings on how you want your redesign to look. This will bring those feelings to a reality, as you will be able to express to your designer what you want through these images.

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If you are building your home from the ground up it is important to bring a floor plan to the meeting as a designer will want to see how your house works in terms of space. This will help him or her decide how to allocate size, color and design elements to each area of your home.

Mention any favorite color palates, pattern collections or particular fabrics you enjoy. This is your space. Remember to be true to yourself, and don’t let outside sources influence you. This is very important to the success of your relationship with a designer. Speak freely and openly, and any problems that might arise will soon be alleviated as you have already refined your relationship with a chosen designer.

Throughout the Project:

Regardless of the size of the project you are working on with a designer, continue to communicate freely. A good designer will listen to your desires and stay within budget. The designer’s role is to lead, guide, and direct you. A designer’s role should not be one of coercing you into a particular style. It’s a “team” effort to create your dream. Be conscious of deadlines. If the designer gives you a deadline for ordering upholstery for instance, be mindful of that deadline to keep the project on track. Letting the designer offer his or her creative influences will keep the project moving along at a good pace. The designer should be able to use creative ideas to help you, not influence your decisions. Remember to remain open minded as this process is full of fun and exciting decisions that will translate to a space you will love.

Little Additions Making Big Changes

One way to tie a room together without another piece of furniture is with accessories. After all the major furniture components are implemented into the space filling negative ares with just the perfect accessory will bring your dream home to fruition when done properly. Adding textured decorative pillows to a cream sofa or a bright colored vase to a hallway table against neutral colored walls will draw your guests attention to the piece acting as a conversation starter. Impress guests at dinner parties with your impeccable design tastes, all thanks to La Maison Interiors. bronze_candlestick

When beginning the process, the odd number rules apply. By accessorizing in groups of three or five despite being odd numbers the eye finds these groupings appealing. By adhering to this simple yet important design rule you will achieve a cohesive aesthetic either through contrast or incorporation of colors, patterns or textures. Adding color to a room with neutral colors will brighten up a space and bring a fresh look to your design.

Also consider toying with height and size of accessories. Never make accessories the same height. Including items which vary in size and height will create complimentary and contrasting looks in your home to emphasize the character of the room’s design element. Taller vases paired with rounder objects will balance variation of height and size in a room. Larger objects paired with smaller objects also vary the size differentiation in a group of accessories creating contrast for a low coffee table or side table aside a chair.

The rule of thumb when accessorizing cocktail tables is to keep it simple. No more than three items (this is in keeping with our odd number grouping) and you wouldn’t want the height to be a problem. Too short and it will be out of place, too high and there is a chance of your table accessory obstructing eye contact with your guests. You want to impress your guests with your design quality AND have a conversation with them. One is not more important than the other, so you’ll want to keep the height rule under tight scrutiny.

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If your room has more of a contemporary setting, consider placing a sleek and modern statue to bolster the look of your room. It’s a great way to include a hint of sophistication in accessorizing a cocktail table or compliment wall art above your mantle. Or, if it fits with your décor, try implementing natural elements and organic accessories for a look of casual elegance. With a multitude of options to try and highlight the personality of your home choosing how you want to design a space will dictate your choice in accessories.

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Now let’s address your walls. Walls are a perfect place for accessorizing. You can hang your prized works of art, but do not try to limit yourself to photography and paintings as three dimensional wall art, glass and mirrors make for great wall accessories. By hanging a unique piece of glass or metal artwork you’ll have a colorful and unique item that will add depth and layer to your walls.

Accessorizing is an important element when creating your dream home. With the proper items to tie into your room’s overall theme accessories will make a huge difference to any table, mantle, blank wall or negative space. Remember to incorporate unique personality into your chosen accessories to enhance the liveliness of your home. Incorporating integral elements to your home’s design will tie together the setting of any room. Count on La Maison Interiors to help create your dream home.

Media Room Design for Every Media Buff’s Taste

If you and your family are avid movie watchers a simple great room set up might not satisfy your desire for a full-fledged cinema experience in your own home. There are numerous options for a comfortable and polished media room. Create a space your family will enjoy, and a place to entertain houseguests for football games or other media events with the expertise of La Maison Interiors showroom in Scottsdale. Our selection of contemporary sofas, tables and accessories can turn a bland room into the perfect space for entertainment.

Choose a focal point. If you want to install a built in television screen to the wall, design your seating arrangement based on the television. Projectors are a popular choice as they can be turned on and off so the space can double as a place to entertain. Most media rooms’ focal point is the television or projector screen. You can incorporate elements of design to the room by accessorizing, adding occasional tables and choosing the right kind of seating for your taste.MediaRoom2

Seating is very important. Think about your family’s size, and how many people will want to use the space on a frequent basis. This will give you a good idea of how large a sofa to purchase. Also, adding extra seating for extraneous guests can be a great way to break up the space. Adding modern high chairs or barstools to a table can provide balance and versatility to the space. There are a variety of choices to create your dream media room. Individual movie chairs equipped with cup holders or a large sectional sofa for a more relaxed and comfortable look are both viable choices.MediaRoom1

Height is a crucial design element to any media room. Create a “stage” above the ground level to offer the allusion of a platform, and different viewing heights for all movie lovers. An easy way to create this look is by using home theater risers; this element of design gives an authentic movie theater look and feel to any media room.This is a good way to offer a level of viewing privacy. If you are a couple who are avid movie watchers, and like to entertain friends by cooking dinner and watching the newest film this option for seating creates privacy, and a true movie viewing experience right in your own home.

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Accessorizing is a fun and easy way to add an element of fun to your media room. Think about different themes you want to incorporate, and work off that. Unified design elements will tie the space together, and you will end up with an authentic media room that resembles a movie theater. Lighting is also a fun way to change the look and feel of a space. Floor lamps are a good choice, as you do not need side tables to hold them, and built in recess lighting with dimming options are perfect for minimalistic design. They also offer a contemporary and authentic feel as movie theaters incorporate the same type of lighting.

La Maison Interiors has many furnishing options and ideas to create your perfect media room. Come by our showroom and see what creative choices we have for your home’s new and improved movie viewing room.