Decorating Diva

2012-01-14T15:12:00.000-08:00

Got the most beautiful arrangement for my Birthday. I love fresh flowers and use them all around my house. This one features Calalillies, boxwood, fuschia tulips, orchids the size of my fist and the most gorgeous white and lavendar roses with fuschia on the edges of the petals. I have never seen roses like that before. It was such a sweet surprise to answer the door and be greeted by this lovely hello.

Thanks Mom and Dad. You are the best!

My baby!

2010-07-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

I have a love of Orchids, and usually put one in each clients home I design.

My beautiful Orchid.

2010-07-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

2010-07-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

Southern Charm

2010-07-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

"Kitchen" up with the Jones's

2009-04-06T21:38:00.000-07:00

The old saying goes "You eat with your eyes first." Eat your heart out!

Royal Plantation Jamaica

2008-07-23T06:40:00.001-07:00

http://www.royalplantation.com/gallery.cfm

We were in Jamaica a few weeks ago for a nice respite. View this heaven on earth from the link above. It is one of the only places I have ever vacationed and thought...."I wouldn't change a thing!"

From Farm to Fabulous

2008-07-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

We bought a second home - a 100 acre ranch in Stringtown, OK. When we purchased the property we had not even seen the back two bedrooms. New carpet and paint really spruced the place up for our weekend country house. Not to mention the job I did with the kitchen cabinets. Eventually I will replace the counter tops - but it's fine for now...I wanted a French botanical style, and had to have the signature roosters to complete my French Country Kitchen.

The table and chairs I got for $50.00 at a re-sale boutique, and I refinished the set in an almond color and upholstered them in a Schumaker fabric and trim. Finding this diamond in the rough made me want to "go green" for the rest of the house. It was surprisingly easy to do and I can't believe how inexpensive it was. The only furniture I recycled from our Frisco home was the leather sofa, the rest of the furniture in the house I bought and re-upholstered myself with fabrics and trim I already had.

I included the before and afters...

Bonjour!

2008-05-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

Pretty in Red -

2008-05-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

A Room Fit For A Kingston

My best friend Mer had a baby and I traveled per special request to Lubbock, Texas to decorate the little angel's room, and hang some custom HollyWould Originals art. He almost didn't make it being born at only 26 weeks - but alas - he is finally out of the hospital and ready for his own room.

Welcome Home Kingston - Love, Auntie Prissy!

New pics of my house

2007-09-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

Shannon's office

Getting down to business 2.0

2007-04-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

Here are the rest of the pics from the executive offices and the conference room.

Getting down to business

2007-04-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

I was in Atlanta for spring break and popped in to take some pics of an executive office I did. She sells commercial real estate investments, and her partner does shopping centers and property managment. I painted the walls "Grass Green" - the intensity of this color cannot be truly appreciated from a computer screen. It truly envelopes you as you enter this gorgeous office. The lovely chenille scroll bergere's are from Hickory Chair and the custom silk taffeta chairs on casters are from Marge Carson. The four can be pulled together for serious contract negotiations or they can be done from the Chiniosere inspired conference room. I took a closeup of the 100+ year old tea table imported from China that we used for the conference table. The art we used in her office depicts 3 respected warriors throughout the centuries. Genghis Kahn who unified the over 200 Mongol tribes and became the largest empire in world history, and Zhu Yuanzhang better known as The Hongwu Emperor Tai Zu - the founder of the Ming Dynasty and the man who was able to repair and complete the "Great wall of China". The last is The Charging Chasseur, by Théodore Géricault exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1812. His french romanticism depicts an Officer of the Imperial Guard, Napoleon's cavalry officer on a horse, ready to attack.

I had intended more pics of the art but blogger.com is having problems today and won't allow me to post anymore pics. Stay tuned...

Texture

2007-01-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

Left over Christmas Pics

2007-01-17T11:56:00.000-08:00

We went back to Atlanta for Christmas and I couldn't go there without doing a favor for my favorite client ever. Her tree. Here it is - you all know her as French Charming from earlier posts - and how could I be at her house without stealing a few pics of the cutest dog ever - Gucci. Yall enjoy.

Shopping Dilemma

2007-01-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Decorating Diva how do I know when to buy?

It's a question I get from clients in a panic when shopping with out me. "Should I buy this (whatever it is)???" They run down a list of descriptions, the pro's and con's, where it could go, where it might go, where it most definitely won't go, "Do you remember this (particular object) that we got that time at that place? Well it kind of looks like that but it is totally different." I love my clients. Some will absolutely not buy a single thing with out my O.K. and some just go crazy with hopes that I will know what to do with these new purchases. When being presented with these purchases they look at me so questioningly hoping they "did good" and that I might give them the stamp of approval. Most of the time they really surprise me at the way they listened during our shopping trips, paid attention to the little tips and tricks I tried to teach them and occasionally find some item that really wows me.

On the other hand, I ask them nicely if they paid attention to the return policy, and they may want to scurry over before their time is up. Ooops!

Here are some tips for knowing when to hold them and when to fold them and when to just walk away:

-Does this item further your design theme?
-Is it unlike anything else you may already have?
-Does it have at least one of your color threads?
-It is in scale to other items in your home?
-How many are on the shelf? (Too many and everyone else will have the same thing...walk away)
-Have you not seen it elsewhere? (If you have seen it at more than one place - walk away, your neighbor may have it - well unless it is an unusually good deal, then again your neighbor may have it.)
-If you didn't purchase this item when you initially saw it, does it keep turning up in your thoughts like a bad penny? (If so, go back and hope it is still there or you will kick yourself every time you think about it. You can always return it if it doesn't fit like you thought.)
-Does it fit in your budget?

If you answered yes to most of those questions - then you may need to run back to that store and pick up this new item and bring it home.
I have become extremely picky because there are so many products in our market that if you miss one gorgeous thing, you will find another soon enough. Be patient when perusing, often when you make that impulse buy you will get it home and have the impulse to return it.

I will try to feature a store with great deals and unusual finds, so if you know of any you would like me to try email me and let me know. I am still trying to get my Dallas shopping legs in shape from my move here from Atlanta.

This week I had the opportunity to get out and do some after Christmas shopping and found a delightful little store off of Preston and Stonebrook.
You should check it out. The Interior Designer there is Vicki. It is a beautiful store full of lovely things right here in Frisco.

Imadgen
7151 Preston Road
Frisco, TX 75034
214.616.0211

Happy Shopping!!!
hollyulmer@tx.rr.com

Happy Hollydays 12/7/06

2007-01-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Hollydays,

Besides the tree, mantle, and staircase there are other ways to dress your home for the holidays. Some left over Christmas cards that are to pretty to toss out can be matted and framed for some inexpensive art. Since they are small in size they would be perfect on a plate stand in a guest bath next to a scented candle and a little greenery. Using this same theme - Gift bags are another source for great cheap art. Often you can find a trio of bags, just cut the scenes out and matte them and frame them. Voila!

If you have floral arrangements you can buy floral "picks" at any hobby store and have instant holiday charm. When augmenting any floral arrangement always remember to buy in odd numbers. Add some holiday themed ribbon and you are on your way.

Small glass ornaments tied with satin ribbon can spruce a chandelier. A clear glass vase filled with ornaments and clear lights makes a beautiful addition to an entry table or side table. If you worry about cords, buy cordless lights with battery packs available at home goods stores everywhere.

If you are a DIY decorator - try www.recollectionsonline.com and look at their holiday ideas. There is a super great paper tree that I am dying to make. If you try it, let me know how it turns out. Other good holiday idea sights are www.bhg.com and www.hgtv.com.

Hope these few ideas will pique your holiday curiosity and encourage you to experiment in your own home. If you try something that you think really works - send me a picture, I would love to see your successes!

Holly Ulmer

Holiday Charm

2006-12-06T12:36:00.000-08:00

A Home for the Holidays

2006-12-05T06:37:00.000-08:00

A Home for the Holidays -

It's holiday time again. OH JOY!!! I have been scouting the stores since the Halloween decorations went up. This is by far my favorite decorating season. A reason to go above and beyond expectation when it comes to adorning your castle. A lot of times I am asked how to choose a color scheme for a Christmas decor. And my answer is that anything goes. As in your every day home decor try to keep one color thread throughout and then have fun. My tree this year is red and gold. I have kept red in every room but have alternated the color of green in every room and added brown, gold and burgundy to my stairwell garland. As to what you will use to adorn the garland, the tree, and the wreathes??? You are only limited by your imagination. Small framed photos, the kids silver sippy cups, baby spoons, etc. are not out of my decorating realm.

The key to have full thick garland is to put two strands together and add plenty of lights. Use the branches to affix them to the banister like a twist tie. If you run out of ideas, just Google "decorate Christmas garland, tree, wreathe" and you will get more links for more ideas than you know what to do with. The internet is an incredible resource for the DIY decorator. Show houses, I.D. stores, craft stores and the like are full of decorating ideas that you can augment and even improve upon for your holiday home.

For holiday bargains check out www.ballarddesigns.com and www.horchow.com, I have discovered the Horchow outlet in Plano and miss dearly the Ballard outlet stores in Atlanta, but you can still get good bargains from their "Estate Sale". And as always use your T.J.Maxx, Ross, and Marshall's stores to your advantage. I still get a little angry at these department stores, especially Tuesday Morning because as a decorator I have access to so much product, that at times it gets to your head, you begin feeling special, you know...church lady special (am I dating myself here?). Then you go to one of these stores and see exclusive items, albeit in small quantity, but they are there! Kind of takes the "special" out of it, but hey that's ok. Just keep your eyes peeled for these "special" finds. They are out there, you just have to look. And even if there is only one of them, go ahead and buy it. With enough of these one of a kind finds, your tree, wreathe or garland will look spectacularly collected and will be intriguing to even the slightest glance.

Happy Shopping!

Email me with your decorating questions.

Happy Hollydays

2006-12-05T06:09:00.000-08:00

12-4-06
Happy Hollydays...

Besides the tree, mantle, and staircase there are other ways to dress your home for the holidays. Some left over Christmas cards that are too pretty to toss out can be matted and framed for some inexpensive art. Since they are small in size they would be perfect on a plate stand in a guest bath next to a scented candle and a little greenery. Using this same theme - Gift bags are another source for great cheap art. Often you can find a trio of bags, just cut the scenes out and matte them and frame them. Voila! If you have floral arrangements you can buy floral "picks" at any hobby store and have instant holiday charm. When augmenting any floral arrangement always remember to buy in odd numbers. Add some holiday themed ribbon and you are on your way.

Small glass ornaments tied with satin ribbon can spruce a chandelier. A clear glass vase filled with ornaments and clear lights makes a beautiful addition to an entry table or side table. If you worry about cords, buy cordless lights with battery packs available at home goods stores everywhere.

If you are a DIY decorator - try http://www.recollectionsonline.com/ and look at their holiday ideas. There is a super great paper tree that I am dying to make. If you try it, let me know how it turns out. Other good holiday idea sights are http://www.bhg.com/ and http://www.hgtv.com/.

Hope these few ideas will pique your holiday curiosity and encourage you to experiment in your own home. If you try something that you think really works - send me a picture, I would love to see your successes!

holly.ulmer@comcast.net

Coming in for a landing...

2006-11-30T21:31:00.000-08:00

Coming in for a landing…

We are blessed to live in beautiful homes here in The Trails. Homes where we can make our decorating dreams come to fruition. We know what to do with the kitchen, family, room, dining room, etc., but what on earth do you do with your landing areas? Or those large niches to show case your extremely large piece of art, but who has a 6 foot family portrait to fit in there???

Seriously – and if you put something up there how in the world do you dust it? It can be a veritable nightmare in your dream house.

Here are some pointers:

<>Go big or go home. A couple of little small artificial plants only draw attention to the gargantuan area of no use.
<>If you don’t have a “thing” big enough to fill the space just leave it empty for now in time you will find the right object or objects to take care of this decorating dilemma.
<>Don’t place too many things in this dust catching space. It will be harder to dust and putting it back just the way you had it, well…you get the idea.
<>Don’t let it bother you if you haven’t got something up there. If you are a compulsive space filler (like me) then you just have to reason with yourself and let it go…for now. Otherwise, you spend your time arranging and re-arranging filler that is going to have to come down later anyway.
<>When shopping look for a large trio. You can then place then to one side for an asymmetrical balance and you can be done!

You may or may not want to go for a lot of color. The more color you put there the more the eye is going to be drawn upward, if you choose to place colorful objects in the space, make sure you have some art or wall hanging in the transition area so your eye doesn’t have such huge jump.

Hope this helps when trying to fill your space. Good luck and happy shopping!

Dear Decorating Diva

2006-11-30T21:29:00.000-08:00

Dear Decorating Diva,

What is the rule on displaying/hanging family photos/portraits versus other art in your home? I have so many family photos that are important to me, but I've heard not to overdo displaying them in common areas of the home.

Diva says:

Your home is your castle. It is the reflection of (in my case) your Queendom. Don’t be afraid to put pictures of your children/family out for everyone to see. If you are going to hang them on the wall – mount them, matte them and frame them nicely. For an eclectic look use different frames in varying sizes and shapes – just make sure the matte is the same color on all of them or it will look like a patchwork mess. For a more gallery style like going up the stairs use the same frame and black mattes – this gives a more formal feel and the subject of the picture will be what is showcased and not the frame – because the frame will be repetitive the eye will be drawn more to the photo and not its surrounding. Before you hang them on the wall lay them out on the floor so you can see how they relate to one another spatially. If you are going to group them, use the distance of the edge of the frame to the interior of the matte to determine how far to place them apart. This rule is good for more than 2 pictures. If you group 2 use twice the measurement in between.

If you are going to show them on a table make sure to use landscape and portrait style frames, and use an odd number stair step type of composition.

The only time I discourage family photos is when you are trying to sell your house. In that case staging is required and I remove all references to the family living in the home at the time.

Keep your questions coming!

Don't be floored!

2006-11-30T21:26:00.000-08:00

Decorating Diva says "Don't be floored"...

An element often overlooked in your interior is your floors. When you buy your home often you slave over decisions such as the color of the tile, carpet, or wood that is going to greet your feet everyday. It is one of the most difficult decisions to make because of the cost of replacement if you get it wrong. Never fear. Rugs are here.

It may seem blasphemy to place a rug on a brand new hand scraped hard wood floor or even on the finest of Berber carpet. Do not be perplexed, it is a perfectly sane thing to do. Carpet on carpet??? Absolutely!

Won't a rug hide the natural beauty of my new hardwoods? Absolutely not! Given the right color, weave, style and pattern a rug is sure to enhance any interior. Not only by adding interest and color, but by defining your space as well. Without a rug to anchor your furniture it simply "floats" in the room.

When selecting the perfect rug make sure to do your homework. Know that an heirloom quality rug that will last for 100+ years may cost you in the tens of thousands of dollars. But then I guess that is the point. I often tell my clients when designing their homes to allow $3000.00 to $7,000.00 for an 8x10 or 9x12. There have been times when a rug will cost more than a clients' entire dining suite. This was of course a hand made rug of silk. So a rug is just as much an investment as a piece of furniture and many times as regarded as a loved piece of art.

Beware of retail rugs from the larger stores. Often a designer can take you directly to the import source for a rug for a severe discount. By the time a rug reaches a large furniture store is has been marked up many times, after all every hand that touches it requires a profit. Scour the internet for price comparisons before you attempt to buy retail, and if you must, ask them for discounts. Never be afraid to haggle for rugs or furniture in the larger stores. The price can always come down, after all getting that rug or furniture out the door is the goal and you may get 0 interest financing, 10% off or if they can't come off the price ask for some accessories or bedding to make up for the discount. You will never know unless you ask, and most of the time the sales person will ask a superior to help them make the deal happen.

Lauren writes...

Decorating Diva - Could you talk about how floor color can affect the look of a room? Specifically, if you choose the popular darker wood floors and you don’t have the tall ceilings, how do you keep it from making the room feel small?

Lauren,

Thanks for your question. My advice to you is to add more lighting to your room and guess what else? A rug. Having dark wood floors lends itself to a more cozy feeling in a room. You may also choose to add draperies in a fabric that has more sheen like diupioni silk or a taffeta to reflect light more and "lighten" the feeling of the room. Take your drapes from floor to ceiling and add upholstered cornice to add more weight to the top of the room. You may even think about a medallion on your ceiling if you feel that the room remains bottom heavy.
Happy shopping and keep your questions coming!

Shedding some light.

2006-11-30T21:23:00.000-08:00

Decorating Diva sheds some light.

One of the most important aspects of a well designed room is the lighting scheme. You may have more beautiful things than the Louvre in your home but if they are not properly lit - they might as well be in storage. Their beauty and potential will be overlooked without good lighting. There are three different types of lighting: General, Task and Accent. They are pretty self explanatory. General lighting performs as a replacement for sunshine in your home. It provides most of the illumination in your home. General lighting is supported by Task lighting. Task lighting is where most people go wrong when trying to light their homes/offices. Task lights are usually table lamps and floor lamps, and used for better illumination to perform tasks like reading, sewing, etc. Unfortunately most homes don't have enough task lighting. Lastly, we have accent lighting. Which does what it says. It accents your favorite piece of art - treasured portrait of those darling children - or the vase that has been passed down from your grandmother. It is used as an up light in your larger plants to add drama to your foyer and so on.

Do you need to create more visual space in a small room? Here is a lighting tip. Place lighting around the perimeter of the room. A lamp on a table, a floor lamp in a corner and plug a sconce in on the wall. This will draw the eye out to the corners of the room and increase the visual space. The same can be done with a large space to make it more cozy. Only now bring the lighting in towards the center of the room on the corners of your conversation area to draw the eye in.

In the bedroom...try different colors. Light bulbs come in different shades, and all colors don't look good on all skin tones. Stay away from brassy bulbs that are too bright and create too many shadows, instead use a pink/peach bulb at a softer watt beside your bed where we could all use better lighting!

So look around your rooms. Do they have enough light? Does your large space look too open? Does your small space need to be opened up? Then turn on the lights!

I will be answering your decorating questions in upcoming issues of The Trails Newsletter. So email me your questions at hollyulmer@comcast.net and I will be happy to answer them.

Ciao!

Happy Trails

2006-11-30T21:13:00.000-08:00

I have started writing a weekly column in our community. There are more than 1500 homes in this master planned community with 2 elementary schools, a middle school and a high school on the way. We have one of the largest hike and bike trails in the greater Dallas area. Visit at www.thetrailsofwestfrisco.com

I will start posting my columns here as well...

Design Tips from the Decorating Diva

Do you have a room that seems disjointed and you just can't pull it together? Try this…use BLACK. It can be a bit scary at first for the do it yourselfer, but Black can really bring a room together. A lot of people shy away from it because they think Black is too depressing or that it can suck the light out of a room - but - it is a unifying color and can have the effect of bringing a space together. My best suggestion for someone on a budget is to bring some black in a rug, a couple of pillows, a lamp shade, a throw, some black books on a coffee table…you get the idea. Don't limit yourself to a flat black. Coordinate your pillows and your throw with a lovely plaid or paisley while incorporating the same colors from the rug. It is quick and easy and has a great effect.

I am an licensed Interior Designer from Atlanta, Georgia. I have clients from Dallas to France and Hawaii. I have been a member of the IFDA, International Furniture and Design Association for 6 years.

Entre'

2006-07-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

The entry is the way your guests are introduced to your home. Make sure they get to know it well by the first step through the door.

Some of my favorite entries...

Time for a Genie Blink!

2006-07-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

Blink!

No more white walls for this house!

The entry is finally done. Now on to the rest of the house.

2006-06-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

More from French Charming's house. See the cutie pie Gucci here...

French Charming!

2006-06-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

I love this little French breakfast nook. With its grass paper walls, antiqued chandelier with crystal accents, and the pretty tone on tone table cloth with beaded crystal trim as well, is just adorable. The chairs were shipped in from Italy. They feature a stamped leather seat that I think juxtaposes the frilly chandelier extremely well. There were only four of these made. The oversized wall plaque is my favorite accent in this room. I bought it for this particular client before I even started thinking about this room. She wondered just what I was going to do with this gargantuan piece of tin. I think she thought I had gone too far. It turned out to be the perfect fit for her red Italian dishes and antique fleur di lis cup hooks! There are French accents all over this breakfast nook; French opera signs, some red and chocolate colored "Choclaterie" advertisements and of course the French gilt table underneath that cloth. Vin rouge si'l vous plait.

2006-06-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

It's almost finished. It did look like.... Now it looks like... Now I just need some finishing touches like landscaping, lighting, and architectural accents. Think...Pergola with twinkle lights intertwined in white climbing roses.

Serenity in Vinings

2006-02-19T07:15:00.000-08:00

This home is located in the exclusive Vining's area. The sofa fabric is chenille and made by Taylor-King. The reclining club chairs in leather are extremely comfortable and made by Barcalounger. The leather upholstered coffe table/ottoman is by Taylor-King as well. The pinch pleat panels on rods are in a Champagne colored duipioni silk.

Our new house!

2006-02-16T04:49:00.000-08:00

We bought a house in Texas, finally. I spent a week there and looked at about 100 houses. The kids will love this house with its grand entrance and room for a pool out back. Check it out!

Pics of my house

2006-02-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

We just put our house on the market. I had to take pics for the realtor. So many clients want to know what my personal style is, and what my home looks like... Here is your chance. The theatre is painted in Ralph Lauren's Cottage Chocolate, and the upholstered wall and surround are in chocolate velvet. The screen is 10ft.

2006-01-23T07:59:00.000-08:00

More views of this swank bachelor's pad.

The medallion on the sideboard was hand carved. So devine.

2006-01-22T09:18:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful home in Roswell, GA. The sofa and chairs are Bernhardt and the rug is silk and imported from Nepal.

2006-01-15T11:19:00.000-08:00

So grand for the Baby Grand! The first pic is the "before" of this lovely piano room.

Hit 'em up style!

2005-12-13T10:18:00.000-08:00

My first blog post! I am an Interior Designer with a successful business for 5 years in Atlanta, GA. I have a lot of friends who blog and I believe it is an interesting form of self expression. Much as in my work, I need to be as creative as possible. Please enjoy the before and after of this Buckhead highrise condo. It is a bachelor's dream. So Chic!!! The table, chairs and banquette are Hickory White. For those with discriminating taste. The draperies are raw silk in dark chocolate. Delectable. The rug is imported from Nepal and made of wool and silk. The large bronze wall scultpure was my first purchase for this particular client and I styled the room around it.