Using mirrors to solve decorating problems

Sometimes I have to remind myself of the power of mirrors to solve common decorating problems.   Here are seven  fantastic uses of mirrors that might not be on your radar.

1. To reflect light

This is one great space for a number of reasons, but the mirrors make it in my opinion.  Not only do they break up a dark wall and provide height to match the window, they reflect light in what might otherwise be a blah room.

2. To create a window in a windowless room 

There are often sections of a space that are dark and windowless.  Mirrors can give the illusion of a window and light without having to make architectural changes.  In both rooms above the mirrors also add dramatic focal points.

3. Add drama to an open space

This high ceilinged space demands a large scale treatment.  This mirror fills the bill when it comes to matching the scale of the space.  The choice of a lucite table ensures that the lines of the mirror remain dominant.

4. To replace art

 Sometimes a mirror when used well can replace art over a bed or mantle.  In this space the sculptural light is reflected in the mirror,  providing an interesting visual focus.

5. To highlight art/collections

6. To create impact 

 One of the best ways to create impact is through repetition.  Imagine the scene above if you just has three or four mirrors.

7. To balance large windows 

I love how the mirror is large scale, soft with its rounded top, and the height relates well to the window.  The gold relates to the lamps and the table which also mimics the rounded top of the mirror.

I am definitely interested in any solution that helps balance heights/scale  in a room.  One of the best things about this mirror treatment is how it relates to the window next to it and the furniture in the space.   You read the fireplace and mirrors as one unit. The fireplace alone is small and delicate.  Keeping the mirror frame lighter and gold helps it to relate to the other furnishings in the space.

Seven reasons why you should have a mirror in your home apart from the obvious.  Who knew? Are you a mirror lover?  I'm sad to say my mirror choices are purely functional.  What about yours?

Please find links to photos on my Pinterest board Mirrors.

Remodelaholic Shut The Front Door

Hello Everyone!! 

I'm so excited to announce that House Seven Blog will be featured on 

Remodelaholic's Shut The Front Door Series this week! 

Pop on over to link up to their party and also enter to win the giveaway with your best Knock Knock Joke. Its that easy!

Girls Bedroom Mini Update

I have loved our middles room since we did the Sharpie paint pen wall last year but there was something about the room that had been bugging me. Even though the room represents Em's unique personality it didn't show her girlie side. The one that loves pink and hearts and all things glitter!

Well, glitter was never going to happen and I do my best to give the girls the kind of rooms they want but I also try my best to keep them simple with the bedding and decor. Things that will grow with them while we make minor changes along the way. 

Last night I took a little trip to Homegoods (shocking, I practically live there) after my class and as I spent this vary rare alone time wandering around when I saw this super cute pink comforter sitting high up on the shelf. I thought...this is so Emma! A few more items later and I had enough to update this cuties room!

Comforter

Sheet Set

Beaded Accent Pillow

Navy and White Woven Basket with Casters

Added in with some of existing bedding I kind of love it tons! (this is something she would say)

The floral blue, white and green sham is Anthropologie and the little white pillow is one I made so many years ago.

I'm so in love with this amazing Cynthia Rowley Basket on casters!

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I also added in this adorable Bulldog wooden artwork from the Etsy shop Maebels. I had purchased it while back but wasn't sure where it would find a home but here it is!

The littlest one was of course right here to help the entire time! 

My goal was to get this all done and surprise Em when she came home from school....

I think it worked because that smile says it all!

 Now its time to get the rest of her room tidied up because 

I will be posting the entire room reveal tomorrow! 

{Sources}

Comforter-Tommy Hilfiger at Homegoods

Sheets-Happy Chic at Homegoods

Navy Beaded Accent Pillow-Nicole Miller at Homegoods

White down comforter-Walmart online

Small White accent pillow-handmade by me

Blue and Green Floral Sham-Anthropologie

Dust Ruffle-Ikea

Red Iron Bed-it was my childhood bed

Nightstand-Pottery Barn 

Childs Tolix style chair-Target

Bunny-BlaBla Kids Dolls

Wool Felt Garland-West Elm Holiday

Lamp-Homegoods

White frames-Ribba Ikea

Heart Print-TJ Maxx

Mushroom Print-Papyrus Card

Disco Ball-Goodwill

Shutters -Home Depot

Paint-Sherwin Williams Extra White

Photography...what I've learned

Do you love taking photos but really don't have a clue what you are doing?

This is me... I mean really! I pretty much have always just winged it but then somehow my photos have gotten pretty decent over the past few months and I am here to let you in on my secret.

It's because of my friend Kate. She is this amazing photographer and I have learned so much from her and it has totally changed how I take my photos now.

I have learned three main things from her that I now focus on with my pictures and so I wanted to share them with you!

Number one.....its ALL about the light. Natural light is the absolute best especially when you don't have all the fancy lighting equipment and you are just a regular gal like me wanting to take some half decent pictures.  So if you can, try to take your pictures outside in the early evening when the sun is slowing going down and you don't have the harsh (yet lovely at the same time) rays of light shooting across your image. 

When it comes to taking interior photos for my blog, I try to do it in the late mornings. When the sun is out and the light is good. I'm fortunate that we have lots of windows for natural light and the fact that most of my home is white on the inside makes a huge difference in the picture quality. 

Number two and this is the biggie.....learn how to take pictures without using the Automatic settings! Oh my goodness this is huge because all of a sudden you can take a picture that your little camera once said you could not and you don't have to use the flash!

I don't need my camera telling me what to do even if it may know more than me when it comes to taking pictures!

I take all my photos for my blog with my Canon EOS Rebel. Its not new (like maybe 4 yrs now) or super expensive but it has come in pretty handy for my blogging. But, up until recently I always used the Auto settings because even after reading the manual (no help) and looking up information on line, I was still confused. So one day Kate sat down with me and went over the basics and oh my goodness, what a huge help! Showing me how to work the ISO to let in more light and teaching me all about aperture and shutter speed. I learned more from her in 20 minutes than any information I had found up to this point. Then she gave me the greatest resource ever....The book Canon Rebel for Dummies! Oh yes people, this book changed it all for me! First, I learned what all of those buttons were for...please don't laugh. I also learned all about white balance, depth of field, how to sharpen a photo... all of a sudden I had a clue! I'm telling you what.... find the For Dummies book for your camera and you can thank me later because you will never use an automatic setting again! 

Number Three....be detailed with your photos! Look at everything that will be in your shot. For my house photos I look at everything and sometimes I don't notice it all until after I take the first picture. Look for things like...are the lamps cords showing? (huge pet peeve of mine) If so, roll those babies up and hide them. Lights shouldn't be on in your interior photos anyway so turn them off, unplug the lamp and hide those cords! Look under the furniture in the picture, is there anything hiding under there. Toys, zippy cups, a rolled up sock that is peeking out and you can see it in the picture? The beauty is in the details so make sure you have covered every inch of the shot. 

When it comes to photographing your kids, is their hair combed and out of their face, clothing straightened? Look at the photos after you have taken a few because thats when you tend to see whats wrong. Like for instance, I once took a bunch of what I thought were super cute pictures of my girls but when I started to edit them I noticed my oldest's arms were behind her the entire time so she looked like she had none! Okay, so not my best work. Now I just leave all those photos up to Kate!!
Now last but not least, I'm sure everyone has their favorite editing tools and I will tell you that I love Adobe Photoshop Lightroom5! I love it! There are numerous videos on line all about how to use this tool and I highly recommend it. I mean even if you're not the best photographer, I still believe you can have amazing photos once you get comfortable with the editing process. 

I'm super lucky to have not just an amazing friend but one that is so talented too! She has even let me photograph her while she works her magic... I love it!

I was in awe of how she could make these little kids bust out in giggles even in the coldest weather while they sat there freezing!! Have you ever seen how much a kid will laugh at the sound of a whoopy cushion?!? Pure Genious!!

Now look at what Kate can do! 

We are so lucky to have had her capture the girls growing up and how our little family has evolved over the past few years

 a very pregnant me....

 My sister and all our kiddos

If you live in the Indianapolis area I highly recommend her for your children and family photos! She is especially amazing when it comes to taking little ones photos. This is not a sponsored post by any means! She is honestly just that good and my dear friend so she deserved a little bragging on!

www.Kateleachphoto.com

Lighting your dining table

The right lighting can make a room sing, but often our rooms are  off key. When you have a house of a certain age (30 years for me) there comes a time when you know you have  to update your look. When I started to change the lighting in my home, I began with the two over my tables because they would have the most impact.

Kitchen table 

When you're buying lighting to hang over a table you should consider these  factors:

 Height of ceiling

A taller ceiling  often requires  larger fixtures; many new home builds in my area now have 9 foot ceilings.

Size and shape of table

Your fixture should complement not overpower your table.  You can also have lighting fixtures that are too small for a table.  I am particular about  what shape fixture I mount over a round table; I like to repeat the shape with a circular format, but that's just me.

Height of homeowners

It is a fact that tall homeowners have a greater chance of continually bumping into lights hung too low over a table when they are setting or removing dishes.  Some people are so tall your would never mount pendants high enough!

Height above table

The specifics of how high to hang your fixture can be confusing because you will find a range of suggestions depending on which sites you consult.  Don't let that deter you.  My adage is "Common sense prevails".

 I tend to think in terms of a range while taking other factors into account including: personal preference, the height of the homeowners, fixture size, style of fixture, ceiling height, task to be illuminated etc.  Read on for examples.

Light Planning and Styling Guide 

The general recommendations for  hanging a fixture over a table is 28 - 32 inches above the table if you have an eight foot ceiling.  This graphic from wegotlites recommends 30 inches from the table for an 8 foot ceiling.   I placed my kitchen table pendant  at 32 inches from the table top so I wouldn't continually bump it when working. It works most times, but when I reach in too far I still bump it.

Art by Mike Gough 

My dining room pendant is 34 inches from the table.   Being able to view my art collection to best advantage in very important to me, so  I moved the  dining room pendant up an additional two inches from the hanging height in the kitchen  so visitors can  view the art over the buffet without disruption while sitting in the living room.  You may not find this consideration in any lighting guide!

Another set of guidelines recommend measuring  from the floor  to the bottom of the shade and suggest 60 - 66 inches as reasonable.  Most tables are 30 inches high.  That would put the height from the floor  to my kitchen  shade at 62 inches, and my dining shade at 64 inches, both are within this guideline.

If you have ceilings higher than eight feet, go up 3 inches for each additional foot above eight feet.

 Size of fixture

 For most applications the diameter of your light fixture should be at least 1/2 the width of your table or even up to 2/3 the width of your table.   My kitchen fixture is exactly one half the width of the table at 18 inches in diameter.  That's the proportion I like.  I could have gone with a diameter of up to 24 in. without it looking too large.  My dining fixture is only 16 inches  in diameter, but looks larger.

Sizing based on room dimensions

Light Planning and Styling Guide 

There is another guideline for determining the size of your fixture. Add the length and width of your room together ( eg., 11 feet +14 feet ) and convert the sum to inches (25in.) and that should be the diameter of your  fixture.

 Of course that is not a hard and fast rule, but it will provide a light fixture that is a focal point for the room.  This formula works better for a statement fixture  in an entrance or stairway.  You can see how it could get out of control in a dining room.  Eg. 15 feet + 20 feet would give a fixture diameter  of 35 in.  That's the width of most dining tables. 

Function of fixtures

The illumination given off by drum shades  is soft and calming,  but  bright enough to provide lighting for an entire room.  When a large drum pendant is hung over a table it not only anchors the vignette, but if placed on a dimmer the fixture can provide brighter light for any tasks done at the table and softer light while dining. While I don't have anything against chandeliers, I don't have any in my own home.I'm definitely into clean lines and a very sparse contemporary feel.

I am planning another post about lighting selection for various rooms as I get ready to replace the fixtures in my summer house.   Stay tuned.  

What variables do you consider when hanging a light over a dining table?

Adding greenery to contemporary decor

After a dreary northern winter I begin to long for a spot of green in my decor.   I've even given my blog a new green look.

 Last spring I wrote about my lucky bamboo,  my default plant that resulted from an aborted shamrock search.  Poles apart, I know!  Choice is often limited when you live on an island; you can convince yourself it's what you wanted all along.

 I've been enjoying my bamboo and it seems to love my house.

 I went to look for one for a friend for Christmas.  None to be had, but I could find a shamrock.  Go figure.

What a difference a year makes. 

There's nothing like a plant or a grouping of flowering branches to bring a space to life.  Even the most neutral colour schemes sing when there's a little green around.

Pinterest  

Can you have too many plants?  Yes, in my opinion.  You don't want a jungle. One or two plants  get noticed and more than that becomes a bit of a mess.  You may disagree.