Design Trend: Brass

A great design trend that is popping up everywhere is Brass. Brass can be a great accent and it doesn't have to be dated either. When some people think about brass they picture the old door knobs that are a glossy right brass and are not that attractive, and I will  be the first one to admit I'm one of them. So how do you make brass less unattractive? 

Brass that is shinny can be a little harsh, and I believe thats why some people think of it as unattractive. To remedy this try to find an antiqued brass or vintage brass. The difference between bright and brassy and aged and brassy are huge when adding a great deal of it to your room. And lets face it, when it comes to metals they tend to be a large part of a room's appearance. They are on your door knobs, your light fixtures, your drawer pulls, so a less abrasive metal is not only more appealing but more relaxing. 

Here are some different ways to use the Brass design trend in your home with Etsy!

Vintage Swan Brass Figure

 Vintage Brass 4 Piece Utensil Set

 Heavy Vintage Brass Vases

 Vintage Brass Enamel Urn/Vase

 Ornate Brass Vintage Picture Frame

Etsy Item of the Day 1.7.13

I really want this chair! I may need to make room some where in my house. Adding a chair with pattern and color is a great way to ad just a sprinkle of fun without going bold on your main pieces like your sofa and/or love seat.

Mid Century Modern Club Chair

Try adding some pattern with an accent chair! This chair would look great with a white sofa or for the more practical (ie people with children) try it with a chocolate brown or dark grey/black sofa. This chair has lots of fun color to pull from for pillows, accent walls, or accessories.

Getting a Head Start on the New Year

Now is the perfect time to get started on the new year. It is time to start the "Winter Spring Cleaning" as I like to call it.

The Holidays are close to over and the only party left starts the new year. So why not take advantage of the positive mind power in the air and apply it to your home.

So what is "Winter Spring Cleaning"? It can be as simple as just cleaning up the house to make it feel more a peace. Re-organizing christmas decorations into bins, moving around you accessories in your home, or switching out the towels in the bathroom can just be a few changes you need to make to rejuvenate your home.

The Winter can be a hard time to tackle large projects, but you will be amazed on how big of a change little moves can make in your home. Start with a plan. January has 4 weeks to it. Each week plan out one activity that you want to do in your home. By the end of January you will have a new home(well almost new).

The feeling you get when you have accomplished these tasks and experience a new feeling in you home can greatly affect you mood. Get out of the winter depression and make your home aid you to a happy winter season.

Suggestions of Activities to Tackle This January:

Reorganize Holiday Decorations
Move accessories around, table to table or room to room
Clean out the coat closet
Reorganize the Kitchen cabinets
Move your art work
Try a different lighting plan

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has an enjoyable holiday! 

Merry Christmas!

SALE Christmas Decoration MERRY CHRISTMAS Double Banner Garland Sign

Hanging Artwork

So I’m going to be going out of order a little bit but we will get back on track eventually.

But I must tackle one of my biggest pet peeves, art hung incorrectly. Many people hang are too high. I think we equate art with up on the wall and up is the wrong direction. There are a couple rules to follow and a couple tools of the trade you must have before starting your project.

First the tools:

Hammer and picture hooks (not just nails):
    Picture hooks hold the weight of the piece of art more evenly against the wall and will decrease
    any falling art mishaps.
Level:
     Unless you have been hanging art your whole life chances are your eye is not the best at checking
     how level your piece is.
Tape Measure
and
a Pencil

The Rules:
1. When hanging art above a sofa the bottom of the piece should be approximately 6” from the top of your sofa. This way your are feels connected to your sofa as if they are working together not trying to run away from each other.
2. When there is no piece of furniture to guide your placement always hang your art at average person eye level. The average person is 5’6”/ 5’7” not 6’. It is amazing how much of a difference 5 or 6 inches makes.

Red Trees original acrylic painting on canvas triptych

3. On medium and large pieces of art always use two picture hooks. Why? This actually does two things. 1. It gives you stability and decreases those falling mishaps we talked about earlier. and 2. It allows you to adjust your level of your art with ease, just a little push to one side or the other and the level changes. Unlike when you have just one nail and your fiddling with the picture till it gets into balance and then sometimes it doesn’t want to stay where you need to have it stay (frustrating!).
4. Measure twice, hammer once! it works for cutting wood and it also works for hanging art. Make sure when measuring keep in mind where the wire hangs on the back of the art. Taking this into account can help big time!

Alright now its time for you to take down all your art patch your holes, paint the patches and try again! LOL or you can just start with your next piece of art, where ever your ambition lies!

Please email me with question on any of the above! I would be more than happy to help you with your projects. If you live in the Akron/ Cleveland area and don’t want to attempt to hang your own pictures, email me at aniemandesign@gmail.com for a price quote.