Interior Design Trends – Goodbye 2007, Hello 2008

2007 (or general) Design Trends on their way out:

- Painting your trim (baseboard/crown molding) a color darker than your – Crisp, clean white is back.

Libby’s Basement Makeover Ideas:

Summer’s over and it’s time to cover the grill, store the porch furniture and head indoors. All outdoor relaxing during the lazy days of summer has now turned to watching football on TV, curling up under a cozy throw and reading a great book or watching a wonderful movie. Fall is the perfect time of the year to makeover your basement, it’s a manageable project, there are simple things you can do that will completely transform it and it creates an entirely new area to gather when activities move inside the house. Roll up your sleeves for a couple of weekends and add valuable square footage and comfy living space to your home.

Anything trendy right now in small spaces?

Colors? Kinds of decorations? 

A big trend in small spaces right now is color, people used to think everything had to be white to look larger but they are realizing that a creative layout can do the trick and they can enjoy color at the same time. Some colors I’m seeing are consistent whether you’re in a small space or large – chocolate brown, caramel, aqua, bright orange, citron green, icy gray blue. The accessory used primarily in small spaces is artwork; it adds life and style to a room without using up valuable square footage.

Some of the spaces on the series are the homes of professional interior designers. Can non-professional homeowners create high-end decor for a small space within a modest budget? Any tricks for those with a modest budget?

Everyone can live in a beautiful space no matter the budget; you can absolutely create that high-end décor look without spending a fortune.I always encourage people on a budget to begin with paint, pick a bold color and begin there; it’s definitely the fastest, least expensive way to transform a room.

What concrete ways do you suggest to actually create more space? What are the most common problems and solutions dominant in small spaces?

The best way to create more space other than adding an addition onto your home is to create storage. By creating places to store things you get them off the floor, tabletops, desktops, counters and that adds square footage.

Libby’s Fall Table Décor Ideas:

Fall Cocktail Napkins: Dress up plain paper cocktail napkins by using a large leaf stamp and a gold stamp pad.

Pumpkin Vase: Cut off the top of a small round pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and pulp, place a small plastic container inside (cup or paint container), fill the container with floral foam and water. Arrange seasonal flowers, dried leaves and berries!

Libby’s Favorite Fall Food: These are just a few of my “crowd pleasers”!

Pumpkin Ravioli in Sage Butter – easier to make than you think, seasonal and delicious.

Polenta with Fresh Corn – the perfect way to use that last crop of corn from the farm stand

Grilled Cheese – It’s an “oldie-but-goodie” for a reason, it always has been and always will be the perfect combo to soup. Have fun and experiment with different cheeses/ breads – gruyere and French bread, or fontina and focaccia or Brie and pumpernickel