Paint colors

8 Exterior Home Makeover Ideas for Budgets of Any Size /  by Margaret Chambers

The concrete patio furniture that we used for this sitting area is very sturdy and won’t be knocked over in inclement weather. We chose aqua as the color for the gingham cushions and the garden stools because it complements the patio floor and the interior color scheme.

Whether you are selling your Dallas home or plan on enjoying it for years to come, it’s important to make the exterior just as inviting as the interior. Making a good first impression is especially crucial for home sales. If you look at listings online, you’ll notice that the vast majority of home listings feature the exterior as the main photo. However, many homeowners are daunted by the costs and decision-making involved in a renovation, especially if they haven’t made any updates since they first moved in. Below, you’ll find my top designer tips for getting your home looking its best this summer.

1. Start by Making a Budget

Any successful renovation project starts with making a budget and a checklist. After you’ve made a list of your most wanted upgrades, do research on how much each of them will cost, making a note of which you can do yourself and which you would need to hire a specialist for. You’ll also want to make sure you don’t overbuild for your neighborhood or create a design that will clash with adjacent homes.

The projects that tend to drive up costs the most include repainting the whole exterior, adding an outdoor living area, replacing the roof, replacing the garage doors, or redoing the landscaping. However, these upgrades also tend to have the biggest return on investment. Some less expensive ways to freshen up your home’s exterior include:

  • Removing fallen branches and dead plants, then planting new flowers

  • Washing the exteriors of your windows

  • Sweeping and decluttering your porch

  • Weeding the driveway

  • Replacing hardware with new fixtures in matching metal colors

2. Get Your Front Façade Sparkling Clean Again

Power washing is not recommended for homes with vinyl siding, shingles, or weathered brick. Shingles and weathered brick can be easily damaged, while vinyl siding is pliable, allowing water to possibly get trapped behind it. You can save money on a pressure washer by renting one from your local appliance store instead of buying one. To clean your windows, use a microfiber cloth with water and a few drops of dishwashing detergent on a pole.

3. Consider New Paint Colors

Just because the paint on your house hasn’t begun to peel doesn’t mean that it couldn’t benefit from a fresh coat, especially if the color has become dull over time. Although repainting a home can cost between $6000-$12,000, you can also give your home a more affordable facelift by only repainting the trim or shutters and front door.

Test any new paint colors by painting a small swatch. I generally recommend doing paint swatches in the back instead of in the front, unless you plan on repainting the whole house soon. You don’t want those paint swatches to be visible from the street, especially if you’re not going to commit to painting the house for another six months to a year.

If you own a brick home and the brick is starting to look tired, you can consider painting it a new color. That said, I prefer to leave the brick unpainted, as long as it’s an attractive color. The problem with repainting brick is that once you paint it, you have to repaint every 10 to 15 years to maintain it. When I do paint brick, I like to use paint with an eggshell finish, which stays fresh-looking for longer and helps dirt to wash off.

Repainting your front door in a bold color, like the red paint seen on the front door of this Preston Hollow home, is an easy way to make your front porch more eye-catching.

4. Take a Look at Your Front PorcH

One of the most impactful ways you can update your front porch is by either repainting or replacing the front door. Before replacing the door entirely, consider choosing a new design that will let in more light, have more or less architectural detail, or will be made of a different material. Whether you are repainting or replacing, make sure that the door still complements your home. If you’re replacing your hardware such as your house numbers, doorknocker, or doorknobs, try to match the fixtures to the style of your house — simple, modern fixtures for a modern house, or ornate fixtures for a traditional house.

Some types of home, such as ranch homes, have small entry areas. A popular renovation trend right now is visually enlarging these front door areas by widening the front steps or adding glass inserts on either side of the front door.

5. Have Your Roof Inspected

It’s generally recommended to have your roof inspected twice a year, especially after a big storm. The average lifespan for a roof in Texas is 15-20 years, but the actual lifespan of your roof depends on a number of factors, such as the material and the amount of damage it has taken. If your roof needs to be replaced, you may want to update it with architectural shingles instead of traditional asphalt shingles. Architectural roof shingles have more dimension and reflect UV rays, which helps to keep the house cooler. Nowadays, roof tiles can also be made of concrete, which is more durable than clay tiles.

This landscaping for a University Park home is beautifully manicured and full of variety, between the trimmed bushes, the ivy on the balustrades and the house, the pansies on the left and right, and the Japanese maple.

6. Freshen Your Landscaping

Fences aren’t just for security — they define your property and are another opportunity to add style to your landscape. Adding a gate to the fence gives your home even more presence. Before putting in new landscaping, try to choose plants that are suitable for your climate in all seasons. Shrubs can help hide less attractive features of your home, but make sure not to cover up any windows or other light sources.

Take a look at your hardscape to see if there are ways you can give it more charm and style. Exposed aggregate, colored concrete, or textured concrete are finishes that are becoming more popular for stone walkways. You can also use ground pavers and bricks to add a decorative finishing touch to your driveway. Another trend is retaining walls that are multipurpose and serve as planters.

7. Upgrade the Garage Doors

Although replacing the garage doors is an expensive project, it may be worthwhile if you’ve been having issues with your garage doors anyway, such as them getting noisier over time. Carriage style doors, carved doors, and contemporary style doors all have more personality and visual appeal than flat garage doors.

8. Brighten the Home with New Windows and Shutters

Many newly built homes in Dallas have nonfunctional, fixed shutters that are less attractive than traditional shutters. Consider updating your shutters with country or midcentury modern style shutters, depending on what kind of architecture you have. You may even want to enlarge the windows themselves. Enlarging windows allows more light to filter in while adding dimension to your front façade.

There are plenty of ways you can update your house’s exterior, no matter your budget. If you’re planning on making a serious overhaul, consulting an interior designer is not a bad idea. As the owner of a full-service interior design firm, I’m often involved with both the outside and inside of a house design. An interior designer like myself can keep your project on track and help you create a new look that stands the test of time. To schedule a free consultation with us, call our Dallas office at 214-651-7665 or send us an email at info@chambersinteriors.com.

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How to Use Paint to Add New Life to Old Furniture /  by Margaret Chambers

The bedside chest in this photo is painted in a neutral wash to balance out the bold oranges in the rest of the room.

Painting is a great way to update old and tired furniture with worn finishes. Painted furniture has been around for hundreds of years, and you can see examples of it in every major interior design style. For example, whitewashed furniture is traditionally used in Sweden to make a room feel brighter during Scandinavia’s dark and dreary winters. In Asia, a lot of antique furniture is painted in a cinnabar color with a high-gloss finish or black lacquer with a little gilding.

That said, with painted furniture, a little goes a long way. Before you pick up a paintbrush, read this design guide for some do’s and don’ts on using painted pieces in a room effectively.

Choosing the Right Color and Finish

Antiqued gold accents on a whitewashed piece of furniture add both dimension and a touch of flair to the piece.

Not all paint colors and finishes are created equal when it comes to furniture. Generally, muted colors are preferable to bright colors: a touch of gray in a color gives it sophistication. Old-fashioned desks or armoires can feel fresh and modern again when painted in an unexpected color, like gray green. Rattan chairs take on a refined air when painted with gray and mixed with modern furniture. However, I personally would never paint a fine antique, especially a piece from the 18th century or older.

At my firm, lately we’ve been lacquering vintage pieces with a high-gloss finish. Sometimes we also whitewash a piece of furniture, then paint the details in a contrasting color or gild them. Metallic paint looks best as subtle accents on painted furniture. With night chests, I like to stain the top and whitewash the bottom. Something to keep in mind is that furniture pieces don’t have to be painted all in one finish.

Mixing and Matching

Many homeowners are afraid to mix furniture with different styles and finishes, but a serious designer will never use a matching set of furniture. The challenge is worth it: in my opinion, rooms are much more interesting when the finishes don’t all match. For example, if you have three painted furniture pieces in a room, you might want to use different shades of the same color. I also like to add stained pieces, which ground the room, in with my painted pieces.

The painted chairs in this Preston Hollow dining room did not come with the table, but still complement it nicely.

On the other hand, using the same paint color for multiple furniture pieces is not a bad idea when you’re bringing together different kinds of chairs in the same seating area. The chairs should ideally be in the same general style and made of similar woods, so that you’ll know that they take paint the same way.

Don’t Rush the Process

The best paint jobs have a lot of prep work put into them. If you’re going to paint your furniture yourself, make sure to sand and prime it well so that the paint won’t chip later.

Also, remember that different types of wood take paint differently. For example, poplar or soft maple yield a smooth finish. Oak plywood is not recommended for painting, as paint or primer will not fill the pores very well.

Use Painted Pieces Sparingly

I only use painted furniture as accent pieces. I would never do a whole room with painted furniture, and the most I would use is three pieces per room. I often like to use a painted bed in my designs and scatter other painted pieces throughout the rest of the house. If you’re not sure whether you want to use one, two, or three painted pieces in a room, try painting just one and living with it for a while.

These leather and cane-back dining chairs, which have painted faux bois frames, are custom designed from The Chambers Collection.

Although painted furniture belongs in any home, no matter the style, it’s tricky for most people to learn how and when to use it. If you would love to extend the life of your vintage pieces but are unsure what finish or paint color would look best, ask an interior designer to look at your collection. This is one of the reasons why people hire interior designers in the first place: combining furniture pieces with different paint colors, wood types, and finishes is a skill that takes years of experience to master. You can schedule a free consultation with us by calling our Dallas office at 214-651-7665 or emailing us at info@chambersinteriors.com.

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7 Tips for Charming Children's Rooms /  by Margaret Chambers

The best-designed children's rooms have a touch of childlike whimsy but also complement the rest of the home.

Decorating a room for your child can be a great opportunity to show your creativity, but it also presents some unique challenges. Children's rooms should express the child's interests while also blending with the rest of the house. If you're stumped on the best way to please both your child and yourself, consider these suggestions.

1. Use Multi-Purpose Furniture

Unless you want to spend a lot of money redecorating as the child grows older, you should decorate with flexibility in mind. A crib that can convert to a youth bed is a smart choice. It’s also not a bad idea to make space for a small desk now. Your child will appreciate having a place to work on drawings, and later, the workspace can be updated to a teen work desk. Younger children need plenty of floor space to play, so remember to leave lots of room.

Even if your child isn't attending school yet, try to leave space in the room for a work desk.

2. Include Enough Storage

You can encourage your child to be more responsible and independent by including storage bins and shelves that are low to the floor and easy to access. It’s easier for them to put away clothes on shelving rather than hangers in a wardrobe. Use a mixture of open and closed storage so your child will be able to display a few favorite items while keeping the rest out of sight. Baskets and canvas bins are a more attractive storage option than plastic bins and are softer to the touch.

3. Plan Ahead for Lighting

Lighting is important in every room, but a child's room should be especially well-lit. You can fill the room with light using a pendant light or a cute chandelier that completes the room's theme. A reading light beside the bed or a favorite chair is a must.

The art and rug in this boys’ room were previously owned by the clients. We chose fabrics to match their bold colors.

4. Weigh Your Flooring Options

Choosing flooring for children’s bedrooms can be a balancing act between comfort and maintenance. While carpet is comfortable and absorbs noise, it’s also harder to clean in case of messes. Hardwood is easy to clean, but doesn’t insulate noise or soften falls. A good compromise is hardwood flooring with plush rugs. Don’t forget to put a pad underneath the rug to prevent slippage.

A wall-mounted collection of toy soldiers add charm to this boy's room we designed in a Preston Hollow home.

5. Approach Theming in a Balanced Way

An important topic to consider is themed decorating. While your dinosaur-obsessed toddler may love to see dinosaurs throughout the room, he or she might outgrow the phase. How themed you want the room to be is up to you. You can go all the way with a sports theme using sports posters, bedding, and wall decorations, or you may decide to focus on choosing patterns and colors your child enjoys instead. A suggested middle ground might be to use simple and flexible furnishings while placing a few themed accents around the room.

6. Choose Paint Color Carefully

When you have a baby on the way, it's tempting to paint the room in pink or blue, but gender-neutral colors like green and yellow are becoming more popular as well. Also, keep in mind that color has a psychological effect and can be either calming or energizing. A good rule of thumb is to choose a light wall color and use stronger colors for the accessories and furnishings.

Light green is a gender-neutral paint color that is becoming more popular for children's rooms.

7. Don’t Forget About Wallpaper

Wallpaper has been making a comeback over the last decade and instantly adds charm to a child’s bedroom. Wallpaper patterns designed for children’s rooms are not your only options. Basic geometrics and florals are versatile enough to work with a wide variety of room styles.

By choosing timeless furnishings and colors, and a few personal touches to express your child's interests, you can create a beautiful room your child will remember fondly. If you need help designing a nursery for a baby on the way or updating a bedroom for a growing child, give us a call. Most of our clients have children or grandchildren, so at my firm, we have a lot of experience in both children’s and teen bedrooms. You can reach our Dallas office by calling 214-651-7665 or sending an email to info@chambersinteriors.com.

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5 Alternatives to a Plain White Ceiling /  by Margaret Chambers

A coffered ceiling in a foyer, like this one in a Dallas home we designed, makes a dramatic first impression.

Ceilings are usually the most forgotten part of a room. It’s a shame, because there are so many ways to make ceilings the finishing touch for your interior design. If you’ve made a habit of ignoring your ceilings but are ready to try something new, you’ll be glad to know that there are paint colors, wallpaper patterns, plasterwork, and faux beams that can instantly transform your ceiling from drab to dramatic.

1. Accent Ceilings

We painted the ceiling in the formal living room of SMU's Kappa Alpha Theta house a high-gloss sky blue, reminiscent of southern porch ceilings.

My favorite paint colors for ceilings lately are light blues and light aquas. Blue paint is often used for porch ceilings in the South to deter wasps from building their nests, but increasingly, homeowners are starting to use it for their ceilings indoors.

If you do decide to paint your ceiling a contrasting color, I recommend choosing high gloss enamel or lacquer for the finish. A high-gloss ceiling will reflect the surrounding colors and make the room feel more expansive. However, steer clear of glossy paint finishes if your ceiling has imperfections, as the sheen will make small bumps or cracks more noticeable.

Dark ceiling colors tend to make rooms feel smaller. Interestingly, though, a room with the same dark color on all four walls and the ceiling will not feel small as long as there’s plenty of natural light in the space. For black-painted ceilings, make sure to also use black elsewhere in the room to ensure that the whole design is balanced.

2. Wallpaper

My firm has also been doing wallpapered ceilings for the past few years. In one project, the clients’ existing dining room had a ceiling painted in a dark salmon color. To make the room feel more open, we covered that ceiling with a light, patterned wallpaper. For a contemporary home, you might consider a subtle tone-on-tone pattern or a textured wallpaper, like grass cloth.

The wallpaper we added to this ceiling is a big improvement over the salmon paint color that was there before.

3. Plasterwork

Color and pattern are not the only ways to draw the eye upward to your ceiling. You can also add a three-dimensional element with decorative plasterwork. Designers like myself have been bringing back beautiful plaster ceilings with detailed borders around the edges of the room. I’d recommend using this kind of ceiling in dining rooms, living rooms, and bedrooms. However, you do have to think carefully about light fixture placement.

4. Beams

Running beadboard in the opposite direction of your beams will make a vaulted ceiling more dynamic.

Even if your home didn’t have beams originally, you can always have faux beams added. They should only be installed in rooms with ceilings that are nine feet or higher, or else they’ll make the room feel claustrophobic. I love the look of beams in a vaulted ceiling with beadboard running in the opposite direction. We usually run the beams up and down and the beadboard crosswise.

5. Coffered ceilings

A coffered ceiling is one in which recessed panels are created by adding beams in a grid pattern. Coffered ceilings look best in rooms with nine to fourteen-foot-high ceilings. To add more contrast, you can paint in the recessed sections, wallpaper them, or have them paneled with wood while leaving the beams white. Coffered ceilings are definitely more formal, so you usually won’t see them in rustic or casual homes.

Like coffered ceilings, tray ceilings have recessed areas to give the ceiling depth. The recessed areas resemble upside-down trays. They are great for open concept homes because the recessed areas can act as a reflection for separate zones on the floor below.

In this home office we designed for a Dallas home, the patterned, wallpapered ceiling matches the curtains.

For those of you who like the idea of a painted, wallpapered, beamed, or coffered ceiling, but are having trouble deciding between them, try looking at interior design magazines or Instagram and pay attention to the ceilings you see. If you’re still drawing a blank, the next best step would be to consult with an interior designer like myself. An interior designer will know which ceilings in your home would look best if left white, which could benefit from wallpaper, and which rooms would be perfect for a showstopper like a coffered or plasterwork ceiling. To schedule a free consultation with us, email us at info@chambersinteriors.com or call us at 214-651-7665.

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