window treatments

4 Things to Know Before You Update Your Bathroom or Powder Room / August 18, 2021 by Margaret Chambers

A few accessories, like a soap dish or some fresh flowers, are all that's needed to complete a bathroom counter.

Bathrooms and powder rooms are woefully overlooked areas in home design. Many people consider designing them an afterthought, or aren’t sure how to work with a small space. But no matter how small your powder rooms are, you deserve to have ones that are thoughtfully planned and tastefully designed. If you’re thinking about giving the bathrooms in your Dallas home a quick update—or an extensive remodel—you’ll surely find these tips useful.

Brunschwig & Fil’s iconic “Les Touches” wallpaper adds a playful touch to this bathroom we designed for a Dallas home.

2021 Bathroom Trends:

Although grey was a popular wall color for bathrooms the last few years, in 2021 it’s starting to go out of style. Instead, warmth is being brought into bathrooms through the use of gold or brass fixtures and wood accents. Wallpaper has also come back into style. If you do want to put up wallpaper, shop for the vinyl kind that is moisture-resistant.

While you’re updating, take a look into some of the latest developments in bathroom technology. These include smart showers that can be remotely set to start running, voice-activated lighting and temperature controls, and Bluetooth speakers for baths and showers. Heated floors have also been gaining popularity for some time now.

Layout Tips for Bathroom Remodels:

A common bathroom design mistake is to make your toilet the first thing a visitor sees when they enter the bathroom. Choose anything else as your focal point beside the toilet, such as your mirror, your bathtub, or your vanity. The toilet should be out-of-sight from the entrance whenever possible.

This area, with the freestanding tub and large antique mirror, serves as the focal point for this bathroom in Colleyville.

Bathrooms don’t have to be spacious to be appealing. To make a small powder room feel more luxurious, splurge on a few nice materials and finishes. If you prefer to take showers over baths, don’t take up too much floor space with a large tub.

When we remodeled this shower, we added glass doors, mosaic floor tiles, slabs of Carrera marble, and brass hardware.

You can maximize elbow room by installing a glass panel or shower curtains instead of a shower door. This way, you also won’t have to worry about your door swinging out and hitting the vanity.

Don’t forget to plan for storage space. Upper vanity cabinets along either side of the mirror are a smart solution for keeping toiletries out of sight. You can even build electrical outlets into the cabinets for plugging in your hairdryers and electric toothbrushes.

Choosing Flooring and Tiles:

There’s a reason why most bathrooms have tiled floors. Carpeting absorbs moisture and can develop mold, and if wood flooring becomes water damaged, it’s costly to replace. If you want the look of wood without the risk of water damage, I’d recommend porcelain tiles with a faux bois grain finish that emulate the look of real wood panels.

Improvements in manufacturing have paved the way for new and improved tile patterns, including chevron, diamond, hexagon, arabesque, and fish scales. I’m starting to see homeowners want to try new patterns instead of defaulting to subway tile.

The Best Lighting for Powder Rooms:

Lighting is always important for home design, and bathrooms are no exception. Older fluorescent light bulbs can cast an unflattering blue hue on skin, while dim lighting makes bathrooms feel small and closed-in. If the color tone of your bulbs is a cool white, update them with a warmer white.

The vertical cabinets in this vanity are great for storing toothbrushes, medications, etc. so they stay out of sight. The cabinets also contain electrical outlets, so everything can stay conveniently plugged in and ready to use.

As you update your lighting, make sure not to install the fixtures too far above your mirror, or else they’ll cast shadows on your face. Either bring the lights low enough so that they’re almost touching the mirror, or place sconces on either side of the mirror.

To make a bathroom feel light and airy, find a way to filter daylight in. A window to the outside or a skylight through the ceiling are both options. You can always put shutters over the window for more privacy.

We normally use tile in bathrooms, but the client wanted wood floors. To protect them, we added polyurethane coating.

For your finishing touches and decorations, keep things simple. Instead of cluttering counter space with lots of accessories, buy practical items—such as pretty soap dispensers—that are decorative and integrate into your overall design theme.

If your bathtub is next to a window, you can always add shades for privacy, like this motorized Roman shade we used.

Many people in Dallas continue to work from home and are thinking about ways they can give their surroundings a facelift. Whether you’re planning a full bathroom remodel, or just want to make better use of the space and layout you already have, the designer tips above will come in handy.

For those of you who are looking to bring in a professional, you should know that Chambers Interiors has a lot of experience a bathroom remodels. To schedule a free consultation, email us at info@chambersinteriors.com or call our Dallas office at 214-651-7665.

8 Design Ideas for Rooms with High Ceilings / March 11, 2021 by Margaret Chambers

Tall drapes with valances, a modern chandelier, and a painting all help to fill the space under this high ceiling.

Although high ceilings are a sought-after feature for most Dallas home buyers, they can also present some unique design challenges. People are often stumped trying to figure out what to do with all that extra wall space over door frames.

The key is to bring everything together by visually connecting your furniture, walls, and ceiling. Read on for eight design solutions that help make high-ceilinged rooms feel more inviting and intimate.

1. Find the Perfect Artwork:

A series of framed de Gournay wallpaper panels add drama to this tall staircase in a Dallas home we designed.

One way to fill your extra wall space is with artwork. One large statement piece, a gallery of smaller pieces, or a tapestry are all good options for high ceiling rooms.

Artwork should be hung at eye-level, unless you have a particularly tall and narrow piece. If you want to hang something above eye level, I recommend a wall clock.

2. Install Custom Drapes:

Very tall ceilings call for very tall window treatments, which usually have to be custom ordered through a designer.

The rule of thumb for tall windows is to hang your draperies at ceiling height. On the other hand, if your windows don’t go all the way up to the ceiling, you may want to add valances to make them more proportional. Either way, the drapes should hang so that they almost touch the floor.

Depending on how high your ceilings are, you may need to order custom drapes. Although costly, this is an option worth considering. The softness of drapes helps to make a high ceiling room feel cozier. Don’t worry about the tall draperies being too much: as long as you choose a solid color fabric or a subtle pattern, the effect will be spectacular.

3. Add Architectural Details:

The wood ceiling beams in this kitchen complement the hardwood floors while also contrasting against the sleek metals.

One way to create a sense of depth in a tall ceiling is to add exposed beams or large crown molding. Although beams are usually associated with rustic homes, they can fit into a contemporary style home as well.

4. Use Statement Lighting:

Hanging a statement lighting fixture, such as a chandelier, is a classic solution to drawing the eye towards a ceiling. Generally, chandeliers should be hung over the coffee table or dining table in the center of the room.

For this north Dallas project, we repurposed the dining room chandelier from our clients’ old home and hung it over a seating area in their new master bedroom.

5. Create a Feature Wall:

Another way to visually connect the upper and lower levels of the room is to turn one wall into a feature wall. There are a few different ways to do this. Painting one wall in a solid, dramatic color from floor to ceiling; wallpapering a wall; or extending the brick or stonework around your fireplace upward are some ideas.

6. Break the Walls into Thirds:

An alternative to the floor-to-ceiling feature wall is to follow the rule of thirds and visually divide the walls into three sections. As an example, the lowest third of your wall could be paneled, the middle third could be for artwork, and the highest third could be left as-is.

The wainscoting seen here, plus the two rows of framed prints above it, divide the wall into visual thirds.

That said, not everything in your room needs to align with these three segments. Breaking up the visual “horizon” of the room (by including a few bookcases, for example) adds variety to the topography of the space.

If you want to make your walls feel shorter and the ceiling closer, paint your walls in two tones, one color on top of another.

7. Install Shelving:

Some homeowners make use of the extra wall height in their rooms by installing floating shelves or buying tall bookcases. If you like greenery, you can also add a tall potted plant in the corner of your room.

8. Use the Correct Scale Furniture:

A room with tall ceilings needs furnishings and accessories that fit comfortably into its scale. To that end, do not fill your room with collections of small objects or small-scale furniture.

A custom canopy bed and a large area rug are proportionally appropriate choices for this high-ceilinged bedroom we designed.

Your furniture should be grouped together into multiple seating arrangements and anchored with an appropriately sized rug. Spacing the furniture far apart will make the room feel unbalanced and uncomfortably expansive.

Having high ceilings is an enviable problem many would love to have. That said, there’s no denying that taking advantage of the extra height can be tricky without a designer’s know-how.

By working with a professional interior designer, you can have access to their resources, which include custom window treatments, fine artwork, gorgeous chandeliers and other design elements that bring out the best in a high-ceilinged room. To schedule a free consultation with us, call our Dallas office at 214-232-9501 or email us at info@chambersinteriors.com.

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Window Treatments: What to Know Before You Start Shopping / September 29, 2020 by Margaret Chambers

These curtains with a modern trellis pattern pair beautifully with the shutters in this Dallas home.

When it comes to home decorating, choosing window treatments can be one of the most daunting parts of the process. Even when you know exactly what you want, finding drapery in the right size and color for your Dallas home can be tricky. On the other hand, you might feel like there are just too many options to choose from. If you could use ideas on where to begin, read on for some interior designer tips.

The first step to choosing window treatments is to decide whether you want 'hard' or 'soft' window treatments. Hard treatments include blinds, shades, and shutters, while soft treatments include drapes and curtains.

Drapes and Curtains

Striped curtains with bright colors were used for the formal living room in SMU's new Kappa Alpha Theta house.

The words ‘curtains' and 'drapes' are used synonymously by many people but actually have different definitions. Curtains are unlined and can run to any length. Because they’re unlined, they are more lightweight than drapes and come in a wider variety of colors and patterns. Drapes, which are more formal, are lined to block out light, often run from the top of the window to the floor, and are usually made of heavier fabrics such as velvet, damask, or silk.

Once you’ve decided on the kind of soft window treatment you’d like, you'll need to decide on color, fabric, length, and hardware. If you are buying your own fabric, see if the store will let you take home a swatch. By bringing back a swatch, you can test how the texture of the fabric will look in the light of your space. Remember that patterns will look very different in person than they will in a sample image. Stripes, for example, will not look as straight in the folds of a curtain, and small-scale patterns will lose their detail from a distance.

Fabrics

We chose sheer curtains for this living room in Kessler Park. They allow plenty of natural light to filter through.

Heavier fabrics are considered to be formal, while lighter fabrics feel much more casual. Choose heavier fabrics for a luxurious look, as they are well suited for full-length drapes with pinched pleats. If you don't need much privacy in a room, you can let in more light with sheer curtains. Regardless of what material you use, choose colors that harmonize with the rest of the room. You never want your window treatments to distract from a beautiful view (or the room itself)!

Length

Length is important to consider as well. Some homeowners like to emphasize the height of their rooms by running drapes from ceiling to floor. A crisper look is created by letting curtains hang just above the floor. You can also have 'cafe-style' curtains that only cover the lower half of the window: the kitchen is a great place for curtains like these.

Buying store-bought drapes will be less expensive than buying your own fabric, but these drapes don't always come in a wide range of styles and colors. If you buy curtains or drapes from the store, keep looking until you find something you love. You can bring the whole look together with carefully chosen hardware, finials, and ties.

Trends

Trends in curtains and drapes today include patterns, grommets, and vertical and horizontal banding. Since patterns have enjoyed a recent upswing in popularity, you can expect to see a variety of geometric, floral, trellis and stripe patterns when you shop. Valances are not as common as they used to be, but can still be useful for softening the look of an otherwise undecorated window, hiding hardware, or adding color to a set of blinds. The latest trend in hardware is to use small finials and thin rods made of metal for a more understated look. Pinch pleats have always been a classic choice, but looser pleats and inverted box pleats are popular for contemporary homes.

Valances are common in traditional design, making them a good choice for these drapes in a University Park chateau.

Even after exploring all of your options at the fabric store, you may find it difficult to get the exact color and sizes you need. In this case, an interior designer can help you order the perfect custom window treatments.

Shades, Blinds, and Shutters

Whether you should choose hard, or soft window treatments depends on your needs for each room. Consider the following: do you need to protect your colorful furnishings from the sun? Will glare make it difficult to watch TV? Will insulating your windows with shades help keep down the cost of heating your home? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes,’ you may want to install hard treatments. Many homeowners choose shades, blinds, or shutters when they want to control the light in their room without introducing a lot of texture and color.

Shades

Shades offer privacy, light control, and a clean-cut look. They can be made of either synthetic or organic materials, and come in a wide range of styles. Roller shades are a good choice for contemporary homes because of their minimalistic look; meanwhile, woven and wood shades fit with casual chic and rustic rooms. Honeycomb and cellular shades are also great insulation for your windows.

Cloth shades such as Roman or balloon shades feature the patterns and soft look you normally get with drapery. The difference is that unlike drapes, cloth shades have an easy up-and-close function. Choosing cloth shades over drapes can also save space in tight areas, such as between corner windows. One brand of grasscloth shades, Conrad Shades, is only available through interior designers. These shades are custom-woven to fit the size of your window.

Some people combine Roman shades with curtains. To make this look work, you’ll need to make sure there will be space left between the two of them. You can either install the shades inside the window frame or situate the rod so that there is enough depth between the curtains and shades.

Blinds

Unlike shades, blinds can be tilted with louvers to let in light at an angle. Blinds are usually made of either aluminum, wood, or faux-wood. Wood blinds are a classic choice that suits many different decorating styles. They are also offered in a variety of finishes, such as bamboo and pine. Faux wood blinds will not warp over time, so they are a smart choice for people living in high humidity climates.

When you buy blinds, you have multiple options for the slat sizes. For reference, the most commonly chosen slat size for blinds is two inches. A good rule of thumb is that the slat size should match the size of your window: large slats for large windows, and small slats for small windows. Two-inch slats are what you’d usually choose for medium-size windows.

Shutters

Shutters are made of either wood or vinyl and are more of an expensive, long-term option. Unlike blinds and shades, they do not lift to reveal the view, but can be opened out at the hinges from within the window frame. Shutters add sophistication and architectural detail to your windows. In the end, they can even increase the value of your home. Regular shutters and blinds have one inch of space between louvers. Plantation shutters have two to three inches of space, which lets you see more of the view.

Not sure what kind of blinds, shades, or shutters would work best for your Dallas home? Since window treatments can be a big commitment, some people prefer to seek a professional opinion. At Chambers Interiors, we help our clients find the best treatments for their windows. To set up your free consultation, call us at 214-232-9501, or email us at info@chambersinteriors.com.

Margaret Chambers and her team lead one of Dallas' top award-winning residential interior design firms.