Archive for category: Home Decorating

Finally, snow is here in New England and it feels like winter. Changing your decor will warm up your home for winter. Here are 4 simple and easy ways to add warmth to your interior.

Warm Up Your Home For Winter

 1. Add textures

The look and feel of textured fabrics – wool, chenille, suede and velvet – add tremendous comfort and coziness to a room.

How to warm up your home for winter. Window Designs Etc. by Marie Mouradian Use textured fabric like this chenille from RM Coco

A throw tossed over the sofa will be ready to warm a chilly night.  Keep several in a large basket so there is one for everyone. Add a decorative blanket at the foot of your bed for afternoon naps.

Custom patchwork blanket made with a variety of textured fabrics . How to warm up your home for winter. Window Designs Etc. by Marie Mouradian

Custom patchwork blanket made with a variety of textured fabrics to keep you warm.

 

Hang a quilt or a rug on the wall.  You will notice the difference in ambiance immediately.  Adding fabrics with texture improves sound quality too.

Twister quilt to be used as a wall hanging or as a lap blanket. How to warm up your home for winter. Window Designs Etc. by Marie Mouradian

A wall hanging or a lap blanket. Creatively made quilt in the Twister pattern. Made by one of my Master Seamstresses.

2. Accessorize in warm colors

Colors of the sun – orange, yellow and red – are scientifically known to raise the temperature in a room. The 2015 Pantone color of the year, Marsala, is a warm color. Read more about Marsala here.

 

Pillows in warm colors and textures will keep you comfortable. See many more pillows made by us here and here.

An array of mixed fabric pillows with pops of Marsala. - Marie Mouradian WindowDesignsEtc.com - Marsala, Pantone 2015 Color of the Year

Use large pillows on the floor for extra seating and lounging by the fire.

Floor pillows to use as extra seating or lounging by the fire. Patchwork pillows using a variety of fabrics. How to warm up your home for winter. Window Designs Etc. by Marie Mouradian

Large 28″ square floor pillows.

Burn a candle in a scent like cinnamon or chocolate chip cookie for extra warmth.  You might like Yankee Candle’s refreshing Winter Garden and warming Vanilla Chai.

3. Create conversation areas

Creating conversation areas is a no-cost way to establish a warm atmosphere.

Arrange your seating pieces (couch, love seat, chairs) into a U- or L-shape.

Moving your furniture away from the walls and into the center of the room will further add to the sense of coziness.

4. Use energy-efficient window coverings

Cellular shades, like Hunter Douglas Duette® Architella, when measured and installed correctly, have proven to reduce the entry of cold air at the windows. Read more about Duette® Architella here.

Hunter Douglas Duette® Architella honeycomb shades are available in sheer, semi-sheer, semi-opaque and opaque so you can take control of your light.

Hunter Douglas Duette® Architella shades are constructed with a honeycomb within a honeycomb to trap air for energy saving insulation.

Insulating shades not only raise the temperature in your room but can save you money on heating bills. Aside from being beautiful and stylish, saving money is my favorite part!

Hunter Douglas Duette® Architella honeycomb shades can reduce heat loss through windows up to 40%

The red shows maximum heat loss at the windows.

Shades should not be the only thing on your window.  Adding drapes that are lined and interlined increase the energy efficiency of the window treatments.

How to warm up your home for winter. "Why do we love certain houses, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in our surroundings." T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbons---Window Designs Etc. by Marie Mouradian

These simple tips will make your home feel cozier and warmer, making winter months so much more enjoyable.  Ahhh – there’s no place like home!

Warm up your home for winter

xoxo

Marie

Contact me today, I will guide you in the best decisions to make your house into a home you love to live in.

Hiring Marie Mouradian saves you time, frustration and money.

You, your family, your house and office deserve it!

Please share this post.

 

Decorating with black floral chintz tied tab panels in a dining room - See more at www.WindowDesignsEtc.com by Marie Mouradian

Decorating With Black

Decorating with black details make this Southbridge, MA dining room anything but dark and boring.

Custom gathered tied tab drapes in a vibrant black floral chintz frame the view.

A whimsical hand crafted wooden drapery rod is a perch for custom cut black bird silhouettes.

The coordinating Wilton Weave area rug repeats the black with vibrant floral pattern.  The rug softens the terra cotta floor and anchors the table.

White walls and trim are a nice backdrop to the striking black accents.

Tips For Decorating With Black

  • Black never goes out of style. It’s timeless!
  • Combining black with vibrant colors makes them pop.
  • Black is a universal color across all styles.
  • Artwork with a black frame looks fabulous.
  • Everything matches with black.
  • Afraid of commitment to decorating with black?  Use black accessories in wrought iron.
  • Black brings out the grain in wood.
  • Contrary to what you may think, black makes small rooms seem larger.  My favorite place to use black on the walls is a small powder room.
  • Black is glamorous.
  • Consider painting an accent wall in high gloss black for extra drama.
  • Decorating with black appeals to both men and women.

Follow These Sites For Decorating With Black Inspiration

The Skeptic’s Guide To Black Paint

Warning – These Rooms Will Make You Regret Your White Walls

8 Black Rooms That Aren’t Scary

 

xoxo

Marie

Contact me today, I will guide you in the best decision to make your house into a home you love to live in.

Hiring a professional saves you time, frustration and money.

You, your family, your house and office deserve it!

Please share this post

Bringing the decorating showroom to you in the Worcester, Massachusetts area including Holden, Princeton, Sterling, Rutland, Paxton, West Boylston, Shrewsbury, Boylston, Grafton, Sutton, Millbury, Lancaster, Leominster and beyond.

Window Designs Etc is five time award winner - Best Home Decorating Services 2014 by the Holden Landmark Readers Choice

Thank you for voting Window Designs Etc. Best Home Decorating Services 2014

I am honored and humbled to receive Best Home Decorating Services 2014. This is my fifth time receiving this award.  YOU, my clients and readers make every day a pleasure to create beautiful spaces for you and your family to enjoy.  Thank you for inviting me into your houses and allowing me to make them into a home for you.

Huge hugs of gratitude

Marie

 

Contact me today, I will guide you in the best decisions to make your house into a home you love to live in.

Hiring a professional saves you time, frustration and money. You, your family, your house and office deserve it!

Timeless Nursery Design


Green and yellow baby room. Timeless nursery. Designers Guild fabric. More at www.WindowDesignsEtc.com by Marie Mouradian

Twenty-four years later and this adorable nursery is still in style today.  A non-gender specific theme of teddy bears is the theme for this Shrewsbury, MA nursery.

A Designer’s Guild fabric was selected from London.

Attention to detail is a true sign of custom.  Check out the hand painted rod the curtain ties onto.

Green and yellow timeless nursery interior design. Shrewsbury, MA Hand painted polka dot curtain rod. See more at www.WindowDesignsEtc.com by Marie Mouradian

How sweet are these hand painted stuffed bows?

What a fun tieback!

Hand painted dotted bows, green and yellow, make an adorable tieback for this timeless nursery window treatment. See more at www.WindowDesignsEtc.com by Marie Mouradian

Often the #TBT’s in this series are good for a laugh at the past.

Like the sweet smell of a baby and the softness of its skin, this nursery never gets old.

Good design is timeless!

XOXO

Marie

Did you like this post?  Please do me a favor and go back up to the top and share it with your friends.  They will appreciate it and so will I. Thank You!

Contact me today, I will guide you in the best decisions to make your house into a home you love to live in.

Hiring a professional saves you time, frustration and money. You, your family, your house, and office deserve it!

#TBT A look back at some designs from the past 32 years of Window Designs Etc. See more at http://www.WindowDesignsEtc.com

#TBT A look back at some designs from the past 32 years of Window Designs Etc. 1990 Guest Bath design

Styles and design trends have changed a lot in the 32 years I’ve been in interior design.  As I look back at photos of some projects, the year they were designed is evident. Were they fabulous then? Yes!  Are they still fabulous now?  You decide and leave your thoughts in the comments.

1990 Guest Bath Design

1990 Guest Bath Design #TBT throwback Thursday Holden Massachusetts bathroom features a shower curtain, balloon valance over a Hunter Douglas Silhouette and a custom painted feature below the window circa 1997. More details at www.WindowDesignsEtc.com

When the new wife moved into his Holden, MA home with her two teenage girls, updates were necessary to make it their home. This bath needs to accomodate his boys, her girls, and guests.

A gender-neutral fabric is best for the shower curtain and balloon valance.  Notice how the valance has the same motif in the center of each pouf, this is a quality of custom made window treatments.

The 1990’s decade was the time of faux finishing and decorative painting.  A local artist painted elements of the fabric design onto the wall below the window.  I thought this created a nice balance between the window and the shower curtain.

The window has a Hunter Douglas Silhouette on it for light and privacy control.  Hunter Douglas introduced the Silhouette in 1991.

I haven’t been back to this home in a while.  My clients have downsized and moved to another location.

20 years later would you still consider it good design?

Thankfully classic and timeless design is the current trend.

Happy Thursday!

XOXO

 

Marie

Contact me today, I will guide you in the best decisions to make your house into a home you love to live in.

Hiring a professional saves you time, frustration and money. You, your family, your house and office deserve it!

Please don’t be shy.  Comment below, Pin to your favorite board, Tweet to the world, Give it a + on Google,  Post on your Facebook wall, E-mail to a friend, Link, Tumble and Stumble it…..Your friends will love it and so will I.

Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which it's loveliness arises

 

Found here

What’s Your GREEN Decorating Style?

I love green decorating!  I see green as a neutral that enhances everything else.

Let’s have some fun today and play This or That.  I’ll show you two rooms decorated with green and you pick your favorite.

Dining Room This or That

What's Your Green Decorating Style? This or That WindowDesignsEtc.com -- Mint green and white dining room from The Lennoxx

Light mint green walls and a dark stained wood floor set the scene for this dining experience. Slipcovered white Parsons chairs are a contrast to the rich floor. Simple drapery panels in a slightly darker mint green dress the four windows. I would have installed the drapes further above the window since the ceiling is so high. Look how the crystal chandelier fills the space.

The Lennoxx

OR

Coastal Living green dining--- What's Your Green Decorating Style? This or That WindowDesignsEtc.com

Green dining by the seashore. A blend of beach, rustic and comfortable elegance. Notice the seagrass rug and beadboard walls. The narrow rustic farm table seats many. Upholstered armchairs and green patterned drapes make the room cozy and comfortable.

Coastal Living

Bedroom This or That

Decosee modern green and white bedroom -- What's Your Green Decorating Style? This or That WindowDesignsEtc.com

A sleek modern white bedroom that uses green accents to drive your focus. I love how the paint is used on the lower half of the wall to “ground” the room. Painting the back of shelves makes objects pop. VERY interesting use of shades on the windows, varying the width, opacity and mounting height add so much style and function.

The Decosee

OR

What's Your Green Decorating Style? This or That WindowDesignsEtc.com -- Margaux Interiors Limited - Photo by Blayne Beacham

A Southern bedroom of green and white. The green and white patterned walls create a stunning backdrop for the upholstered white-winged headboard. White draperies are detailed with green banding. The pleated table skirt is reminiscent of a tennis skirt.

Margaux Interiors Limited

Living Room This or That

What's Your Green Decorating Style? This or That WindowDesignsEtc.com -- Robert Couturier on Cote de Texas 3-2013

French antiques abound in this living room. Robert Couturier uses a green stripe on the settee and those luscious butterfly Roman shades. Take note of the under shade in the white too.

Cote de Texas

OR

Modern green and white living room -- What's Your Green Decorating Style? This or That WindowDesignsEtc.com

Two color decorating, how simple is this? The floor length green drapes frame the stunning view. Green accent pillows offset the starkness of the white sofa. The only thing I would do differently would be to turn the sofa around to face the windows.

Home Design Inc.

 

I have a whole board of green and white interiors over on Pinterest.

What's Your Green decorating Style? This or That WindowDesignsEtc.com -- Pinterest Green and White Interiors

Which Green and White Rooms are YOUR favorite?

Tell me in the comments below.

XOXO

Marie

 

Need help decorating?  Contact me today, I will guide you in the best decisions to make your house into a home you love to live in.

Please don’t be shy.  Comment below, Pin to your favorite board, Tweet to the world, Give it a + on Google,  Post on your Facebook wall, E-mail to a friend, Link, Tumble and Stumble it…..Your friends will love it and so will I!

 

Thanksgiving Table Decorating

Thanksgiving table decorating in an antique filled dining room. More ideas on the blog www.windowdesignsetc.com

Your dining room table is like an empty room waiting to be decorated with style and taste.

  • The tablecloth is the backdrop of your Thanksgiving table. I prefer a solid damask instead of a busy print.  Food is more appealing against a solid.

Mix and match china patterns for interesting Thanksgiving table decorating. More ideas on the blog www.windowdesignsetc.com

  • Your dishes are the main pieces of “furniture”. Every piece does not have to match. Mixing patterns will create more interest.  If you are fortunate to have some heirloom pieces, now is the time to use them.  Treasures from the past have a story to tell, especially at your Thanksgiving table.

Thanksgiving table decorating. Thanksgiving centerpiece of cranberries, flowers, candle and demitasse cups on a silver tray. More ideas on the blog www.windowdesignsetc.com

  • The centerpiece is the focal point so it should set the theme and have all of the colors of your decorating scheme.

Antique china is the focal point of Thanksgiving table decorating. More ideas on the blog www.windowdesignsetc.com

  • Napkins and candles are the accent pieces.  Select them in colors that compliment the rest of the table and make it “pop”.

 

  • Have fun with it.  Don’t stress if it’s not perfect.  Thanksgiving is more about your guests than a perfect table.  The food is pretty important too so you had better get cooking!

 

Take Time To Notice

  • Cooking is more fun when everyone helps out
  • A beautifully set table makes the food taste better
  • The best Thanksgiving treats are a loving family
  • Making a gratitude list (just five things) before going to bed will leave you sleeping with a smile
  • The smell of the turkey roasting makes your mouth water

 

Thanksgiving table decorating. Thanksgiving twig cornucopia. More ideas on the blog www.windowdesignsetc.com

Happy Thanksgiving

XOXO

Marie

Presentation of food, presentation of your home, it’s all the same. Need help decorating?  Contact me today, I will guide you in the best decisions to make your house into a home you love.

Please don’t be shy. The “Share” button drops down to all of your favorite social media.  Comment below, Pin to your favorite board, Tweet to the world, Post on your Facebook wall, E-mail to a friend, Link, Tumble and Stumble it…..Your friends will love it and so will I!

I am honored to win Best Home Decorating Services 2013. The Worcester area has many choices when it comes to decorating.  I appreciate your trusting and supporting a local small business.

Best Home Decorating Services 2013

Thank you for voting Window Designs Etc. best home decorating services 2013 Landmark Reader's Choice

Best Home Decorating Services 2013

I am so excited to receive the award this year!

Thanks to all of my clients, friends, and family who voted for me.

I also won in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

XOXO

Marie

Please help me share the excitement and spread the news. The “Share” button drops down to all of your favorite social media.  Pin to your favorite board, Tweet to the world, Post on your Facebook wall, E-mail to a friend, Link, Tumble and Stumble it…..Your friends will love it and so will I!

Winter Morning Window

Custom interior design that provides comfort, warm and nurture. Arch-top window treatment, upholstered Parsons chair. See more Window Designs Etc. by Marie Mouradian. www.windowdesignsetc.com

When I look up from the design rendering I’m working on, this is my view.

When I’m not out consulting at a client’s home or office, I work from home.  I have a large studio which houses all of my samples (thousands of them), cutting table and various machines.  It’s very utilitarian for maximum productivity. My design studio is not a place of comfort, warm and nurture.

Portable technology allows me to easily move around from room to room when I am designing on the computer.  Depending on the season and my mood I pick a place to work where I’ll be inspired.

Designing Spaces To Comfort, Warm And Nurture

I’m in need of warmth and lots of comforts today.  The dining room is my office du jour.  There’s no better place to inspire designs than looking up to see a beautiful arched top custom window treatment.  The custom upholstered chair is a cozy place to talk on the phone and enjoy the daylight.  Looking through the window, I dream of warmer temperatures so I can go work in the gazebo.  Nature always inspires me as these delicate flowers are a reminder of my mom, sweet Violette.

I realize it’s not just rooms I’m designing for my clients. I am designing spaces to comfort, warm and nurture them.  With all of this beauty surrounding me, I may glance up a little more often to think and reflect. Work will get done, perhaps a little slower…

xoxo

Marie

Look up from your computer, iPad or phone; what’s your view?

Does your workspace inspire you to be your best?

Please don’t be shy.  Comment below, Pin to your favorite board, Tweet to the world, Post on your facebook wall, E-mail to a friend, Link and Tumble it.

Contact me today to begin the transformation of your house or office. Hiring a professional saves you time, frustration and money. You, your family, your house, and office deserve it!

 

Summer Shelf Styling

Sharing a few of my favorite things

The weekend is here!  Here is a little summer shelf styling to inspire you. I hope you are enjoying this beautiful summer.

In my home, I like to change-up the decorating so there is a bit of the season in every corner.

Summer shelf styling in powder room.  Beach, flowers, books in designer home.

Summer Inspiration In Our Powder Room

I LOVE…

  • Fun little inspiring books
  • Decorative cookie packages – it’s all about the packaging right?
  • Framed note card by my favorite artist – Karen North Wells
  • Small sac of lavender from another designers trip to France
  • Glass sea turtle – a gift from my husband
  • Favorite yellow flowers
  • A sleeping fairy – a gift from my daughter – summer is about taking the time to dream

 How about you, do you display the things you love about the summer?

Happy Weekend!

XOXO

What are some of your favorite things?  I would love to hear from you.  Just leave a comment below.

What?  You don’t have any favorite things about your house?  I can help you uncover the simple hidden treasures to make your house into the home you love to live in.  Contact me today.