Featured Design Article

"DOWNSIZING CAN SET YOU FREE!!"

An increasing number of our clients are "downsizing", or purchasing smaller dwellings, many of which are in the city to be "closer to the action"... Whatever the scenario, they have taken the plunge, and are loving life after downsizing. If you are ready to take the same plunge, please consider the following:

Don't try to take everything with you. It's hard to say goodbye to furniture you've "hung out" with for decades, but before you load the moving van, you must undergo a massive "show no mercy" purging. If you don't absolutely love looking at a particular accessory, get rid of it. If a piece of furniture is not "crazy comfortable", let it go. This may be a painful process, but you'll be amazed how free you feel as you wave goodbye to items you have clung to out of habit or obligation.

Do dare to embrace a new design style. If you have ever wanted to try a new style, this is your golden opportunity. Been eyeing today's hip contemporary furnishings??? Give them a try! Want to try a new color palette??? Go for it! No matter what style you embrace, consider going more casual with your interior decor. Nor more museum rooms filled with uncomfortable furnishings you can't flop on to read a book. Be sure everything you put in your new home is something you can use everyday.

Don't clutter your space with lots of little things. The scale is critical in these smaller spaces. Packing in many small-scaled pieces makes a room feel cluttered; a few carefully chosen "normal" scaled pieces makes the space feel well put together.

Do configure the space so it does "double duty". Every inch and every item in your new quarters is going to have to work hard, and many rooms will need to fill multiple functions.
The hardest spot will be your main living area. To maximize your seating, use an ottoman as a coffee table that can double as a seat when guests arrive. Or find a bench to rest in front of the fireplace or window. Select a large entertainment center that will house your television and computer, as well as books and accents.
The second bedroom must work hard as well. What extra uses to you need the most? How about a home office/guest room combo that has a sleeper sofa and a beautiful desk that can double as a nightstand? Or a TV den that works as a playroom for the grandkids?

You may not have the space you once had..... but Plan, Plan, Plan, and the change can set you free!

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We recently participated in the Live Downtown Naperville Custom Home Tour. We were once again honored to work with our partners at Siena Custom Builders at a beautiful home at 1212 Millet in Naperville. DOTI in Naperville furnished the home and selected the paint colors throughout the home. The home and decorating received rave reviews - especially the colors! Given that, we thought it would be an interesting opportunity to talk abit about color trends....

Our clients are always asking us about trends in color. One thing is for certain, they are always changing. By design, for the tour we avoided the ever popular “Naperville Beige” and went for some fun and whimsy. Don’t be afraid of color - it is the easiest and quickest thing to change. Start with the colors you gravitate towards. Then, begin testing the trends to see if they work for you. It’s always good to let trends inspire you and possibly take you in directions you would not have otherwise considered, but ultimately, you need to have a home that speaks to you, not what the trends dictate.

· Lend a warm tone to your home in 2008 by opting for soft red tones like watermelon color or carrot color in cushions, pillow shams, duvet covers and seat covers that look inviting in living rooms.

· Fresh citrus colors such as lime yellow, mint green, golden yellows, kiwi green and tangerine are great for kitchens and instantly brighten up the décor. These colors are very popular for 2008.

· Soft green shades such as sage green are the most happening for the year 2008. Go green and make your home look absolutely fresh with shades like mint green, leaf green, baby green with warm yellow tones.

You know what you like. Don’t chicken out and give in to your mother-in-law’s suggestions. Do what you like, and then take it a step further. You may find that you like the attention you get... just being yourself!

Well…you might be shocked to hear that in this country we spend an amazing 80% of our time indoors. After that shocker, another fact is that buildings in the United States (which includes your home), consume about 30% of our total energy, and 60% of our electricity.

Sustainability is another key buzzword in the Green Design arena. Sustainability means using resources so that they do not become depleted. It is a method of using materials that are capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment. At DOTI, we ask for an environmental story from each of our nearly 200 vendors. That questioning is pushing some manufacturers that might be lagging, to strengthen their environmental story for the benefit of us all.

Green Design can have a positive impact on our comfort and health. Choices of furniture, floor coverings and wall coverings help determine how healthy a given indoor environment will be. In any well-designed interior, people do not feel hot or cold as they go about their daily activities. As a for instance, quality lighting makes tasks such as reading and working on the computer easier. Daylight and electric light are integrated. Window treatments not only add to the beauty of your home, but have a direct impact on the temperature of your home and therefore the amount of energy required to maintain your families comfort.

This is a huge arena. Each day we learn more and share this information with our clients through beautiful and responsible interior design. More to follow in the months to come................

The warm days are just around the corner when entertaining friends and family will fill the house to overflowing, and you take the party outdoors for all to enjoy. Summer is the time to enjoy those nearly endless twilight evenings when everyone stays outdoors as long as possible, and dinner becomes a social event in the yard.

The wooden picnic table is still popular, but many homeowners are looking for more, and there are endless choices out there for serious outdoor entertaining. Outdoor furniture, fireplaces, cool accent lighting, cabanas, thick cushions and gorgeous weather friendly fabrics exist today for full-time outdoor use. Our arsenal of leisure exterior furnishing vendors inspire homeowners to create a personal retreat – a distinctive space to entertain friends and family, recline by the pool, sip a new wine or nap under your favorite tree.

As memories of youthful summers blend into mature experiences of traveling to favorite destinations, superior outdoor furnishings capture the spirit of the best outdoor experiences and bring it home. The furniture, finish and fabric choices allow you to be as unique in the outdoor extension of your home as the unique experience you have created within your home. So don’t let the great weather ahead pass without extending your home to the outdoors and create an outdoor space that is as unique as you!

I may be pushing it since it is only the first week of March, but everyone I talk to is looking forward to spring. With that pleasant thought, let’s talk about "springing forward" in our homes, and leaving winter behind.

· Spring is a great time to paint. Get rid of those bland winter walls! Neutral tones are fine, but add in some cool blues and greens that are making a statement this spring.

· New accessories! You can reframe photos since heavy woods and metals are out for the spring. Change out that china vase with some blown glass, recycled glass, cobalt or topaz, and there are a variety of shapes to choose from. Throw pillows can bring any new color into your rooms.

· A new rug or rugs can change the entire look of your space. For the spring and summer months, move away from the heavy traditional patterns and textures, and look for light and bright. Add some whimsy to your home and your life with fun stripes or polka dots.

· New artwork can immediately change the look and feel of any room. A watercolor, light hearted oil painting or a sleek sculpture will reinvent your space.

· It might be time to change out some side tables with lighter colored woods or glass tops. If you don’t want to go that far, cover some of the table tops with light colored scarves.

· Change your dishware for the season. Use fun bright colors on pottery or glass. Tangerines, ocean tones, hot pinks or purple will enhance the meal experience, and though subtle, accentuate that change is about to occur.

· If nothing else, open up you space and add a splash of color with fresh flowers. They are at their best this time of year. House plants and foliage of any kind, including faux, are a must in your spring space.

So there you go! Spring is a time to reinvent and refresh. Use you invigorated senses to inspire your home. Spring Forward!!

Valentine’s Day, when romance surrounds us, is just around the corner. Last month we talked about “cocooning” within your home. In the romantic month of February, we couldn't’t help but take it one step further and talk about creating romance in your master bedroom. Your bedroom is your sanctuary; a place to get away from it all. It is imperative that your master suit both you and your partner’s personality.

There are many things that can be done to produce the desired effect within the master bedroom.

Colors can be the single most important factor in creating the mood of your room. For example, a yellow room is playful and yummy, while a red room signifies stimulation and passion. Fortunately, we do not have to limit ourselves to the primary color palate. Each color has a broad spectrum of hues and brightness. You only need to choose a color you like and there will be a softer tone more befitting a romantic setting. If you like green, but feel that it invigorates, just move down the spectrum to a sage. It is still green but is now warm and calming.

The one light in the center of the room has to go. It does nothing to compliment the interior of the room or its inhabitants. Use ambient lighting to adorn side tables, with a floor lamp and a few up lights to create intimate shadows.

Make the bed the focal point. Dress it up with piles of pillows and mix textures to add warmth. If space permits, incorporate plush seating into an intimate grouping with a side table, ottoman and floor lamp. Toss a luxurious throw over the chair, put some inspiring books on the side table and invite your partner to share a flute of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries in front of the fire.

At DOTI we tell our clients “your home says a lot about you…make sure it tells the truth”. The master bedroom should be a special place within your home for soul mates to express who they are; your personal escape from the rest of your home.

We all look forward to rewards following the stresses of the season, but also everyday life. At home, in our “sanctuary”, we let our guard down and relax. It is a nest feathered with people and things we love and with places for soft landings and deep restorative slumber…a cocoon.

The master bedroom suite is the ideal location for this to happen. Direction for this room is determined by how people want to inhabit this space. One client wanted their room to feel like a vacation they took in the Bahamas, while another wanted it to feel like a suite in a 5 star hotel. The possibilities are endless.

Stuffed bedding, cushions and comfortable furniture invoke both internal and physical healing. Maybe you read in bed to spend more time between layers of deluxe bedding, supported by a favorite reading pillow. Perhaps napping on a chaise under an heirloom quilted throw is your idea of indulgence. However you luxuriate your home, it’s a sure bet that stuffed things are involved.

Our favorite things can be as beautiful as they are comforting. Not just decorative pillows for the window seat, but jewel-toned Italian silk with embellishments. Not just a bedspread, but a luxurious duvet with an inviting cover that insists on being touched when passed.