Creating Space In Small Rooms....and Admiring Southern Plantations

Interior Design: Creating Space In Small Rooms
Real Estate Inspirations: 'Why Don't You Sit for a Spell & Enjoy Your Sweet Tea' Southern Plantations
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Small rooms are great. They are cozy, quaint, and can be quite charming...perhaps cottage like. But, if your small rooms charm is getting old - don't worry! There are ways to make it look, and feel, bigger.

1. Always paint the room with light colors, and absolutely NO wallpaper (unless it's plain, solid plain).

2. Brighten the room by using light colored drapes on the windows (paint the trim white as well) - you may want to consider using sheers or a very breezy material. Make sure the window treatment makes the drapes/sheers go to the floor (perhaps build a cornice and put it half a foot above the window, if it's low) - it helps create the illusion of height.

3. Use a lot of lights. Natural light is great, but if it is limited use tall floor lamps and an overhead light. The more light there is, the brighter it is, and the bigger it will look.

4. Use multipurpose furniture and clear the clutter. You may want to purchase a coffee table/storage drawer, side tables or a table with storage underneath, etc. The less items there are in the room the less space is taken up.

5. Do not go overboard with furniture. Be honest about the size of the room and your furniture. If your furniture is large, dark, bulky.......replace it with smaller pieces of furniture that are multifunctional and open (space that is not being used as storage should be open so that light can be seen under it).

6. Use mirrors - but do not go overboard. Try to make sure your mirror blends with the room and is not the focal point of the wall. You can achieve this by placing it across from the window (so the light hits it and reflects) above a chair, small table, or chair stool.

7. Try to match some pieces of the furniture to the wall, and place it at an angle. The angle makes the eye look further (because it's at a diagonal it creates length) and helps give the illusion of length.

These are just a few tips to help give your small room a little size boost. And also - always be weary of too many patterns, when it gets busy in a space it makes it appear smaller.
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Real Estate Inspirations: 'Why Don't You Sit for a Spell & Enjoy Your Sweet Tea' Southern Plantations

I am about as southern as someone can be. My family (both sides) literally came to the south in the mid -to late 1700s and very, very early 1800s. One side went to North Carolina and went to Mississippi and the other side came in through Charleston, South Carolina and came to southern middle Tennessee where part of my family still lives today.

To say the least, ever since I was a little girl I wanted my own plantation and home. I love antebellum homes with the gorgeous details they exhibit and their wide porches and huge windows. And lets not get started on the winding staircases, huge foyers, and tall ceilings.

But I have to say I love them because they are uniquely southern, just like myself.

Overfinch Holland and Holland 2010 Range Rover, Color Me This...

What happens when Overfinch wants to go sporting? The 2010 Holland and Holland Range Rover from Overfinch. Overfinch and Holland and Holland (a famous luxury gun manufacturer in England) joined forces to produce a Range Rover that is not only fast, but beautiful.

But before you get to excited, you will have to beat out every pheasant hunting-gun collecting-sporting enthusiast except the 99 who got one before you. Yep, that's right: only 100 of these glorious, spectacular vehicles are being made.

And don't worry, for a luxury super car they start at a mere export price (to the United States) at $196,899.00 from the UK. But don't forget to add in dealership costs, registration, tags, insurance, and other little taxes. So, let's just make it about $225,000.00.

According to autoblog.com,

This ultimate Range Rover is outfitted with a gorgeous, custom-integrated gun cabinet, a cavernous backseat console/fridge, and a liquor cabinet nicer than anything you'd find in Don Draper's office. Our favorite feature? Well, the liquor itself is "self-replenishing," meaning that for the first year of ownership, Holland & Holland Rangie owners will have the vehicle's booze supply refilled automatically. Think of it like bottled water home delivery, only with single-malt scotch, small-batch gin, and other fine adult refreshments.

Naturally, all the interior trim is customized to match the cabinetry, which, in turn, can be made to match the customer's Holland & Holland firearms. The paint colors offered are exclusive to this model, of course, and the exterior is dolled up with unique trim and wheels as well. Aspiring Limey ballers take note -- you can even swap the standard dubs with off-road rubber for a pavement-only 22" wheel/tire package as well. The whole thing is deliciously ostentatious and wonderful. Power comes from either the blown 503-horse gasoline V8 or the diesel TDV8. It should come as zero surprise that this sort of exclusivity carries a dear price, so bring money. The H&H Range Rover will set you back at least £120K. Not that that'll be a problem for the target audience.

In honor of this spectacular vehicle, I put together a color palette inspired by the car's exterior color schemes. I think it's time to release the hounds! Bravo Holland and Holland and Overfinch.

Ahh, sporting at its finest and motoring at its best. Just the craftsmanship alone is a reason to love it, but everything is exclusive from the outside in - including the beautiful color schemes and materials.