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As a Seattle interior designer, I know my clients love their sunshine and many have large window surfaces for all that sunlight to enter their homes. But it comes with a tradeoff. Very quickly your home can become a hothouse and more like a sauna. That makes you sticky and uncomfortable. So what to do? Read this article and call us for advice.

A great solution for windows with abundant sunlight is to install solar shades. I prefer them to be installed on the inside of the window for a clean appearance and minimalist look. In a more traditional or formal room, drapery panels add another layer for a softer look.

These shades reduce glare and will actually absorb heat while you enjoy all the abundant light and views from your windows. In Seattle, my resource for solar shades is Iris Windowcoverings for all the details and knowledge.

Need a friend in the design business? We’re here to help - so call us today 206.437.8000.

Tags: Faith Sheridan Design Group, how to beat the heat, Seattle, Seattle interior designer, solar shades, windowcoverings
Posted in Ideas and Inspirations | 2 Comments »

Since Seattle remains wet and soggy, this Seattle interior designer is sharing an earlier post. It is very popular. Hooray for well designed mudrooms!

Northwest livers embrace the season of rain with an eye on the Mudroom. Starting with umbrellas, wet, dirty shoes and backpacks, this is where the family sheds their stuff and gets down and dirty. The mudroom is more important than ever with today’s busy families and with so much more to organize.

Get organized for wet weather

The majority of homes today have a transition area from the outdoors. Some are large and some are not. But the mudroom of today is much more than its predecessor. It now functions as the organizational center for busy households. It can also serve as the laundry room, pet center and craft area. The mudroom is a full-featured permanent part of new home construction and remodeling. It is estimated that 3% of the home floor space dedicates its use to the mudroom.

A full room, while nice, isn’t essential to making it work for you. An essential design stores stuff like:

• Backpacks and briefcases
• Hats and gloves
• Sports equipment and small toys
• Dog leashes and towels for cleaning dirty feet
• Messages, sport or lesson schedules

How to design for so many functions? Regardless of the size or style of the mudroom, innovation and practicality are indispensable. Here are a few basic steps to get going.

1. What is absolutely essential? Who uses the area? What do they bring in and need on a daily basis? How does the space relate to other needs, i.e. laundry? Do you need a half-bath adjacent to the mudroom?
2. Assess the existing space. De-clutter and determine available space. Add seating to remove dirty shoes, a storage bench, a small chest of drawers or a desk. Use shelves or hooks with cubbies for storage. Mirrors are great for last minute touch ups plus add dimension to the space.
3. Measure and plan. How does it all fit in? Draw the room to scale as it gives perspective.
4. Take action. Will you do the work yourself or hire a designer? A fresh approach provides new ideas.

Final Thoughts

If the mudroom is a multipurpose room, consider these options:

• With laundry in the space add a cabinet with counter surfaces and upper cabinets for storage of cleaning products or general household items.
• A designated storage center is great for things like pet food, potting soils, small outdoor toys as well as cans, bottles and papers for recycling.
• A pantry cabinet can provide overflow storage for kitchen dry goods or easy snack access for children. Utilize labeled bins inside cabinets to keep it neat.
• Vary the height of hooks to allow for personalized space and easy accessibility. Small children can’t reach high shelves but will use baskets or shelves.
• Locate the dogs leash and towel close to the door.
• For adults, keys and phones should have their designated area eliminating a search when ready to leave. Locate a message center for easy viewing for all the family.
• For flooring, consider textured ceramic or porcelain stone tiles. Vinyl can be slick; wood and laminate perform poorly in wet situation.

Wishing you had a friend in the design business right now? We’re here to help. call us 206.973.3743.

Tags: Ask Faith First, California Closets, expert Seattle interior designer, Faith Sheridan Interior Design, home, Interior designer Seattle, interior designer Seattle WA, mudroom, season, Seattle, storage
Posted in Ideas and Inspirations | 6 Comments »

The majority of homes today have a transition area from the outdoors. Some are large and some are not. But the mudroom of today is much more than its predecessor. It now functions as the organizational center for busy households. It can also serve as the laundry room, pet center and craft area. The mudroom is a full-featured permanent part of new home construction and remodeling. It is estimated that 3% of the home floor space dedicates its use to the mudroom.

A full room, while nice, isn’t essential to making it work for you. What is essential is a design to store stuff like:

• Backpacks and briefcases
• Hats and gloves
• Sports equipment and small toys
• Dog leashes and towels for cleaning dirty feet
• Messages, sport or lesson schedules

How to design for so many functions? Regardless of the size or style of the mudroom, innovation and practicality are indispensable. Here are a few basic steps to get going.

1. What is absolutely essential? Who uses the area? What do they bring in and need on a daily basis? How does the space relate to other needs, i.e. laundry? Do you need a half-bath adjacent to the mudroom?
2. Assess the existing space. De-clutter and determine available space. Add seating to remove dirty shoes, a storage bench, a small chest of drawers or a desk. Use shelves or hooks with cubbies for storage. Mirrors are great for last minute touch ups plus add dimension to the space.
3. Measure and plan. How does it all fit in? Draw the room to scale as it gives perspective.
4. Take action. Will you do the work yourself or hire a designer? A fresh approach provides new ideas.

Final Thoughts

If the mudroom is a multipurpose room, consider these options:

• With laundry in the space add a cabinet with counter surfaces and upper cabinets for storage of cleaning products or general household items.
• A designated storage center is great for things like pet food, potting soils, small outdoor toys as well as cans, bottles and papers for recycling.
• A pantry cabinet can provide overflow storage for kitchen dry goods or easy snack access for children. Utilize labeled bins inside cabinets to keep it neat.
• Vary the height of hooks to allow for personalized space and easy accessibility. Small children can’t reach high shelves but will use baskets or shelves.
• Locate the dogs leash and towel close to the door.
• For adults, keys and phones should have their designated area eliminating a search when ready to leave. Locate a message center for easy viewing for all the family.
• For flooring, consider textured ceramic or porcelain stone tiles. Vinyl can be slick; wood and laminate perform poorly in wet situation

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Tags: mudroom is full-featured, organizational center for busy households, Seattle
Posted in Ideas and Inspirations | 1 Comment »

Some of the most read posts from this blog are about design with children and makeovers ideas for their rooms. You know that a fresh coat of paint is always a fast makeover especially if you let your children in on the selection process. But always test the color (purchase a test kit or quart) and paint a sample one foot square in several places in the room. These days there a fewer splurges on furnishings and furniture so I offer some options that are affordable to change a bedroom for a child.

Once you select a color the fun begins.. and I want to share a special and unique source. The company is Wonderful Graffiti and I have known about them for many years. Mary McPhail is the co-founder and creative director of the company. The company is best known for Wonderful Graffiti™ transfers. The opportunities are abundant to impart your creative bent with the huge selection on the site.

Considering children’s rooms, I saw a few that would be a great starting point to a unique room for your child. If you ever wanted to use words as decoration, here’s your chance.

From Wonderful Graffiti

Create your own canvas

Use a graphic with a child's name

Have fun and exercise your imagination without breaking your budget. Your child will love it and so will you.

Always eager to hear from you so send your comments or questions.

Tags: design with children, Faith Sheridan, makeover ideas, Seattle, wonderful graffiti
Posted in Ideas and Inspirations | 2 Comments »

Still got the Wabi-Sabi bug… so I want to talk about using Wabi-Sabi and in our high tech kitchens. How can we take the edge off the stainless steel and polished stone counters? In Seattle using reclaimed wood is very popular. Adding a table with reclaimed wood is a wonderful way to add something tactile and with history to your kitchen. At my firm, Faith Sheridan Interior Design, I believe it’s a wabi-sabi, recycled material solution that sets a design apart. Or you could shop antique stores for a harvest table such as the one shown in the photo. I enjoy the transition of the kitchen with the simple addition of something old or vintage. It remains clean and uncluttered. While visiting those flea markets or antique shops, look for vintage baskets. Not only are they practical, but they also bring some ‘patina’ to your home.

As regular readers know, I enjoy mixing different sorts of pieces, as long as they’re good looking and scaled appropriately to the setting. A collected look adds and enhances a design. According to Rita St. Clair, “The challenge professional designers face is to make a space look attractive and function well, regardless of whether we share a client’s aesthetics or lifestyle.”

Tags: Faith Sheridan, high tech kitchens, reclaimed wood, Seattle, wabi sabi
Posted in Ideas and Inspirations | No Comments »