There is nothing like getting your head filled with over the top design ideas after a visit to Las Vegas! I have just returned from a weekend getaway with some girlfriends and believe me Vegas puts me in a very stylish headspace. Everything is so pristine, glitzy and completely oversized. Orange is the colour of the hour as many of the hotels are decked out for fall; it is a visual treat mixed together with the ultimate glamour.
It made me stop and think about how we can often cut corners when it comes to our homes. Usually budget related, people will compromise on items that I feel they truly want because along the way they have been seduced into upgrading many elements. Once all the numbers come crashing in on them, they immediately pull back from the decorative finishes in their homes which is tragic in my eyes. It’s a very good idea for all involved in the project to bring ideas and expectations together before the garage gets custom lighting and a Nascar themed finish while the ensuite bathroom is left with a bare light bulb and cheap linoleum on the floor.
The best advice I can give clients is don’t cheap out on the flooring and comfort finishes. Not just because I sell flooring but because flooring is the element in your home that gets the most abuse. Walls and floors get the short end of the budget and they are constantly being walked on, rubbed down, washed, spilled on and just generally abused. Why wouldn’t you invest in a better quality product for these areas?
Comfort finishes to me are so important and they usually are in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry which are areas where I seem to spend the most time. A decent sized bath tub is a must but does it have to be a jetted, air vented colour chrome infinity edge monstrosity? No, it just needs to be deep enough and not too long so I don’t float away. I don’t care about heated floors or walk in showers the size of a locker room as long as I have that tub. What is your main comfort priority?
I am partial to beautiful window coverings and curtains. I think that there is no finer finish in a room than a beautifully coordinated window fashions. In Vegas, our hotel room had a button next to the bed called ‘goodnight’ which tucked the whole room in when pushed. Lights dimmed slowly and curtains cascaded across the room to block out the brightness of the strip. Wow, talk about being pampered. Even a simple curtain (without the motorized convenience) will add ambiance and softening to any room and are often a detail left on the cutting room floor of budgeting.
My best advice is to plan ahead for those small indulgences so you aren’t forced to cut those desired details out of your home when the time comes to make those crucial decisions. You will be much happier with your finished project if you have included those features that are important to you. You will be raising a glass of wine to toast your luxurious bathtub and to say ‘thank you Kim for such wonderful advice’!
Kim Meckler is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre.
