What is Texture?

Whether decorating inside your home or designing your garden space, texture is a key element in good design. Effective use of texture gives the design oomph and without it you may be left wondering why everything seems to blend together with no real impact. In garden design, plant texture is generally considered to be the surface structure of the plant. Is the foliage fine or coarse? Does the plant appear airy or dense? Texture is influenced by the play of light on the plant as it moves across a coarse or smooth surface. Shape plays an important roll in the perception of texture. A stiff upright plant form like a yucca will appear coarser than a flexible stem fluttering in the breeze like found in muley grass. Consider plant shape for bringing texture to the garden. To create drama in the garden, use large leaf plants, such as foxglove, hydrangeas, hostas. Contrast the large leaf plants with small leaf shrubs like salvia and yaupon and stiff upright plants like sago palm.

The only difference between garden design and interior design is location. The same principles guiding the use of texture are applied. In the pictures shown here both designs are filled with texture.

(LEFT)  Heavy textured walls set the stage for a very textural setting. The leather chair is complimented with brass studs, ornate carving and an antiqued wood finish. The large leaf  floral is abundant in varied shapes and the terra cotta container sports a heavy textured rope wrap.
(ABOVE) Nubby fabric textures in drapery, wall and lampshade covering and the upholstery on furniture and pillows contrast beautifully against the  sleek glass vase and the smooth, shiny floor. (BELOW) In the images below are a variety of taccessories used to create textural interest and style. Using texture allows you to add another whole dimension to a space inside and outside your home. Add some textural oomph to your design.

At Accents of Salado find furniture and decorative accessories for all rooms in your home.

The Dark Hole in the Room

When a fireplace is not being used, it can look like a dark hole from across the room.  Make your fireplace an asset in your summer decorating scheme.

DECORATING BELOW THE MANTEL
In summer months you can bring visual interest to your fireplace and even maintain the warm flicker of firelight after the summer sunset.  Place a rustic iron candle stand or hand crafted glass hurricanes in the firebox. My mother always placed potted ferns in her fireplace during the spring and summer and dispersed unique and varying candle holders among the flourishing greenery.

A collection of earthenware urns softened by a woven basket filled with branches, dried flowers and textural seed pods will put your room's decor in harmony with nature.

DECORATING THE MANTEL

On the adobe mantel  left, the homeowner is more comfortable with less decoration on the mantel. The wall tapestry has little competition and therefore becomes the focal point of the room. (Right) When decorating your mantel try a layered look.  On the wall space above the mantel start with a mirror, metal wall art or framed artwork. In front of the wall decor lean a metal, mosaic or rustic earthenware platter or tray. In front of the tray/platter group tall oversized candles and stacks of books.  The layered look is less symmetrical and a more casual approach to decorating.

More Kitchen Storage Please

   

Kitchen Storage Ideas

Every kitchen comes equipped with the basics, but many times the storage is basic too. When limited kitchen storage is the challenge creative cooks come up with creative ideas.

No pantry? There's a solution. How about an armoire? Wall space in an adjoining breakfast nook or long wall space in the kitchen are places where a gorgeous piece of funiture can store can goods, spices and baking products. With shelves as deep as a kitchen cabinet, and maybe even deeper, an armoire is perfect for kitchen storage. An armoire with adjustable shelves allows you to customize based on your needs.

Counter Top Kitchen Canisters

Canisters not only add a decorative touch to your countertop, but they also help keep your food fresh for a longer period of time. Countertop canisters come in a variety of styles, colors and even uses. There are countertop canisters for staples such as flour and sugar, but have you considered a canister for pasta and garlic?

Countertop canisters work best when ingredients are used regularly. When wanting to store sugar over a long period of time it's best to leave it in the bag and place the bag in an airtight plastic container. Sugar often hardens when stored in a countertop canister. To keep pesky bugs our of your pasta, oatmeal and flour, an airtight container stored in the fridge is your best bet. Grain products unfortunately come with little eggs packed right in with the food and these eggs will hatch when stored for long periods of time at room temperature. 

 

Kitchen Pot Racks
Nothing frees up storage space like a hanging or wall-mounted pot rack.

Pot racks are an easy way to accomplish stylish kitchen organization. A pot rack keeps your pots and pans handy for use and if you hang it above your kitchen sink, it makes cleanup simpler. Wash the frying pan. Hang it and it drains in to the sink below.

In addition to creating more storage space, a pot rack changes the look and feel of the kitchen. It becomes part of the decorating theme.

Find more useful storage and decorating ideas at these helpful links:

http://www.accentsofsalado.com/tuscan_kitchen_colors.html

http://www.saladotex.com/TUSCAN_french_country_style_pottery_dishes.html

http://homedecor-online.com/RusticKitchenDecorRusticKitchens.html

New Furniture

Dining Room Tables

Montego Dining Table  The Montego extra long extension table features a dark walnut finish, gear-engineered extenders, solid hardwood construction and two trestle legs with four pedestals. Table design is for ten chairs, but table size can accommodate up to twelve place settings. Width between trestle legs remains constant with table top length increasing as leaves are added. Spacing between trestle legs is 68 inches for side chairs and each trestle leg is 10 inches wide, making table overhang 10", 19" and 28" with 0, 1 and 2 leaves respectively. Table is designed to use 3, 4 or 5 chairs on each side.  More Views

Tuscany Dining Table  The Tuscany long extension table features solid birch construction with cherry veneer panels on table top, 3 inch thick top, heavy distress, hand planed surfaces, warm brown cherry finish, wooden dowel pegs exposed on table top and two trestle legs with large round pedestals. Table design is for up to ten place settings. Width between trestle legs remains constant with table top length increasing as leaves are added. The Tuscany table extends from 84" to 128" with the addition of two leaves. Engineered gear extenders provide ease in table adjustment. The space between trestle legs is 48 inches with or without leaves, thereby allowing optimum configuration for side chairs. Each pedestal is 12 inches round and each trestle foot is 8 inches wide. The table top is 43.5" wide and clearance below top is 27.5 inches. The Tuscany dining room table is the ideal table for rustic elegance.  More Views

Tuscany Round Table   The Tuscany 48" and 60" round dining tables feature solid birch construction with cherry veneer plank-style table top, heavy rustic distress, hand-planed surfaces, warm brown cherry finish and a three-leg round pedestal base. The Tuscany 48" round table is the ideal table for smaller dining spaces and for use as an accent table in foyer, bedroom and entertaining areas.         More Views

Dining Room Chairs

Dining Room Chair Selection

                                                                  

Are Your Walls White? Get the Color You Want Without Painting.

Are your walls white? Is your ceiling white? Are you looking for a way to add some color to your neutral surroundings? Since most of us shy away from red leather furniture or that dark purple accent chair, how do we get color in our home?

The walls of course - and you don't even have to paint them.

Shopping for new artwork not only is great fun but it is also one of the best ways to up-date a tired room and give all who live and visit there a fresh, new perspective in familiar surroundings.  Artwork is a mirror to the homeowner's soul and yours can be as daring, as expressive or as revealing as you choose. Accents of Salado offers some great new looks and we're adding some outstanding new pieces in the weeks to come. Take a sneak peek at what's coming. Accents of Salado Artwork Collection

Getting a Head Start on the Holidays

September is like no other month of the year. It is the month of  big changes. Yellow school buses return to city streets and country roads. Cool breezes increase with each arriving storm. That crisp fragrance that fills the air announces by the end of the month that autumn will be knocking on the door.  With September changes come thoughts of  family and friends and the special gatherings just 'round the corner. As we move toward the holidays, homeowners' thoughts turn toward their homes and Accents of Salado has put together some great new looks to fill your home with a warm, welcoming spirit.  This holiday season you can create well-designed rooms that wrap your family and guests in the warmth and magic of candlelight. The Olde Tavern hurricane set, designed in clear translucent glass, finds a home in a myriad of design themes and brings sparkling candlelight to special as well as everyday occasions. New to our candle holder collection, this set of glass cylinders is ideal for the creative imagination who always sets a beautiful holiday table. http://www.accentsofsalado.com/LG_CHGlassCandleHoldersOldeTavern.html

Are You Afraid to Paint the Ceiling Dark?

DON'T BE.

Darkening a ceiling actually creates a new exciting look you might have not thought possible.

Designer Christopher Lowell once said, "Painting the ceiling white is like throwing a sheet over the room." Lowell's advice has influenced every project, new or redesign, which I have attempted since hearing this advice.

Many years since hearing Lowell's recommendations, I find that all the ceilings in my home, as well as most ceilings in our home decor showrooms, are reverently painted shades darker than the wall color.

At Accents of Salado, I once papered a white showroom ceiling with an embossed tin-pattern wall paper found at home improvement stores. I painted the paper a dark, russet brown and then lightly dry-brushed the raised pattern with a copper metallic paint.

Considering our limited budget, the  result was game-changing and our old tin ceiling made quite an impression with our customers. The curious crowds seemed to inquire more about the ceiling in that room as they did about the merchandise presented there.

Painting the ceiling dark is especially effective when there is abundant natural light in the room and also when the room has exceptionally high ceilings. Rooms washed with light become more intimate and comforting. A dark ceiling finished with crown molding can lower a high ceiling in an expansive foyer and raises a high ceiling in a small room like a bathroom.

Recently I met a new friend whose artistic portfolio includes a dark metallic ceiling. Pictured in this blog are images that capture some of the steps used by decorative artist, Pat Strong, to re-invent a client's great room. In shooting these photographs, Pat demonstrates how a room can be taken from ordinary to absolutely stunning.

Pat's photos allow you to see how the project began and how the artist's vision resulted in a magnificent transformation.

Pat Strong is a long time decorative painter living in Austin, Texas, but her projects find her working across the country.

Pat specializes in projects that are transformational.

Pat likes to create relationships between her clients and the architecture of their homes. Her experience and training tell her that personalizing a home with color, custom textures and custom surfaces  makes it comfortable and beautiful.

Pat can transform just about any surface in a home. She specializes in murals, fine art, furniture and painted fabric.


Pat Strong works with other artists in the Austin area to produce a finished look in just about any media. No job is too large or too small for Pat if it's interesting.

Pat's Description of this Project

 

I love dark ceilings. I feel they can paradoxically,  both raise and lower a ceiling depending on the proportions of the room and the lighting.

 In this case, the ceilings were lower than the client would like and the upper floors seemed to oppress the space. Because this room was surrounded by rooms with higher ceilings, and adjacent to a deep covered patio, raising the "look" of the ceiling was out of the question. It was just too easy to compare it to the nearby areas.

By creating a warm, rich feeling on the ceiling, with a lot of detail, the room feels warm, cozy and very inviting. One completely forgets the height of the ceiling and just concentrates on a feeling of embracing shelter.

In this case, using a glimmering metallic glaze makes the room glow. In other cases, I use a deep color in an umber matte treatment to erase the awareness of where the ceiling actually occurs. Deep colored ceilings can also look infinite like a night sky.

 Pat Strong holds a degree in Art History from the University of Texas and has twenty five years experience in visual arts and commercial visual presentation. Learn more about Pat Strong and see more of her work on her Facebook page.