Thursday, February 18, 2010

Design Lesson ~ Keep it Flowing

This is a picture of my dining room, (before the wood floors went in) it is the center of my home. You can see it from most of the other rooms in my house and it sets the stage for the whole place. It has a formal country feel, a bit European, I like to think, anyway . . .



I think it is a good ideal to keep the same feel from room to room. Use the same colors ect. Notice how the tile in the kitchen is the same green that was used in the mural in the dining room. Again it has a aged , Old World feel.


I always try to keep the color scheme in a home down to only three colors. I then repeat these colors from room to room. Using the color as a accent in one space, and then as the main color for the next space. I don't count the neutrals, such as white, grey, brown , black and cream. For my own home the colors are green, rust, and red.


Again, I have the same feel going from room to room. I will make a exception for a child's room. I let my girls have the purple zoo room, the lime green bird room ect. It was their space and I let them be kids . . . However, now that they are grown, they do it just like their mama. lol




This is my guest room. It is a bit lighter than the others spaces, but it still has the same feel . I just think it makes a home more peaceful and pleasant to be in. How do you feel about a house that flows v/s a house where each space has it's own personality?



22 comments:

  1. I think the rooms should flow one to another. I have more than three colors going, but there are repeating colors in each room throughout the house. Mainly red, green, yellow, blue and brown. Some form of each of these colors are throughout my house. Many have said it all flows well together. I hope so.

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  2. Vicky, I just love your home, notice I said HOME not house. You have designed a HOME that takes talent!! Love that dining room but you know that already, I think I keep mentioning that point. I agree about the flow of a home. I use the term Visually flowing so nothing is jarring on the eye. My friends always tease me by asking , Is it visually flowing, Kathysue? My color line-up is, Green, yellow,blue, watermelon pink accents with touches of my black and white. I am just a SPRING time girl. Great post and your home is a perfect example of a home done very well, kathysue

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  3. Interesting....very interesting (remember Laugh-In). Anyway, I do like a flow, however I my house does not flow. We have a vintage western room then you step into my gray kitchen with yellow and orange accents into my living/dining area that is rust, black, yellows but for some reason it works in this house. If I had a big open floor plan it wouldn't but I think it works because the rooms are closed off from each other. However, I am really shaking it up in my bedroom....come see.

    Because you are a professional, I would love your honest opinion on my home as I think you have great style. Tell me if I am doing something wrong.

    LeAnn

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  4. I agree with it needing to flow, changing up the way the colors are used in each room. Nothing worse than walking into a home that looks like the owner has multipile personalities and each one took a turn decorating!!

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  5. I keep our "public" rooms flowing pretty nicely I think. I leave the bedrooms upstairs to the creative touch, although now that the kids are older we don't have anything "wild"!

    I love your kitchen cabinets, Vicky! I just mentioned to my hubby this morning that I'd like to paint ours. Since we will be staying in our house for another couple of years, I'd really love to do them like yours. Fingers crossed on that one!

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  6. I too think rooms should flow and colors should be repeated throughout. My main colors are browns, greens, reds and yellow. Accents are black.
    I love your kitchen and love your dining room with the mural. I really love seeing your home. Sometimes I think I shouldn't show my home. I notice other bloggers show images from the internet etc., but I love seeing what other's homes are like. Yours is gorgeous BTW!

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  7. Totally agree on flow. In my home I have the same color schemes but reversed, I love the feeling and never grow tire of it. I think each room should have it's own unique personality but not clash....your home is beautiful and you have done a great job decorating it!!~

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  8. I believe the first time I ever saw your wonderful dining room was on RMS! I loved it then and I still do. The wood floors make it totally perfect ~ as is the rest of your home.

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  9. ... go with the flow ... you're spot on!

    but then again, you always are!

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  10. Great lesson here! I will remember those hints as I spring clean and update my spaces.

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  11. Hi! I love reading all of your tips and seeing the beautiful spaces you post. I agree that it's best to have rooms that flow together. Something I'd like to learn to do better! It's nice to see yours as an example.

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  12. Thanks for illustrating your point with your own home Vicky! I love the woodwork in your house, and the warmth of everything you've layered on top of it is what makes it great.

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  13. Your home is just beautiful! I agree with you..spread it around through out the home with a bit of variation. Thanks for the advise...come say hi :D

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  14. I agree completely. I have always painted my house one color, in every room. The whole mainfloor of my home is a butter yellow. The downstairs is blue, (my hubby's domain). My houses are usually small and somewhat open and I have found that it makes a place look larger and it flows so much better if it is all the same wall color. No matter where the eye travels, it will feel like one room, basically. Glad to know I am right in what I have done for the past ten years:0) My accesories are usually basically the same, red or green, then I can move them from room to room, too.
    Your dining room, kitchen and living room are beautiful! And your guest room is too.
    Cindy S.

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  15. My house has no choice but to flow. It's an opened floor plan. The back of the house is all windows for a golf course view.
    At first I had a hard time getting the colors right, but I finally like it.
    Your home is lovely and flows so smoothly.

    Sissie

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  16. I love your cabinets. I have the 80's oak cabinets now and all stained wood trim throughout my house. I love a white kitchen but white cabinets just would not go with the rest the house. I see yours is very creamy white with maybe a glaze which would go much better. I would love to try something like that with mine but, now that I think about it, I realize I would have to get all new appliances since mine are white..... darn! Just not in the budget right now. I'm keeping your kitchen in mind as inspiration the minute my refrigerator kicks the bucket!

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  17. I love the table and blue chairs. Can you share the paint and color blue you used on the chairs? Interesting how you make one room flow into another and pick up on your colors. sandi

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  18. Great advice. I love seeing your rooms.

    I hope I've created "flow" through our home and onto the porch.

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  19. Hi Girlfriend...

    Ohhhh...what a treat...to see photos of your beautiful home!!! I think your home "flows together" so beautifully...without everything looking the same in each room! That would be BORING!!! Girl, I love, love, LOVE your kitchen!!! Well, I love your entire home but I haven't seen many photos of your kitchen! What a treat!!! I think it's important to keep a "flow" going throughout a home...and especially if there is an open floor plan. At my place..the kitchen, dining room, and living room are all open to one another! I have used olive green, dark red, and gold thoughout the main living space! I think they all flow together nicely! I did deviate from this color combo and style in my Tea Rose bedroom...I just couldn't help myself! Hehe! But then, it's my step-daughter's/guest room! Thank you for sharing your fabulous home with us...it is one of the most beautiful homes that I've seen!!!

    Warmest wishes,
    Chari

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  20. I always enjoy touring your home Ms. Vicky as it is such a delight to the eyes.

    'Flow' to me is a must. (Love Angie's comment.)

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  21. I LOVE your prints on the wall in the guest bedroom! Great post!

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