Follow Me

Close

Hello and welcome to our 4th installment of Ask the Designer!  Our questions this week are all across the board

 

Question 1:

Carole asks: What are some good ways to incorporate rustic decor into a non-rustic house?

Answer:  Great question Carole!  There are so so so many ways, and a lot of them depend on just how dedicated and ambitious you are!  Probably the very best way to incorporate rustic decor is through accessories.  Accessories are a great way to add any style you want to a home because they can contribute so much character, yet they are also temporary, so if or when you ever want to change them out it’s an easy process!

Rustic Accessories | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

 

Rustic Accessories | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

 

 

Light fixtures are another great way to add a rustic feel to a home without a massive overhaul.  Though you may not notice it consciously, lighting and light fixtures make one of the biggest impressions on a space.

Rustic Lighting | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

We actually did a blog post pretty recently called “5 Steps to a Rustic Room” that I would love to share with you in response to this question.  It features ideas big and small that you can implement to give instant “rusticness” to your non-rustic house.  You can pick and choose the ideas that work for you, and if you do make any of these changes, we would love to see pictures of them!

 

Question 2: 

Sandy asks: How do I organize a scrap book/bonus room, 25×24, help!

Answer: I love to organize things so much, so thank you for asking this question!  It gave me time to think about all of my favorite organization ideas, and now I’m excited to tell you about them!

My favorite tip for organization, especially in a small space, is to hide things in plain sight.  Although it sounds like you don’t have too small of a space, you can still use this tip to your advantage.  Rather than filling the room with large cabinets, shelving or closets, consider adding a knitting chair with a basket of yarn next to it, or a large craft table with drawers/storage underneath, like this one:

Craft room organization | Home on the Range

Image via Home on the Range

Another thing that looks great in crafty areas if you do want to keep everything perfectly organized and hidden, is to use unique furniture case goods/storage pieces rather than cheap plastic Wal Mart specials.  Think about how eclectic your craft room could look with a rug in the middle and mixed dressers, cabinets, armoires, etc around the wall?

Craft room organization | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

Use space above and below these pieces too by strategically placing baskets, buckets and crates that can be filled with supplies.

Craft room organization | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

Craft room organization | Home on the Range

Image via The Green Children

 

Remember that you are not trying to achieve a stark interior with a place for everything and everything in its place!  My favorite rooms are the ones with lots of character, and lots of STUFF!  The more you put in your room, especially if you love it, the more eclectic your space will be.  On that note though, remember to make it into a space that you want to work in.  If you hate seeing any clutter at all, you probably will want to go a more synchronized, matching route.

Craft room organization | Home on the Range

Image via Within a Quarter Inch

Craft room organization | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

 

Or if, like me, the more you see the more inspired you are, then a mix and match craft room will be just the ticket.

 

Question 3: 

Susan asks: I have old venetian blinds in my condo.  The windows are small, but I want to do something new.  Ideas?

Answer: When recommending window treatments, I always check these things first:

  •     Is there a view you need to frame? Is it high – like a mountain peak, or low – like a lake or valley.
  •     Do you need privacy – are there other buildings, people walking by etc.
  •    Is it for a bedroom?  Do you need black out or is light filtering fine?
  •    Do you want to be able to see out of the window, or can you block part of the view?
  •    Do you have enough depth in the window for inside mount treatments, or do they need to be mounted outside the window
  •    If outside the window, do you have room above the window, and to the sides for rods and stack

 

Once I have the answers to the above questions then we can look at options that will work for each scenario.

 

For a condo – or really any home, a Silhouette can be a good option.  They have ultimate flexibility of being up all the way, down and tilted open to block glare and provide some privacy, but still not feel closed in, and all the way closed for either room darkening capabilities or simply full privacy.  They come in a multitude of fabrics and colors and just recently unveiled a new cordless easy rise version.  I love that because I always hate to see all of the cords hanging down in the window from window shades!  http://www.hunterdouglas.com/our-products.jsp?so=tn#/P_1/

 

If you have a lot of windows and don’t want to go around raising and lowering shades all of the time, then drapes or curtains are a great way to go.   As long as you have the room to mount the hardware and stack the drapes back off of the window, then they provide the convenience of one or two easy tugs to cover up those windows!  They also provide opportunity to add pattern and color to a room.  There are so many wonderful drapery styles that we will leave that for another post!

How to choose window treatments | Home on the Range

Image via Houzz

How to choose window treatments | Home on the Range

Image via Houzz

 

If you need privacy for someone walking by outside then a bottom up, top down shade is often a great way to go.  That way you can leave it halfway up and get your privacy, but still see out the top.  I love to use this option in a powder room window.  Guests don’t want to raise or lower the shade when they go into the room but if you leave the shade closed all the time, then why have a window?  In this case, just leave it halfway up all the time so your guests don’t feel “exposed” and yet you still get light and some view. 

How to choose window treatments | Home on the Range

Image via Houzz

 

 

How to choose window treatments | Home on the Range

Image via Houzz

 

If you need some privacy, but don’t need to frame a view, then stained glass can be a fun option!

How to choose window treatments | Home on the Range

Image via Houzz

 

Sometimes all you need is to block the glare on a television or computer screen and yet preserve your gorgeous views!  This scenario calls for solar shades.  They give UV protection and block glare at the same time allowing you to see through them to the view!

 

Thanks so much to everyone who submitted questions for this month’s round of Ask the Designer!  You may have seen our recent blog and Facebook posts announcing that Ask the Designer was actually featured in last month’s issue of Mountain Living Magazine!  How exciting is that?  If you have a question about design, decorating, organizing, painting, flooring, you name it, you can submit it to us through the comments on this blog post, or on our Facebook page!  We look forward to hearing from you and answering your questions next month!

Because heaven knows, we could all use a more organized kitchen.  I really love some of these ideas, some are rustic, some are modern, and some are just plain practical!

 

These built in open shelves and plate holders make it easy to stay organized, but show off all of your beautiful china at the same time!

Kitchen Organization Ideas | Home on the Range

Image via Houzz

 

Oh my goodness, wouldn’t you just love to have your own coffee stand?  Not only does this add a great visual element to the room, but it also frees up space on the counter, as well as in cabinets where you would normally keep all of those coffee cups and sweeteners!

Kitchen Organization Ideas | Home on the Range

Image via For the Love of Coffee

 

This “spice drawer” idea is a perfect way to store all of those teeny bottles that just don’t seem to fit anywhere else!  Just make sure all of the lids stay on tight or you will be vacuuming cumin out of corners for days!

Kitchen Organization Ideas | Home on the Range

Image via Houzz

 

I don’t know about you, but I think this might be the cutest and most creative way to hold and organize kitchen utensils that has ever been invented!  Take the head of an old/antique rake, hang it on the wall, and bam!  Perfect utensil holder!

Kitchen Organization Ideas | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

 

Here’s another great storage idea- whether you you have a pantry, a cupboard, or just some shelves, these glass canisters are a fun way to keep your cooking supplies organized.

Kitchen Organization Ideas | Home on the Range

Image via The Farm Chicks

 

A basket or wooden crate is a great method for on-counter organization.  Large, low boxes or baskets allow for a lot of different items of different sizes and heights to be organized beautifully in one spot, without creating a vision of clutter.

Kitchen Organization Ideas | Home on the Range

Image via Nell Hill

 

Finally, another great way to organize your kitchen AND your life is this pretty list board.  You can make one of these with an old frame (with glass).  Line the area behind the glass with burlap, then use a dry erase marker to write lists and reminders on the glass- it makes for a lot prettier picture than millions of notes stuck on the refrigerator!

Kitchen Organization Ideas | Home on the Range

Image via Jill Ruth

 

For more great organization ideas, follow us on Pinterest, and stick around for our Ask the Designer posts, where we answer reader questions about interior design, organization and more!

 

 

Larger than Light | Home on the Range

Image via Home on the Range

How exciting!  We have been featured in another publication this month!  This time, Lynne was asked to choose a favorite light fixture and describe what she loved about it and how she had used it in design.  The interview is featured in the “Bright Ideas” section of the magazine, along with a picture of Lynne, and a photo of the room she used it in.  Thanks so much for the opportunity Larger Than Light, we love publicity, and sharing our favorite things with other people!  To see the article, click on this link.  You will find the Bright Ideas piece on page 5, but the rest of the magazine is also worth a read!

Not houses near the water, not houses with a water view, today we’re sharing houses ON the water!  I think I need one of these to be happy.  What do you think?

 

Houses on the Water | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

 

Houses on the Water | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

Houses on the Water | Home on the Range

Image via Boho Empire

 

Houses on the Water | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

Houses on the Water | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

Houses on the Water | Home on the Range

Image via Life All Over

Houses on the Water | Home on the Range

Image via My Revelment

Houses on the Water | Home on the Range

Image via Sun Surfer

Houses on the Water | Home on the Range

Image via Life All Over

 

For more houses on the water, and all sorts of other great things, follow us on Pinterest!  Or, you can also like us on Facebook!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not to start this post off negatively, but I know what everyone is thinking and I just want to put it out there on the table- there are so many ways to do lodge style WRONG.  You may be picturing a vast expanse of cedar furniture- matching beds and nightstands and dressers and mirrors.  You may be picturing musty bedding with silhouettes of howling wolves beneath life size paintings of bears on skis.  Or, you may even be picturing that dark A-frame rental you once vacationed in- you know, that one with 70s appliances, a tiny river rock fireplace… and a bear rug.  But forget everything you’ve heard, today we’re going to show you lodge style- done right!

Lodge style done right is intriguing, beautiful, and everything you would want your ski retreat/fishing camp/lake cabin to be.  Furniture pieces made from natural materials, subtle antler accessories, warm colors and textures, and hints of forests and wildlife are all key factors in creating the perfect lodge home.

Natural Materials:

This double sink vanity combines natural with classy with its birch bark accents, log border and (drum roll please) VESSEL SINKS!  The three different types of wood used in this vanity make for such an elegant and unique woodsy piece.  We are doing a custom version of one of these vanities for a client where we will include a custom stone countertop!

Lodge style done right | Home on the Range

Old Hickory Vanity with Birch Bark Accents

 

 

This “Forest Edge” bed features live edge tree slices with beautifully hand crafted wooden posts.  No more giant yellow cedar logs, this bed makes a more striking (and more subtle) statement, don’t you think?

Lodge style done right | Home on the Range

Forest Edge- Live edge bed

 

Wildlife:

It’s important to include wildlife in a lodge setting, but you can do it in a way that is more classy and less hokey.

 

This cast elk lamp brings antlers into the equation without the overwhelming force of large taxidermied elk heads (which are also okay if that’s what you’re going for, but in this post we’re looking at more subtle ways to achieve the look).  The feather print shade also brings another lodge aspect to this piece that you don’t even notice at first, but it really adds a lot!

Lodge style done right | Home on the Range

Beautiful Cast Elk Lamp

 

This is one of my FAVORITE fabrics!  We have used (and are using) different colorways of this fabric for curtains at a hunting/fishing camp in Meeker, CO, and also for pillow shams at a winter snowmobiling retreat on Buffalo Pass.  This fabric is so beautiful, and what I love about it is that it brings an elegant wildlife theme to a space rather than a cartoon-ie or western one.

Lodge style done right | Home on the Range

Lodge Wildlife Fabric

 

Art is another way to incorporate wildlife into your lodge space.  Along the lines of the rest of the post, when choosing art, go for the more natural scenes.  Basically, stay away from bears wearing clothes, on skis, around fires, or in any other number of human situations.  We’ve seen this before- it doesn’t work out.  I love this canvas print of an Alaskan brown bear- the texture of the fur and the green color in the background really help contribute to a lodgy feel.

Lodge Style Done Right

Bear canvas print

 

Textures:  

Texture plays an integral role in setting a stage for any style.  In lodge style it’s no different: texture is key.  It is always easy to add texture, and it can mean the difference between a flat look or a complete one.  Combine rough and soft textures for a rustic yet comfortable feel that will keep you cozy all winter!

 

This is one of my favorite little nooks ever, in a Western mine style home that we did on Burgess Creek.  The rough natural stone on the wall only makes the lanterns and candles seem brighter, so rather than a cold rocky space, this reading nook becomes one of my favorite warm, cozy places.

Lodge Style Done Right

Stone floor, bench and wall reading nook

 

Faux fur throws have become a popular staple in design recently, and for good reason!  A fur throw will instantly add texture and warmth to any place it occupies

Lodge Style Done Right

Faux Fur Throw

 

Forests:  Bringing the forest into your lodge style space combines all of the other advice we’ve given you so far.  Subtle views of the forest can be incorporated through art, natural materials, and fabrics.  While pine and cedar veneer logs are okay in moderation, try to shift instead towards a more natural  look with bark, twigs, and live edges.  Use images of aspens and pine trees, and incorporate color and texture into whatever you choose.  

 

This canvas print of a Rabbit Ears Pass photo is perfect for lodge style because it brings not only visions of the forest, but also color, variety and style.

Rabbit Ears Pass | Home on the Range

Rabbit Ears Pass Canvas Print

 

This living room with aspen woodwork/beams is a great example of how to bring the forest into your home.  It’s incredibly unique, and I think incredibly beautiful!

Lodge style aspen beams | Home on the Range

Aspen beams- Image via Pinterest

 

Stop in to our showroom today where all of the products from this post (with the exclusion of the last photo) are available and in stock now!  We would love to help you update your lodge look, or any other look that you are going for.  You can also visit us on Facebook and Pinterest to get new design ideas every single day!

 

 

 

I love mixing styles.  I think that every room should be a reflection of the person or people that occupy it, and while I do think that it is just fine to follow a formula, or to copy a specific style just so, I also think that the most enchanting rooms are the ones that are not nailed down to one specific category.  The best rooms embody people and their own unique styles, the things that they love, and the places that they’ve been.  Eclectic spaces do just that, they mix the old with the new, the clean with the rustic, the domestic with the foreign, the hard with the soft, etc.  Here are some pictures of some of my favorite “Eclectic” spaces, hope you enjoy them!

Eclectic room ideas | Home on the Range

Image via A Perfect Gray

 

Eclectic Room Ideas | Home on the Range

Image via Dimples and Tangles

 

Eclectic Room Ideas | Home on the Range

Image via Mrs. Blandings

 

Eclectic room ideas | Home on the Range

Image via Houzz

 

Eclectic Room Ideas | Home on the Range

Image via Home is Where the Heart is

 

Eclectic Room Ideas | Home on the Range

Image via One Kind Design

 

For more eclectic room ideas, visit us on Facebook, or follow us on Pinterest!