One of people’s main concerns nowadays is to keep up with the latest trends.  Whether it is fashion, cars, foods, or home décor and appliances, every year there is always something new out there, and if you are not in, you most certainly are out!  And it is expensive to be in; even more in times of crisis like the ones we are experiencing right now.

There are many reasons why contemporary furniture is a strong option under this panorama.  The time has come to update your home furniture, but you have your doubts.  After all, it is a big investment, however, there are 5 powerful reasons that may convince you to take the plunge.

Every professional Seattle interior design firm will tell you that contemporary furniture has the power to totally transform the look of your home, and this is due to the following 4 reasons:

1.    This style of furniture, if anything, is flexible.  It can be adapted to any space and place because it fits perfectly with modern environments.  You will have no problem finding a spot for every piece of furniture, since they will always grab the attention no matter where they are located.

2.    Contemporary furniture will definitely help you save money.  Even if you are thinking that it is a big investment for you right now, eventually you will have to do it, and if you go for it immediately, it will most probably fit perfectly once you decide to renovate you home later on.  It will really mean huge savings in the future if you don’t have to purchase new furniture at that point.

3.    This is furniture that works for everyone.  You can be sure every member of your family will be pleased with the change.  It will also awe the visitors to your home who were not so smart as to choose the contemporary style.

4.    Contemporary furniture is synonym of mix and match.  It will easily blend with other things around it.  The different colors work together, creating a space that looks like abstract art and that is, most definitely, beautiful.

5.    This is a style that won’t go away easily.  Contemporary is here to stay for a long time; its clean lines work to support the current tendency of green and simple living, meaning, your home is decorated and adapted for the future.

Contemporary furniture is a worthy investment.  You will be able to enjoy a cozy, interesting, balanced, and unique home that will give you, your family, and your friends, tremendous joy for a long time.  It will add so much value to your surroundings that you will ask yourself why you didn’t go for it before.

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Interior designers in Seattle have very different work styles, as diverse as the spaces they work on.  To charge for their work, they normally use a combination of methods, depending on the extent of the services they will provide:

1.    The initial consultation
The first meeting is for the interior designer to evaluate the project, show her work portfolio, talk about terms and conditions, see if the project fits her capacity and services, and most importantly, if it inspires her.  It is a good time to give important suggestions based on the first impressions, so that the client can evaluate the designer and see if he or she feels comfortable working with her.  The interior designer may or may not charge for the initial consultation, it depends on her experience, workload, the firm’s policies, or the distance to the place where the project is to be conducted.  You have to consider that a free initial consultation may not tell you all you need to know.  The interior designer may wait until you make a decision to tell you what she thinks.

2.    Retainer fees
Very often, the designer will ask for a retainer fee in advance, as soon as an agreement has been reached.  The fee amount will cover what the professional believes will pay for her time and her employees’ time to plan the project.

3.    A fee based price
The designer will check the project in detail to establish the range of services necessary and will set a price based on the hours of work or square footage, among other methods.  This price may be paid in increments while the project is active, as items are received and delivered, or as services are provided.  As a rule, to get the most advantageous deal for you, discard the lowest and higher estimates and choose from the ones in between.

4.    A square foot based price
In this case, the price depends on the square footage of the space.  This method, as well as the one above, is hard for interior designers to employ, because they have nothing to do with the client.  Between two clients whose houses are near and similar, for example, one may need more services or may be more demanding, and this poses a risk for the designer.

5.    By the hour based price
This applies when the designer is helping you on an hourly basis.  The professional is only called as she is needed, to offer her opinion about the work being done.  The fees vary according to expertise, region, and demand.

6.    Cost-plus
The interior designer is in charge of the design process and is paid to purchase items on a cost-plus basis.  These normally include gains on every charge, including freight and delivery.

7.    Hourly + Cost-plus
Here, the professional charges by the hour when meeting the client, preparing specifications and budgeting, however, she manages the purchase of items through the cost-plus system.

8.    Retail or commission
This means designers earn a commission based on the volume of products sold and offered by certain manufacturers.  The commissions are included in the price of the items.

A professional interior designer in Seattle is worth her experience. She will help you improve your choices and avoid expensive mistakes.  She leads you to the best options and works to blend you choices into a meaningful and practical space.

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To kill a space, there is nothing better than strict rules, however, there are certain ‘crimes’ in decorating that not even the boldest interior designer in Seattle will dare to commit for the sake of originality or fame.

Crime #1: Neglect Editing
The rule that states that less is more is sacred.  An overcrowded room, full of furniture and trinkets, diminishes its main purpose, which is to showcase you and anyone else meant to enjoy it.  Be brave and get rid of half the furniture and everything else inside your rooms; keep what you truly love, donate what you think is beautiful, discard what doesn’t work, and allow for pure and positive energy to flow around every corner.

Crime #2: Shut Your Ears to the Room
Listen to the empty room before you decorate it.  Feel its proportions, its surfaces, textures and colors; check the quality and the direction of light, and let its function guide the design.  The furniture for a room must move places according to the space it was designated for.

Crime #3: Follow Trends Mindlessly
Forget about copying the minimalistic or Asian style presented by the top interior design magazine.  The best room is the one with a unique identity, where you go in and immediately feel its special energy and balance because it shows your personality; the room is you!

Crime #4: Settle For What’s Common
A room decorated with certain objects or style just because that’s what’s normally done, is a loser.  Your imagination is the limit as to what your special room can become.  Let it surprise you with your unexpected side, allow it to show you how confident and unique you truly are.

Crime #5: Not Make It Fun
Have you heard the advice: don’t take yourself too seriously?  Well, it applies to decorating too.  There is always, and there always should be, room to be ironic, clever and interesting in a funny way.  Good taste should be a personal principle, not an established rule.

Crime #6: Dread Color
Color is the cheapest and fastest way to imprint personality into a room.  A well-selected color completely transforms a space and opens it to the senses from the inside out.  Want to laugh, dream, dance, or rest fully in your home?  Paint it with vibrancy and let bold colors speak about you.  Never fear it!

Crime #7: Being Too Formal
Long are gone the days of formal dinning as in the XVIII century castles.  Today we enjoy using and mixing our best china every day.  At home, you want to actually feel at home; feel free, relaxed and be casual.  You want your guests to feel at ease and special.  You want to live your life at home!

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Flea markets and vintage furnishings shops are a very good option to find that piece of furniture or design item we have been looking for so long, which was either hard to find, or simply too expensive. Flea markets are the ideal place to shop when your budget is limited. You could find some lovely treasures. Patience and cleverness are the keys to a successful transaction.

Flea markets owe their name to the fact that people usually look like fleas from a distance. Also, some believe that the name originated from the fact that the pieces of furniture bought actually came with fleas. This is not so much the case nowadays. Flea markets and vintage furnishings shops have come a long way. Now everything is much more organized and regulated, and in many flea markets you can even pay with a credit card. Also, many modern flea markets have delivery services, so the pieces of furniture you want can be delivered right to your home.

In Paris there are a well established and very famous series of such markets called Les Puces.  Here both permanent booths as well as an ever changing weekly array of sellers come together to offer things from frumpy to fabulous.  The markets are  hundreds of years old but began more officially in their current form around 1880.    Many a treasure has graced the covers of famous international magazines which began its voyage in these humble and jumbled beginnings.  The thrill is in the search and many make the pilgrimage on a weekly basis. I myself have spent many days on each of my trips to Paris combing the markets for both fun and treasures.  On one such trip, I fell deeply in love with a beautiful crystal chandelier.  Amazingly, I was told that it had just been sold…as luck would have it to a colleague of mine from right here in Seattle of all places.  Great minds think alike…even in the Puce in Paris.

The idea is to take all the time in the world, to thoroughly check the pieces of furniture you are interested in. If they are damaged, they could probably be repaired by a carpenter, and for a small fee, you get to save thousands of dollars. Also, if you’re handy repairing things, it is known to be great work therapy, to relieve stress. Wood is a very noble material to work with; if you are kind to it, it will respond beautifully.

It is crucial that the piece you acquire does not carry larvae of insects. Some insects feed on wood, and if an infestation occurs, it can very well end with your home’s foundations. The wisest thing to do is to leave the piece in quarantine, in the garage, for instance, before granting it a place inside your home.

Tables, chairs, sofas, armchairs, beds, closets, mantelpieces; you name it. Any L.A., New York, Miami, or Seattle interior designer would agree that the right item could be a stylish addition to your home; some may even give it the right touch of distinction. Patience and a keen eye can prove to be very useful when it comes to the search for the perfect design item.

You love your house or your apartment, the way it has been designed, its functionality, the location, the neighborhood, the whole package. Besides, it is really luminous, and there is lot of wood and other noble materials that make it very special, to you, and to the local house market. The only down side of the property is the rather limited space, and the fact that the rooms do not lend themselves to big or showy furniture. But, as interior designers in Seattle advise, there is always a way to disguise the not so positive features of a property, and enhance others, so that, in the total balance, there will be more pros than cons for the potential buyer. And even if you are planning to keep the house, learn how to make the most of it, accentuate the functional and positive aspects and produce a positive impact in your life, just by considering these few tricks provided here.

Definitely, drop strong color combination and shocking wallpaper patterns. No matter how big of a fan you are of strong carrot orange, for instance, leave it for small details, or other objects, not for the walls. White walls are always a classic. But, as any parent with small kids, or pet owner, knows, it is very hard to keep them spotless. And even so, plain white can sometimes get dreary. Light colors are to be preferred, and among these, cool colors over warm colors. A light blue, or a light green is to be preferred over pink or light orange.

As for wallpaper, it is to be avoided in small rooms. But if you insist and you definitely dig it, or because the walls are too damaged to just paint, and you need a thicker coating, choose a textured, light colored wallpaper, instead of one with strong patterns, such as flowers, arabesque designs, lines, or geometric figures.

Lose a few objects. There isn’t a more certain way to make a room look small than to have a huge collection of small items clutter shelves, chests, or mantelpieces. For instance, If you are a sucker for family photos, instead of keeping a multitude of small photo frames, try to make a digital collage of several, so as to keep them all in one frame, or put together a family album. Just face it; it is time to let go. Some of the ornaments must definitely go. But, don’t get rid of them, just save them for the time you get to move to a bigger house.

Choose your furniture wisely. Without necessarily having to resort to a minimalist style, choose light, modern, functional furniture. Leave the Louis XV style for another occasion, and prefer an aluminum and glass organizer, for instance, to keep your TV, sound system, and your DVD’s in one place. They are easier to clean, and they will not take up so much precious space, your most scarce asset. Also, arrange the furniture trying to propitiate easy circulation in the house. Try not to block areas close to doors and think about the way you usually walk around the house. Leave these areas free to facilitate fluid circulation.

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