Shopping in Your Jammies by guest designer Christopher Lowell

We are so excited to have Christopher Lowell back on Fresh Nest sharing more fun tips with us.  Today he is talking about shopping online and how to do it right and safely.

You can find Christopher most recently on Work That Room - where he takes a person/family's design dilemma and breaks down the solution step by step for us.  He has amazing design problem solving skills and I'm always amazed at what he can do!  Just look at some of the before and afters from the show here.   Amazing, huh?

 

By Christopher Lowell




It used to be that shopping for the home required a full, dedicated day. Fighting crowds, wasting gas and getting into emotional overload.  ---All while trying to make critical decisions on the spot and under pressure and if you’ve got kids in tow, forgetaboutit.

Today, because of the Internet, you can now shop in your jammies, with your mouse instead of your Mapquest.  The Internet gives you time to compare and investigate, from the comfort of your own home.  Recently for my show, Work That Room on the Fine Living Network, we did a segment on this with a focus on window treatments. Custom looking drapery used to be overly expensive especially in rooms with multiple windows. But online, with the middle retailer out of the way, you actually can get amazing custom quality for almost designer cost, made specifically for your windows.  First, when shopping via the net, always use a credit card in a secure and protected provider like PayPal.  If everything goes south, it’s the credit card company (especially AMEX) that will do the fighting for you.  If you pay by check or debit card, the money’s gone, and it’s all up to you to get it back.

Next, with anything that involves fabric, it needs to be touched, and examined for real before you place your final order. Ask for a swatch to be sent.  Often photos do not represent true color values and every computer screen is calibrated differently. So if your mail order catalog doesn’t offer fabric swatches for free, then move on.  Don’t be afraid to ask for as many as you think you need.  If the swatch is too small for you to visualize, take it to a fabric shop and match it with something similar and bigger to get the effect.  An online store like Joann Fabrics & Crafts will also allow you to purchase a yard of fabric and return it if it doesn’t suit your style.  There should be a representative on the phone who works directly for the catalog company.

Smith and Noble Window Coverings has great customer service and their selection is vast. On special orders, some guy across seas won’t cut it no matter how informed the person might be.  So ask if whom you’re talking to is on the premise.  If your order is late or wrong, you have a representative that can walk you or your late order through the process.  Finally, read all that annoying fine print.  If the really important stuff is buried there, then the company’s hiding something.  But if things like return policies and financial terms are actually spelled out in full view as part of the normal type, that usually means the company actually has nothing to hide and are proud of their service procedure.   If you’re still nervous, ask for customer references.  Many good catalog companies will give you email addresses for you to talk candidly with other customers.  Start with one room.  If all goes well, you’re good to go!  You can do it!

For more about Christopher log on to christopherlowell.com and follow him on twitter at twitter.com/clowell.

Winner: Christopher Lowell's Book- If you can dream it, you can do it!

And the winners of Christopher Lowell's book, If you can dream it, you can do it are....

#18 Sarah Z said "I need this for my entire house!  Thanks"

#15 Carol said "Tweeted http://twitter.com/cdziuba/status/2150507872"

#16 Chrysa said "He has some great ideas. I would love to win!"

Thanks to all who entered!  Winners- please send us your shipping information to admin AT freshnestdesign DOT com.  A big thank you to Christopher Lowell for sponsoring this giveaway.  You rock!

and   

Giveaway: Christopher Lowell's book- If you can dream it, you can do it!

How awesome was Christopher Lowell's article on choosing a paint color?   Didn't you learn so much from him? 

As if that weren't awesome enough, he back today giving away his book If you can dream it, you can do it! to 3 of our readers.  That's right, 3 of you!

In this book, he will help you turn your dreams into a design project.  There's nothing more inspiring than your surroundings.  I firmly believe that having a well designed space {whether your office, backyard, or home} makes all the difference in the results and outlook on your life.

To enter, leave a comment below.  The giveaway will end Wednesday, June 17th at 10pm CST. 

For extra entries, write about the giveaway on your blog and/or tweet about it.  Leave an additional comment below letting us know you have done so, and viola you now have a better chance of winning.

Good luck!

Choosing a Paint Color- by guest designer Christopher Lowell

We are so pleased to have Christopher Lowell on the Fresh Nest today.  {Don't you just love him!} His "You Can Do it" mantra fits right in with our motto here at Fresh Nest.  Here's a little more information on him...  He is an Emmy Award-winning host and best selling author.  He is  dubbed the Doctor of Design by U.S News & World Report, and well known for his 7 Layer system .  Christopher believes that decorating is a form of empowerment therapy and that his mantra, “You Can Do It” is a way of life.   And here's a wonderful quote by Christopher that we had to share, “Remember that fear is the number one reason why things remain the same in the home. Where there is fear, there is no creativity. By dispelling fear, you unleash your creativity. Your environment should be a reflection of who you are. This has less to do with money and more to do with your spiritual well being. We are how we live. Who knew?”



 

It’s often not the color itself, but how we pick it--that goes wrong
By Christopher Lowell

Choosing color for the home is actually the first layer of my Seven Layers of Design for the simple reason that it comes first.  Yet, because of not wanting to make the choice, many overcompensate by spending thousands of dollars on everything else in the room.  They then complain that the space is uninviting and has no warmth. 

Paint is the cheapest and easiest way to transform any environment.  Usually it’s never about the actual color anyway, it’s about the way in which most people go about choosing it.  You get to the paint store, an already high testosterone environment that can be intimating.  When you finally navigate back to the paint department, already distracted.  Then you reach the “great wall.”  The one laden with twenty-five thousand paint swatches that do nothing more then to re-enforce that you have no idea what you’re looking for? And yet you tell yourself, “I’m not coming back again.  I’m going to walk out of here with a gallon of paint if it kills me.” 

First mistake!  Choosing paint color is a two-trip process, like it or not.  You can’t choose color outside of the room you’re considering painting anymore then you can determine how a dress will fit you by looking at it on a hanger.  The reason there are so many paint strips, is that they expect you to take a lot of them home.  On your first visit, grab lots.  Once home, place them on a surface in the room your considering painting.  The next morning you’ll pass by and eliminate half the colors wondering what you were thinking in the first place.  That’s because we’re all schizophrenics.  What looked great in a busy store, under pressure, will look completely different in the stress free environment of your home.  After one week, by the sheer process of elimination, you’ll narrow it down to the three colors you can live with—one for the walls, one for the trim and yes, one for the ceiling. 

Here’s why.  What every designer knows is that once you’ve introduced rich color to your walls, leaving the ceiling stark white will look very unfinished—like you spread a bed sheet over it.  Painting your ceiling will not make it feel lower.  In fact, leaving it white could.  From your wall color strip, pick the color that’s three shades lighter if your ceilings are average height.  If they’re very high, go only one shade lighter then the walls.  This will assure that light will fall evenly through out the entire space giving it a warm, inviting, designer look.  And if you’re stuck for color combos, go to your wardrobe.  Chances are if a color looks good on you, it might look great around you. 

On your second visit to the store, stick to your guns knowing that you’ve given proper time to make a good decision.  When they pop off the lid to confirm your paint mix, don’t panic. The color will look darker then you expected.  But once it’s up on the walls, it will appear at least two shades lighter—trust me! Once home, don’t judge the color choice until all references of white are out of the room.  Then go to bed.  The next morning, with fresh eyes, you’ll love it! 

For more inspiration and ideas,  log on to christopherlowell.com or follow Christopher on Twitter.