Before and After: Urban Scope Transformations in Real Homes

We here at Urban Scope Designs take pride in our ability to transform blank rooms into well-appointed and unique living spaces. We take a customized approach to home decorating, and consider several aspects in terms of making your home reflect your personality. Visit our website to see our full range of services, as well as to view some of the spaces we've transformed. 

Decorating Your Kitchen on a Budget

Photo source

Among all the rooms in our home, the kitchen is the most used, abused, and loved. Inevitably, we spend a lot of time in this part of our house, preparing meals for ourselves and our loved ones. So certainly, it’s worth spending a little time trying to make this room look pleasant and nice.
But how do you do it if your budget is limited?

1. Warm up the walls with paint. A can of paint doesn’t cost much. So choose a nice warm color – orange, brown, tan – and bathe your kitchen walls in it. Save the whites for places like the living room or your bedroom, where peace and quiet belong. A good kitchen is active, and your colors should reflect that activity. Besides, with all the spills and splatters a kitchen is subject to, white walls would simply stain and age too fast.

2. Get matching utensils and linen. Kitchen utensils do not need to be very expensive, and when they match, they tend to give your kitchen a unifying theme, a classy touch.

Now if you’re on a really tight budget, you could get matching tea towels, potholders, and tablecloth instead.

3. Add a lamp. As we’ve said, kitchens are busy places – but not always. Sometimes, we like to go to the kitchen in the middle of the night for a quiet snack. At times like these, we don’t want the glaring brightness of the bright kitchen lights; we want something softer, quieter – like a lamp. Is this a decorating tip? Why, yes. Try lighting your kitchen with a lamp and see how much nicer it instantly looks when some of its imperfections are hidden by the shadows.

4. Put a fruit basket on the counter. This adds charm, color, and a breath of freshness to your kitchen. It also encourages kitchen visitors to take a bite out of something healthy and immediately accessible rather than rummage through the fridge for some sugary cake or a glass of soda.

How to Create a Picture Frame Display

Photo by Martine de Luna

Our pictures tell the stories of our lives, and so we like to look at them and show them to others as well. The best way to do this, of course, is by putting our pictures in frames and displaying them to the world.
Sounds simple enough, right? But there is an art to displaying our pictures so that they gain their rightful attention without detracting from the attractiveness of the room we put them in.

1. Choose your pictures carefully. We cannot display everything we print out. We need to choose pictures with poignant or striking images. We want pictures that draw people in, tell a story, and give an insight into the life and thoughts of the people who live in our home.

We don’t want studio pictures of people with so much make-up and hairspray, we could hardly recognize the person at all. Posed group pictures in front of some landmark are often boring. Pictures with celebrities are simply not classy, period.

Candid pictures, on the other hand, are often interesting. Images of people at work or at play are good. Close-ups of people displaying real emotion are nice.

Incidentally, for framing, choose pictures that capture as much of the subject as possible. This is what makes close-ups exceptionally good framing candidates. On the other hand, pictures with huge backgrounds and tiny subjects are generally not good for framing.

2. Get frames that blend with your furniture. Your frames should blend with your home’s design. If you’ve got vintage furniture, stainless steel frames will simply look out of place. Of course, if your home motif is brown, that does not mean you cannot have red frames – but you probably will have a hard time with blue frames.

It is safest to stick to frames in one color only. Not to say that different frames with different colors can’t work – but it will certainly take a whole lot more effort to make them look good together.

3. Choose different frame sizes. It’s safe and classic to have three identical frames all lined up on a wall. But for picture ledges and picture walls with more than three images, it’s more interesting if you have a combination of big frames and small frames, placed high and low, but arranged in perfect balance.

Some people like to take their different sized frames and arrange them like a puzzle on the wall so that their outer borders form a clean rectangle. A row of four or more identically sized frames is simply too boring.

Making Room for House Guests

If we accept a guest in our house, we owe them at least the most basic levels of hospitality – a comfortable place to sleep at night.

So how do you make your home guest-friendly?

A place to sleepIf you have a guest room, this is easy. Just clean up the room, make sure the mattress is firm and aired and in general good condition, beat the pillows, and replace all the sheets and pillowcases with fresh ones.
Now if you don’t have a guest room, your guest may need to stay at the sofa or a portable mattress. Whichever one you provide, make sure it is comfortable to lie on (lie on it yourself to check). If you have an inflatable mattress, make sure it has no leaks that will lead to its deflating through the night. Provide fresh sheets and pillows.

If you can afford to get a divider, it’s nice to get one for your guest, to provide a small amount of privacy. If you can’t afford a divider, you can improvise by hammering a two nails into opposite walls, attaching a clothesline to the nails, and hanging up a curtain that your guest can draw at night.

The bathroom
Make sure your guest knows the way to the bathroom and where the light switch is. If possible, put a night light near the bathroom so it’s easier to find.
Provide soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, disposable cups, towels, and hand towels for your guest. Make sure your guest knows these things are for use and not for display only.

Small stuffGive your guest a drawer or small cabinet to keep things in. Provide a small bench or table for resting the suitcase on. You may also want to provide a bag for used clothes, in case your guest forgot to bring one.
A night light, an alarm clock, a music player, slippers, and a trash can are nice, thoughtful touches. You may also want to leave a carafe and water glass, and maybe even some packed snacks that won’t attract ants, for your guest.

Teach your guest how to operate the temperature controls for the room he or she is staying in. Provide extra blankets, in case your guest gets cold in the middle of the night.
Teach your guest how to access your broadband Internet connection, in case he or she wants to surf online rather than read before going to bed.

All these little things can go a long way towards making a guest feel truly welcome in our home. Then, perhaps, this will also show them the right way to treat guests when it is our turn to stay overnight at their house.

Multifunctional Rooms and Furniture

It’s a reality: living spaces are constantly getting smaller. The 20-square-meter rooms that some of us like to call “studio” nowadays were mere closets in our grandparents’ time.
And yet, we need to live in them. How can we make the most of our tiny rooms and the limited amount of furniture we can put in them? We can do that by making our rooms and furniture multifunctional!

Combine your bed and sofa. Not all homes are big enough for both a sofa and a bed, two of most space-consuming pieces of furniture in a house. So how about getting a sofa bed, so that your sofa can be your bed?

Or here’s a more novel idea: make your bed your sofa. A standard twin bed with a low headrest and the right cover, pushed against the wall, with a few large, thick throw pillows serving as a backrest – it can be a pretty good sofa, an interesting conversation piece, and it also means you won’t have to sleep on a too-narrow sofa-width bed.

Make your furniture your storage bins. Coffee tables, side tables, armchairs, beds – all of these could hold compartments underneath them. So choose the ones that do.

Make your storage bins your furniture. Your armoire can also be your computer table. Or find those foldable cloth-covered boxes that could be used as stools. Have a nice island with cabinets under it in your kitchen? Clear the top, throw on a tablecloth if you wish, add chairs around, and use it as your dining table.

Use your vertical space. The person who invented the double-deck bed had the right idea: use the top space. Now, if you have a roommate, you may still want two beds – but why not have both beds high up, leaving the bottom space for other furniture such as, perhaps, study desks or closets for hanging clothes? In fact, if you keep a breakfast tray in bed with you, that tray could very well function as your study desk. You could also nail some horizontal boards onto or beside your headboard, forming a convenient shelf for your books, night lamp, alarm clock, and other things you would normally put on a bedside table instead.

5 Tips for achieving a better-looking bedroom

Bedrooms aren't just for sleeping. In your home, your bedroom is a haven of relaxation, a place that you can decorate to your preferences and truly call your own. Here are some tips for achieving a more beautiful, better-looking bedroom so that you won't just enjoy sleeping in it, but simply being in it.




1. Create a central point -- or focal point -- in your bedroom. Your bed, naturally, serves as the main feature of the bedroom, so place it where it will give off the most pleasing effect. Select the wall wherein the bed will be placed, then arrange your other furniture pieces according to the focal point. You can even try placing your bed at an angle in the corner of your room for more dimension.




2. Make use of side tables and lamps. These add symmetry and a sense of order to your bedroom. Side tables and lamps balance the layout of your bedroom while also serving an important function, as they provide a place for you to set a glass of water, books or your alarm clock.




3. Utilize benches and other seating. Go for multipurpose pieces, such as a trunk at the foot of your bed or a chaise recliner with storage. These are great for storing for blankets while providing you with a place to site while you get dressed. Also, create a relaxing seating area within your bedroom to make it look more inviting and warm.




4. Have a well-appointed mirror. Mirrors can add a feeling of depth and space, especially in a small room. Opt for a mirror with a dresser, or maybe a full-length mirror. These can help add character to your room.




5. "Hide" electronics and functional items in furniture. Or rather, select beautiful furniture that can help keep your television and audio equipment hidden from view, so that you maintain a peaceful aesthetic in your room. Try to look for an armoire or entertainment cabinet that's also a unique accent piece, but also serves a storage purpose. Make sure the finish, color and size fit your bedroom's overall mood and feel.

Design, decorate and de-stress

Design, decorate and de-stress

By Diana Fox at Premiere Photography

Imagine how it would feel if every time you walked through your front door it said, “Welcome.” That your home’s interior reflected your lifestyle — that the furniture, accessories and colors created a soothing balance of style and beauty – that the room’s ambience extended an invitation to sit, relax and linger…

When the outside world feels harsh and your life is cluttered with stress and chaos, coming home to a relaxed atmosphere is a feeling of absolute comfort. It’s a gift you give yourself and an expression of warmth you extend to family and friends.

Design your home as a reflection of your personal style and taste. Feel yourself absorbed in the comfort and luxury of a room decorated and inspired by your indulgences.

Designing impressive rooms has little to do with money and everything to do with style, placement and balance. Play with different furniture arrangements until you find one that suits the shape and function of the room. Important questions should include how you want the room to feel and what mood you are trying to capture, as well as practical aspects of traffic flow and how the room will be utilized.

Once you’ve established a good design, layer in accessories and decorations. These details tell others who you are, offering them a glimpse of your lifestyle and personal taste. Often they are the unexpected and memorable part of a vacation or a delightful afternoon outing. A signed print bought from a street vendor in New Orleans, an exquisite lamp acquired at an estate auction, an area rug handed down from your grandmother, seashells collected from a romantic beach walk or a stack of handsome, leather-bound books all make terrific accessories. Each item reveals a story or special memory and, when blended together, collectively set the mood and atmosphere for a relaxed setting.

Placement is a key factor. Create impact by grouping accessory items together that relate by mood or color, or gather several smaller pieces together for a bold statement. Think in odd numbers when designing an arrangement. A variety of candlesticks on a silver tray, a collection of small, stacked wooden boxes or an assortment of antique doorknobs casually placed together all capture your interest and attention and create drama.

Finding the time and place to relax can sometimes feel like work, so create spaces in your own home to give you the feeling you’re always on summer vacation. A relaxing spot can be anywhere that helps you reconnect and unwind — a window seat piled high with pillows, a reading chair and ottoman placed in a favorite view window or a chaise lounge on the outdoor patio. A perfect escape with a cup of tea, an afternoon nap or for doing absolutely nothing!

Make your home your refuge. Create beautiful rooms that nurture and inspire your well-being. When the simplest human needs are met with gentle grace, comfort becomes the greatest luxury of all. Relax, put your feet up — you’re home…

Diana specializes in interior arrangement, room design makeover, color consultation and relocating services. She ahs been assisting client since 1986 and can be reached by phone at (951) 202-7859, e-mail at diana@foxinteriors.biz or on the Web at www.foxinteriors.biz.