Most designers have a ‘signature’ piece or a secret weapon in their arsenal. It is usually something they like to use to anchor a room and build their decor around. My signature piece (if you haven’t already guessed), is an electric fireplace. I love fireplaces in general, but with tech innovations making them simple, affordable and beautiful, you can now have a fireplace in every room of your house. I don’t usually go as far as putting one in every room, but I’m not saying it couldn’t happen. They are economical, interesting, add weight and focus to a room and they come in lots of colors and varieties. I think I have used at least one in every property I have designed for the past 5 years.
…and I have used them with all types of decor, from farmhouse to beach to French Country and I always have at least one in my own home. In addition, the electric fireplaces bring the practicality of a little extra heat on chilly mornings and evenings. I have arranged many rooms around these signature pieces and here is the story of a recent one.
When we entered the townhouse, right away it felt cold, lacking the warmth we want guests to feel when they enter our properties. My first purchase was a black, electric fireplace from—you guessed it, BigLots! It immediately grounded the room and we built the whole design of the space around that fireplace. I like to mix rustic wood with a bit of glam, so taking this black fireplace, I added a rustic wood tray to give texture and some greenery for softness. This room had some gold light fixtures which are not my favorite but I decided to work around them by adding the ‘glam’ of mercury glass (Hobby Lobby) and battery powered tea lights which turn on at the same time every night (Amazon). The practicality steps up a level when I am able to set the television on top of it instead of drilling into the wall above.
There are all kinds of ‘challenges’ in the design/staging world and you will face one or more on each of your projects. Whether you have outlets in all the wrong places, hot/cold faucets switched, or a random window in a closet, there is a creative solution for any blunder you may come across. Find out what your secret weapon will be and get started today.
Sharing my secrets,
Karen Conrad Metcalfe