Christmas Tree Decorating Tips

Being an Interior Designer in Marietta gives me the opportunity to help my client’s home look festive during Christmas. Sometimes a client would like to have a whimsical Christmas look and other times a client prefers a more serious and formal type of Christmas décor. I enjoy decorating their trees, garland or wreaths to reflect that special Christmas design they have always wanted for their home.

You can do the same thing for yourself. Here are some of my “how to decorate for Christmas” tips.  Make sure you choose the right size tree for the location you are planning to set up your tree. You might have to buy a “pencil tree” for your home if you are going to set up your tree in a small and confined area. 

A pencil tree is thinner and will fit nicely into small areas and not look crowded. Don’t allow the Christmas tree to touch the ceiling. A tree that does not fit properly takes away from the total beauty of the decorated tree. If your ceilings are very tall you need to have a taller tree. Or, you can build a platform for your 6, 7 or 8 foot tree. The platform allows your tree to fit better and you will have more room to display your Christmas presents. The ornaments you hang on your tree need to be the right size according to the size and scale of the tree.

If you have a large tree you need to use larger ornaments. If you choose to use smaller ornaments on a larger tree then connect or bunch three ornaments together to form the look of a large ornament. All of your ornaments should be attached properly to your tree or to your garland. One way to do that is to hot glue the “crown” to the top portion of the neck of the ornament. After the crown has been secured connect a wire or ornament hanger to the ornament and hang it on the tree or wire the ornament to the garland.  

 

There are a variety of ornaments you can add to your Christmas tree. Some families add a new and specially selected ornament to their tree each year. Others prefer to use theme trees in different rooms of their house. Adding a variety of styles of ornaments in a consistent manor throughout the tree adds interest and personality to your tree. 

Does your artificial tree have gaps or holes between the branches? You can find another Christmas tree at yard sales or thrift store to add another branch into the broken area to replace the missing branch. If you are not able to replace the missing branch this year then fake it.  

 Move the existing branches around closer together to try to make up for the gap.  Then add the garland that looks like a caterpillar loosely around a few of the branches.  The garland must be the same color as the missing or broken branch. If all else fails you can turn the tree that has the broken or missing branch area within the tree to the wall (if possible) so no one will see it.

If you prefer, you can fill the area up with a special Santa, Angel or ornaments.  

I would be happy to personally help you decorate your home for Christmas. Christmas is a fun and a special time of the year to enjoy entertaining your family and friends!

Jan Britt

(404) 510 -3636

www.decoratewithjan.com

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Easy Christmas or Hanukkah Centerpiece

Decorating for the Holidays

Christmas and Hanukkah give me the perfect opportunity to teach my Interior Design clients and Kennesaw State University students how to make their very own table centerpieces. You can purchase a wreath or recycle an old one that is meant to hang on the door. The wreath example is 18 inches wide but you can use any size wreath you would like. Open up the wreath’s little branches to make it look full. Then, you will need to spray the green wreath with artificial spray snow. Add an angel, Santa or any other Holiday figurine that would normally sit on a table for display.


Come to my KSU  Decorating Holiday Ideas  class on 11-2, 9-2015 (see below for more information)

You will need to purchase a maximum of 7 Christmas picks to add to the gaps you may find in the wreath. Next you can add berries to the wreath as an accent color for the centerpiece and to also reflect the color of the table cloth, if you choose to use a table cloth for your table. A 16 inch plastic deli tray will serve as a base for your centerpiece. Place the prepared wreath on the deli tray to make the centerpiece easy to remove from the table. If the figurine that you will use is not tall enough to be fully visible when it is placed in the center of the wreath then you will want to use an acrylic stand. Place the acrylic stand in the center of the wreath on top of the deli tray and then place the figurine on top of the stand. I added a berry to the angel figurine to pull the accent color from the wreath into the angel. This is a fun family craft to do together. This is a very easy process to make a beautiful centerpiece for your home during the Holidays!

Holiday Decorating Ideas Course
 is at KSU, College of Continuing Education on 3333 Busbee Drive, Kennesaw, GA
Price: $99.00 for both classes
Time 7:00-9:30 PM
Course # 162JHGD2400A.

Jan Britt
(404) 510 -3636
www.decoratewithjan.com

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A Tribute to a Marine Who Made a Difference

In our fast paced world sometimes we feel we don’t have the time to go out of our way or to do the “nice” things for those around us like we would like to do. Richard Kennelly is the exception to that fast growing norm in our society. He has been making a difference in our society for years. Mr. Kennelly made a difference in the Marine Corps and as a High School teacher for decades.

Richard grew up as a street kid from New York. He wanted a better life for himself so he joined the Marine Corps. Richard retired from the Marine Corps after 30 years of service. His brother was proud to be a Marine too. Even his son served in the Marines for 10 years. His whole family is proud of our United States of America.

Richard’s rank in the Marine Corps was Master Gunnery Sergeant. Being a Senior Staff NCO in the Marine Corps gave Richard the opportunity not only to serve his country but to make a difference every day in the lives his Marines. Richard wanted his Marines to succeed as a Marine and to become better men or women. He pushed his men and women to advance through the Marines Corps and to succeed in life. He encouraged his men and women to go to college and to get a better education when their enlistment was up. He told them it would take hard work but they could do it to better their lives.

After Richard retired from the Marine Corps he practiced what he preached to all of those Marines throughout all of those years. He worked hard and he went to college to be a high school teacher.  He graduated from Kennesaw State University of Kennesaw, GA. Mr. Kennelly was proud to be in a position again to not only be a good teacher for his students but to be able to make a difference in his student’s lives.  He encouraged them to be the best they could be. Richard encouraged his high school students to stay in school and then to go to college.

I met Richard through his wife Adela, who was one of my students. Adela had a living room that was dedicated to Christmas all year long.  Richard and Adela had decided that they would like to turn the Christmas style living room into a home office for Richard.   

Being the proud Marine he was, and still is, he had a lot of Marine collectable items that would be perfect to be displayed in the office; along with his special College diploma from Kennesaw State University. So, we decided to create an office with a Marine theme. I was very proud to have been chosen to be the interior designer who would transform this Christmas room into Richard’s Marine Corps office. I created an interior design plan that would enable me to transform this living room into a show room. I would display his Marine Corps honors, accomplishments, pictures, and so much more. We chose to purchase a special desk to be placed in his office as a focal point. Only the most important pictures and diploma would grace the wall behind his desk. One of the pictures is a picture of The Flag Raising of Iwo Jima. This Flag Raising picture was signed by Charles W. Lindberg. Behind the desk you will see a picture of Richard receiving his college degree and his Kennesaw State University diploma. We placed two important flags to flank Richard’s desk.  One flag is the flag of the United States of America and the other one is the Marine Corps flag. It was an honor to hang a picture of Richard and his son in uniform on the wall in Richard’s office. To complete the room I added window treatments on the windows. Richard and Adela have chosen not to add blinds to their windows in the office. I chose to fabricate drapery panels in a “GREEN” fashion to prevent heat loss and to help them save money on their heating and cooling bills. The positioning of the draperies still allows all of the sunlight to come into the room when they are opened. These curtains would allow privacy for their family and they would add the Marine red color to the room. We chose a valance that has a curvy design and it has a 3 dimensional shape. This style of valance is able to be symbolic of the shape of a flag blowing in the wind.

Richard is very proud of his “Marine Corps” room office. His room is not just an office anymore it is a library. His library is very special because it represents his memories and accomplishments for his friends and neighbors to experience with him. Richard Kennelly is a true role model for young and old alike. Even today Richard still looks for opportunities to help and encourage other to do their best and to make a difference in our United States of America.

Do You Have Too Much ECHO in Your Room?

Do you have a tall ceiling in your living room, family room or the great room? Do you feel like you can’t have a private conversation in the room because you hear an echo every time you talk? I have ideas to help you reduce the echo in your home!

Tall draperies help reduce the echo in this room.

One way to reduce echo in a room is by adding fiber. Cloth furniture, area rugs, window treatments, wall hangings, tapestries, textile art and pillows are perfect to help take a lot of that echo away. If you like window treatments in your home it is a good idea to use them. You can use a drapery with a pattern that matches the color palette in your room, or you can use a fabric that matches the paint color of your walls. If you use coordinated fabric and paint color, the curtain or drapes will have the “feeling” that the curtain has “faded” into the wall. I would suggest for you to use draperies that are interlined and lined to bring the extra fiber into the room. You do not need to have the draperies cover the entire window. When your ceilings are very tall it is best to add more fiber to your room by installing long, floor to ceiling draperies.  This will not only reduce the echo but it will also give the illusion that your ceilings are not quite as tall as they are. It will also help to unify the top and bottom portions of your over sized room. This window treatment technique is also called “going green. Click here to learn more about reducing echo.

The fabric blends with the wall color giving the illusion that the curtains fade into the walls.

Furniture, area rug and curtains help reduce the echo in this room.

As an Interior Designer in Atlanta, I will be happy to come over to your house and give you some custom fit ideas on how to reduce the echo in your home!

Jan Britt Interiors

(404) 510-3636

decorate@decoratewithjan.com

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Are You Tired of Your Headboard?

You can give your bedroom the beginning of a “facelift” by changing the color and the look of your headboard.Your bed is usually the largest item in your bedroom so it is very important for you to love it! The headboard and the comforter play a large part in creating the mood, color palette and decorating style of your bedroom.You need to truly like the color of your headboard, bedding, wall paint, furniture, window treatments, area rug and lighting in order to create a special atmosphere for your bedroom. If you like the style of your headboard but you do not like the color then you should change it!  Depending upon your budget, you can either have the whole headboard replaced or you can have a professional come into your home to create a different look for your headboard. If you are on a budget I have some inexpensive ideas for you in order to create that special mood for your bedroom.  You can change your headboard by re-staining, repainting or adding a different color to make it look different.

My client’s headboard is very unique because it has an inset of paint and an inset of four “shield” like effect inserts. Dixie wanted a new look for her headboard so we changed the color of the insets from red to blue. You can have this process professionally done or you can do it yourself. 

 I needed the outlining red to be painted blue and the “shield” type of inset on the headboard to be a different color too. My client prefers to do things herself. I told her to either paint the insets or to make a template of the “shield” inset that is on the headboard.Then she would need to buy the thinnest type of wood possible so the wood fit and could be inserted into the spacing of the “shield”. Dixie made a template of the “shield” so she could lay the paper template on top of the thin wood and cut it out to the proper size to fit into the inset of the headboard. After the “shield” was cut out she could paint it blue or cover it with fabric and Velcro this tiny piece of wood to the actual headboard for a 3 dimensional look.

She decided to take a blue lamp that is in the master bedroom and place it directly on the photocopier. 

She got a wonderful color picture of her blue lamp!  She took the photocopy and glued it onto the cut out template of the “shield” and then Velcro it into the inset on the headboard. The bed looks so different now with the blue coloring instead of the red.

I suggested that Dixie change her comforter to a solid blue color that matched the blue paint and blue insets. I also did not want a pattern or design so nothing would distract from the “facelift” she just provided for her headboard. What a transformation the headboard made to help create a different color palette for Dixie’s bedroom! As an Interior Designer in Atlanta, send me any decorating questions you may have and I will be happy to respond back! 

Jan Britt

(404) 510-3636

www.decoratewithjan.com

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Halloween Decorating Ideas!

Fall is a very entertaining time of year. The kids are excited and all dressed up in their cute costumes for Halloween!  It is the perfect opportunity to have friends over for a Halloween dinner or party. Now is the time to go shopping at the dollar store, trick shops or any store that sells Halloween items for your decorating supplies. You can place or hang these decorations the same way you would your Christmas decorations. You can buy an orange “tree” to hang Halloween ornaments on. You and your family can have special family time by making your own Halloween ornaments. These ornaments can be made from different colors of hardened Play-Doh, or you can use cookie dough that is cooked a little too long. These “over cooked” cookies (not burned) are sturdy enough to decorate with writing frosting and glitter. 

 A Halloween or fall theme wreath on the front door is the perfect first impression before you walk into a festive home. You can also take the same size or smaller wreath with a backing on it (so it does not scratch your wood table) to lay flat on the table to use as a centerpiece! Then, you can place a Halloween figurine, statue or pumpkin in the center section of the wreath. As an Interior Designer in Marietta, I can help you create a wreath centerpiece or other Halloween decorations for your home or Halloween party. I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween!

Creator: Elwood W. McKay III

Jan Britt 

(404) 510 - 3636

Facebook Page - Decorate with Jan 

decorate@decoratewithjan.com

John Gidding from HGTV and Jan Britt

I am honored to be asked to be a Hometalk Interior Design Adviser on www.hometalk.com!

I will be giving interior design and window treatment advice to people that write into the Hometalk website. I will, as well as other design professional "contractors", be answering interior design and window treatment questions that homeowners may have about decorating. Please check out this website! I think you will really like it. Anybody can post questions about decorating, bathrooms, bedrooms, furniture, paint, window treatments, landscaping, gardening, and how to fix your house. After you post your question on the website, come back later and you will receive multiple answers to your question.

It was great to meet John Gidding from HGTV. John was very nice and enjoyed talking with the Hometalk professionals and contributors that were at the Home Show in Atlanta. I am proud to be one of the professionals answering questions to help homeowners with their decorating challenges!

Jan Britt

(404) 510-3636

www.decoratewithjan.com

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Sewing Drapery Panels and Pillows

Make your own drapery panel! This is one of my sewing students, Danielle. I taught her how to measure, calculate, cut and sew drapery panels. Now, she can make her own drapery panels for any room in her house! The nice part about private sewing lessons is all the personal attention and detail you receive. Plus, you get to learn at your own pace.

Sewing can be flexible. Every student I have regardless of how young or old they are has their own sewing project that they would like to make during our sewing class. This is another one of my students, Sarah. Sarah chose to be comfortable cutting her sewing project out on the floor. It does not matter to me if your prefer to use the table or the floor to create your project!

I look forward to seeing both Danielle and Sarah at their next sewing lesson!

Contact me to set up your private or group sewing lesson for yourself or for your child.

Jan Britt

(404) 510 -3636

decorate@decoratewithjan.com

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Sewing is Back!

Sewing is the NEW thing for children and young adults to enjoy! Sewing allows you to be creative no matter how old you are. You can find pride in showing other people what you have accomplished for yourself. Be careful where you choose to take your sewing lessons!

Many times children and adults can get bored very easily when they take sewing lessons because the other students don't catch on as quickly as they do. Don't let this happen to you or your child! When your child learns quickly they get bored and don't want to take lessons anymore because they have to wait for every student to finish the project with the class. I do teach group sewing lessons for those who desire to learn to sew within a group. However, as an Interior Designer in Marietta  I specialize in private sewing lessons.

Private sewing lessons don't waste your time!  

I teach you sewing lessons at your pace, either a rapid or slow and steady pace. Private sewing lessons are $30.00 an hour. When you choose to take private sewing lessons you will receive all of the attention and expert help immediately. These lessons will allow you to learn how to make projects you have always wanted to make! Maybe you want to learn how to sew home decor or clothing projects.

Sewing allows you to have a beautiful home with up to date window treatments. You can also have the most stylish and unique wardrobe. You should consider taking sewing lessons. Not only does it save a considerable amount of money to sew these items yourself but you will have the satisfaction that you did it yourself! You set a goal and you will achieve it with my help.

You can learn how to make pillows, purses, clothing or special decorative items for your home.

As an Interior Designer, I have been teaching sewing lessons for many years. 

In the past six months the request for sewing lessons has exploded! If you or your child are interest in private or group sewing lessons please contact me. I am willing to accommodate your schedule.

Jan Britt

(404) 510-3636

decorate@decoratewithjan.com

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Give Your Bathroom a Face Lift!

There are many rooms in your house where you entertain your family and friends. Usually, these are called the "common" rooms. They are the living, dining, family, keeping room and bathroom. Sometimes the bathroom can be the most popular room in the house! Because this room is so important you need to make sure that your decorating style and color palette flows into your bathroom too. As an Interior Designer in Atlanta, I know many people who are updating their bathrooms to look attractive and to be much more functional.
My client, Adela, wanted to give her bathroom a face lift.


We worked together to produce an interior design plan to update her son's bathroom. I called in Mauro who is my talented handy-man and home fix-it specialist. We talked with Mauro about the plan for Adela's new bathroom. Adela's house is not a new house so her plumbing needed to be modified and updated to be able to have the new plumbing fixtures functional. Mauro explained what needed to be done and how long it would take. Adela and I went shopping to find the perfect tile for her floor and bathtub area. We also chose a new toilet, sink, cabinet, plumbing fixtures, mirror, lighting and shower curtain rod.

(Taking the tile out of the store and into the natural light to see the true color. )

All of the bathroom materials were purchased and Mauro carefully removed all of the old elements in the bathroom. After everything was removed, Mauro found mold. Mold is very dangerous to have in your house. He knew what to do to fix this mold problem. He tore out additional problem areas and killed the mold. I am glad I brought in an expert to re-do Adela's bathroom so we do not run into health problems in the future. The tile has been laid for both the flooring and bathtub area. Her sink, mirror, toilet and lighting all look fantastic in her new bathroom! Now that the bathroom has been renovated it is time to decorate and accessorize. Adela's original shower curtain was too short to be hung back up in the shower. We will be replacing the shower curtain with a new longer one that fits the length of the shower properly. Adela and I will choose a fabric to custom make this shower curtain. One of the colors I will look for in the fabric is the warm beige that is the main color of the tile. The beige in the fabric will help to "pop" the beige out of the tile and allow the tile color to show more dominantly. Adela loves the color red as an accent in Bryan's bathroom so we will find a fabric that combines red with the beige color to make this new shower curtain. We will also choose towels, pictures, rugs and accessories that will coordinate with our new color palette. Even though Adela has a small window in the shower, it is not necessary to add a curtain to this window.

After

Before

After

Adela is very pleased to have such an updated and attractive bathroom for her son to use!
Does your bathroom need updating? Send me pictures or any questions that you may have about updating your bathroom. Or, please give me a call and we can discuss different design ideas for your bathroom that will give your bathroom a face lift!

Jan's Upcoming Class:
Click here to see class information

Jan Britt
(404) 510 -3636
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Where Does Your Color Palette Come From?

When you start to decorate your home the color palette is usually started with one of the colors within your couch, chair, area rug or bedspread. Sometimes, your color palette is started from something that is special to you, like a piece of artwork. When I went to my client Helen's house in Marietta for an interior design and paint color consultation one of the first things she showed me was a special piece of artwork that she absolutely loves.We decided to decorate Helen's media room with this piece of art in mind. I designed a decorating plan for furniture, wood flooring, window treatments, a special bookcase and a great entertainment system.The plan also includes a separate section for her child's play area. The multitude of colors within this painting are vibrant and beautiful and are a perfect beginning for Helen's decorating plan. We chose her paint color for her walls from one of the colors within this painting. The color I chose was perfect for Helen because she loves bright paint colors on her walls.We replaced the carpet with a laminate flooring because it is a high traffic area and it is easier to keep clean. The colors in the fabric of the window treatments color coordinate with the oil painting.
This entire room was inspired by this oil painting that is loved by Helen and her family! As an Interior Designer in Cobb County, I can design a special room for you too that reflects you and your families personality and needs. If you have any questions please contact me.

The color palette and Contemporary decorating style came from this oil painting.

Before the design plan was implemented.

The paint color was chosen from Helen's oil painting.

The Window Treatments are installed and we are waiting for the furniture and other accessories to complete this "NEW" room!

Jan Britt
(404) 510-3636
www.decoratwithjan.com
decorate@decoratewithjan.com