Living Room Archives - Fort Collins Kitchen and Bath Remodel

February 25, 2019

How to Choose Living Room Furniture

A comfortable living room invites people to gather, hold conversations, and enjoy each other’s company. It’s important then, that you spend some time considering what furniture pieces make the most sense in your living room. Below, you’ll find some helpful ideas on how to choose living room furniture.

The Main Furniture Pieces

Flexibility makes a lot of sense when it comes to furnishing your living room. Individual pieces that can be moved around allow for occasional rearrangement – either out of need when hosting a large gathering or out of the desire to simply mix things up. We also recommend, when purchasing living room furniture, that you keep the colors neutral for the main pieces. Neutral colors last longer in terms of trends and can be accented with throw pillows allowing you to add different splashes of color and mix things up easily..

The Sofa

When it comes to the sofa, size matters. Most sofas range from 84” – 90” and will fit a variety of spaces. If you have a smaller area, you can find more petite sized sofas in the 75” – 80” range. Do know, that an overstuffed sofa, although comfortable in the show room, will often appear massive and out of place. And, even though they are quite popular, a sectional may be too inflexible when you want to rearrange for a gathering or bring a Christmas tree into the space. Often times, you can achieve a similar look and feel with two sofas.

Also, think about how many people you want to seat on your sofa. If you choose a sofa with three cushions, three people will naturally sit there. If you get one with one or two larger cushions, you can often seat up to four allowing for more seating flexibility.

The Chairs

In terms of chairs, we recommend chairs that are attractive both from the front and the back. We also recommend chairs that have arms on them. People like to lean. Once again, flexibility is key when selecting chairs. You’ll want to be able to float them in the room or place them in a corner. Look for chairs that are 30” – 38” wide. Anything bigger takes up a lot of space and becomes too big to be useful. Look for chairs that seat one person comfortably.

The Ottoman

An ottoman allows for a little variety, and a comfortable place to rest the legs. Your ottoman doesn’t have to match your furniture. You can add some texture, patterns and color to the area and play with your ottoman more easily than with your main pieces of furniture. Once again, think about where you will keep the ottoman and how large it is. It should be a very flexible piece of furniture.

The Coffee Table

We love the look of a square coffee table, but let’s face it, they’re not very flexible. We almost always recommend a rectangular table due to the flexibility for different placements around the room. Don’t purchase the largest table you can find. You want people to be able to walk around it comfortably in relationship to the other furniture pieces in the room.

Quality Matters

You want furniture you can live on. Get pieces with nice quality upholstery. They last a long time. Make sure the cushions upholstered on all sides. If you do end up with a spill that won’t come out, you can flip it over and hide the stain. When you sit on a sofa, you shouldn’t be able to ffel the frame. If you do, don’t buy it. It won’t last. Look for 8-way hand tied pieces. This is a great marker of quality. There are also many performance fabrics available too. These resist spills and fading and typically last longer. If you have kids, a pet or a messy spouse, you’ll definitely want performace fabrics. They also come in a variety of attractive options these days.

Get an Opinion

We love to visit people’s spaces and walk them through how to choose living room furniture. If you’re in the market, stop in and talk with us. We can arrange a visit and help you think through your plans.

Looking more for a living room refresh rather than refurnishing? Read How to Do a Living Room Refresh.

January 3, 2019

Curl Up in the Warmth: How to Remodel a Fireplace

You’ve been staring at that fireplace for too long now. The dated mantel, the wrong colored tile, the dated brick. Any or all of these things act like nails on a chalkboard whenever you look at it. The good news? You’re not the only one. We’ve worked with many people who have wanted to know how to remodel a fireplace and over the years, we’ve picked up a few things that will help you through the process and make your new fireplace exceptional.

Identify what’s wrong with your fireplace

Is it the tile or rock or brick that surrounds it? Is it the placement in the room? Is it the mantel or lack of a mantel? Is it the built-in structure that surrounds it or the hearth? Or, maybe you’re doing a larger remodel project and you’re considering adding the fireplace to the project. Whatever your reason, depending on what you don’t like about your fireplace will ultimately guide your project and its cost.

Surrounding material and future options

A variety of materials can surround a fireplace. Sometimes, the surrounding material is attached to the wall and can be torn out. Then, the backing material can be replaced and a new material applied. Other times, the surrounding material is a part of the structure. No matter what your circumstance is, we can help you figure out the right solution. We work with experienced contractors who will help you determine what, if any, structural changes need to be made to your home.

Remember though, the great thing with a material change – and the most fun part – is figuring out the look you want. So many choices exist these days. You’ll be amazed what can be done with tile, brick veneer and ledgestone. And even if you have an idea in mind, we recommend you look at several of these options before deciding on one. You never know what may surprise you.

The placement

If you don’t like where your fireplace sits in the room, the level of complexity of the project increases, but don’t let that discourage you. We’ve helped many people move their fireplace. Just know, that moving a fireplace to another place in the room most likely will involve some sort of structural change internally and externally. For instance, do you know where your current fireplace is vented? Is it through a chimney that’s a part of the house? Or is it vented through a hidden pipe in the wall? Once again, we can help you find an experienced contractor to guide you through a fireplace move.

The mantel

The mantel, often the centerpiece of the fireplace, is definitely worth thinking through really well. What do you want it to look like? As with surrounding materials, you’ll have a lot of fun options to consider. And don’t forget to think about what you want the mantel’s purpose to be? Do you want to display framed pictures or decorative objects on top of it? If so, a groove in the top to help things stay in place may make sense. Are you thinking you might put a TV above it? If so, you’ll want to consider how high the TV will actually sit and where the power for the TV will come from. If the TV is too high, you may be craning your neck to watch your favorite shows. And if there’s no power in the area, you’ll need to add outlets to avoid unsightly wires.

The firebox

How old is your firebox? Does it look dated and out of place with your current style? Does it look beat up and used up? Does it have a blower? Many times, when someone remodels their fireplace, it makes sense to replace the firebox. Other times, a really good cleaning or even a refinishing with heat resistant paint may be all that is needed. We do see many fireboxes that were initially installed by the contractor and are quite inefficient or, they’re surrounded with brass trim or accents that just don’t cut it anymore. Don’t fret, though. If you choose to replace your firebox, there are a variety of options to consider.

Enjoy the process

As you can see, remodeling a fireplace offers a lot of things to think about. We do advise, based on the possible complexity of this project, that you speak with professionals who know how to remodel a fireplace and have experience doing so. If you’re like some people who visit us, it could be a matter of tearing out some old tile and redoing what was there. But, if you’re like others, it could mean tearing out walls, running electrical, and thinking through structural changes. No matter which project yours ends up being, have fun researching your options, embrace the process and know that we’re here to help.

August 23, 2018

Find the Best Time to Remodel with 6 Tips

Considering a renovation in your home but want to know the best time to remodel?

When planning a remodel, it is helpful to understand the timeline and potential speed bumps that you may encounter. At Eheart Interior Solutions, we are here to help guide our clients through the remodel process while providing tips and tricks that we’ve learned through years in the industry. Every remodel is different, but there are several common customer concerns that we can shed some light on to help make the process as fun and efficient as possible.

Depending on the scale of your project, expect to have work being done in your home for potentially six to eight weeks. Prior to the in-home work, plan for materials to take up to six or eight weeks, as they are custom made for your remodel.

With that being said, here are a few tips to help you plan your remodel to best accommodate your lifestyle.

Think twice about summer as the time to remodel.

The common misconception is that summer is the ideal time to remodel because you have an outdoor living space and a grill. Actually, in our northern Colorado climate, there are enough sunny days that any season is perfect for a remodel. The only time that the season needs to be taken into account is for projects that include windows or pouring foundation. The drawback of remodeling in summer, which is usually overlooked, is that a remodel can displace your kids who are home from school for the summer.

Do not pick a time to remodel that is prior to an event you would like to host.

At Eheart, we do our best to meet every deadline, but unforeseen circumstances can always arise that lead to delays. For example, if you want to host Thanksgiving, plan your project for an end of October finish. That way, if any surprises or loose ends come up, your project will still be complete in time to set your table for Thanksgiving.

Consider planning your in-home work when you are going to be on vacation.

Even though you won’t likely be gone for the entire project, missing the less exciting steps, such as drywall installation, wouldn’t be a bad idea. Talk to your designer about any vacation plans you may have and see if it is possible to align them with your project timeline! Worried about contractors being in your house while you are away? Don’t be, you are in good hands. All of our partners are licensed, bonded, and insured and can certainly be trusted in your home. Just make sure you are somewhat reachable for questions during your vacation.

Have you started the bank financing process?

Often times, homeowners don’t realize that getting financing for their project often requires pre and post appraisals, along with other steps that can each take several weeks. Be sure to start this process early so that it doesn’t hold you back once you’re ready to order your materials.

It can never hurt to order your materials early.

A perk of working with Eheart Interior Solutions is our capability to hold onto your materials in our warehouse until you’re ready to begin the in-home portion of your project. With this option, customers have more flexibility throughout the scheduling process. The last thing you want is to be ready to start your project and have to wait nearly two months for your custom materials to arrive.

Planning a remodel doesn’t take as long as your think.

Often times, it only takes two to four weeks of planning before we are able to schedule a remodel and order materials. Our experienced designers are able to streamline the planning process to help you design your new dream room.

January 4, 2016

Interior Design Styles of 2016 – Our Top 3

With 2016 upon us, home renovations will begin to populate your winter to-do list, as the hottest trends of the year take full force. While endless articles populate the web with various décor trends, we took it upon ourselves to share our top 3, favorite interior design styles of 2016.

The Kitchen Is On Fire

The kitchen is a hot place to be this year, and with more interior design styles in the kitchen than any other room, your options are endless for bringing a fresh look to your space. Continuing to be popular is the open floor plan, making your kitchen island the strong focal point of the room. Edgy, muted colors will be fresh on the scene, taking over as the hottest cabinet colors for the year, such as burnt orange, Robin’s egg blue, and mustard yellow.

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Be One with Nature,

There is nothing more beautiful than a design that is natural and looks effortless. We believe in the idea that less is more, making one of our favorite trends for the year the use of natural materials. Better yet, this spans the use of materials such as marble, granite, concrete and wood, to bringing nature inside through the use of plants or accent pieces that have been inspired by nature. If your goal is to bring a relaxing and Zen-like vibe to your space, this is the design style for you!

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Pick Your Color

In 2016, the wheel was spun on the color palette, with the needle landing on shades of pink, red, and peach. Not only pretty, but these colors have a versatility to them that allows them to be incorporated into almost any room that you fancy, giving you the ability to run wild with your design. Along with pinks, reds and peach, emerald green, navy and midnight blue are also hot colors of the year, and will heavily be seen on furniture and in accent pieces.

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What interior design styles are you in love with for 2016?

September 21, 2015

Easy Fall Decoration to Rejuvenate Your Home

There are many easy fall decoration ideas to bring the warm colors of fall into your home this season. By coordinating small pops of fall color into your home or apartment’s color pallet across rooms, you can achieve an autumn atmosphere without completely turning your home into a sea of reds, yellows, browns, oranges and greens.

Living Room Interior Design
Make your living room a fall sanctuary by decorating with natural gords and pumpkin, either on coffee tables or on the fireplace mantle. The lively gords can range in color from red, orange, yellow, and brown and vary in sizes which help to accommodate your space (whether big or small). Because of their various sizes, pumpkins can act as a centerpiece on tables, or within prominent areas of your living room entryway. Adding these kinds of themed design elements into your living room are an easy fall decoration tactic to create an instant fall color upgrade.
We also recommend swapping the flowers in your vase with decorative maple leaves in mason jars. This design element helps to give your space a mixture of autumn colors with the cozy feel of mason jar décor. If you’re wanting to make the decorating process a craft for you and your friends and family, create your own leaf covered mason jar lanterns to add texture to a room. And since lighting can play a huge role in your living room design, we encourage upgrading lighting fixtures for the fall season. This can be done through placing fall themed lanterns in place of end table lamps.

Kitchen Interior Design
There are a few ways to subtly transform your kitchen for the fall season. Start by swapping your fruit holder for a wicker basket with a liner in a fall color. This easy fall decoration can already begin to make your kitchen feel welcoming for autumn.
Continue the trend from your kitchen into your dining space by investing in fall themed candlesticks to serve as a dining room table centerpiece and to pull in the soft lighting. Of course, an updated fall colored napkin or napkin holder, and appropriately themed glasses also work to tie in the theme.

Bathroom Interior Design
Soft lighting can help achieve a relaxed ambiance, so swap your current bathroom candles for those of orange and yellow hues. You can coordinate the colors of the candles with updated hand towels that speak to the interior design atmosphere you are interested in. Introducing a different soap scent that ties into the fall season is a simple method to energize your bathroom’s interior design for fall. One of our favorites is the method Fig + Rhubarb soap, not only for the smell, but also because the purple color adds a secondary element to break up the warmth of the reds, yellows, and browns.