Preparing for the Interior Design Consultation

If you need renovation help or redecorating help that involves several purchases, then an interior design consultation is one of the first steps in the process. But you may be wondering about this meeting. And now that the consultation is close at hand, you’re probably brimming with excitement as you anticipate a transformation of your living spaces. You want your home or room to look great, feel like you, and you want it to work well too. You want that transformation of your space to be your dream space. Well, Lynteriors will help you create your dream room or home. And the interior design consultation will help us get you there. I provide other types of consultations for DIY projects too. Click the following link to find out more about DIY consultations. https://lynteriors.wordpress.com/designer-by-your-side/

What is an Interior Design Consultation?

It is a meeting between you and me. During the consultation, I will learn about your interior design style preferences and how you want to use the room. I will consider your home’s lighting, the existing floorplan and furnishings. I will also account for the square footage of your project’s space. So I often do measurements too during the consultation.

The interior design consultation will occur in your home, where I will provide you with targeted help that speaks to your specific lifestyle. I assist you with anything design-related, from furniture layout to window treatment solutions that meet your practical and aesthetic goals. It is during this meeting, you show me the space that will be redecorated or renovated too.

Goals of an Interior Design Consultation

 If you have never had an interior design consultation or worked with an interior designer before, you may be a little nervous about it. Also, You may be wondering if and how you should prepare for your first consultation with Lynteriors? I have created this post to answer this question and alleviate any concerns.

Usually, I will send you a questionnaire for you to fill out beforehand. Or I will ask you questions during the consultation. These questions help ensure that the following goals are met during this first meeting. Preparing and sharing the following information with me is the key to a successful consultation. I cannot create a tailored design for your space without this information.  Also, remember that all decision-makers should be there too.

Newmarket, Ontario Family room love seat procured by Lynteriors

The Goals of Your First Interior Design Meeting are to:

  1. Establish a budget and Share It with Your Designer. Knowing how much money you have to spend or what you are comfortable spending is information to share with someone like me who will be guiding you through this process. Sharing your budget with me will save time and enable me to establish what design options you can and cannot afford. If you need help figuring out a budget, I can help you during the first meeting. Also, it is helpful to have realistic expectations about how much you are willing to spend on your home interior design project.
  2. Determine the Project’s Scope and Share It with Your Designer. Show me which rooms are part of your project. And tell me about your redesign project. For example, share with me if these rooms need a renovation or not. Or do you need help choosing the number of furnishings in a room? If so, share with me what pieces you need to purchase. So I can source those pieces and add them to the design concept. With this information, I can create a design concept tailored-made for you.
  3. Determine the Intended Function of the Room. In other words, what activities will be carried out in the room and by whom. I need to know how you plan to use the space now and in the future so that I can design your space to meet your needs.
  4. Have inspiration ideas and photos ready to share. As they say, a picture is worth 1000 words. That is why showing me photos from Pinterest, Houzz, Instagram, or interior design magazines of rooms that you love is important. These photos help me gain insight into what you envision for your interior design project. This exercise allows you to think about what you like and don’t like without worrying about how to identify your “style” in words as well. 
  5. Make Sure All stakeholders and Decision-Makers are Present (if possible). Make sure anyone who is instrumental in the decision-making process attends the consultation. It will save time and potentially money as I bring together possible opposing styles. I can then work to create a sense of cohesion in the project when everyone is there and reaches an agreement on the vision for the project.
  6. Have Existing Drawings and Plans for the House (if possible).
  7. Have questions ready.

Newmarket, Ontario Dining room table and chairs procured by Lynteriors

Homeowner’s Preparation for Consultation Checklist

The following checklist for homeowners to be ready with by the first meeting should help ensure that the project kicks off effectively and efficiently. The more you put into the consultation, the more you will get out of it.

  • Establish a budget
  • Determine the Project’s Scope
  • Determine the Room’s Function
  • Have inspiration ideas and photos to share.
  • Make Sure All stakeholders and Decision-Makers are Present.
  • Have Existing Drawings and Plans for the House
  • Have questions ready.

A room renovation requires a consultation to start the design off properly. Even some redecorating projects involving many decorating elements such as furniture, plus window treatments and lighting require a consultation and concept design to ensure everything in the room coordinates with everything else. I will work with you to develop a new direction for your home or room. The consultation is one of the first steps in the process. I provide other types of consultations for DIY projects. Click the following link to find out more. https://lynteriors.wordpress.com/work-with-me/

I, Lynn Asbury, am the owner of Lynteriors, an interior design firm based in Aurora, Ontario.

Sheers for Privacy

Sheer curtains add privacy to a room during the day. A design idea to incorporate then, is white sheers. It adds to the white colour scheme of the room.

Do you have windows that let in too much sun in the summer? Or do you want to be able to look outside and still have privacy? Sheers may be the solution for you.

The homeowner featured in this post came to me for help in solving these issues. This blog will also talk about the practical and aesthetic benefits of sheers.

Sheers Keep the Sun’s Heat and Excessive Light Out

The heat and light in the afternoon are fierce in my Aurora customer’s living room because her window is west facing.-a, big issue, particularly in the summer. Leaving windows uncovered in a room that receives a large amount of sun may lead to heat gain and excessive light that can create discomfort and hamper the atmosphere inside your house. This was the case for my client.


White sheers are an excellent barrier to solar heat gain in your home during summer. So, closing your sheers during the summer can keep heat out. You can still look through them and enjoy the view out of the window. Other fabric curtains such as thicker weight cotton can help when they are drawn closed too.

Furthermore, sheers filter the harshest of the sun’s rays. They softly diffuse the natural light coming into your room when drawn closed. It screens the light without blocking breezes from your open window. My client wanted to be able to enjoy breezes while her curtains were closed. Sheers were the solution for her. They may be the solution for you, too.

 By using sheers, we blocked out the heat without compromising on the light.  The sheers can then be drawn back on a gloomy day or when the sun changes position or if she wants more of a breeze, giving the client the best of both options.

Windows help frame lovely views such as this flowering tree. It creates a live wall art to view from the room. So it becomes part of the home decor.
Simple sheers give emphasis to the lovely view by framing it

Sheers Provide Privacy

Sheers can help you enjoy a light-filled room. And keep those inquisitive eyes away. Their material is thin enough to let the sunshine in and thick enough to block the inside view.


For my Aurora client, there was a need for daytime privacy because her living room faces the street that the photo above reveals. You can see through sheers when the light shines through them so you can look outside while sitting on your sofa. But no one on the street can see you!

Sheers Frame Windows and Outdoor Views

During the living room photoshoot, we marvelled at the beauty of the homeowner’s flowering tree that we viewed from her window. These sheers framed that view nicely. It acts as a frame for the window and the lovely sight, creating a live wall art. The photo above shows what I mean. Other window treatments such as thicker silk curtains can beautifully frame a window too.

Soft Sheer Curtains are so Versatile

They sit right at home in traditional and modern settings and work beautifully on their own. Sheers can look contemporary or more classic depending on the hardware and the header you select. Sheers work well in a transitional style room, such as the living room in the photo below. And a traditional style living room too.

Sheers add to the summer decor. Sheers work in rooms with different design styles. They work in this transitional living room too.
Aurora, Ontario Living Room Redecorated by Lynteriors

Sheers Provide a Visual Aesthetic Through Colour

The colour of the sheer fabric can be used as a design tool to coordinate, complement and support the interior design. For example, the white sheers in the photo above help to unify the room by adding more white to the design supporting the white colour rhythm in the room.

The colour scheme in the living room above is neutral with wood tones, dark gray and white. The white sheers coordinate with and complement the dark gray sofa and wood-tone furniture. It supports the neutral white, gray and wood-toned colour scheme.

Sheer Curtains Provide a Simple Sense of Beauty

White sheer contributes a lot to brightening up your room. Its transparency makes your room appear bigger.

They create a light and airy feeling in your room. You want this in a summer window treatment and perhaps all year round.

Sheers also add a beautiful translucent look that softens the feel of a room. The sheer curtains in the photo below lighten and brighten the room. It softens the stream-lined look of the modern sofa too.

Furthermore, they are the perfect look you need when staging a room. So if you think you will be moving soon, white sheers are the few curtains appropriate for staging.

The white sheers support the interior design of the room. They add more white to the room. They are a great window treatment to use for home staging.
Sheers procured by Lynteriors

Final Words-The Main Points to Remember About Sheers

  1. Sheers and other curtains add to the Interior Design
  2. Windows bring the outside in and window treatments frame that view
  3. They keep the heat out and excessive light out
  4. Sheers provide privacy but you can still look out the window when they are drawn closed

If you are interested in incorporating sheers or other window treatments in your home, Lynteriors can help. Call Lynteriors at 416-721-6217 for a free discovery call!

I, Lynn Asbury, am the owner of Lynteriors, an interior design firm based in Aurora, Ontario.

Why Does Your Sofa’s, Construction Matter?

Many of you may have a sofa or chair that squeaks, sags or wobbles and needs replacement. And if you have not bought one yet, read on to find out how to avoid these problems. The materials and methods used to construct your sofa and chairs will ultimately determine how comfortable and long-lasting your furniture will be. The frame’s material, construction, and suspension are the three factors affecting whether your upholstered furniture will sag or not. So the key is to start with a solid foundation: Strong frames and springs.

The frame supports the entire construction—plus the weight of all the people who sit on it for years. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending good money on a sofa that will not last, no matter how gorgeous it is.

Most elements of sofa construction are not visible to you, but they can make the difference between one that will last a few years and one you can hand down with pride. Furthermore,  a high-quality frame keeps it out of landfill.

Since I am aware of this as an interior designer, I am careful to check how the manufacturers build the frame and suspension. Rest assured, Lynteriors has high standards regarding frames and springs found in your upholstered furniture procured by me.

What to Look for in a Quality Upholstery frame

  • hardwood or engineered hardwood with at least 7 layers of solid hardwood
  • double dowel joints
  • corner blocks
  • joints reinforced with glue or screws or staples

RULE 1: A SOFA IS ONLY AS GOOD AS ITS FRAME.

Frame Material:

For a sofa to last for more than a couple of years, it must be built on a sturdy frame. Pine typically has knots, so it is prone to crack or warp. Other softwoods can sag too. Hardwoods are stronger than softwoods, so these problems are less pronounced.


Furthermore, kiln-dried hardwood is the most reliable choice for durable sofa frames. Kiln-drying removes any water in the wood. Moisture in the wood can warp the wood over time. So kiln drying makes the hardwood frame even stronger. For example, Perri’s Fine Furniture uses kiln-dried maple hardwood to produce its frames. Perri offers a lifetime warranty on all frames. If a piece has a lifetime warranty it implies that the frame was put together well.

You want to make sure your frame isn’t going to warp or crack, so you should only consider buying sofas made with kiln-dried hardwood or engineered hardwood. That said, engineered hardwood is a broad category of materials, which means it’s harder to determine quality. You want to avoid any engineered woods that are listed as medium-density fiberboard (MDF), particle board, or inexpensive standard plywood. The best-engineered hardwood is made by pressing at least seven layers of solid hardwood wood together to create a material that is exceptionally strong.

For example, Van Gogh Furniture Designs has engineered hardwood frames with seven layers of solid hardwood that make up their frames. So sofas, loveseats and lounge chairs made by them will last a long time.

Any factory can assemble a frame made of particleboard and MDF with loads of glue. And when you try it out, that sofa might feel sturdy enough. But with use, sags and squeaks develop and in some cases, even the entire frame will develop a wobble. Big box stores like Ikea sell sofas made of laminated veneer lumber, plywood, particleboard, and fiberboard mixed in with solid wood. So their warranty is often only for 10 years. Unfortunately, these frames will lead to sagging over time. Buyers beware!

Rule 2: Frame Construction Needs to be Considered too

Corner block reinforcing a corner of a chair. It is further reinforced with screws and staples. As you can see, this one is reinforced with screws.

Furniture is made by joining pieces of wood together. So it’s the sturdiness of the joints that leads to upholstered furniture getting wobbly. And to it even breaking. Solid types of joints to look for are:

  • Mortise and Tendon:  This produces the strongest joint. And it is used when two pieces of wood meet at a 90-degree angle. One part of the joint has a hole, and the other is cut to fit into that hole.
  • Double Dowel: A dowel is a small, wooden cylinder. It gets inserted into a small round hole drilled into two pieces of wood to hold them together. It is likely to loosen over time, though. Unless the joint is reinforced with corner blocks.
  • Corner Block Reinforced: When there is a corner, an extra piece of wood is placed at an angle and screwed into place.
  • Reinforced Joinery: The joint is then reinforced with glue, screws, or staples

Check that your upholstered furniture is connected by mortise-and-tenon or double dowels. If they’re only glued or stapled together, the sofa or chair will not last long. Also, the corners of chairs or sofas need enforcement with corner blocks. At Perris Fine Furniture, the corners are double-dowelled and reinforced with corner blocks which screw into place. So you know your sofa or chair will last a long time.

An example of a saggy sofa

RULE 3: Good Quality Springs Prevent Saggy, Squeaky Sofas Too

 The springs refer to the suspension, which is the part of the sofa under the cushions. The springs ensure you don’t end up sitting on the floor!

  • Eight-Way Hand-Tied Web and Coil: It is the most costly option. But it is the mark of a high-quality piece of furniture. Numerous coil springs are supported by metal or fabric webbing. Also, the springs are secured to one another with twine. They are hand-tied in eight different spots per spring that link each spring to the next. This construction method keeps the springs from shifting. They also ensure the suspension won’t start to squeak over time and ensures longevity. At Perris, most pieces are available as web and coil.
  • Drop-In and Pocket Coil Springs: Drop-in coils are coils mounted on a metal frame. They are a less labour-intensive and less costly version of a spring suspension. And they are added to the furniture as a single piece. This system isn’t supported on the bottom. So it will start to sag before other suspension types. There are a lot of metal-to-metal contacts, which can lead to squeaking. Some manufacturers will take these drop-in systems and add twine. They then call them eight-way hand-tied even though they aren’t the real thing. Pocket coils are similar to what you’d find inside a mattress. They are coils wrapped individually in fabric. It seems to be of higher quality than the drop-in coil option.
  • Sinuous springs: It’s the most common suspension in low-to-mid-priced sofas. This suspension is made of zigzagging pieces of metal set in rows running perpendicular to the front of the chair or sofa. Some people say that eight-way hand-tied is the best. Other people say that sinuous springs can perform just as well at a lower cost. Sinuous-spring sofas are indeed less expensive than eight-way hand-tied. If properly made, they will perform better than a drop-in spring system. The steel wires need to be at least 8-gauge though. Perri Fine Furniture and Van Gogh Furniture manufacturers both offer these types of springs too.
Love seat procured by Lynteriors from Van Gogh Furniture. It is made with an engineered solid hardwood frame and 8-gauge sinuous springs

There you go—this is how I curate a long-lasting sofa or chair here at Lynteriors. You don’t have to worry about these criteria because every sofa procured by Lynteriors is built on a solid foundation.

A sofa doesn’t just need to look pretty or feel comfortable. It has to be made well and has quality bones. This is the key to sofa longevity! If you have questions about upholstered furniture frames and suspensions, contact me at asburylynn@gmail.com.

I, Lynn Asbury, am the owner of Lynteriors, an interior design firm based in Aurora, Ontario.

A Spring Decorating Tip for Affordably Refreshing Your Rooms: Slipcovers

Redecorated living room in Aurora Ont. by Lynteriors

It is spring, so you may be thinking of refreshing your furniture and your space. Especially if your sofa, loveseat, or chair has seen better days! One solution is to give an update to your tired furniture with a slipcover.

A slipcover is a fitted or loosely fitted piece of cover material that slips over a piece of furniture. Custom-ordered slipcovers fit snuggly over your existing furniture. But other slipcovers come in a loose-fitting style. Read on to find out more about slipcovers. And why slipcovers may be the solution to your decorating problems.

An Affordable Decorating Idea: Slipcovers

Cottage great room decorated by Lynteriors

I think you can have a beautiful home if you want one. But buying a brand new sofa from your local furniture store can be expensive. Even if you have a small interior decorating budget, there’s still plenty you can do to create a stylish, inviting home for yourself.

For example, you can save by not replacing furniture. Have you ever wanted to change the style or character of a room but could not afford new furniture? Well, there is a solution, and it is called slipcovers. Rather than buying an entirely new sofa or loveseat, purchase a simple slipcover to give your space a new look. Slipcovers are a stylish accessory that lets you change your home’s look on a whim.


The chair slipcover pictured above stretches to accommodate the contours of your chair. And it attaches to the chair by its elastic edge. The ivory white coloured slipcover updates this cottage’s great room giving it a rustic modern farmhouse look.

Slipcovers: A Room Accessory that Changes the Room’s Look

After photo: Decorated living room in Aurora, Ontario

There has been a renewed interest in the interior design industry for slipcovers and the popularity of a more informal interior design. Loose-fitting slipcovers create a relaxed style such as the modern farmhouse style. Or it supports a beachy vibe in a cottage or lake house too.

The slipcover above changed the look of the traditional-style living room in Aurora, Ontario. Below is the before photo of the living room. A looser fitting style allows the covers to fit more pieces of furniture too. The slipcover above fits a variety of sofa sizes because it is loose-fitting.


This slipcover has ties which help it fit the contours of curved arms. Furthermore, this slipcover can be tucked into the sides of the sofa to ensure fit. It gives the living room and the sofa a modern farmhouse style feel, even though they looked more traditional at first.


A perfectly fitting slipcover looks so polished you can’t even tell it’s not a permanent part of your sofa. If you prefer a more polished look, you can get slipcovers to fit snugly. But you’ll need to custom order these types of slipcovers. Lynteriors can help you with this.

Before photo: Aurora, Ontario living room and traditional style sofa before the slipcover was added

Protect Your Furniture with a Slip Cover

If temporary protection of your furniture is what you have on your mind, then slipcovers are a great way to protect your prized pieces of furniture if your situation for wanting a change is due to young children or pets. They can protect your sofa from stains and damage.

They are great too if you have a cottage or pool as well. Since slipcovers protect your sofas from outside dirt.

Many Slipcovers are Machine Washable

And the fact that it’s removable means you can easily pop it into the wash. If your pet or child soil the slipcover, it is easily removable, and most are machine washable. Check that it is machine washable if that is why you want one.

Home Staging and Slipcovers

Summary

Slipcovers may be the solution to your decorating problems. Your slipcover can give your tired sofa, loveseat or chair a magazine-worthy makeover. Slipcovers create a clean minimal look: especially if the fabric has a neutral colour such as white.


Also, a white slipcover is another option if you need to stage your home or cottage. But do not want to rent furniture.


Finally, they are budget-friendly, they protect your furniture, and many are machine washable. Feel free to contact me at 416-721-6217 if you have any questions. I will be glad to answer them.

I, Lynn Asbury, am the owner of Lynteriors.

4 Spring Home Decorating Ideas

Spring is here, and a seasonal refresh may be what you are after. After all, the change from winter to spring requires a wardrobe change. So you may want to give your home a seasonal update and refresh too. Furthermore, as winter turns to spring, you may crave nature more than anything. So you may, like me, want to surround yourself with items that bring that sense of nature to the inside of your home.

Read on if you are thinking about renewing your space by redecorating.

By Lynteriors, an interior design company in Aurora, Ontario

1. Green is Trending for Spring 2022

More than purely decorative, colour creates a mood in a space. This means it can change how you feel in your home. So it is key to making your house feel like home. Neutral colours, earth colours and blue are trending this spring, but so is green.

Green is everywhere in interiors right now. It’s synonymous with nature and calming qualities, which could explain its popularity for creating a mood in a room. For example, Benjamin Moore picked a stem-green colour for their colour of the year called October mist. It is a soft sage shade that is nature-inspired. Plus, it looks good with wood tones.

Since it is trending, green is a colour to use when decorating. But it is a great colour to use in home staging too.

2. Change Out Home Accessories such as Pillows

Home office chair with a green pillow as an accent colour

Spring has always been the season of pastels. The muted green accent pillow in my home office helps to refresh this room. And it brings that spring feel into it too.

Furthermore, green is the perfect hue if you want a peaceful feel in your space. If you are like me, you may find you work better in a calm environment. In which case, green is the perfect accent colour for your home office too.

I am a home stager as well. So I think about staging often. I know that painting a wall green, particularly dark green or vibrant green, takes a long time. It takes even longer to repaint. And dark green walls need to be painted a neutral colour such as white, gray, and beige when you want to stage your home. But adding pastel green pillows or darker green pillows to a room takes minutes. They are also easier to remove than repainting your walls.

Staged by Home on Stage, the staging branch of Lynteriors

Green is an accent color for wall art, throw pillows, and things like that—and [in] lots of different shades. Green is also fast becoming the new black for glassware, ceramics, and cozy accessories. So in other situations, it is used as a neutral color. For example, I used it in my home office as an accent colour.

In a neutral colour scheme, green would be considered a neutral colour. So, it would be considered a neutral colour in the staged living room in the photo above. In other words, if you added a floor plant to a neutral coloured room, the green in the plant would be considered a neutral colour.

3. PICK OUT A LEAFY DESIGN FOR A SERENE FEEL

Home staging by Lynteriors

A color psychologist will tell you that green is the most tranquil of shades; add an element of nature to your room’s design, and you’ll maximize the effect. Therefore, if you’re after green room ideas that will create a serene space, a leafy green wall art could do the trick.

So two of the new trends are uplifting greens and botanical motifs which are coming inside the home in everything from wall art to pillows. The wall art in my home office is an abstract piece featuring muted gray leaves with a touch of green. Above is the same wall art and pillows in another home office that I home staged.

4. Interior Design Using Greenery

Using greenery as home decor

The connection with nature can be presented through plant-focused decor such as the leaf-themed wall art mentioned above or by physically bringing plants into your space. I added an artificial plant in a white pot to my home office. Whether your goal is to bring nature inside or to freshen up your home office with natural hues, live or artificial plants is another way to achieve these goals. This spring creating a calming environment by incorporating plants into your room is another spring decor idea you may want to consider.

Summary:

Space planning and furniture procurement by Lynteriors an interior decorator in Aurora, Ontario

Sprucing up your home office or other rooms for the spring season ahead can be a source of joy. And sometimes, incorporating a few fresh changes is all you need to do to prepare your rooms for the spring season.

I wanted to bring the outdoors in. I also wanted to create a tranquil home office. I did this by adding a grey green-leafed abstract wall art, pastel green pillows, and artificial plants. I hope these ideas inspire you to liven up your interiors today too!

Also, I am wondering, are you interested in receiving free design tips and tricks monthly like the ideas above? These tips, though, go straight into your inbox. Furthermore, perhaps your spring decorating project includes purchasing new furniture. But you are not sure what size furniture to pick?

So, as a thank you gift for subscribing, you will also receive a complimentary guide. It will explain how to size your furnishings. So, they fit your space. Click the button below to subscribe and receive the gift!

Yes! Send it to Me!

I, Lynn Asbury, am the founder of Lynteriors which provides interior decorating services in the York Region, in Aurora, Ontario, and in the surrounding area.

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