April Stay Home - Free Designer for a Day (Vol. 8)

You are not wrong, it is MAY. And, frankly, we’re more than halfway through. But, we had so many amazing submissions to our “Free Designer for a Day in April” that we’re continuing to answer the questions and provide some transformation advice. And today we’re chatting through an exterior design question! Which is perfect for this time of year as everyone is getting excited for more outdoor time and there are sales upon sales in the world of outdoor furniture.

Question - I have an "outdoor" design question for you: A few summers ago, I purchased a patio dining table at a tent sale. It was a great deal so I stored it away thinking I'd get the matching chairs later on. A few years have gone by and I've just pulled the table out of storage, wondering if I could pair a different type of chair with it (rather than something that's part of the set, and hopefully at a more reasonable price-point). My patio is uncovered so the chair would need to be resistant to weather (we'd store everything away in the winter though!). Is it possible to mix materials when it comes to outdoor dining? 

And here is a photo of her awesome table. It looks like it’s in perfect condition.

So the short answer is YES! You can absolutely mix metals with outdoor furniture. Here’s the trick when mixing any metal (whether indoor or outdoor): make it obvious. Don’t make it a question of “Are they a match? They look really close…but not quite…hmmm…” or “Are the chairs just dirty?” or “Maybe they were a match, but the table wore worse than the chairs?”.

Keep it obvious and eclectic. This is especially true when you’re working with brass, bronze, pewter or iron because there is no “standard” for those tones. Aged Brass at Pottery Barn may be very different than Aged Brass at Ballard Designs. Nickel and Chrome, however, are standard. So you should (hypothetically) be able to buy those finishes from different retailers and match everything perfectly.

Now, let’s talk about the existing table. It’s great for some non-matching dining chairs because its style is neutral. It’s not uniquely ornate nor does it nod to one particular genre (mid-century, rustic, etc.). It also looks like a matte black finish, which works with all sorts of colors and finishes. Black is also, hypothetically, a standard finish. So, this homeowner could actually buy other black chairs to “match”, but we’re going to pose some ideas for a curated look.

Everything comes in multiple colors (so click through to see more options) and everything is on SALE. Prices below reflect the sale.

1. “Cactus” color metal chair - $693 for a set of 2

2. White frame with neutral woven back - $59.95

3. All-Weather wicker stackable chair in charcoal - $249

4. Gray nautical rope chair - $279.98 for set of 2

5. Eucalyptus wood chair - $76.99

6. Slope chair in natural with black frame - $224.25

7. White metal bistro chair - $134.25

8. Light weight gray stacking chair - $143 for set of 2

One last tip - there is a difference between true outdoor furniture and “patio” or “covered porch” furniture...so know what you’re buying!

That’s all for now. I’m keeping it short so I can head outside and enjoy this weather!!!

- Leah

*this post contains affiliate links*

5 Tips to Help You Care for Your Plants - We Swear They are Really Easy

If you were lucky enough to hop on our plant train before quarantine hit, then you may be finding yourself in deep and surrounded by all sorts of lovely greenery in your home. And if you are like us, you may have even started talking to your plants at some point during these 7 plus weeks of being stuck at home, no judgement, really, we too are a hot minute away from becoming best friends with a volleyball, Wilson!!!!

Tip 1 - Make a Schedule

Set a certain time each week to care for your plants, I water mine every Friday, it’s just burned into my brain at this point. It’s actually become my special zen time, I slow sip a cup of coffee and mozy around the house to water my 30 plus plants and do a general wellness check on them. 

Tip 2 - Know Your Plant

When you bring your plants home, it’s important to keep track of your cast of characters. You will need to know the names of your plants so that down the line you can easily look up some tips online if you come across a problem or two. We like to make a cheat sheet, a simple excel doc will do, with your plant name and location in your home, we even give these to our clients after our installs.

Tip 3 - Change with the Season

It’s a good idea to do a wellness check every once in a while, and think about how happy your plant is looking in its current location? Plants change and grow just like we do, and their needs change as well. Seasonal changes can affect your plants, and a once heavenly lit sunny window in the winter months can turn into a burning inferno and overheat your plants come summer. Pay attention to the changes in your plants and experiment with new locations that may better suit their individual needs.

Tip 4 - Spring is Special

Spring time, like right now if you are in the Northern Hemisphere, is a great time to add some extra nutrients to your plant care routine, throw in some fertilizer into your weekly watering routine to help boost plant growth during their active growing season. Just like a sleepy bear that hibernates all winter, your plants are now waking up from their winter slumber, and they are hungry, be a good plant mama and feed yo’ babies! Just be sure not to pour water with fertilizer on your actual plant leaves, which can scorch them, focus your watering skills on the soil.

Tip 5 - Do Not Overwater

If you are still with me, bless your heart, I am deep into my favorite subject here, so if you take nothing else away, this is the one tip to remember. Please do not overwater your plants. Most plants meet their doom by too much water, too much water literally drowns the plants and causes a host of nasty conditions like root rot, and this is no bueno. 

Gear Up!

Time to get you geared up with some pretty plant care accessories, this will be sure to make your plant care routine that much more enjoyable, kind of like buying yourself some “nice” workout gear in hopes that they will motivate you to actually workout, but instead you just end up lounging around your house in said fancy workout gear, or is that just me?  I digress, it is actually nice to have some fun accessories as part of your routine, some that would even make Martha Stewart proud, life goals!!!

Below are links to some of our favorite plant gear, and as a bonus, they are all from small businesses, and as we know this is a great time to support small businesses.

Unleash your inner plant lady with these fun planters, they are perfect to brighten up your kids room or just make you smile, we love things that don’t take themselves too seriously!

These planters are minimal, neutral, just perfect. Will make any plant look like a pretty lady!

These modern concrete cuties come in an array of colors. We need these in all the colors, but blush and gray are our favorites.

Now a true plant lady needs the proper gear, and we love these gardening shears, they are perfect for pruning and keeping your plants from getting to unruly.

Great little watering can to take your watering routine to the next level.

If you are a newly anointed plant lady, welcome to the club. Grab a few of these classic cuttings and you will be well on your way.

Philodendron “Glorious”

Watermelon Peperomia argyreia (Peperomia argyreia)

Pilea Peperomioides Plant, Chinese Money Plant

If you just can’t jump on the “real plant” train, we get you,  you can still add some lovely botanical art to your home to help bring the outdoors in.

Here are some of our favorites pieces.

We love the minimal, clean lines of these sketches. (link here)

Again we love the clean lines, and really love the color blocking. (link here)

A simple botanical photo is always a go-to. (link here)

That’s a wrap, we hope that we have inspired you to embrace your inner plant lady and to take the plunge and bring some lovely greens into your home. For us, a space doesn’t feel complete without some of these beauties. Don’t forget to share your journey along with us by using the hashtag #grayoakplantclub.

- Sonia

*This post contains affiliate links*

April Stay Home - Free Designer for a Day (Vol. 7)

It’s May, but we are still working through all the submissions we received for our Free Designer for a Day in April. And we will continue to answer them all. So, if you are waiting for an answer to your question - hold tight, it’s coming!

Today we’re talking about layout, paint colors, built-ins and metal finishes. It’s another VERY long blog post, so get yourself ready. Maybe quick use the bathroom. We have a lot to share.

Question - I’m stumped what to do with furniture placement as it’s a very awkward room.  Along the wall with the dresser and computer desk we are thinking of doing built-ins tied together with a bench under the window. We would like to find a spot to put a couch, or small sectional if possible. We want to get a piano as well (probably an upright). I would like a clean, bright space with maybe texture through bamboo blinds, baskets etc and colour through pillows and art.  Also, should I paint the side door and patio door a contrasting colour or leave them white? Same with the built ins we are building. Also don’t know what metal(s) to use.  Black or brushed pewter, brass? Any help would be appreciated!!

Let’s start with the trickiest part of this transformation - the layout. This is a difficult room for several reasons: the shape, each wall has a window/door/stairs and (for us) we don’t have the actual measurements.

Let’s look at some photos and try to wrap our heads around it.

Here is one side of the room. In the far right corner of the photo to the left there is a nook…shown in the photo to the right. It’ll all make sense in a bit.

And here is the other side of the room.

The other factor we considered when developing a layout is all the furniture the homeowner wants to add to the space - an upright piano and a sofa or small sectional. She also wondered about adding built-ins and a bench centered around the window in the images below.

We came up with two layout options. Without being able to measure all those walls and nooks, we wanted to give a couple options.

You’ll notice that we did not specify a sectional. Here’s the thing about sectionals - they require a really big space or they cut off traffic flow. They also vastly limit layout options because they’re just really big themselves. As a result, we rarely specify them.

You’ll also notice that neither option includes the built-in considered by the homeowner. We love built-ins - they add beauty, function and character - but they’re permanent. This is a smallish, awkward shaped, “bonus” room and installing anything permanent is a bit risky. So, no built-in. But fear not, we’ve got lots of beauty, function and character.

Option 1

For this option, we are creating two lounge spaces with a piano in the middle. There are a pair of armchairs for a sit and chat spot at the top of the stairs. Then, tucked into the nook is a sofa for a cozy, book reading, afternoon napping spot. We love the idea of the sofa taking the entire width of the nook and a floating shelf or art ledge behind the sofa. Check out these inspiration images.

IMAGE SOURCE

IMAGE SOURCE

And here is our first mood board.

The prices below are the full price, but most items are currently on sale! Click through to see the current price.

Chair and a Half - Price varies by fabric (She may want to try this layout with her existing loveseat…if it fits. Trying a layout for a few days before committing to new furniture is always a great plan)

Ottoman - $200

Rug - Price varies by size

Library Sconce (plug-in or hardwired) -

Art Ledge - Price varies by size (length and stain color are customized)

Leather Armchairs - Price varies by leather choice

Black Side Table - $170

Floor Mirror - $500 (The homeowner could also relocate her existing mirror at the top of the stairs)

Palmetto Leaves Art Prints - $4

Wood Frame - $30

Option 2

For this option, we are placing the piano in the nook and creating one, larger, lounge area. We love the idea of a grid gallery wall next to the sofa. Something floor to ceiling. And she could even add the library sconce (from Option 1) above everything. Check out this inspiration.

IMAGE SOURCE

And here is our mood board.

Again, click through to see the current sale price!

Rug - Price varies by size

Sofa - $900

Pouf - $180

Blue Swivel Chair - Price varies by fabric choice

Rug - Price varies by size

Blue Pillow (on sofa) - $30

Gray and White Grid Pillow (on sofa) - $26

Faux Indoor Tree - $130

Floor Lamp - $250

Tree Ring Art Prints (Set of 9) - $225 (The sconce from Option 1 could be used above the gallery wall)

Creating a Clean, Bright Space

The wall color and the lighting are important for keeping the room clean and bright. We recommend white or pale gray/beige on all the walls. We have a great blog post on popular white paint colors - here. We also recommend adding recessed lights to the ceiling and task lighting (sconces, floor lamp, etc.). For the furniture, she can go with lighter fabrics on the upholstered items to create a real white-on-white-on-light feel. And she can use a natural or washed out jute rug, like the option below (this one also comes in ivory and light gray):

Our Lowell Project is an example of using a very light, neutral palette. Even the decor is light. When going this direction, it’s important to turn the “texture factor” on high volume with lots chunky knit fabrics and lots of woven accents.

LOWELL PROJECT by GRAY OAK STUDIO

Painting the Door

Should she paint the French doors a contrasting color? Nah. Unless she paints the French doors and all the trim in the room (baseboard, window trim) a contrasting color. For example - white walls with beige or gray…or greige trim. Otherwise, we don’t think the French doors are a big enough moment in the room to go different than the walls and trim.

Choosing Metal Decor

We talked about metal finishes in Volume 1 of this series - in the context of door knobs. The general advice we give when choosing a metal finish, whether its door hardware or curtain rods or decor, is stick with two throughout your home…three if you’re feeling confident. You want repetition in a space to make it feel cohesive. It’s a classic non-answer answer. But, truthfully, all metal finishes have a place in the right room, it’s a matter of considering the room as a whole and the general vibe and look you want.

If you’ve made it this far, well done.

- Leah

*This post contains affiliate links*