Northern Virginia's Award Winning Interior Decorator Lauren Riddiough Clement

30 Under 30--Top Young Professionals in Loudoun County

2011-06-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

This past friday I was chosen to be one of Loudoun County's top 30 under 30 young business professionals. What an honor! Jeff, from the Leesburg Today stopped in my office to snap a few photos and ask me a few questions for his write up. The publication will be on newsstands this wednesday!

The Results Are In!

2011-06-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

Decorating Den Interiors hosted its 27th annual "Dream Room Design Contest" in Phoenix, Arizona on May 24, 2011. Editors from Better Homes and Gardens, Traditional Home, and Cottage Living were among the industry leaders making up the panel of judges. The contest showcases real client homes across the nation which have undergone complete transformations through the inspiration and design of Decorating Den Interior's decorators.
Two of my rooms were awarded first place titles: one for the Family Room category and the other for a Children's Room!

I also received a 2nd place award in the Miscellaneous Category for a stylish teen study!

If you would like to start creating the room of your dreams contact us today!

First Place-Family Room

First Place-Children's Room

Second Place-Miscellaneous Category

2011-03-09T18:14:00.001-08:00

A LIVING ROOM ARRANGED AROUND MUSIC

Decorating a room is a bit like scoring music for a movie. An appealing design plan considers the room's purpose and the people who will inhabit it, in the same way an engaging music composition underscores the film's script and the actors portraying their roles. The "before" picture of the poorly arranged room, absent of window treatments and a rug, is as sterile as a movie without a soundtrack. Homeowner Carol Cave was determined to change that image.

Carol came from a family of musically talented people where she was used to the background of a piano or violin being played. She envisioned creating a comfortable setting in the living room of her charming new home where family and friends could gather to play music and listen to her son Billy playing the guitar and piano. Under the able direction of two talented Decorating Den interior decorators, Adrian Halperin and Toni Hall, the barren space was transformed into a living room with an award-living vibe.

The decorators' first move was to position the piano between the two windows facing the entranceway, providing the room with a strong focal point. A pillow covered bench and two chairs define a pleasing lounge atmosphere, while the hefty ottoman can be used as extra seating, or a place to set down a tray for serving wine. Anchoring the conversational grouping is an oriental style area rug that also helps to soften the hardwood floor.

What truly made the room come alive is the choice of the mellow color tones of gold and cream, accented with vibrant crimson and stunning black. Lush drapery panels with contrasting loose swags trimmed in red and gold ball trim, hung on bronze rods, added drama to the existing practical window shades.

No room would be complete without those final professional decorator touches. Note the gorgeous pillows and table lamps, and the oversized black and gold mirror flanked by a pair of torchiere-styled wall sconces.

Carol Cave said, "This Christmas my family gathered to play music and just celebrate the joy in the room that Adrian and Toni designed. The room has brought so much warmth to our home and family. We now have the next generation of musicians joining in the festivities...luckily there is plenty of seating for all."

One of my greatest pleasures is seeing homes decorated by Decorating Den's interior decorators. Recently I visited with Carol in her gracious home where I was given the special treat of listening to an eager Billy playing a Dave Matthews composition on the guitar. What makes this living room exceptional is that it is not just for looking, it is a place for a family to watch a rising star who no doubt one day will be composing the musical score to his own story.

Readers, why not give your living room a purpose, one that will encourage you and your family to take advantage of this often neglected space.

Here are a few of my latest rooms!

2011-02-26T19:22:00.000-08:00

This hip and trendy bathroom allows for this 14 year old the coolest place in the house to get ready each morning.

This happens to be my daughter, Finley's nursery. She has the most beautiful room in the house! I love just sitting with her in her rocker and taking it all in.

This masculine bathroom serves as the home office bathroom for this homeowner. The rich wallpaper was the starting point for this fabulous space.

Dress Yourself, Dress Your Home: How Fashion and Decorating Work Together

2011-02-26T19:13:00.001-08:00

Every morning, we walk into our closets and peruse the shelves for the outfit that will give us the strength to conquer the day. If you think about it, our clothing truly does make us feel strong, empowered, flirty, sexy, professional or carefree. We dress ourselves for a particular feeling that we are trying to evoke. Decorating your home is very much the same way. We want to surround ourselves with colors, patterns, textures and lines that make us feel good. For example, in our family rooms we tend to decorate for comfort. In a living room, a feeling of formality is typically preferred. In a master bedroom I usually get asked to create a place of serenity and restfulness. I then create a design plan full of colors, textures, fabrics and styles that when all used together evoke a certain feeling for that particular room. You can think of it this way, the stilettos that you stepped into this morning are analogous to the accent pillows placed on your living room sofa. They are the finishing touch!

Since the relationship between decorating yourself and your home are so close, you might expect the trends in each field to also be closely linked. Well, you would be correct! In fact, most interior decorating trends follow the fashion trends set by designers all over the world. For example, large scale prints are going to be everywhere in 2011. In the past, large prints were understated and small geometric prints took center stage. We have come full circle and are back to highlighting the bold prints. Large scale florals, natural scenes featuring birds, bugs and branches, for example, are hot trends to see not only on pillows but on accent chairs, draperies and even bedding. If you flip through any women’s fashion catalog, you will see many blouses, dresses and skirts all featuring these same print styles. It is time to have fun with pattern and let your imagination flow! One pattern in particular that is making a huge comeback is paisley. You will be seeing a lot of this traditional print but look for it in modern, bold colors.

Another design trend that will be important this year is color. The Pantone color of 2011 is…..Honeysuckle! This bright color will be seen throughout the design and fashion industry. You may see a great pair of capri pants or a flirty skirt in this fun color. Honeysuckle adds color to any outfit and looks great on just about every skin tone. It is also a great color to use when decorating your home. Honeysuckle will add life and the element of cheerfulness to any room in your home. For example, this color could be great as a pillow against a white sofa for a fresh, modern look. It could be paired with a chocolate fabric on a pair of draperies or on a chair. Honeysuckle accessories could be brought in to transform a room for the Spring and Summer seasons. The key to using this color is to balance it with other more subdued colors so that it stands out without competing.

Don’t these trends sound great?! Bold patterns, bright colors, now what else is there to consider? Textures and styles. Linen is going to be huge in 2011. Going along with the overall feel of natural fibers and patterns, the use of linen fits right in. Draperies, chairs, accent pillows and bedding are all great places to use linen or even a burlap texture. The look of linen can be very casual and relaxing or it can be dressed up by adding trim or banding to draperies or a great silk throw pillow on a chair. It is a timeless fiber that will be long lasting and will go in a variety of color schemes. A Honeysuckle accent paired with a linen look would be fabulous! As for the style and lines of the pieces in a room, we are seeing more of a sleek, straight lined look. While the transitional style still remains the popular, the trend is more towards the modern and going away from the traditional. The furniture styles are leaning towards more straight and simplistic with the focus being on the color, texture and patterns of the fabric in the room. Again, by looking through most any fashion magazine you will also see these same trends reflected in the designer’s collections. Lots of linen pants, skirts, dresses will be found on the runway for all of the same reasons. This fabric is comfortable, allows you to move in it and can be dressed up or down depending on it’s purpose. As for the lines and style of an ensemble, most pieces are made with clean lines and the accessories dress them up.

As you can see, the design and fashion worlds tend to align in more ways than one. Just as you like to feel complete by the clothes that you wear, the décor of your home is just as important. At the end of the day, you should come home to a space that does exactly what you need it to do. Maybe your sofa needs to act just like your favorite pair of pajamas or your living room needs to function for you on the weekends like your favorite little black dress does for you on a Friday night. Does your home reflect your personal style? I am excited to help you answer this question. Schedule your complimentary consultation today.

It's the Little Things: How to Finish a Room with Accessories

2011-01-17T17:52:00.001-08:00

All women love jewelry, right? Well, accessories are just like jewelry for our homes! Often times, clients call me and say, “Lauren, help! I have my big pieces…sofa, chairs, occasional tables but the room just does not feel finished.” In other words, it is my job to pull the room together; find the earrings, necklace and scarf that will complete the ensemble. Sometimes the accessories can be the most difficult part of the design process for my clients to visualize. Some general rules of thumb are: think in odd numbers, scale, scale, scale, and color and texture--think pop!

First, our brains want us to decorate very symmetrically. Sometimes symmetrical is okay but often times not in accessorizing. For example, when placing candlesticks, think about using three instead of two. Using odd numbers, 1, 3 or 5, provides visual interest for our eyes to be drawn from one object to the next as opposed to boring our minds with matching sets of objects.

Another example of smart styling uses scale to create a unique display. When accessorizing a bookshelf or entertainment center, try to place objects of different shapes and sizes together to create an interesting arrangement. You may want to combine picture frames of different sizes or stack one frame on top of a book to give it more height than its companion frame. Just like placing objects in odd numbers creates visual interest, so does arranging items of different heights, widths, and diameters together. A large beautiful mirror could be framed by two sconces on either side. The smaller scale of the sconces will allow the gorgeous mirror to pop in the room and be automatically noticed. Think about your sofa, ideally, your pillows are arranged so that you have a couple of varying sizes and shapes. A unique pillow arrangement can also make a bed look full and luxurious and styled just right.

The last element to accessorizing is color and texture. Remember those pillows we just placed? Well the fabrics that they are in are just as important as their size and shape. Varying the textures of the fabrics as well as the prints and colors will provide the wow factor in a room and can serve as the thread that ties everything together. If you have a neutral palette in a room but want to warm up the space a bit, bring in a bold color in items such as pillows, a snazzy ceramic jar or a large bowl on the coffee table. Repeating the pop of color in a few elements helps the plan to make sense. If you have a room with bold colors, try using accessories with more neutral tones. For example, an ivory throw on a chocolate sofa would lighten up an otherwise heavy piece.

When planning a whole room design, I always make sure to leave room in the budget for accessories. Once the large pieces of a room are in place, the necessary accessories become more visible. Therefore, they are the last pieces to go in a room to add the finishing touches and to give the room a cohesive and finished look. Although small, accessories can be difficult to place yet crucial to the design plan. Remember to consider your color scheme, size and scale, and truly force yourself to push the envelope and bring in pieces in odd numbers. Allow yourself to have statement pieces such as a wow mirror or a large ceramic artichoke or lamp that screams unique find! Play around with your existing pieces and let your creativity flow! And don’t forget, accessories are like jewelry, sometimes you just have to splurge on that perfect piece.

A Divine Dining Room

2010-12-19T18:08:00.000-08:00

A formal dining room is often a room that gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list as it may only be used a few times throughout the year. When you are ready to turn your focus onto this room of your home, look what can happen! In this fabulous dining room there are several statement pieces that all come together to create a modern yet warm and inviting place to entertain family and friends.

Not only is this room stunning to look at but it is also functional! The sleek chairs are upholstered in a faux leather, making them very easy to clean and stain resistant.

It is always a good idea to anticipate what your mirror will reflect. In this case we see the gorgeous chandelier in the reflection. Also, notice the large hurricane as a table top accessory. It is the perfect finishing touch! And yes, that is wallpaper! It was the jumping off point and is still my favorite design element of this room.

The entire family enjoys gathering in this room for speciall occasions. Abbey the cat particularly enjoys the view and the sunlight streaming in and onto the leopard bench!

Decorating For Yourself… but Not by Yourself

2010-10-29T15:05:00.000-07:00

Decorating For Yourself… but Not by Yourself

The Key to Stress Free Decorating

At the end of a long day at the office or running around from school to the soccer fields then home to make dinner, ultimately each one of us finally returns home. Our homes are where we start and end every single day. Therefore, our homes should reflect a style that meets our expectations. The bedroom should be restful, tranquil, a sanctuary to relax in at the day’s end. The family room should be a warm and comfortable environment, in which all family members can be themselves and share in each others company. The kitchen is usually a gathering place for families to begin and end their days together. So how does one go about making each room of their home reflect their personal style? Enter, an interior decorator.

My job as an interior decorator is to help my clients achieve their decorating goals with ease and even a little fun, definitely no stress. We all have areas in our homes for which we have a different vision. The biggest challenges that prevent people from achieving these visions tend to be a lack of time and knowledge. Finding the time to devise and carry out a plan is difficult to do during the fast paced lives that we all seem to lead here in Northern Virginia. Between work, school, sports, church, social obligations, etc. most people do not have time to run from store to store looking for a new sofa, or the right size area rug or even the accessories needed to complete their living room. The people who do find a sliver of time to shop for their desired decorating products tend to get ‘stuck’ in the process. Have you ever said to yourself, “This table is absolutely beautiful, but will it go with the rest of my kitchen?” Or even more frustrating, “Wow, this sofa did not look that big in the store!” I hear these comments, and many others just like them, from my clients quite often. Their next thought is usually, “I need help.”

The importance of creating a plan is priceless. As a decorator, I work closely with my clients to create a design plan that is not only beautiful but also meets the needs of their lifestyle and is in line with their budget. An organized plan takes all of the guesswork out of decorating. That way the table and sofa from the above examples have a purpose and are individual parts of an entire scheme. Creating a plan starts with questions. How many kids do you have? Do you have any pets? How will this room be used? What colors do you like? What colors do you not like? Do you like soft and curvy lines or more straight lines? All of these questions help to define your sense of style. Once you have answered these questions, and determined a decorating allowance, your decorator is ready to put together a design plan for you.

Now that you have a design scheme and everything is ordered and on its way, the most fun part of the process is just around the corner. That is delivery day! Whether you are giving your room a facelift with window treatments and accessories or refreshing the entire room with all new pieces, the end result will be stunning. We have all seen the design shows on television where everything seems to magically disappear and the new room evolves virtually over night, right? Well, in real life there is a bit more work involved, but it is all worth it on delivery day when the final accessory is placed in the room. As the home owner, you then take a deep breath and soak in all of the beauty of your new room. And the best part is this: everything was designed with the guidance of a professional, created for your unique tastes and lifestyle, and you never had to leave home. How wonderful!

By utilizing an interior decorator, you are choosing an efficient path to attain your decorating desires. A decorator will guide you towards the right decisions, take care of all the behind the scenes steps and provide you with an outcome that is sure to exceed your expectations. I absolutely love meeting new people every week who have varying needs, homes, and personal styles and I feel very lucky to be able to make a difference in their lives. I am sure many of the readers out there are thinking about several different areas of their homes that they would like to decorate right now. If so, I would suggest a complimentary consultation that would allow us to prioritize your goals. Decorating success comes from precise planning, so together you and I can create your dream home, one gorgeous room at a time.

2010-05-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

Color Confidence

How can you use color to its best advantage when you're considering updating your design scheme? Many of my clients ask me this question, so I'd like to share some simple "Color Confidence" steps with you that I think will be of help.

Choose colors for larger areas first. Large areas in your room would include the walls, ceiling and floor. Once you've settled on colors for those areas, select fabric colors for upholstery pieces and window treatments, or begin by selecting the colors and patterns of an area rug.

Next, it's important to consider limiting yourself to 2 or 3 colors, achieving variety and interest with shades, tints and intensities of those colors. And, of course, any color scheme can be extended by using neutral shades.

If you want your room to have a feeling of spaciousness, consider focusing on lighter colors. They will tend to reflect light better instead of absorbing it. And, conversely, bright and strong colors will help you create a cozy feeling in especially large rooms.

If your rooms contain interesting architectural features, you might consider emphasizing these details with a strong accent color. Or, if architectural defects are present, then you'd want to select a neutral color that would blend with the walls, ceiling and floor.

And by all means, if this all sounds overwhelming, just give me a call and we'll choose those colors together.

Decorating Den Interiors 2010 Conference New Orleans

2010-05-31T13:48:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a week in the great city of New Orleans where Decorating Den held our annual national conference. It was a wonderful and busy week full of company updates, design workshops, awards ceremonies and two days of viewing the latest products from our vendors in the design center. Above is a picture of me and the Chairman of our company, Mr. Jim Bugg. He awarded me with the Prism Award for my outstanding acheivements in 2009. I am excited to be home to continue on my journey to, "Make the World More Beautiful, One ROom At A Time."

CHECK US OUT!

2010-05-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bus/1730606643.html

Check out the latest addition to my website!

2010-05-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

www.decdens.com/lriddiough

Click on the link to view the latest tab added to my website: GRAND OPENING. Here you will learn all about our exciting evening of career opportunities as well as a Dream Room makeover presentation. Hope to see you all there!

Decorating Tips May 2010

2010-05-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

Decorating Tips, May 2010

FASHION AND FUNCTION IN DECORATING

All of us love the way sunshine lifts our spirits, but dislike how its harmful rays damage our faces and fabrics. Decorating Den will leave preventative measures for the sun’s effects on the skin to the dermatologists and cosmeticians, but will take responsibility for finding ways to keep harsh sunlight from damaging home furnishings. One of the values of our interior decorators is their ability to locate appropriate products that best meet the aesthetic desires and practical requirements of their clients.

A recent Decorating Den project, a new sunroom addition, relied heavily on this type of expertise. First, it was necessary for the treatment chosen to cover the large expanse of windows not to block the lovely view but also protect the upholstery fabrics from fading too fast. At the client’s request, draperies were not an option. Another concern was finding flooring that would withstand outdoor foot traffic from the pool area. These needs had to be met without compromising the client’s wish for a fashionable setting for entertaining.

On the practical side the decorator chose wicker furniture and frames that are able to withstand the sun’s harsh rays. On the design side, rather than using the same tropical print on all of the pieces she supplied the element of variety by covering the chairs and ottoman in two different fabrics, but kept them all in the same color palette. The neutral ceramic tile flooring that flows into the adjoining kitchen perpetuates the room’s carefree attitude. Silhouettes hung at each of the windows were the ideal solution for filtering the sunlight without obstructing the beautiful outdoor view.

The attractive home furnishings combined with ease of maintenance make for a relaxed living style...just what the clients ordered. If only cosmetics and suntan lotion worked as well to enhance and preserve our faces!

Check out our latest TV commercial!

2010-04-13T18:12:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIsd482x6b8

It’s not easy being Green

2010-02-18T18:02:00.000-08:00

“It’s not easy being Green”!

So says world famous Muppet, Kermit the Frog! But, actually in today’s environment, with so many products and design options available, being “green” can be a relatively easy and environmental beautiful design option.

From paint, lighting, accessories, fabrics, furniture and wall coverings, becoming eco-friendly has become an extremely high priority for many home furnishings manufacturers.

Let’s take a look at a few of these exciting options.

Furniture. Natural fibers, found in rattan and plantation grown woods (rather than depleting forest grown woods) give home owners a wide variety of styles, textures and designs. And how about materials such as bamboo, abaca, and government certified hardwoods. If purchasing eco-friendly furniture for your home is a priority, you might check to see if your furniture manufacturer is a member of the Sustainable Furniture Council (SFC) which was established in 2007.

Lighting. Not only have halogen lamps been all the rage for the past few years, they are a boon to energy savings, as are the wide variety of energy saving light bulbs available in the marketplace. In addition many of today’s decorative lamps have been designed in wrought iron, allowing for a more intricate detailing and design variety.

Fabrics. Believe it or not, gorgeous decorative fabrics are being made from recycled plastic water bottles, recycled polyester, and recycled paper. And often times these eco friendly fabrics are treated and finished with only water based or environmentally approved dyes.

Wall Finishes. Paints now feature low odors, faster drying times and stronger durability, all by maintaining environmental codes. If repainting is in your future, be sure to ask if the paint you’re considering has a low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) rating, so that you can continue your environmental stewardship. Natural grass cloth wall covering is another way to add warmth, beauty and texture to your wall décor, while maintaining your green focus.

And let’s not forget the importance in design of the color GREEN!! Yes, it may not be easy being green, but this long desired shade can be found in almost every design scheme. Whether you incorporate green in plant foliage displayed in you room’s design, or you make this shade predominate, usually any green shade will add a bit of the splendor of the great outdoors to any décor.

Dream Room 2010

2010-02-18T17:57:00.000-08:00

Even the smallest of spaces can make a big impact.

2010-01-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

Laundry room necessities can be stored in unique pieces and still be functional, like in this hand painted cabinet.

2010-01-01T17:28:00.000-08:00

Even laundry rooms deserve to be beautiful!

2010-01-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

Entryways are the first impression to leave with your guests so do not forget to address them.

2010-01-01T17:25:00.000-08:00

Wallpaper is back! The rich wallcovering in this dining room highlights the rich faux silk drapery panels and gives this room the elegance it deserves

2010-01-01T17:21:00.000-08:00

This traditional living room welcomes guests with arm chairs adorned in a beautiful print and gorgeous foot stools with rich gold trim.

2010-01-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

The drapery panels that flow from floor to ceiling are the icing on the cake in this room.

2010-01-01T17:15:00.000-08:00

Second story family rooms can be a challenge that yields a beautiful result.

2010-01-01T17:13:00.000-08:00

Decorative cork boards are a great way to display pictures or messages or family events.

2010-01-01T17:09:00.000-08:00

This is my award winning arts and crafts room.

2010-01-01T17:06:00.000-08:00

The kick is up and it's good!

2010-01-01T17:05:00.000-08:00

Go Skins!

2010-01-01T17:04:00.000-08:00

Combining modern and traditional elements can please both husband and wife to create a cohesive transitional style.

2010-01-01T17:03:00.000-08:00

This transitional keeping room fits both his and her opposite styles.

2010-01-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Greenery can add the finishing touches to a room.

2010-01-01T16:59:00.000-08:00

This family now enjoys comfortable elegance in their new family room.

2010-01-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

This is the after!

2010-01-01T16:56:00.000-08:00

This is the before...

2010-01-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

Accessories are like jewlery, they make the room, or the outfit.

2010-01-01T16:54:00.000-08:00

Leaning a large mirror is a great alternative to the traditional hanging mirror.

2010-01-01T16:52:00.000-08:00

I love this transitional living room that displays elegance in a modern sense.

2010-01-01T16:50:00.000-08:00