Patsy Overton Interiors

Staging: Awkward Floorplans

Mallory — Sat, 25 May 2013 17:54:22 +0000

Yesterday afternoon, Patsy and I went to preview a home staging job in Hoschton. We pulled up to a beautiful home, and once inside, it didn’t take very long for us to see why this house hasn’t been snatched up yet — the open floor plan in the Kitchen/Family Room area was structured in such a way that no matter where you put the furniture, it seemed that wasting space was inevitable. This is not an unsolvable problem, but it certainly is a challenge – even for a home stager! Let me explain what makes this room so awkward:

First, notice that the family room is clearly defined by two things: the posts offsetting this area from the rest of the room, as well as the two different colors. Clearly, these are two distinct rooms. So any living room furniture would need to stay within the invisible line running from post to post, leaving a small space for couches and a coffee table and chairs, and an enormous space for the kitchen table!

Moving to the right, you can see the second room which is the eat-in kitchen. Or at least, that’s what it appears to be! Notice the island with space for seating — for two. Where might a family of four sit for breakfast? This was our dilemma. It may not sound like much of an issue, but notice the proximity of the island to the window. Having a mid-sized table centered on that double window becomes almost impossible without blocking off the kitchen entirely! But wait, there’s more…see all the space in the foreground of this photo? Patsy and I agreed that it would be very strange to put a table in this space, because this photo was taken from the entryway to the dining room…which means there would be two tables right next to each other. Very strange indeed. Additionally, as you can see in the picture, there is no light fixture that would suggest the proper placement for a table (you all know that trick, right? When in doubt, look at the ceiling). So, the end result seems to be cramming an off-center table into the corner, leaving all the foreground space open and useless.

There are two things you want to try to avoid as much as possible when arranging the furniture in your home. One, do not create a “furniture store” look. Meaning, do not line pieces up to make them fit but forsaking aesthetic. This is why we couldn’t easily put a table in the bigger space; because it would be right next door to the dining room table, which may give your guests the impression that they are in a furniture store. Try not to do that. Secondly, try to avoid the opposite — huge gaps like this one. Of course, floor plans can sometimes make it very difficult not to break this rule. Once there is actually furniture in the space, it will be easier to tell if something works or not — this is the beauty of home staging! It can be very difficult to spatially and accurately imagine an empty space full of furniture. This awkward space is not hopeless, it just requires a bit more thought. If you’re having trouble making the space you live in work for you, maybe you need some redesign assistance!

Check it out — we spotted some wild turkeys on our way out! I really hope I’ll be able to post some pictures of the finished product here in a couple of weeks! I know Patsy would do a great job making the place look great — even with an awkward floor plan! If you need help with an awkward floor plan solution, call Patsy Overton Interiors to set up an appointment! 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

The Powder Room: Whimsical & Eclectic

Mallory — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:41:52 +0000

I recently read a blog post in which someone was trying find a place to hang some lovely wallpaper by Orla Kiely. She makes beautiful & whimsical pieces with lots of bright colors, and guess where this blogger was thinking the wallpaper should go? That’s right: in a little bathroom. Part of me wonders why it is that so many of us feel that we have to release all of our whimsical decorating endeavors into the smallest room of the house — but then again, think of all the wonderfully whimsical things created just for bathrooms! Whether it’s a claw foot tub to soak in, a shower curtain with a fabulously cheerful print or a repurposed sink vanity that you find irresistible, there are so many fun ways to decorate/design a bathroom in unconventional ways. I want to show you a few of the routes you can take to achieve an eclectic, whimsical style in your powder room:

1. Bright, Whimsical Colors!

(Image from Houzz.com, Designed by Greenbelt Homes)
Here is a lovely, bright color with white fixtures…

(Image from Houzz.com, Designed by Studio 80 Interior Design
…and a warmer tone with complementary brown ones.

(Image from Houzz.com, Designed by Tara Seawright)
This is an idea for renters or those who prefer clean white walls; you can still incorporate those bright colors!

2. Eclectic Decor

(Image from Houzz.com, Designed by Nirmada Interior Architectural Design)
You can display eclectically-themed wall art…

(Image from Houzz.com, Designed by Elizabeth Gordon)
…OR go big and cover all the walls with a favorite print…

(Image from Houzz.com, Designed by Carolina V. Gentry, RID)
OR use unconventional pieces for powder room staples, paired with muted yet eccentric designs, like the wallpaper here.

3. Structural Whimsy

(Image from Houzz.com, Designed by Fivedot Design Build)
I just love this natural wood counter space and the mod shape of the sink basin.

(Image from Houzz.com, Designed by Jane Kim Design)
This is a beautiful use of classic pieces in an industrialized setting.

(Image from Houzz.com, Designed by Dan Joseph Architects)
And some more natural wood!

See? You don’t necessarily have to paint or hang wall paper or expose your brick walls to establish an eclectic spirit in your bathroom, though all of those things are great ideas if you’re ready for a more drastic change. Here are a few more pictures I couldn’t quite categorize, but are lovely nonetheless!

(Image from Houzz.com, Designed by Melanie Stephens)

(Image from Houzz.com, Designed by Dana Gordon + Roy Gordon Architecture Studio)

(Image from Houzz.com, Designed by Eric Aust Architect)

For more whimsical powder room inspiration, check out our board on Pinterest!

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, contact Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Decorating: Wall Hangings

Mallory — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:34:14 +0000

A couple of months ago, a friend of mine was telling me about how she had spent her weekend moving. “We started unpacking at 6 a.m. on Saturday, and everything is completely done”, she said. “My drawers are organized and my pictures are hung”. For anyone who has ever moved, that is indeed a picture of total completion! If you are reading this and you’ve got a stack of frames or canvases leaned up against a wall somewhere, I am here to tell you, specifically…it’s not as scary or daunting as it seems!

I recently hung all of the pictures (well, not all, but a great number of them) in our house, and it did take me some time, but the end result is SO worth it! And not having that on my mental to-do list is pretty great, too. Part of what took me so long is that I had to decide what pictures to hang, and then frame (and in some cases, mat) them. So for those of you who really are beginning from square one like I did, I’m telling you, it’s possible.

Here’s how mine turned out:

Now, I realize that everyone out there doesn’t want a collage like this, and that’s fine. There are TONS of great ideas that I’ve picked up and pinned on our DIY: Wall Hangings board for how to design gallery walls, templates, shortcuts to making the nailing/drilling process quicker, plus things you can put together to actually hang up for those of you kindred spirit square-oners out there. I also did these:

and finally, the loner:

With a single-picture hanging, I just eyeball it to the height and wall-centered place that I want it to be. Same with the collage – I usually lay them out on the ground and then do as similar a version on the wall as possible. I also used some tricks from Pinterest: namely the painter’s tape nail-distance measuring trick. Even if you are looking for more certainty an precision, Pinterest is the place to go! There are so many great tutorials to be found, and not just for hanging stuff!

If I haven’t convinced you that you can do this yourself, as always, you can bring in a professional!
If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, contact Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Redesign: Dresser DIY

Mallory — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 16:10:13 +0000

It’s time to play a little memory game! Remember this sad little dresser?

I posted it a few weeks ago, saying hopefully it would soon have some paint on it and a solution for that broken drawer! Amazingly, that actually happened & here are the results!

I have to say, I am really pleased with the result, and it only took me an afternoon. I used a sample-sized (7.38 oz, to be precise) container of paint that I bought at Home Depot quite a while ago. The name of the color is “Duck Egg” by Martha Stewart, and it’s actually greener than it looks in the photo. I had no concrete plans for this little paint sample when I bought it (for four dollars and some change) I just LOVED the color and figured I’d use it eventually.

The process was very quick for two reasons: first of all, the dresser was unfinished to begin with, which meant no sanding required! Secondly, I wanted it to have a “distressed” look; I realize this isn’t everyone’s preference, but creating a more finished look would require perhaps just a bit more paint and a topcoat – still doable in an afternoon. (note: I still have some of the paint left! So it’s possible that it would have stretched to create a more finished-looking dresser.) I used a regular paint brush at first, but ended up switching to a cheap foam brush (pictured) and it worked the same, if not better. I kept both brushes fairly dry to stretch the paint, and to allow some of the wood to show in some places. I did sand a few places after the paint dried – the beauty of an unfinished look is you can feel it out as you go! Redesign success, folks. It’s a great feeling!

As always, if you need an expert’s opinion when choosing colors or doing a bit of redesign of your own, contact Atlanta’s number one color consultant, Patsy Overton. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Decorating: The Mantle Edition

Mallory — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:35:51 +0000

John & I moved into a new apartment this past December, and I was sold immediately when I learned it had 1) brand new (i.e. stain- & scent-free!) carpets and 2) a fireplace with a mantle! Something I had really wanted to find for our last apartment was a free-standing mantlepiece – you might think it strange, but when it comes to fireplaces, I am more interested in mantle-decorating opportunities than real-fire-burning ones! (Not that I am against cozying up to a fire, I just didn’t expect to have the luxury of doing so in my own home in the near future!) So, you can imagine my enthusiasm in getting both! My latest decorative endeavor was motivated by wanting to have a clock in the living room. I have a silver alarm clock that I wanted to be the central focus, so I collected some silver, white, and clear glass candle holders – as well as a white piece of ceramic coral – and started balancing these items out on both ends according to size and material.

Then, I added in some color…I thoroughly enjoy the trendy mint that’s everywhere now, and I happen to have some antique bottles and a ball of yarn in that color family that I thought would look pretty with the silver, plus a gold pinecone I found years ago. Gold & silver together isn’t for everyone, but I love it!

Then, to make the clock the tallest (the highest point doesn’t have to be in the middle, it’s just what seemed right to me at the time!) I propped it up on a stack of books (in keeping with my color scheme), and voila!

I came back in later and added a silver frame on either side of my centerpiece. Your theme can be whatever you want – I made color my common ground, but I used items like yarn, pinecones, and books to do so! Use the depth of your space to your advantage, placing things against the wall or against the ledge; this is a great way to create varied heights. Try this at home!

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, contact Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Patsy with Superior Pro on the Home Fix-it Show

Patsy — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 02:11:06 +0000

Yes, you read that right. Last Saturday, Feb. 23rd, I was a guest on WSB’s “The Dave Baker Home Fix-it Show” with my good friends from Superior Pro Painting & Exteriors. Superior Pro has an endorsement from Dave, which is why they were asked to be on the show. Since I am the Atlanta color consultant for Superior Pro, I got to tag along. What fun! Here is how it all went down.

Irwin Weitz, owner of Superior Pro, Jeff Kimber, trainer and estimator for Superior Pro, and I met Dave Cohen, Dave Baker’s liaison, at Chick-fil-A on Peachtree. Dave C. told us what to expect, gave us a few helpful hints, then lead us to the WSB studios just off Peachtree. Once inside, we met the infamous Dave Baker! Here he is with Irwin:

Dave Baker, Dave Cohen & Irwin Weitz

While they were talking shop, something else in the studio immediately caught Jeff’s and my eye. Can you guess what it was?

Patsy with the Mellish Meter

Yep, the Mellish Meter! It really does exist! (For those of you who don’t listen to WSB, every day Kirk Mellish, the weatherman, tells the listeners where the weather falls on the Mellish Meter. Last Satuday, it was a “4″.

Jeff with the Mellish Meter

Well, we finally got down to business and entered the studio. Dave Baker stood on a little perch, high atop his kingdom, while Jeff, Irwin and I gathered around him at the desk. Here we are mid-show with our headsets on taking calls from listeners:

On Air – Home Fix-it Show

Here’s a close-up of yours truly:

Patsy on the Home Fix-it Show

I want to thank Irwin for inviting me to tag along on the Dave Baker Home Fix-it Show with Superior Pro. What a great opportunity and so much fun! (By the way — if you are about to embark on a painting project, either interior or exterior, call Superior Pro at 404-436-2900 or go to their website at SuperiorProPainters.com.) Dave was such a nice guy and so much fun; however, I do have one bone to pick with him. He asked me my height (5’4″), then my WEIGHT!!!! What’s up with that, Dave? Trying to see if you could rattle me? To be honest, I was pretty close to diving under the desk until Ed Arnold cut to “Puff, the Magic Dragon.” (Ed Arnold White, anyone???) Anyway, here we all are with Dave after the show wrapped:

Dave Baker, Patsy, Jeff & Irwin

Until next time, it’s Patsy Overton Interiors signing off.

Redesign: Maximizing Your Potential

Mallory — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 05:27:55 +0000

Have you ever heard the expression, “the cheapest car you can buy is the one you already drive”? Of course you have, if you’re from the land of idiomatic dialect i.e. the South! I know decorating your home isn’t nearly the same investment as paying for a car (except perhaps in some cases), but, it is always cheaper to use what you’ve already got. I know it’s not within everyone’s skill set to do major projects like refurbishing a piece of furniture or envisioning a new purpose for something, be it a stray ottoman or a five-piece bedroom set. But there are many ways to approach redesign, so before anyone starts to despair, let me offer these three simple ideas that will help you begin maximizing the potential of the things you already own:

1. Take it little by little. I have a theory that if you obtain several new things at once, there is less time to appreciate their newness individually. Same is true of projects. Allow yourself the joy of appreciating one small change at a time. Try it! If it doesn’t work, I’ll downgrade my theory to an idea.

2. Ask yourself if you really NEED it. If you’re losing your head over finding a use for a piece that you have, but don’t use and don’t have a use for, stop! Donate it or sell it on Craigslist. You’ll buy yourself a little free time, and maybe even make a dime doing it. Usually, you have to sacrifice one of those for the other, so i’d call it a win-win.

3. If you do need it – or you don’t, but you want it – and you are completely at a loss, what else can you do but call a professional? Vision isn’t a gift that everyone has, and that’s where POI can help.

P.S. For all you WSB Radio fans of the Home Fix it Show, make sure you tune in this Saturday, 2.23, to hear our very own Patsy Overton on air!!

Here are some redesign potentials in my dining room – check back in the next couple of weeks to see what they turn into!

this is a BEAUTIFUL headboard that my husband John made for me when we were dating. I want to turn it into a wall hanging…

…and this is a side-of-the-road find that got me through a few years in college…as you can see, it needs a drawer fix and some paint.

here’s the room as a whole to give you an idea of the scale…hopefully it will look quite different in the near future!

Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Wall Decor: Mirrors

Mallory — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:55:09 +0000

When in doubt…fill your empty wall with a mirror! Not only can mirrors amplify a small space, they reflect light, and they are a clean, neutralizing alternative to a colorful art piece. If you are trying to complete a room that already has a lot of color (because, last i checked, many rooms have four walls, not just one to decorate!) a mirror is designer-approved solution. Let’s think outside the box, here – because mirrors come in all shapes and sizes; you have your sculptural or iconic mirrors:

source: Sunday Sisters

…as well as the simpler ones that are perfect for clustering.

source: Practical Enrichment

If you want to create your own decorative mirror for your wall, you can do that too! I am in the middle of a mirror project myself. I would highly recommend following directions that you can find here.

Source: Cottage Love

I am in the middle of assembling a mirror to hang over our mantle…but I won’t even tell you how I’ve gone about it. Let’s just say there have been some roadblocks, and my mirror is currently decorating my living room floor.

As always, if you hit a roadblock & need professional help, call Patsy – she can handle a little redesign or home staging, any day! (If you botch a DIY project, however – sorry, friend, you’re on your own!)

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, contact Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Pin-tastic POI

Mallory — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:05:01 +0000

Hello, everyone! I am thrilled to greet you on behalf of Patsy Overton Interiors, home of Atlanta’s finest color consultant!

As you may already have learned, something I will be doing along with posting about the happenings at POI is…Pinning! This should be fantastic news, for those of you who are avid Pinners and for those few remaining skeptics out there! Let me tell you, I was once a skeptic of Pinterest. When it really started gaining popularity, everyone told me it was something I would love because it was filled with all sorts of other people’s ideas & projects! My grounds for rejecting Pinterest initially was that I didn’t want other people’s ideas, I wanted to stick to my own. I have since become humbler and a far greater Pinterest enthusiast.

You can learn from my mistakes: Pinterest is basically a digital inspiration board where you can use other people’s ideas as a jumping off point for your own – you don’t have to sacrifice your creative identity to benefit from Pinterest, and you may learn a helpful hint or two as you pin. This is my goal as I pin: to inspire you and help you as you think about your next home project!

Here is a little taste of what’s pinned on our boards so far:

1. Emerald Green, the color of 2013! (Do you think Pantone chose a green hue just so it would rhyme with ‘thirteen’? Curious, isn’t it?)

Source – HouseLogic.com

2. Chevron: the zig-zags that are taking over the visual world! You know what I’m talking about…

Source: ScrapHacker.com

3. Kitchen Countertops – if you are painting your kitchen or changing your countertops, make sure to pay attention to the unchanging elements! Or, call Patsy for a color consultation and she’ll help you choose a colorwise option that you’ll love!

Source: Tohop.com

That’s all I’ll give you for now. You can visit all the boards on your own by clicking here - happy pinning!

If you want your rooms to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, contact Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Patsy Overton Interiors Hires New Associate

Patsy — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 18:29:23 +0000

Patsy Overton Interiors is on the move! Patsy has just hired Mallory Overton as a new associate.

About 18 months ago my son, John, hooked up with a lovely young lady named Mallory Pearson while on a summer beach project. The friendship quickly became something more and in December of 2011 he announced to his father and me that he was on his way to Boston to ask her father’s hand in marriage. Holy cow! What had happened to my little boy who liked to hang out with his guy friends and play basketball? It seemed he was quickly becoming a man.

Evidently the meeting with Mr. Pearson went well, and in April of 2012 John asked Mallory to marry him. She said yes! Here is a picture of them taken shortly after the proposal at a friend’s wedding:

Mallory & John

As you might imagine, the Pearsons and Overtons were knee-deep in wedding plans for a few, short months. (I have come to the conclusion that a short engagement is best. I cannot imagine wrestling with wedding plans long-term. It is exhausting!) But everything proceeded as planned and in August of 2012, Mallory Pearson became Mallory Overton.

Photo Courtesy of Alli McPhed Photography

After the wedding, I was finally able to turn my attention back to Patsy Overton Interiors. 2012 had been a GREAT year for the business, and I found I could barely keep up. It seemed that what was suffering most was my blogging and social media efforts. While I enjoyed doing both, there simply wasn’t time; but, not to worry. Guess who is an English major? Yes, Mallory is not only closing in on her English Literature degree, but she also has a great sense of personal style and decorative creativity. Hooray, my problems were solved!

Mallory Overton

All of that to say, Mallory Overton, my darling daughter-in-law, has been hired as the newest associate of Patsy Overton Interiors and will be in charge of pinning stylish boards on Pinterest and writing blog posts on her boards. It is with great pride that I welcome her to the business. I know that she will be a tremendous help to me with her writing and pinning and will also contribute much with her eye for DIY, eclectic style and personal flair. Welcome, Mallory!

If you want your rooms to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, contact Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.