Gunkelmans Interior Design

A Day Brightener

Now with the holidays behind us and the decorations stored for another year, it's time to think about ways to freshen up your home.  Adding color is a great way to get through the winter doldrums and make everything seem fresh and new again.

Here are some simple ways in which to add color.

 
  

 

Even though a Kindle might be the way you read books now, look at this simple way in which books can create a look of beautiful art with their colorful bindings.

 

 

 
Artwork is another simple way to add bold color and images to a room.  

 
Colorful lamps can add a splash of color.

 

 

  
 A bit of color everywhere, tastefully done.

  
 
Even something as easy as changing the pillows on your sofa.  

Have you found your cheer bright spot today?

 

 

Images:  House Beautiful, Dwell, Architectural Digest, Christopher Spitzmiller, Circa Gallery

Field Trip

 
Remember the days in grade school when the whole class would go on a field trip?  You couldn't wait to get out of the daily routine of school and feel like you were playing "hooky".   Yet, when you got back from your field trip, you realized that you not only had fun, but you learned something as well. 

 
Recently we took a field trip, sort of.  Our office closed for the day and we ventured over to IMS (International Market Square) our local design center. 

 

We set up meetings with several showrooms so they could show us the best in new products and services.   

 
And we all fell in love with these Oscar de la Renta fabrics!

 

 

It's great to get rejuvenated and inspired by new fabrics, wallcoverings, carpet, furniture and more!

 

And to learn about the latest and greatest in product and services our vendors have to offer.  (Aren't we a studious class!)

  

Now that we've expanded our design minds, we'd love to show you the best of what design has to offer.  Give us a call, we promise there won't be a test afterwards.  612.333.0526 

Give the Gift of Design

Looking for a fabulous gift to surprise someone you love?  How about a Gunkelmans Interior Design gift certificate!   

Need help in sprucing up your home for the holidays?  Give someone the gift of design time.

Did your daughter or son recently get married?  What a nice holiday gift to give them to help get their new home off to a beautiful start.

Does mom's house need some freshening up?  How about a gift certificate towards getting her some new pillows or rug to make her room look new again!

Our gift certificates can be used for our DesignLink services as well.    Learn more here. 

We have certificates in any denomination and can be used toward design services or product.  Give us a call, we're happy to help!   612.333.0526 

Sprucing up for the "Holly-days"

 
Yes, the chill in the air has just begun, but there's a lot that can be done quickly and easily to get your home ready for the holidays now.

 
Marita Simmons, Designer with Gunkelmans offers these tips:

1. NEW LAMPS!   It's the time of year known as the "festival of lights" - so why not take the opportunity to swap out some of your so-so lamps with ones you actually LOOOVEEE.   Then, celebrate accordingly.
2. PAINT A CEILING.   It's usually the most overlooked surface in a home, and painting  the ceiling a glossy shade of "anything" really changes the impact of the space.  Try it out in a powder bath or guest room.
3. OR.GAN.IZE.   Since you'll be challenged with putting up decorations anyway, why not take the opportunity to tidy up before you do so.  Get rid of tacky old sweaters, clean our your junk drawer, and create some visual SPACE by doing away with the unnecessary in your home.   File that under "F" for fabulous!
4. NEW PILLOWS.  New, fresh, fun and interesting fabrics are coming out all the  time.  Placing a few new throw pillows in your space does wonders for changing the look.  But keep in mind that buying off the shelf is not always the way to go.  If you're planning to change out the look of your pillows every now and again, you'll want to invest in some finer down fillers.   This guarantees your pillows feel luxurious, but it also ensures that you'll only need to replace the COVERS for your new look.   We don't need to be loading up landfills with down-trodden polyfill fiber stuffing every few months.  Down fillers withstand the test of time...they just need to be fluffed every now and again.
5. DECK THE HALLS.  Both literally and figuratively.   Pick up a new painting and rearrange the pieces of art hanging in your hallways.   Give the rest of your pieces new life by moving them around to new nd exciting places in your home.  Try creating a gallery arrangement on a focal wall instead of opting for a larger piece.  Have fun with what you've got, and maybe you'll discover a whole new look that you love.

 

Dramatic Room Makeovers

Everyone loves a makeover - it gives us hope that something can be done for a dreary or outdated room, or space that just doesn't function for your needs.   Sometimes a simple coat of paint can dramatically change the look of a room, others may need a complete revamp to look the way you want.

We thought we'd share with you some dramatic makeovers that we've done.   They involved more than a fresh coat of paint and an accessory or two, but a fresh new look none the less. 

Before

After

 

Before

After

Before

  

After

Before

 

After

Before

After