Newly constructed and spacious, this Sudbury home seemed a perfect fit for the family of six that recently moved in. Yet big spaces can have a cold, sterile feel, says interior designer Kalah Talancy of Sudbury-based KT2 Design Group. Talancy’s mission was to warm up the main living area with a little flair. “The family has four young children, and we wanted the room to embrace this time of their life when color is still fun,” says Talancy. The room now feels light and lively, with bursts of yellow and blue and textural layers. There’s a subtle sense of sophistication, but nothing is too chic or too serious, says Talancy, who favored easy furnishings and child-friendly fabrics. “This is the heart of the home; it’s comfortable for the whole family.” 1. To break up all the white woodwork around the fireplace and built-ins, Talancy applied geometric-print Phillip Jeffries grass cloth to the back of the shelves. “There isn’t a lot of wall space in the room to hang things,” says Talancy, “so the wallcovering also takes the place of artwork.”

2. Walls are painted Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore, a lively gray, says Talancy.3. Tufted slipper chairs, comfortably contoured, are upholstered in a sunny yellow Kravet fabric. Thank you for signing up! Sign up for more newsletters here 4. A muted gray and ivory wool area rug feels luxurious underfoot. “Since the chairs and wallcovering are so vivid, the carpet needed to be subtle,” says Talancy. 5. The sofa has the feel of velvet but is made of a durable synthetic fabric. Talancy added nailhead trim around the base. 6. Horizontal stripe sheers by Lulu DK softly dress the windows. “The fabric feels like linen and has a beautiful drape, but it’s synthetic,” says Talancy. 7. Talancy found the porthole-shaped mirror at HomeGoods. “It plays off the driftwood feeling of the table,” says Talancy, “so there isn’t just one note of the rustic effect in the room.”8. The round coffee table, a piece by Gabby crafted of reclaimed wood, has the appeal of driftwood.

9. A garden stool from Pottery Barn acts as a handy perch.Prewashing fabric before you sew is something I think a lot of us learned the hard way. There is absolutely nothing more devastating in sewing then spending hours and hours on something you love only to have it shrink beyond wearability after one use. That is where prewashing comes in. The idea is very simple. Most fabrics change in some way after you wash them. Many are prone to shrinkage, while others might just change in drape and feel. Some change a lot, some hardly at all. The trick is to make sure these changes happen before you’ve done your sewing, to eliminate (or at least minimize) any unhappy surprises. My rule of thumb for prewashing is simple: Whatever method I plan to use to clean the final garment is how I will prewash the fabric. The same goes for any linings or interfacings. Here are my tips for treating a few common types of fabric: Cotton voile: Hand wash with a gentle detergent and hang to dry.

Cotton voile is delicate and can easily tear in the washing machine. Medium to heavy cottons: Most heavier cottons can be washed in the machine and dried in the dryer. You may choose to wash them multiple times for added softness and to really avoid shrink.royal velvet® encore rod-pocket/back tab curtain panel Cotton flannel: Flannel can really shrink, so I recommend washing in hot water at least twice, and drying in the machine. eclipse blackout curtains costcoTry to get rid of that shrink as best you can!blackout curtains briscoes Denim: I find that denim often bleeds, due to the indigo dyes, and it also softens considerably with washing. swish curtain rails dublin

I choose to wash it once or twice before sewing. Wool or cashmere (woven): Take it to the dry cleaners. The fact is, wool will often continue to shrink after many repeated washings. Water is best avoided if you can, or unless the wool is blended.lioh curtains Wool or cashmere (knit): Give it a very gentle bath by hand in a detergent made for wool. filigree curtains geelongDon’t agitate it too much, because you don’t want it to felt. Lay flat to dry. Silk Charmeuse: While it won’t shrink, I always hand wash to avoid surprises. I’ve occasionally bought fabric that must have been a slight blend and had them shrink, so I play it safe. I usually wash charmeuse by hand rather than dry clean the final garment. Since washing can affect the nap and sheen, I like to give it a bath before cutting. Use a gentle shampoo or hand laundry detergent and drip dry.

Chiffon or georgette: Again, I hand wash just in case. Silk Habotai: Hand wash, drip dry. Silk crepe: Hand wash and drip dry. Crepe has a slight crinkle to it that makes it susceptible to a bit of shrinkage, in my experience. Linen: Linen will become softer in the wash, so be aware of that. Wash it and dry it in the machine. Linen is extremely wrinkle-prone, so press it thoroughly before using! Rayon: I find different weaves prone to varying amounts of shrinkage, with rayon crepe being the most prone to shrinking. I hand wash, or wash on the delicate cycle, and machine dry. {image above: by dom o’donnell on Flickr} Sarai started Colette back in 2009. She believes the primary role of a business should be to help people. She loves good books, sewing with wool, her charming cats, working in her garden, and eating salsa. More about our writers"WWhhite" with a breath. Can you say it? # # # # # Kudos to our client Kristin Paton Interiors for their Delray Beach, FL project to be included in Elle Decor's round-up of 50 Best Neutral Colors for Designing a...

Stylish Room as "Island White and Ocean Blue Seating". "This color palette plays off the beach backdrop to work harmoniously with it, not compete. The custom Tibetan hand-knotted rug, appropriately named "Seabreeze", set the tone for the space. It is airy, soothing and timeless." Well done and well said!!! 🌊🌊🌊 #Kudos to our client Kristin Paton Interiors for their Delray Beach, FL project to be included in Elle Decor's round-up of 50 Best Neutral Colors for Designing a Stylish Room as "Island White and Ocean Blue Seating". "This color palette plays off the beach backdrop to work harmoniously with it, not compete. The custom Tibetan hand-knotted rug, appropriately named "Seabreeze", set the tone for the space. It is airy, soothing and timeless." Well done and well said!!! 🌊🌊🌊 # # # # # # # # # We used to call them "glass curtains". Let's bring that bac8 new photos.Lutron Automated sol shared Interior Design Magazine's photo.Great slideshow!InteLooking from one beautiful room into another✨# # # by Mollie Johnson Interiors