Welcome to Design track mind by Melissa Gulley

I am an interior designer from Newton, MA having a lot of fun writing this blog between client appointments, kid stuff, kid school stuff, dog stuff, husband stuff, husband's company stuff (http://www.fueldog.com/), life stuff, old house stuff, family stuff, extended family stuff and the rest of the detail stuff. I am not a writer (clearly) so please ignore the typo's, spelling mistakes and desperate need for proofreading.

Social Media 101

Today at 4:00 I had the pleasure of representing Kravet on a panel discussion on social media at the Boston Design Center.  I am a big fan of kravet- great product all around and I adore the staff at kravet, Lee Jofa, FDO showrooms!  So I was thrilled to be invited to be part of this amazing group of experts.  Leading up to this event I must say I was very nervous, I don't usually speak in front of 200 people- whoa!  So needless to say I only slept 3 hours- I was walking around West Newton Hill at 4 am with my two dogs trying to get my brain to shut OFF!  During this active brain time I reflected on what social media has meant ot me. 

My husband Kevin has begged me to write a blog for about 6 years.  During this economic slow down and the quietness of the last December, I finally got down to business.  I do not sit still very well at all and realized that I needed to put my time to something productive (blog, twitter, facebook, linked in) not something EVIL (shopping, lunching- general spending of $$$)  So I decided to give all this a shot, and it was still really scary to me.  I was convinced that there was not a minute left in my day to dedicate to this.  I got over that really quickly when I realized how easy and fun it was. 

Kevin (social media expert and business consultant) was very encouraging and technically helpful.  What was most amazing about starting this was that I joined a blogging group.  I highly suggest doing this for anyone wishing to start dabbling.  Find one, two, or three other people who also want to give this stuff a try.  We named our group "Coffee Shop Bloggers" and were initally four woman who were all muddling through this together.  We met once a week at a consistent time, helped each other with technical issues, made each other commit to what we would accomplish by the next meeting (meetings were every thursday at a coffee shop nearby), and listened/ supported each other the whole way through this process.  I cannot say enough how valuable these meetings were to me accomplishing everything I have so far.  Furthermore I bonded with these woman and really adore and respect them...so much good came from this.

Two of the woman in this group- Mia from http://www.pragmaticmom.com/ and Nancy from http://www.capabilitymom.com/ compiled all that we struggled with and muddled through on another blog called http://www.coffeeshopbloggers.com/ you can go to this blog and read the advice, help and tips on how to do this for yourself.  What I sensed about the lovely audience in this presentation today is that they were wanting to try this- wanting to jump in, but not convinced that they either can do it easily or that they have the time to keep it up.  What hit home about the presentation that Beth Green from Kravet did is the fact that you must start somewhere and must do it now.  This is not a fad that is going away and you risk looking unprofessional if you don't try.  Beth explained, facebook, twitter, linked in and blogging.  Beth clearly is an expert in B to B social media and did a great job detailing each of these social media platforms.  The other women on the panel - Designer Rachel Hazelton, who blogs at http://rachelhazelton.blogspot.com/, Designer Julieann Covino, who blogs at http://www.creategirl.com/, and Jennifer Powell who spearheads Kravat's social media efforts on a full-time basis, were AMAZING!  I felt like a complete newbie in their presence and their stories and anecdotes were terrific.

I think a lot of people were looking for some more intimate B to C tips of how these platforms could tie into their businesses and actually make a difference.  I also think they needed to hear that it really isn't that hard or scary and maybe some real life stories about how we did it.  They needed to sense that we were just average people who made this work.  We were reffered to as social media experts (my husband sitting in the audience tweeting live for me under my name thought this was very funny) just because we jumped in and did it - thats all.  You just have to jump in and try.  I cannot begin to tell you how many wonderful things have come to me by just doing this!

What makes for the best living room?

“The chicest, most inviting living rooms spark lively conversation, yet never sacrifice comfort for style”  Elle Decor

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Melissa Gulley Style

So what makes the perfect living room?  This is of course, different for everyone.  Maybe we should start by looking at what the living room is, and what it’s used for?

People are far more casual today than ever before…but many people already have a family room which is very casual.  So what to do with the living room?  For myself and most of my clients, it becomes another, nicer (by adult standards) family room where TV is not necessarily the focus (but not completely abandoned, either).  Concept introduction: Living Room as the adult sanctuary!  Basically the adult family room.  I know the term “family” room means family togetherness - Please, don’t kid me.  You need to escape those little buggers as mush as I do (especially teenagers, who pretty much hate you anyway). 

The fabrics may not have to be as stain proof or durable (indestructible for my house) as the family room, the carpet can be more expensive without the worry of it being ruined.  You can also have some accessories and art that may be valuable and not worry that the errant football (banned in my house yet still found constantly) could break and ruin the things you so enjoy living with. 

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Cote De Texas

So what are the components of the Living Room going forward:

1) TV

I find for most people (not you people who won’t admit to watching TV – as if) placing a fabulous TV in a clever or hidden spot is important in the living room.  This becomes the luxurious place to watch something adult and escape the blare of cartoons emanating from the family room (the place where my husband can nap quietly on the super comfy sofa and watch the ball game in peace).  I find when there is no TV in this room, it gets used far less- if at all.

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Melissa Gulley Style

2) Amazingly comfortable furniture

I recently splurged on a 110” all down sofa in a yummy velvet - best money I’ve ever spent!!!  This sofa makes my husband and I so crazy happy - who knew all that down was the key to happiness!?!  Gone- really LONG gone (in fact banished) are the days of the uncomfortable, uptight furniture for perching with guests who you want to impress (can you imagine - kill me now – how did our grandmother’s do it?) 

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Melissa Gulley Style

3) A completed seating area designed for lively conversation

This usually means comfortable seating for 6-8 adults, placed facing each other around a coffee table.  This can be two sofas and a few chairs, or one sofa and a couple pairs of chairs.  One secret weapon that I find very handy (I personally use them on an almost daily basis) is a pair of upholstered stools that are super comfortable and easy to move around.  Keep in mind that you need tables to set drinks down on, every seat in the room needs a table handy enough to set a drink down on easily.

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4) Great lighting

Do not- repeat after me DO NOT - put only ceiling lights in a living room (or any room for that matter).  Lighting in living rooms needs to take a layered approach.  First, outfit the seating area with warm, soft lamps.  Three way switches and dimmers help for multi-function (reading vs. soft glow for conversation)  You should be able to read from any chair or sofa in the room.  Then, softly light the perimeter of the room with a combination of sconces and art lights (either wall or ceiling mounted).  Sconces are great to put in pairs on either side of doorways, windows and fireplaces.  Art lights can add tons of drama to your fabulous art or even great window treatments.  Add over head lighting as needed after all above has been accomplished. 

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Melissa Gulley Style

5) Your stuff

Stuff that represents who you are, what you love, where you’ve been.  People look for social cues when entering a house - who lives here, what are they like?  You need to show them, and most important, you need to live with things that really make you happy.  Without this stuff or social cues, your house looks cold, like a furniture showroom…..Boring!  By stuff, I mean decorative accessories - pictures, books, magazines, instruments - anything that you like.

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Jane McGarry

Mirror Mirror on the Wall


'Mirrors have come to mean much more than the original 'looking glass.' They are now a part of the decorative scheme of a modern home. By using them, there are no dark, gloomy corners, no drab caverns for halls. There can be a feeling of freedom, light, air, space.' Quote from designer Dorothy Draper - 1942
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bluetramontanastyle
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History Lesson from Patricia Grey Interior Designer
“Everyone has either seen or heard of the famous Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, built by Louis XIV in 1678. The principal feature of this famous hall is the seventeen mirror-clad arches that reflect the seventeen arcaded windows that overlook the gardens. Each arch contains twenty-one mirrors for a total of 357. In the 17th century, mirrors were among the most expensive items to possess, and at the time, the Venetian Republic held the monopoly on the manufacture of mirrors. In order to maintain the integrity of the French philosophy of mercantilism, which required that all items used in the decoration of Versailles be made in France, several workers from Venice were enticed to make mirrors at the Gobelins Factory in France. The expense in manufacture of mirrors has come a long way since those days, and now mirrors have become a staple in every home.”

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Decopad
Add a little twinkle in the kitchen- bounce the light around- give an airy feeling to a small utilitarian space.
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Domino
Why leave the back splash in shadow- with great under cabinet light you create a truly magical space.


A little windex goes a long way!
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Lisa Epley


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Atlanta homes and lifestyles
Antiqued mirror add just the hint of age and mystery this space needs.
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Use mirrors to reflect an incredible view- why only enjoy it from on direction?
Patricia Grey
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lovinglivingsmall
A teeny tiny bedroom get some needed drama.
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Janet Lohman

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Steven Gambrell
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Theglamlamb
Ok seriously – I would kill for this room, beautifully done.  For my This Old House clients, Allison and Raveen, we went for a similar effect in their “dressing corridor”.
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Southern Accents
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Emma Jane Pilkington
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House Beautiful
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Carrie Hayden
The silver mirrored pieces and the gilded gold on the mirror marry perfectly in this high drama space.
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Huntley & Co.


This is one of those amazingly creative ideas that’s pure brilliance!
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Before- dark boring, gray and just sad!
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Huntley & Co.
After, albeit closer up- warm, twinkly and sensational!
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Rajeesood
Mirrored dining rooms however beautiful are a little hard.  Diners tend to catch and hold their own reflections without meaning to.  If you want to use them in a dining room, keep them well above eye level for diners.
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Miles Redd
Ok – other than the enormous crush I have for Miles Redd and the fact that I think he is one of the most amazing interior Designers of this time- his bathroom rocks (as does everything I have ever seen him do- a blog post in itself)