The Furniture Gallery of Baudette on Lake of the Woods, Minnesota

Design Articles

INTERIOR INSPIRATIONS - February 10, 2005
By Pam Otto, AID Licensed Designer

Wouldn't it be refreshing to decorate a whole room in garden colors?

Garden looks have always been popular for the invigorating color and cheery designs they add to a room. There may be no better way to banish the chill of winter than to sit in a beautiful garden room decorated in fresh spring color. Most floral patterns feature a range of shades and color that coordinate easily with a variety of solids, mini-checks, plaids and stripes. Fabric companies have made decorating easy and fabrics and wallpapers coordinated into mix and match groupings. It makes the searching minimal.

Balance strong patterns with liberal amounts of plain surfaces on walls and floors, sheets or valances. An easy way to construct a color scheme is to choose the background color of a floral pattern for the paint color of the room, then look carefully at the print to decide on the secondary and accent colors. In general, the secondary color will be a pleasing mid-tone that might be used for carpeting, upholstery and trims. A lovely green, a rich camel, or soft-rose are some possibilities.

The third color is often a brighter accent color such as blue, yellow, or red. Use this color in the accessories, trims, and accents in the room.

Use the design principal of repetition to balance the look of a floral pattern. Repeat fabrics within the room so the patterns are seen throughout the room. For example, if your bedspread is floral, add a floral runner on top of your dresser, or a floral pillow on a plain chair, or perhaps some floral plates hung over over the door (etc.). Floral area rugs will also add color and pattern, however, make certain their scale wont' clash with the scale of the floral fabric or wallpaper. If the rug is the large scale, then the fabrics should be a medium or small scale.

There are a lot of floral fabrics available that will coordinate with colors you may already be using in yoru home. If you have tan carpeting or a neutral tone, some of the tea-stained floral designs may be perfect in your room. Instead of just admiring those beautiful garden rooms you see in magazines, why not be brave and start decorating your own garden room... just in time for Spring?!!

INTERIOR INSPIRATIONS - March 24, 2004
By Pam Otto, Furniture Gallery Interior Designer

Graduations, reunions and special summer occasions will soon be upon us. It’s time to get your home ready for the big event. So often people overlook one of the most important aspects of a homes décor…The FIRST IMPRESSION.

With the right furnishings, homeowners can turn foyers or entrance halls into warm, welcoming places to greet family and friends. Furniture Style Magazine tells us that in Victorian times, making a good first impression was essential to achieving and maintaining a desired social status. One way homeowners accomplished this was by turning their entrance halls into showcases for prized possessions and impressive pieces of furniture.

By the late 19th Century, consumers had tired of large, ornate furniture, and manufacturers started producing simpler, scaled-down pieces. Suburbs filled with small track houses sprang up around the country following World War II. Many of these homes didn’t have entrance halls; the front door opened directly into the living room.

While today’s homeowners probably aren’t as concerned with first impressions and status as their Victorian counterparts, most still want a warm, welcoming space in which to greet visitors. A foyer or entrance hall appointed with a chandelier, an area rug and a few select pieces of furniture becomes the ideal place.

Not only do the right furnishings make a foyer a “staging area,” they also make it functional. A bench provides a place for family members and visitors to sit while putting on winter boots. A small console holds keys, mail and a dog leash. A mirror adds visual interest—and enables the homeowner to check her appearance one more time before leaving the house.

Creating a vignette of this nature, by adding just a few pieces, is an economical way to make a big impression on those guests who arrive at your doorstep.

WELCOME - March 2003
Throughout my years working as an interior designer I find the most common mistakes when visiting homes, is that people want large scaled furniture in too small of space. Furniture always looks smaller on a showroom floor because the space is much larger. Always measure your space before shopping, and if the service is free, ask a designer his or her opinion. They have a trained eye and just know from experience what's best over all based on your likes and dislikes. I like to spend time visiting with my clients before viewing their blueprints. There are so many important questions to ask them before getting started.

Living up here in the North Country again has given me a whole new challenge on design; as the Florida look I was accustomed to just doesn't fit in Baudette. Most people know our area best for "Lake of the Woods" We are the Walleye Capital of the World; therefore most of the homes and cabins up here tend to take on a much more casual relaxed atmosphere as well as darker richer color themes. Everyone wants there home or cabin to have an atmosphere of total ease. A place to let their hair down.

Pam Otto (left) with her Customer and friend, Audrey

As a designer I spend my spare time redecorating areas of our showroom. I look at decorating as a constant challenge and enjoy every minute of it! if your contemplating moving up here, all I can tell you is "This is Definitely Gods Country" and you'll love it! There's nothing more beautiful than the four seasons and Lake of the Woods.

Pam Otto, ASID/ Licensed Designer
Minnesota License
#51256

Questions? E-mail me at furniture@baudettefurnituregallery.com (ATT: Pam Otto)