It’s HOT! Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

It’s HOT! Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

Decorating Tips, Flooring

Photo by: 3800 T St NW

What vision conjures up in your head when you think of vinyl flooring?

Maybe the orange and brown linoleum of the seventies?  Or perhaps the cheap-looking imitation wood vinyl planks that tried to pass themselves off like a wood floor?

I’m here to tell you that vinyl plank flooring has come a long way since then and it’s the fastest-growing product on the market today. LVP flooring, also known as Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring, has become the go-to product for stylish floors.

LVP flooring

I never dreamed I would be promoting vinyl flooring but I am and I’ll tell you why.

First, let me tell you why I’ve fallen in love with this product.

vinyl flooring

After water damaged ruined my floors throughout my home, I had to decide on a new flooring material.

The cost of replacing all the natural wood floors throughout my home was astronomical and even though the insurance would cover a good part of it I had to make the hard decision on what product to use.  It’s funny how being a designer, I can recommend a material in my sleep for my clients but I struggled to decide what I wanted to use in my home. After visiting my favorite flooring showroom and doing my homework, there was no other choice but LVP flooring.

 

Here is what I learned when doing my research.

In 1980 LVP was first introduced to the flooring industry.  At the time, its hollow-sounding and cheap-looking planks fell to the bottom of the list and stayed there for a long time. However, they have been re-engineered using a strong core of high-density fiberboard and PVC vinyl for stability and flexibility. They now come in an array of stains, colors, grains, and protective layers that are both beautiful, durable and best of all, very affordable. As a bonus, they don’t come with the maintenance and worries associated with traditional hardwood flooring.

Both water-resistant and water-proof LVP flooring can replicate the beautiful look of parquet and other unique patterns such as whitewashed, driftwood, dark espresso, and so many more options at half the cost of natural wood flooring. LVP can mimic the look of other flooring products such as wood, stone and ceramic tile due to its varying textures and natural colors.

 

Here are the benefits I find most appealing with LVP Flooring:

  • It’s hard to tell it’s not real. With thicker and more rigid planks, it looks and feels like the natural product.
  • It is waterproof and holds up well in those areas that are prone to water, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
  • It can be installed on top of any surface such as wood, tile and concrete, as long as it’s clean and flat.
  • It’s very affordable. Less expensive than hardwood or tile and easier to install.
  • It’s easier on your feet and feels like you are walking on natural material but has more give than traditional wood flooring or ceramic tile.
  • Since it’s thinner than tile or hardwood, it fits seamlessly around cabinets and appliances.
  • Easy to repair and easy to clean. A damaged plank can be popped out and replaced effortlessly.
  • Hundreds of styles and colors to choose from.

As with any building material, there are a few downsides to LVP flooring that I should mention.

  • It doesn’t add to the value of a home when selling.
  • It can scratch when heavy appliances and furniture is dragged over it.
  • May require extra installation prep if your floors are uneven or wavy. The way they are engineered needs them to be installed on a flat and even surface. You can add a layer of self-leveling mix to the floor or choose to glue them along with locking them in place.

If you are in the market to replace flooring in your home, I encourage you to visit your local flooring showroom and look into Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring. It provides an affordable and amazingly real look that is more durable and versatile than traditional flooring at half the cost.

Melanie Serra, Interior Designer & Home Stager
Melanie Serra, Interior Decorator, Certified Color, Redesign and Staging Instructor

Award-winning decorator and stylist Melanie Serra has been reviving interiors for over 17 years and has worked with clients in Dallas, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Melanie Serra’s approach to interior design is fresh and innovative transforming residential and commercial interiors from Now to WOW!

Melanie Serra Interiors - 770-714-3430

Contact me today

Bold Meets Beautiful in Wallpaper

Bold Meets Beautiful in Wallpaper

Decorating Tips, Interior Decorating, Interior Design, Renovations

Wallpaper Trends on the Rise!

It’s no wonder that the modern wallpaper trend is still going strong.  Wallpaper is a  simple and cost-effective update, and today’s patterns are a far cry from the ’80s florals and farm animal borders of the past. Gone are the days of hard to remove paper and gooey buckets of wallpaper paste. Today, wallpaper represents a union between timeless designs and beautiful artwork matched with new paper options. The design industry is embracing its nostalgia by standing true to the fact that “everything that is old becomes new again.”

With the age of self-expression, wallpaper is becoming the perfect way to personalize a room. Its primary purpose is to breathe new life into a room while adding a touch of class and sophistication to the walls that paint sometimes can’t offer. If nothing else wallpaper lets us add a little whimsy to our homes.

The five newest wallpaper trends:

Majestic  Murals

Stunning Landscape Wall Murals by Wallsauce

 

 

 

The love of a European village, New York City or the lowlands of South Carolina can be introduced in a room through scenic wallpaper murals. Like fine art, they create an accent wall from floor to ceiling to capture a mood, theme, or aspiration.

Modern Designs

 

 

 

The age of innovation is endless, and modern designs are popping up everywhere, including on wallpaper. Overscaled botanical prints and geometric patterns incorporate the modern architectural movement with touches of organic elements.

Prints & Whimsical Chintz

 

 

If flowered wallpaper reminds you of your grandmother’s bedroom, look again. A new array of whimsical and Chintz patterns are hitting the design world like never before. Designers are pairing these traditional papers with modern furniture and fun accessories.

Add Texture

 

 

Wallpaper manufacturers have gotten innovated when it comes to paper designs. Adding texture to a wall has never been so simple. Two-dimensional designs and the use of grasscloths and faux suedes have taken wallpaper to a whole new level.

Add a Painting

 

 

Watercolor-inspired wallpaper continues to reign supreme with its over-blown patterns and designs. It’s fresh and modern and becomes a work of art in a room.

Modern wallpapers are so diverse that you will be able to find a suitable option no matter what your style. Forget the wallpaper of your past and step out into the new fashion of bold and truly unique papers.

I can help you select the perfect style and pattern for any room in your home.

I have many resources, along with a fabulous wallpaper installer! If that accent wall or dining room mural is the next project on your list, contact me at [email protected] or call me at 770 714 3430.

Together we can make it happen!

Melanie Serra, Interior Designer & Home Stager
Melanie Serra, Interior Decorator, Certified Color, Redesign and Staging Instructor

Award-winning decorator and stylist Melanie Serra has been reviving interiors for over 17 years and has worked with clients in Dallas, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Melanie Serra’s approach to interior design is fresh and innovative transforming residential and commercial interiors from Now to WOW!

Melanie Serra Interiors - 770-714-3430

Contact me today

What Every Atlanta Interior Designer Wants You to Know

What Every Atlanta Interior Designer Wants You to Know

Decorating Tips, Interior Decorating, Interior Design

Atlanta Interior Designers tell it all …

I heard someone once describe an Atlanta Interior Designer as someone who always knows what jewelry goes perfectly with any outfit. I love that, and it describes how I look at a room. Just like I match jewelry with my outfits, I match your home with furniture and accessories.

You may imagine me showing up at your home toting fabric swatches and paint decks, and while that may be true, I do carry those in my bag, I would rather you see me as your personal home style assistant.

matching accessories

My job is to open your home’s closet and put together the perfect outfit.

Have you been dreaming of hiring an interior designer or wondering if hiring one would be a good fit for you?

Let me explain a few things that every interior designer wants you to know.

What do interior designers do?

By walking into your home, a designer should get a feel for your style and taste immediately. Most designers and decorators have design degrees and/or certificates to know how to dress your home properly.

From one room to the whole house

Our job is to know how to work within your budget. Homeowners shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help from a professional designer. In most cases, a few small changes can make a huge impact on the look and feel of your home.

Each designer embraces your style

There is no such thing as cookie-cutter designers.  We are here to listen to your ideas, give you professional advice, and offer an array of design options to fit any design style. Most designers don’t work with preconceptions or on a design agenda. Our job is to take your vision to its full potential, all while holding your hand every step of the way.

It’s more than aesthetics

Wall colors and window treatments are important, but those cosmetic things are just the tip of what an interior designer does.  We go out of our way to make sure your space feels harmonious throughout. From the floor plan to the last placed accessory, each element in the room is chosen with purpose and style in mind.

A designer outfits a home in a way that is both flattering and functional. They balance the aesthetics with the architectural features to reflect their client’s lifestyle and desired mood for the home.

An Atlanta Interior Designer will have a clear vision for your home. They will breathe life into it while paying attention to the tiniest details that will transform your space into a polished and pulled together look.

To conclude, an interior designer has the experience to professionally dress your home with furniture, fabrics, and accessories  – the ‘jewelry’ of your home.

Melanie Serra, Interior Designer & Home Stager
Melanie Serra, Interior Decorator, Certified Color, Redesign and Staging Instructor

Award-winning decorator and stylist Melanie Serra has been reviving interiors for over 17 years and has worked with clients in Dallas, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Melanie Serra’s approach to interior design is fresh and innovative transforming residential and commercial interiors from Now to WOW!

Melanie Serra Interiors - 770-714-3430

Contact me today

Staging Your Home with Vignettes

Staging Your Home with Vignettes

Decorating Tips, Home Staging, Interior Decorating

What is a Vignette?

Vignette staging is a terrific way to stage a home to create buyer appeal and save the seller time and money.  This is a great way to create the right atmosphere and mood with just a few accessories.

You may be wondering, “What is a vignette?”

Vignettes are small scenes that create a focus, set a mood, and describe something in a brief but elegant way. Vignettes give the potential buyer reason to linger in a room and use their imagination to glimpse the “lifestyle” that can be theirs if they purchase your home.  They can be especially valuable in rooms that need a focal point or are lacking interest. They also show a potential buyer how a space might function or be used in areas that are not easily defined.

The photos below are examples of two vignettes that I created for my clients:

Vignettes Ideas
I’d like to share with you some successful ideas on building creative vignette displays.

These vignettes are not typical, typical is blah and ordinary. It’s important to think outside the box and create eye-catching displays that will “WOW’ the buyer.  Vignettes need to make a great first impression and entice the buyer.

 

 

 

 

 

By The Room – Vignettes Ideas

Porch or Desk

  • Set out a glass of iced tea with the newspaper and a pair of sunglasses

Back Yard

  • Set up a game of croquet in the backyard.

Kitchen

  • Set up a Mommy and me baking/cooking display
  • Create a tea party display (see the above photo)

Family Room

  • Game night-set up a puzzle, a board game, or a hand of solitaire.
  • Movie night-popcorn, movie candy-place a bowl of popcorn, a video and a couple of cans of soda on a coffee table.

Dining Room

  • Set up a wine tasting party display
  • Create a birthday party theme-Place stacks of china out on the dining table with a floral centerpiece and wrapped packages.

Master Bedroom

  • Create Elegant Evening Out / Opera night:  Place black gloves, a pearl necklace and a black evening gown next to opera tickets and a playbill program
  • Romantic lighting, Tiffany box on the pillow

Laundry Room

  • Stack white towels in textured baskets
  • Place white laundry detergent in old-fashioned glass candy jar containers

It’s so important to create enticing vignettes when staging a home.  As the seller, the feeling you will want to foster in a buyer is comfort, happiness, and stress-free living. Vignettes are a way to reinforce this response. Vignettes bring in more offers, and help to facilitate a quick sale.

Melanie Serra, Interior Designer & Home Stager
Melanie Serra, Interior Decorator, Certified Color, Redesign and Staging Instructor

Award-winning decorator and stylist Melanie Serra has been reviving interiors for over 17 years and has worked with clients in Dallas, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Melanie Serra’s approach to interior design is fresh and innovative transforming residential and commercial interiors from Now to WOW!

Melanie Serra Interiors - 770-714-3430

Contact me today

Christmas Gone Tribal

Christmas Gone Tribal

Decorating Tips, Holiday Decorating

Tribal Theme Decorating for Christmas

I was honored to be chosen as one of eight designers for this year’s 2nd Annual “Holiday Home Tour,” hosted by the Roswell Woman’s Club. Five beautiful homes, in the heart of Historic Roswell, were featured and decorated with holiday décor.

Last year my design featured Blush for the Holidays, but this year I decided to unleash my creativity and come up with a holiday design that went against everything red and green.

The home was built by Brightwater Homes and reflective of farmhouse style. It featured interesting architectural characteristics along with an array of eclectic furnishings representative of the homeowner’s extensive travels.  The bohemian style was the perfect backdrop to blend the homeowner’s exotic collections with elements of tribal décor to create a spiritual oasis. Using warm neutrals and lots of texture, I was able to pull off this unique Christmas theme.

Tribal Christmas decorations

I selected the formal living area because of its textural fixed elements.

The cream and black brick wall, accentuated with square symmetrical widows was a perfect focal point for a Christmas tree. The whitewashed floors were light and airy and reminiscent of a rustic Peruvian adobe.

christmas greenery

presents gone tribal

The Tribal Tibetan theme I had envisioned in my head would blend together black, white and marigold along with natural textures such as feathers, natural jute, rattan, and greenery.

Christmas ornaments gone tribal

When I started to shop for decorations, I looked for specific ornaments that would be somewhat global. I wanted to evoke visions of exotic places that would push a visitor’s imagination to faraway destinations. I mixed in tribal patterns and took my inspiration from the homeowners existing draperies which were constructed of a feather-like fabric.

rustic mirror in tribal decorating

spiritual decorating

Highlighting a spiritual theme, I created an alter out of a wood sculpture, using gems, prayer beads, and energy stones.

JuJu Hats

Using rattan circular wall hangings, I added JuJu hats made from feathers that are traditional ceremonial headdress used by tribal chiefs, royal families and dignitaries.

white and black cross rug

A tribal black and white rug, along with gift boxes wrapped in geometric paper added the finishing touches to the room.

Not the typical holiday choices, but the patrons of the Holiday Home Tour come to experience designs that push the boundaries and go beyond standard holiday decor.

Call it Tribal, Bohemian, Native Chic or even Ethnic Décor it’s all HOT!

There has been a rise in this modern tribal trend because it works so well with other design elements.  From Scandinavian to vintage eclectic, it is the perfect way to combine ethnic design with nature-inspired décor.

Melanie Serra, Interior Designer & Home Stager
Melanie Serra, Interior Decorator, Certified Color, Redesign and Staging Instructor

Award-winning decorator and stylist Melanie Serra has been reviving interiors for over 17 years and has worked with clients in Dallas, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Melanie Serra’s approach to interior design is fresh and innovative transforming residential and commercial interiors from Now to WOW!

Melanie Serra Interiors - 770-714-3430

Contact me today

What color should I paint my house exterior?

What color should I paint my house exterior?

Color, Decorating Tips, Interior Decorating, Paint

Pick-a-Paint Tips – How to pick a house paint color.

Each home has a unique calling card of its own, whether it’s a classic Bungalow or a charming Tudor. It’s just a matter of time before a house needs a fresh coat of paint to recapture its classic characteristic charm. The perfect exterior color palette goes a long way in providing curb appeal and creating a neighborhood showpiece.

How to pick a house paint color?

When you factor in the thousands of color choices and their values it can be a daunting task. On top of that, one must understand undertones and how color reacts to light, texture and weather conditions.

Selecting the wrong exterior paint colors can affect the entire neighborhood. So it’s important to get it right the first time to avoid costly mistakes and humiliation. The tips below can provide color confidence in selecting the perfect exterior color scheme.

Pick Just Three

When narrowing down your exterior color choices, keep it to just three.


Field Color – Large areas such as siding (hardie plank). The field color will be the base for choosing your trim and accent colors.


Trim Color – Corner boards, window trim, fascia, etc. Trim color can make or break your color scheme. Keeping trim lighter than the field color is always a safe bet. Pay attention to trends such as with the new farmhouse style where it is common to paint gutters, downspouts, and windows in dark brown or black. This is a great look, however, trends come and go. So, if you are planning to sell in a few years its best to select white or neutral.


Accent Color – Doors, shutters, and other architectural features. The accent color is where you can incorporate a bit of personality. An eye-catching accent color can give an otherwise muted color scheme pizzaz.

Use Fixed Elements as a Guide

This is the jumping off place to start your color palate. Use a fixed element such as the brick, mortar, cedar shakes, stone, pavers, roof shingles, wood columns etc. to establish the color scheme. There is usually more than one color (undertone) in natural materials. Once you decide on the hue, be sure to hold the paint chip next to the material to get an accurate match.


Factor in the surrounding area.

Something people often forget to do is factor in the colors around their house. Maybe you have a cherry blossom tree in your front yard that you could match your house? Or do you have a colorful path leading up to your house? The biggest thing to consider is your garage because if the house doesn’t match the garage then it can make the whole house look off. If you have an oak garage (and if you don’t I recomend looking at oak framed garages prices because they can make your house look stunning) then it’s best to go for darker greens or shades with gray undertones. There are a lot of things to consider.

Go for the Classics

When it comes to choosing a timeless color combination, nothing works better than the classic white or ivory with a black accent.

Vary Color Hues

The value of a color is the lightness or darkness of the same hue. Often people will call this a shade, but that is incorrect color terminology. Shade is a color with black undertones. Some of the prettiest color combinations are those that play with different values of the same color.

Make a Statement with Color

Color is your friend! Don’t be afraid to be brave and daring. This homeowner went bold and classic!

Highlight the Architecture

If your home’s most prominent feature is its architectural form, then use paint colors to highlight its uniqueness.

A final note….

Just as important as picking a color palette that works in your neighborhood and the surrounding landscape, testing your color choice is vital. Painting your home is a big undertaking and is not as simple as re-painting an interior room. It can be a costly mistake.

Never rely on paint chips alone when choosing a paint color for your home.

Find an inconspicuous area of your home where you can paint test swatches. Paint a large area and watch how the light changes its hue at different times of the day and in different weather conditions.

If picking an exterior paint color seems too overwhelming give your Atlanta, GA Color Consultant, a call and let’s tackle it together. During a color consultation, I create a cohesive color palette that will compliment your homes best exterior features while keeping in line with its individual character.

Melanie Serra, Interior Designer & Home Stager
Melanie Serra, Interior Decorator, Certified Color, Redesign and Staging Instructor

Award-winning decorator and stylist Melanie Serra has been reviving interiors for over 17 years and has worked with clients in Dallas, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Melanie Serra’s approach to interior design is fresh and innovative transforming residential and commercial interiors from Now to WOW!

Melanie Serra Interiors - 770-714-3430

Contact me today