Bring a Touch of the Mediterranean to Your Living Space: A Guide

Mediterranean style is something of a catch-all term in the United States and beyond when it comes to architecture interior design and decorating. However the concept comes not just from Greece Italy or Spain but instead from all of the 21 countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea. So you can look to Portugal or turkey, Egypt or Morocco just as easily. So although we are boiling down the design elements to their most key components we highly advise you to look to these other countries when it comes to adding your own twist and making it yours. 

Indoor Outdoor Living 

Courtesy of Albrecht Fietz

One of the key elements, if not the key elements of Mediterranean style is a blend of indoor outdoor living. The people surrounding the Mediterranean Sea have a focus on being connected to nature and their home is just as much outdoors as it is indoors. So you'll want to start looking at ways you can reflect that in your own home. This can mean everything from building and outdoor kitchen and dining room, to making sure you have large windows to let the breeze move through your home easily, or bringing some of your garden indoors. Almost every aspect of what makes this decor style, ties back to this.

Natural Colors 

 For Mediterranean decor you will be drawing primarily from natural colors look to put together a portfolio that reflects the sea and the sky and the earth in these areas. While it doesn't matter where you use these, these are what will make up your color palettes.  

Spaces Focused On Community

Courtesty of Kerstin Riemer

Many of the countries and cultures which surround the Mediterranean see have a very strong focus on family and family ties and community. For this reason the home is typically organized around either a central courtyard or the kitchen depending on where you are. This is because it's not your bedroom or office that are the heart of the home it is where you can gather with friends and family. So when designing your home make sure that your focus is on these communal spaces ensuring that where people will be is the most comfortable.

Using Natural Materials

Stone, marble, terracotta all of these are go to materials for your floors. Not only do they help in keeping your home cool during warm summer months always a bonus in Texas, but additionally they continue the feeling of bringing the outside in. They also stick mostly to the natural color palettes.

Patterned Tiles

Courtesy of Jason Goh

When you want to bring in a splash of color there are tons of places to hide patterned tiles. These can be used on your floor, on walls, in alcoves, sterilizers the possibilities are as boundless as your creativity. You can also mix and match textures and patterns to bring in your personality. 

Make Sure To Look Up

Exposed beams call back to older building styles and very reflective of Mediterranean style. They are wonderful for adding warmth and a cozy feeling to any room. Best of all if your home doesn't have these naturally you can fake them. With a bit of searching online there are several different ways to fake this look depending on what your budget and skill level is.

Courtesy of Tatiana Syrikova

Start From A Neutral Background 

Courtesy of Moy Caro

When it comes to the base layer of your room, the floors, the walls, the ceilings, start from neutral. Give your walls of whitewashed look or use stucco to add texture but you'll want to stick to light neutrals in order to keep the temperature down. Also don't be afraid of imperfections on your walls or your floors. Whether that's a scuff mark from when moving furniture or a ding that got put in the floor it's part of what makes the home and it adds a certain age especially if you wash over it with glazes or whitewash

Furnishing Done Right 

Furniture is most often made from wood while it doesn't have to be big heavy pieces they are common to the style. Furniture can range from the functional to the formal with big heavy pieces to thin highly carved details. Your hardware and other metal work is most often going to be made of wrought iron. You'll also want to look for natural materials like linen, cotton, or jute. Then for wall hangings or storage, look to rattan, wicker, and sea grass. 

That's our breakdown on Mediterranean Style, let us know what you thought over on our Facebook page! 

If you're here because your washer has leaked all over and precipitated this drastic change in style, we can help. You can reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at (). We'll work with you to get your home running smoothly again. Whether you live in McKinney, Frisco or Allen, we'll work out a time that fits your needs to send one of our technicians out to your home to find and solve the problem with your appliances. 

So? What do you think? Are you going to be doing a Mediterranean staycation? Or is this just not for you? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page.

If you wound up here because you're needing help with your appliances, however, I'm not your decorating, we can still help. Reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). Appliance rescue service we want to get your home running smoothly again. We will work with you wherever you live in the Dallas metro area.

A Few Key Elements And Your Home Will Be Your Own Mediterranean Getaway! 

Industrial Chic: Transforming Your Space with Rustic Elements

Maybe there’s another way to look at old spaces?

Industrial Decor comes from the '90s as many City centers in North America started transitioning their shut-down warehouses and manufacturing plants into condos or apartment buildings. Instead of trying to pretend that the building hadn't previously been a warehouse, they would feature the details. Industrial Decor became known for preserving that grungy open and exposed feeling. This type of design is mostly about obtaining a cold, eerie look. Rather than something to gentrify, this became the selling point for many of these new homes.

The great thing about industrial decor is that you don't need to have purchased a warehouse to achieve the look. With a bit of outside-of-the-box thinking, you can manage this even in the middle of suburbia. 

 The key elements of industrial interior design include:

A Mix Of Grays, Neutrals, And Rustic Colors 

As is with many different styles, you'll want to start by building up your color palette. While heading straight to Black or White might seem the obvious choice, more natural and worn colors are really what you should look at. If your space has a lot of room, go ahead and utilize an accent wall in some of the darker tones like charcoal gray, or a deep brick, or umber. If on the other hand your space is a little smaller or maybe the ceiling isn't particularly high, go ahead and use something like a light gray rather than straight white. This will give it the open effect, but it won't detract from the look you're trying to gain. You would also be surprised by the amount of blues, charcoals, and brick tones that you can bring in with this decor style.

An example of some options for an industrial design.

A Raw And Unfinished Look 

Courtesy of Abo Adam

Now that you've got your color decided on, let's make the room look unfinished in order to eventually give it a finished cohesive look (haha). What we mean by this is if your room has molding or baseboards? Get rid of them. If you've got a brick or stone fireplace that maybe was painted at some point, strip it down. If you've got wall to wall carpeting and you know you've got wood floors underneath it, rip it out and it was a little bit of oil you'll have an amazing floor. As with many things in our Decor series, these are options. All of these add to the look of a piece being unfinished, but it's up to you decide what you want to go with.

 Concrete Flooring 

Courtesy of Max Rahuboviskiy - Check out the concrete floor!

Given how many of the original industrial buildings would have been floored in concrete, this is a staple of the look. However if you cannot or do not want to rip your house down to concrete floors, there are other ways to achieve the look without having to destroy your house. You can instead get tiles that look like concrete. You can get peel-and-stick flooring for the same look. You can even lay down a vinyl wrap to achieve what you want. Each of these gives you different amounts of flexibility and ingenuity based on your budget and needs.

 Utilitarian Objects 

   Utilitarian objects are ones which serve their purpose without a lot of extraneous detail or ‘fluff’. There is still a sort of austere beauty to pieces that are simple. They bring joy in their simplicity or in how well they do their job. You can balance this by bringing in pop or abstract art and plant life to bring color and detail to a room. 

 A Use Of Old Vintage Factory And Lab Pieces

Courtesy of Farida Najafguliyeva

 If you want to bring in something special, you might look at incorporating antique or vintage factory and lab pieces. You can often pick them up from sales or thrift stores if you happen to live in the city.  Additionally, you can often find some of the classic fixtures and "Edison bulbs" at hardware stores that carry interior lighting. Cogs and gears are often thought of, but you should look beyond that. Look for pieces that can serve a purpose in your home now, such as repurposing an old chain to hold plants or a table top to act as the backing for a mirror. (Of course there are many more options that we could come up with right now, but these are ones we’ve seen.) 

 Large Sectionals 

Courtesy of Olena Bohovyk

Because of the large amounts of space within many transformed warehouses, bigger furniture was better. Being a sectional just means that you can easily take it apart and move it how you want, whether that’s several small seats or one giant couch for everyone to pile onto. 

 Wood And Metal Surfaces 

Courtesy of My walking Diary

Just like the floors and walls were often left bare, you might want to bring in very simple furniture to reflect the same. This is also a good choice if you’re not living in a converted warehouse and want to get the look anyway. Using reclaimed or recycled wood paired with metal piping to construct tables and shelving is a good example of how this can be achieved.  Using antique light fixtures with metal finishes is also something that is very common and fits well with the look. 

As always, we hope that you enjoyed our take on this aspect of home decor. Will you take on an industrial design at some point? Let us know why or why not over on our Facebook page.

If it is not your love of decor but instead your hatred of your malfunctioning dishwasher that has brought you to us today, you're still in the right place. At Appliance Rescue Service, we take care of all major appliances and work with you to get your home running smoothly again. When you reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055), we'll work with you to set up a time and date that works with your schedule to send out one of our experienced technicians. Whether you live in Plano, Carrollton, or Garland, we want to help.

Modern Victorian: How To Achieve the Look In Your Home

Bringing the Historical To Your Home

Did you ever dream of the Victorian period's lavish balls and parlor rooms? Or watch a show or movie set in the time and wish you could decorate your home the same way? Well, you absolutely can. 

The Victorian period stretched from 1837 to 1901 roughly. You saw a certain style within the homes of the well-to-do, the aristocracy, and the nobles. It was easy to identify by an exuberance of ornamentation influences from throughout history and handicrafts. It was also often compartmentalized, breaking rooms into smaller pieces and rather dark, given the shape and space allowed for homes in England. Although the Victorian period has ended, our love of it hasn't. Victorian style has been mixed, remixed, and adapted in various ways, which is why it's still so popular.

Remember that you can still pull off a Victorian style even if you don't have a large Victorian manner or an old home. All you need is a few of these tips.

Highlight Good Bones, Don't Hide Them 

 Rather than hiding the bones of your home, bring attention to them. Do you have wood flooring, any marble, or dark framework? Great! And if you don't naturally have this, there's a decent way you can imitate it. You can also refurbish and draw attention to old brickwork fireplaces, radiators, and mantles.

Pair Ornamentation With Simplicity 

Victorian homes were packed to the brim with detail, which can be very overwhelming to modern comfort. Instead, try allowing room for each. Put a heavily detailed piece in the middle of an open wall.

Imitate The Look Of Bay Windows 

 Even if your home doesn't come naturally with bay windows, you can still have the look of these beautiful Victorian features. You can use a pair of double-door Shutters to frame an entryway, such as a solarium or orangery.

Yes, Your Lighting Does Matter 

As we said up top Victorian homes were often dark. This came from the time of the industrial revolution, at least if they were in London. The fog at the time was so thick that lamps would be lit by mid-afternoon. Add to that that most lamps were not electric yet but were instead still powered by gas. So lighting was either what little natural lighting you could get through your windows or provided by lamplight and candles. For the modern reader, though, you want something else. Instead, when choosing your lighting, think of each piece as part of the whole room. They can all be bold, sumptuous, and intricate but they should also work together. Choose pieces that mimic one another, even if it is in subtle ways.

Juxtapose Scales

 Victorian homes were often private collections of The eclectic and strange. If you're not interested in building your own cabinet of curiosities (if you are, we'll get to that further down), consider instead using scale. Pair large patterns with smaller paintings or oversized bookshelves in a small room. It gives you the same feeling of drama that the Victorians loved without needing your home to be so cluttered.

Work In The Natural

Victorians loved nature from their perspective of manicured gardens to their floor arrangements to their decor. If they could bring in the natural world, they did. It makes sense to find places you can do the same. Can you bring in accessories made from natural fibers? Can you bring in furniture made of wicker or rattan? Do you have a love for botanical drawings that you can frame and hang?

Carefully Curate Your Clutter

Remember how we were talking about curio cabinets? This is that concept. In a Victorian home, you curate what gets displayed, and the rest gets hidden in stylish cabinets. Feature finds from your latest vacation, favored books, or strange things you've discovered over time. 

Go For Bold

On a final note, don't be afraid to go big and bold. Victorian decor was much more colorful than today's styles. Bring in jewel tones and huge patterns; there's no limit. What matters is how you balance these things. 

Are you as in love with Modern Victorian as we are? Let us know over on our Facebook page! 

If you're here because "redoing your home" started because of a flood thanks to your washer, we can help. Reach out to us via phone at ((214) 599-0055) or our contact page, and we will work with you to find a date and time to send one of our expert technicians over. At Appliance Rescue Service, our goal is to help you and get your home running smoothly again. 

18 Ways We're Living With Viva Magenta

Back at the beginning of the year, we talked about how Pantone's color of the year is Viva Magenta and many of you asked how you could incorporate that into your homes. We're taking a look at 18 different rooms from people across the internet both from this year and earlier who have used magenta in innovative and beautiful ways to decorate their homes.

Use Magenta Details

This kitchen is already amazing, with the cream walls and the white subway tile giving the teal cabinetry room to wow. But having little magenta details throughout the room like the rug the tea kettle and the blinds is a great way to bring this color into your home without having to do an expensive makeover. Or give up a color you already love.

A Stunning Dining Room 

You can always use color blocking to separate rooms one from another the way the magenta breaks up the dining room from the living room to the right in this room by Studio DIY. But within the space of the dining room it ties everything together, letting you know that this is one room.

Courtesy of Studio DIY

Courtesy of Rebel Walls

Use A Mural

Maybe you're not interested in doing the whole room in magenta. You can use a mural instead, like this one from Rebel Walls that not only pairs it with several other complementary colors but also shows several different shades of magenta and lets it be balanced by the White and neutral tones throughout the room. It's a way to bring in some color without overwhelming yourself.

Relaxed & Inviting

The vibrant magenta in this bathroom makes the artwork and the mirror on the walls stand out all the more add in the green from the matching bottles and the plant life and you have a very warm and inviting bathroom.

Courtesy of Decoholic

Courtesy of Kati Curtis Design & Thomas Loof

Utterly Refined

Or maybe you want a more sophisticated look for your bathroom. That's where this bathroom takes the Cake. With the long ornate mirror paired with the deep magenta of the walls, it has a very sophisticated appeal. Throw in the matching hardware for the lamps and the faucets, and the drawer pulls and you have a very refined look.

Shaping UP

If you really feel like getting crazy, this ceiling mural from Shapes For The People, is the way to go. You still have the balance of colors that work together from the teal to the magenta to the yellow and the orange, but combined with the shapes, it is a very unexpected and playful atmosphere.

Courtesy of Shapes For The People

Courtesy of 41 West

Main and Modern

On the other hand, maybe you need something vibrant in your modern bathroom. The magenta walls paired with the sterile light in this bathroom is so utterly modern, but it practically shouts the Pantone 2023 motto of “being you”.

Surprise

What about in your kitchen though? Maybe your kitchen is already full of color and light but you need some areas where it's different. That's where painting your cabinets and the underside of your Island can come in. We are all over adding splashes of color in unexpected places and doing the underside of the island like you see in this photo is one of our favorites. It is an unexpected place that most people wouldn't think to paint but it pulls the room together.

Courtesy of ANNIE SCHLECHTER

Central Focus

Maybe you're looking for a little more sedate living room but you still want something to show your personality. That's what this living room has in spades. The majority of the room is done in neutrals from the floor to the curtains the walls and even the ceiling. And then you have the couches and the tables but it's in a small enough quantity that it's balanced.

Adding In The Drama

If you need something a little more dramatic in your life this is a good source of inspiration. With the deep blue painted brick and the gold dripping down the ceiling the velvet wingback chairs POP.

Looking Up At Magenta

If you're looking to add color but you're not sure where why not look up? All of the colors in this living room work and the magenta ceiling is another neat piece in that puzzle.

Countertop Shine

Another kitchen but this time the magenta is front and center with the countertop. Instead of tying the room together the counter is the focal point drawing your eyes to it, and balanced against the wood siding it creates a vibrant yet homey feel.

Splashing Magenta Around

This cozy kitchen is a great example of how to make color work for you. Several colors are mirrored in different locations, and it ties everything together. Our favorite though is the magenta backsplash that's slightly muted. Using a colored backsplash is a great way to add small doses of color into your kitchen. Techniques like peel-and-stick or removable tiles it's even easier to try out options until you find one you like.

Upgrade Your Pantry 

If you've got a storage nook or a butler's pantry, give it an upgrade and some color! This butler’s pantry from VanderHorn Architects is a great example of just that.

Pairing the magenta with the natural wood overhead and the white framing in this nook balance each other while making it a welcoming space.

Courtesy of VanderHorn Architects

Magenta In Focus

Adding a focal wall is a great way to unify the look of your room as this bedroom shows. The magenta tiles add texture and color to the room but also add a very pop feeling that counters the more ornate headboard and settee.

Magenta In The Background

While the chairs are magenta and certainly draw your focus, we want to point out the magenta wallpaper in the background. Using the wallpaper to add a second color in the background allows you to add some pop to the room against the darker paint. It also adds a ton of personality, without taking away from the room.

Living In Jewels

This living room is like living inside a jewel box. The walls might be white, but the layers of magenta and gold offer a stunning and lavish living room that anyone could be comfortable in.

A final room that’s done in shades of magenta and gold but feels very sedate somehow. If you get how this one works, let us know!

Do you think you'll be adding Viva Magenta or similar colors to your home sometime soon? Let us know over on our Facebook page, as always, we love to hear from you.

If you're wondering why an appliance repair blog is going on about colors and decorating, don't worry; this isn't all we do. Whether it is your freshly painted washer, or your still stainless refrigerator that is giving you fits, we can help. At Appliance Rescue Service, we work with you to find a date and time that meets your needs. Will send out one of our experienced technicians to diagnose the problem and then fix it. Whether you're in McKinney, Frisco, Dallas, Allen, or anywhere in between, we are here for you. Reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). 

Southwestern Decor 101

 Bringing The Beauty Of The Desert Inside

Have you ever looked out at a sunset and thought, "I love the way that looks"? Or seen a picture of the Grand Canyon in the middle of winter and been amazed by the riot of colors? The people that started the southwestern decor style did too. Southwestern decor is absolutely stunning, and there are many people that love it in their homes. This week we are breaking down just what it is that makes the design work.

What defines it? 

Southwestern style is a hodgepodge of different influences that have melded to create an incredibly popular style. It blends together Indigenous, Spanish, Mediterranean, and 'American West influences into a unique and homey design. 

Southwestern style seems to have originated in the 1920s in Southern California, mixing together the Hopi, Pueblo, and Navajo history, and textile crafts, with the utilitarian Spanish building methods and the more rustic charm of the American West. It also draws inspiration from Mediterranean architecture and pairs it with the flat-roofed homes of the Hopi and Pueblo tribes. 

All of the influences that make up Southwestern decor come together in the color palettes often used. In Southwestern decor, the desert isn't just a place that's deadly; it is also beautiful. The earthy tones of sandstones and terra cotta mix with bright blue skies, dusty purples, and cactus greens. None of the colors are chosen at random and instead are carefully selected and balanced one against the other. 

How to pull it off in your home 

Start With Your Color Palette

Courtesy of Sherwin Williams

While there are many, many beautiful and stunning colors in the desert, you need to build from neutrals like sand, oak, pale yellows, and windswept woods. Then from there, you can bring in the terracotta reds and shades of blue and purple, and gold from the sunsets. We suggest starting with neutral colors that you'll use throughout your home and then allowing different colors to pop out at different points. Say, bringing in lots of vibrant reds in one room or purples and golds and another. But the whole of it is balanced by the neutral undertones. 

Tiles Are For More Than Backsplash 

Tiles are a common staple in southwestern homes and decor styles that emulate them because they are great at cutting down on your cooling bills. Tiles will stay cool during hot summer days, but they retain heat on those equally cold nights. Terracotta tiles are not only fantastic for decorating, for backsplashes, or for the odd nook or cranny in your home, but also for just this purpose. You can also bring in turquoise blue tiles in strategic areas to add a lovely pop of color and add a visual surprise to a room.

Go Bold With Geometric Patterns

Courtesy of Mission Del Rey

If you talk about the Southwest, many people will bring up Navajo-created or inspired textiles. You can also bring in other similar but different patterns that work based on geometric designs, as many of the Navajo patterns do. If you're not comfortable with using them for a couch or a chair, you could use them for a throw or a table runner.

Find the Soft Spots

Although the word 'deadly' might be what comes to mind for most of us when thinking about deserts, there are hidden gems. Think about the gentle arcs of a windswept canyon or the soft clouds that stretch across the sky. Think of pocket springs and saguaro cacti. All of these can add a sense of calm within the desert, and you can mimic that within your own home. 

Act Natural

Much of the furniture within the Southwestern style is different from the fast furniture of today. The style is not clean or sleek. Think big plank tables, oversized chests, and intricately carved pieces spread throughout the house. Or chair backs and side tables and cabinets. There are little gems of detail everywhere. Pine was an easily sourced material, and so it's very commonly seen. The paleness of it also works very well with the neutral base of Southwestern style. Pine also pairs beautifully with woven fabrics and leather.

Bring In The Green

Courtesy of Moins-Despenser

No matter where we live, most humans love plants. In a southwestern home, that might mean cacti. They come in so many different shapes and sizes, everything from the giant saguaros to tiny bunny-eared cacti. You can decorate with all sorts of cacti inside and outside of your home, and since they are very hardy plants, they cut down on your water bill too.

Details Mean Everything 

Courtesy of Mission Del Rey

 We talked about the major facts; let's look at the details. Wrought iron, pottery, and woven baskets. Not only are all of these very much a staple within the Southwestern design, but they're also utilitarian. Wrought iron is stable and weather resistant, so you can use it inside and outside while still being utterly beautiful. Pottery serves so many different purposes within a home, so it's only limited by what you can dream up. Woven baskets are much the same; you can use them for everything from laundry storage to wall decor to grab-and-go kids baskets. Whatever you go with, don't be afraid to get creative with it. Use something in a way that's unexpected. Look to other aspects of the desert that you might not see popularly used. These are the elements that are going to make your house uniquely yours.

As always, we hope that you enjoyed our take on this aspect of home decor. Will you take on a southwestern design at some point? Let us know why or why not over on our Facebook page.

If it is not your love of decor but instead your hatred of your malfunctioning refrigerator that has brought you to us today, you're still in the right place. At Appliance Rescue Service, we take care of all major appliances and work with you to get your home running smoothly again. When you reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055), we'll work with you to set up a time and date that works with your schedule to send out one of our experienced technicians. Whether you live in Dallas, McKinney, or Frisco, we want to help.