We were first introduced to Thom Filicia on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and fell in love. Currently, you can find Thom on Dress My Nest where he's a genius at re-creating spaces that continue to wow us. We recently checked out O at Home with Mr. Filicia spinning off 28 "No-Fail Ideas for Creating Rooms You'll Love." We've highlighted five of our favorites with before and after pics from "Dress My Nest" for a little inspiration.
Thom says it best, "I'm just here to help you translate who you are into how you live. Think of me as your decorating wingman." Love it! Below are five easy things you can do in your space.
- Use more lights than you think you need, but at a lower wattage. So instead of three fixtures with 100-watt bulbs, opt for six with 40-watt bulbs.
- Having trouble getting started? Open your closet and look around. See what colors you like to wear and think about how you pull together patterns and textures to create an outfit. Your taste in clothing can be a great springboard for figuring out your own unique decorating sensibility.
- Think small. I love little occasional tables--they're so mobile and accommodating, always ready to accept a drink or a remote control.
- For visual impact, group collectibles in a single spot, rather than scattering them all over the house.
- The smaller the space, the more risks you can take. Foyers, pantries, powder rooms--these jewel boxes are your invitation to be bold and brash.
Related Tips From the Pros Posts
- Inspiration: Five Tips For Decorating On a Budget: Todd Oldham
- Ask the Designer: What is Your Favorite Decorating Trick?
- 15 Fabulous Design Tips From Jonathan Adler
[Images from Dress My Nest]
- Inspiration: Five Tips For Decorating On a Budget: Todd Oldham
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Comments (17)
amazing! I love "before and afters" - want to see more!
These two rooms look great!
Wow! What an amazing transformation for both rooms!
Thom always does nice work.
I usually love before/afters...but not these. These just seem sterile in the after shots. Like they could be showrooms. They have no personality at all, and that's particularly in the first one. Strange.
I'm halfway between "wow" and "sterile" (thanks, wc-c). The "after" rooms are lovely, and I'm in awe of how they've been re-imagined, but I can't imagine kicking back in them - kind of like still being stuck in a dressy suit after work.
The first one makes no sense to me - it's clearly a child's crafts all over the place in the first shot. Where's she going to color and draw in that after room, with porcelin and glass on the table? I hope she got a good place set up somewhere else as part of the deal.
If I'm not mistaken the first room was from a house where the mother was in a wheelchair and was a writer at home. He pretty much condensed all of the kiddy mess into a floor-to-ceiling storage unit off to the side that you can't see in these shots. He also gave them an amazing blue sofa.
The first room has all new furniture, something I don't particularly like home makeover shows to do. It just no longer reflects the people who live there. I also wonder if the homeowners actually collect ceramic chickens, or if they were imposed on them bby the decorator.
"The first room has all new furniture, something I don't particularly like home makeover shows to do. It just no longer reflects the people who live there."
yes! i always feel like that. looking at this kind of before and after, at least when they are done by somebody other than the people living in the respective house.
i do like the re-done livingroom, in theory, though :-D the bedroom not so much - i find these curtains too much, and to me, it looks like a hotel room. a nice hotel room, admittedly.
Wow... I find NOTHING about the Afters to be sterile.
Tough room.
Ugh!
That bedroom after looks like a bad trading spaces room (granted with a fancy ghost chair), not something I'd like to sleep in!
I don't know that my closet is that great a model for my decorating taste. I love bright colors and bold decorating choices, but my wardrobe is stagehand/goth, black black black.
I have met Thom and he is a really nice guy!
Never mind the rest of the house, I could live in that bedroom. I would need to find me a comfy/cozy chair first, after that I'm home. Nice work
Thom's new book is great. Well put together with practical advise.
The "Before" living room shot is my idea of a living nightmare..kids should never be allowed to take over a main living area like that and it's sooo cluttered. But I actually like both the "Before" and "After" for the bedroom! Though I wouldn't want it to be so glitzy...I'd actually be more comfy in the "before" bedroom