Tricks of the Trade

Have you ever walked into a model home, looked around and knew this was exactly what you had been looking for?
Somehow, the mix of furnishings, colors, lighting and accessories have come together into a beautiful, livable space that feels like home. And you want to live here.

That doesn't happen by accident. “Designing a model home is an intersection between art and science,” says designer Christy Scanlon with Masterpiece Design Group LLC in Winter Park. Designers are skilled at creating eye-catching interiors that highlight the best features of each model home.

The goal is “to show our builder’s product to the absolute best,” says Scanlon. “It’s our job to show customers how they and their family can have  a wonderful life in that home.”

Designers think about who the homebuyers are and how they'll live in that house. In the same way,  home-owners should think about how they can furnish their new home to fit their particular lifestyle, says Jeff Strasser of Marc-Michaels Interior Design Inc. in Winter Park.

How do designers combine the various elements in a home with such beautiful results? Designers know all the tricks of the trade. And they say you, too, can achieve the same results—even on a budget.

“One way that a professional merchandiser sets model homes apart is with applied trim details,” says Kay  Green of Kay Green Design in Orlando. “By hiring a trim carpenter, you can have this look with very little cost. Applied trim details can be installed on the walls or the ceiling of your home, and include a range of materials such as beaboard, painted flat stock or even stained box beams.”

Another way to make your home stand out is to use custom window treatments, she says.

"Instead of buying drapes from the store, have custom-fabricated panels and valances made at your local soft treatments workroom, with the fabrics that tie in most effectively with your interior colors," Green says. "You can even incorporate some of the same fabrics in your window treatments into your accent pillows for a seamless look."

Kay Green Design Inc., Marc-Michaels Interior Design Inc. and Masterpiece Design Group LLC. are three of the top model merchandisers in the Orlando area. Here are a few more of their tips for making your home look like a model home:

Designers tips
• Design for longevity. A model home likely will be open for several years so the design must stay relevant. Homeowners, too, will live here for many years so look for inspiration in the current color trends and styles.
• Use designer tricks to highlight the best features of your home and minimize or camouflage any problem areas. To emphasize an appealing feature, for example, paint it in a contrasting color. To make an unsightly element less noticeable, paint it the same color as the walls.
• Think about the design principles of scale, proportion and balance. Scale refers to the size of an object in relation to the size of everything else in a room, while proportion is talking about the relationship of objects to one another based on size. Pay attention to how furnishings relate to the size of your room and to each other. Consider the placement of objects according to their visual weight, and, if the room allows, move furniture away from the walls.
• Model homes look clean, comfortable and uncluttered. Get rid of any unnecessary knick knacks scattered around, as well as too much or too bulky furniture. Instead, use a few big-impact accessories.
• Color is important. Painting is the cheapest (and easiest) way to add color and change the feel of a room. Consider painting a bold accent wall. Also, colorful area rugs can pull together a decorating scheme, while defining and softening a space.
• Shop local. Designers have access to the best and most expensive furnishings on the market, yet they often shop local retail stores and consignment shops for reasonably priced draperies, artwork, accessories and furniture.
• Good lighting can make a room seem larger and brighter. Mirrors, too, are a wonderful trick to visually enlarge a space.
• Keep it simple. You can achieve a stylish boutique hotel look in the master bedroom by dressing the bed in a simple white duvet with white sheets.
• Ask for help. Most builders have design centers with an experienced manager who can help you pull together the look you want.