Ask the Expert: Interior Designer Carey Evans
Tara Burghart Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 6:30AM I am just delighted to introduce the latest subject of our “Ask the Expert” series – and not just because she’s been on TV. (Although honestly, that’s pretty cool, too.) Carey Evans is a New York-based interior designer, carpenter, artist and organizational expert. And, oh yeah, she also knows how to weld.
Interior designer and organizational expert Carey Evans.Carey was initially drawn to set design and construction before turning to a degree and career in interior design. That means she can not only design a room, she can build it, too! She has been regularly featured on shows on Home and Garden Television, including “My First Place,” “FreeStyle,” and “Don’t Sweat It With Steve Watson.” Currently you can catch her as the designer and organizing expert on HGTV’s “Closet Cases.”
Carey Evans is an Allied ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) member, and in addition to her TV work, she also works with private clients. Her emphasis is on creating environments that, as she puts it, “improve and simplify a modern family’s hectic lifestyle.” She says she thinks rooms “should always reflect the people who live there and not the designer’s style.” If you’re wondering how I landed her for Go West’s “Ask the Expert” series, well, I know people who know people. In other words, she and my sister went to Millikin University in Decatur, Ill., and are good friends.
For Go West Young Mom, she’s agreed to take on a question or a problem posed by a reader and provide some practical advice and real-world solutions.
I knew the first question needed to come from someone who really, really needs a designer’s help. Yep, that’s me. But although this query concerns my confusion over my staircase, Carey offers great advice for anyone looking for paint colors you might find in a Victorian-era home; struggling to bring some cohesion to a group of dissimilar pictures and frames; wanting to hang a large grouping of images anywhere in their house or who loves the show “Modern Family.”
Carey provided so much great info we’re going to break it into two parts. You can read the first part today. The second installment, running tomorrow, will give you detailed instructions on how to hang a large group of frames, either on a stairway or any wall in your house. And if you have a question you’d like Carey to consider answering in a future column, please send it to editor@gowestyoungmom.com.
In the meantime, you can read more tips from Carey Evans by becoming one of her “fans” on her Facebook page, or check out her past work on her own professional site at www.careyevans.com.
And now, the question:
Looking at my staircase from my living room.Q. I live in a nearly 100-year-old bungalow-style home. It's on the smaller side and has a lot of windows and doors, so we don't have tons of wall space. All of this makes me view our small staircase as a spot with great potential for hanging something on the walls, but I just don't know where to start. We have a 2-year-old daughter, so we have lots of beautiful photos of her. We've also moved around and traveled quite a bit, so I've thought of using the staircase to showcase some photos or mementoes from places we've lived or vacationed. We are trying to furnish and decorate our home in a style that fits its era -- not all antiques of course, but certainly not modern. If you watch "Modern Family," I love the staircase in Phil and Claire's home -- full of family photos in eclectic frames, but of course that's more of an open staircase, not to mention a television studio set! Any guidelines or suggestions you could give me on ways to decorate a smaller, narrow staircase like mine would be much appreciated! Signed, Stymied in Geneva.
Part I of the answer from Carey Evans:
A. Historically, a turn-of-the-century bungalow would have a Victorian-influenced interior. Rich shades of color such as green, brown, rust, ochre, red, and tan are always good choices for interior rooms that want to keep with the traditional feel of a Victorian house. Walls in that time were also painted with stencil patterns or wallpapered, two options that can be modernized for your updated home. Trim colors would be keeping with the original dark-stained natural wood or deep brown or mahogany. You have such beautiful woodwork that I would resist painting over such a natural accent in your home.
If someone was looking to replicate the open staircase design that is seen on the popular “Modern Family” television show, the important element is the decorative wainscoting. There are many online retailers that sell DIY kits for installing such decorative wainscoting. You can search online under “staircase wainscoting kit retailers” to get started on this type of project. Decorative woodwork works best in homes that need an added historical element that does not already exist.
At the top, there is a small landing, a neat window, a blank wall and two more stairs to the right. Yes, I hate that green carpeting.Keeping in mind with your specific staircase I would consider painting the back wall of your staircase that holds the two windows. Applying a warm tone of paint will lessen the stark contrast that exists now between the window trim and the white wall. My suggestions to get you started would be picking a muted gold, like the color in your existing curtains (similar to Benjamin Moore’s Amber Waves 2159-40 or Chestertown Buff HC-9), or a shade of earthen rust (similar to Benjamin Moore’s Corlsbud Canyon 076 or Rust 2175-30). I always suggest painting a few swatches of test colors on the wall, but if that is not an option at least tape up the sample fan deck swatches that are free from the store on the wall in question. Look at the swatches in the morning, afternoon and evening light BEFORE choosing your final color.
Unless privacy is a concern I would skip worrying about window treatments on the octagon window.
If you are overwhelmed about selecting images or the frames to hang, give yourself a few guidelines. For example try just selecting images that fit two or three of these categories:
- Black & White Images
- Color Images
- Metallic Frames
- Painted Frames in a Solid Color
- Mixture of Wood Grained Frames
As an example. I have a wall of Black & White images hung in mixture of black painted and metallic frames. Color images and Black & White images become unified in blend of all gold frames. The size of frames and texture on the frames can vary. For a more professional look, consider matting most of your images. Craft stores carry a large selection of pre-cut matt board for easy insertion into your existing frames.
Look at garage sales and thrift stores for frames that can be repainted or repurposed. New glass can be cut to size at hardware or craft stores. Get creative with such a large wall of images; mix photographs with framed swatches of fabric, postcards, or small collections and souvenirs. Images can also be mounted to larger swatches of fabric and then framed (for example, have a small picture of your daughter in a dress with that exact dress fabric as the background framing). For another more modern option, look to online print shops for deals on frameless printing on foam-core boards or printing on canvas.
Check back tomorrow for Carey’s detailed instructions on how to hang a large group of frames, either on a stairway or any wall in your house. Plus, you’ll see the sketch she did of how my stairway could look if I follow her instructions – it brought tears to my eyes!
Reader Comments (19)
Great tips! I have a sad, blank stairwell, too, and I like these ideas for photo frames and paint choices. Thanks!
ooooooh. Can Carey come and do magic on my condo!? PRETTY PLEASE?
We have a big blank wall space in our spiral staircase area that we'd love to do something like this in! I love the idea of coordinating rather than matching frames. We've also got a vast hallway upstairs that this would be great for. Great tips! Thanks!!
Interested in reading more. Someone I know also suggested that the actual artwork itself doesn't need to "match" -- but that you should focus more on the size and shape when placing them on the wall. What do you think about this?
Great article. Lots of useful tips. I hope this becomes a regular feature.
I agree with Mary. This would be a great regular column!
These are such awesome tips Carey and written in an easy to comprehend manner. Can't wait for your future installments!
I have actually had the pleasure of Carey Evans helping me with a similar blank wall and I loved the work she did, I was really sad to move from that place and I've since used the design she gave me in my new home! Hope she continues with Go West Young Mom!
Great tips! This is really helpful for the novice decorator, like myself!
What wonderful ideas....I can't wait to see the pictures tomorrow! I am definitely a "visual" learner!
i feel so inspired, i can't wait to go scour the city for frames!!
What a great addition to Go West! Would love for this to become a regular feature.
My husband and I were just talking about hanging photos up our staircase, rather than putting them on the fireplace mantel. Since neither of us is good with design, I can't wait to see what Carey suggests!
Terrific tips! Very easy for the novice decorator to learn and use. I will check in more frequently just to read Carey's advice. Would watch you on TV as well, too. Let us know how we can support your career!
Great advice about the staircase. I love pics hanging in the staircase and the warm colors sound nice too.
For Martha (and other readers)-
This is the designer, Carey Evans, trying to reach out to give you a bit more insight into creating artistic groupings. The size and shape of a grouping really comes down to the visual balance. Because every room and everyone's tastes & belongings are so different - there is not just one cut and dry answer to what makes a design "work."
Generally speaking, the center of any grouping "shape" needs to be at eye level, usually five feet from the floor. Have the full shape of the grouping be proportional to the blank wall space. For example, if your room has high ceilings you should think vertically not just horizontally.
Try to achieve the proper balance between your wall space and the frames. Smaller frames have more impact when grouped together and tend to balance out a single large frame. For beginners, I tend to suggest trying to stick to a set number of inches as spacing between each frame.
Using the "craft paper method" I detail out in Part 2 of this article, lay out the frames you want to hang equally spaced, i.e.: four inches in all directions. Then using that as a starting point, shift around the frames until you achieve "visual balance." Use a friends’ eye for a second opinion. Remember, what is great about pre-laying out the arrangement on craft paper is that you can hang up your paper grouping and try it out for a bit before committing to the pattern and nailing up the frames.
If you still feel overwhelmed you can always use the Internet and books/magazine sources for inspiration images of successful groupings. See if there is an existing grouping that might spark your own outline and plans for your own wall. Like I said before, your results will (and should!) always be unique. Aim to make every aspect in your home be something meaningful that speaks to who you are and brings you joy.
Best of luck!
Carey Evans
Fabulous! I love that Carey is so "in to" her profession. Great tips. And the dress fabric for a frame - love it!!!
Love this design challenge! I want to do this, but am wondering if it is a bad idea if you are thinking of selling your home. Our staircase, too, is a blank slate. But, I always hear that you shouldn't have personal photos up if you want to sell your home. Any thoughts?
Dear Natalie-
This is the designer, Carey Evans, trying to answer your question about doing a photo wall when you are considering selling your home. There is a good rule in home staging that you should remove "personal" touches, so that the buyers can imagine their lives occurring in your home.
With that in mind, why not do the photo-wall not of your family pictures, but of pictures you take of area attractions? I personally love architectural details and landscapes in photography. You do not need to be a professional photographer - just capture the highlights of the downtown area, playground, nature walks, and other scenes that are important to you and your family. Imagine the great selling point when potential buyers can see the local playground or other areas of your neighborhood for themselves without leaving your awesome home!
When you do move, you will now have "souvenir images" of your old area to savor, as well as frames to now fill with whatever your heart desires. The great thing about photo wall groupings is the flexibility. You can choose to hang it in a new arrangement wherever you need to fill a wall space in your new home - or you can break up the arrangement and use the frames individually. Frames are always a solid investment into any home decor.
Best of luck!
Carey Evans