How to Decorate a Smaller Home

Have you noticed the trend that single family homes are being built smaller than in the past? There are many reasons why this is so, but rather than focus on the "why" we want to answer the "how". As in , "how am I going to fit all my stuff in here?"

We've all heard the expression, less is more, which makes a good mantra when downsizing. Accept that you will need to let go of some items. Choose the most special and most functional items to keep. Offer items with sentimental value to others who may appreciate them.  Donate gently used items to charity. 

Once you have thinned out your items, it is time to figure out how to decorate the smaller home. Here are some tips:

• Leave open space and allow light to filter through. There is no need to fill every inch of space with furniture, pictures, or accent pieces. If the room is overfilled, it will feel smaller. Spread the items out and it gives the room a larger, more open feel.
• Choose simple window hangings. Large heavy draperies cut off light from entering the room and take up space.
• Look for streamlined furniture rather than oversized and bulky.
• Bright colors and bold patterns will do well in a room that is not overcrowded allowing your personality and style to come through.
• Reflective surfaces add the feeling of extra space as well. Mirrors, gold, silver, crystal are all good choices for accent pieces.

The expert designers at Marc Williams Furniture can help choose the best pieces, colors, and patterns to create a comfortable living space in a smaller sized home. Give us a call to set an appointment!

Which Colors Inspire You?

As warm weather turns cooler, we look forward to the bold colors of Autumn. People make pilgrimages to New England or take long drives in the country just to take in the magnificent view of color. The Fall season is a great time of year to be inspired by color and choose color themes for your home. 

Here are a few ways to find your color inspiration in your daily life:

• As we have already mentioned, just looking out your window or stepping out your door will soon provide you with a plethora of colors. Bring a collection of different colored leaves indoors and see which ones catch your eye most often.
• Take notice of the colors people around you are wearing and make a mental note of the ones you like.
• Color is everywhere. Rooms you enter, cars on the road, artwork, fabrics, foods. Take notice of it all. Soon you will see a pattern develop of the colors you gravitate towards most often. 
• Which colors do you move towards when you want to relax? When you need to be energized? When you need to focus and concentrate on tasks?

Noticing the colors around you and answering the above questions can help you choose colors for the functions of the different rooms in your home. The design experts at Marc Williams Furniture can help you create the perfect color oasis for your home!

Welcome Autumn Into Your Home!

As I am sitting here writing this blog, I feel a cool breeze flow through my open window and I am watching the leaves blow in the wind. The feeling of autumn envelopes me and has inspired me to share simple decorating tips to transition your home into the fall season.

It would be wonderful if we all had the time, patience, and resources to re-do the rooms in our homes with the change of each season. Short of changing the paint, flooring, and furniture, there are a number of simple ways to welcome autumn into your home. By adding some of these decorating touches, you will also be welcoming friends and family to enjoy autumn as well.

• Bring the colors of autumn to your front porch. A wreath in golden, earthy hues placed on the door brings your attention directly to it. With Halloween and Thanksgiving approaching, bales of hay and corn stalks can find a place on your porch or strategically placed in your front yard. Pumpkins, squash, and gourds in various colors and shapes add a nice touch as well. If you have furniture on your porch, consider placing cushions in autumn colors or throws on them.
• Use the natural fruits and vegetables of the season as a centerpiece for your table. Make a ring of gourds and place a bowl of different colored apples in the center. Place a coordinating tablecloth underneath. Consider introducing new dishes in autumn colors to complete the look on your table.
• Finally, the fireplace is back! The time has come to highlight the fireplace once again. Decorate with ribbons in earthy hues. The fireplace mantel is a great place for pictures of your family placed in wooden frames. Create pieces of art out of leaves, pinecones, and acorns to accompany the frames. 
• Break out the blankets. Have throws easily accessible by all informal seating areas. The throws can be heavier than the ones used in spring an summer just inviting you to kick off your shoes and snuggle in!
• Change curtains to slightly darker colors and heavier fabric to help create a feeling of warmth.
• Fill mason jars with candy corn for tasty treats. 
• Place pillar candles in warm colors around the rooms.
• Fill your home with the aroma of delicious comfort foods such as apple pie.

The change of seasons offers the opportunity to re-invent your home, even if just a little bit. Cooler weather means spending more time indoors. Create a warm, welcoming environment that you and your friends and family will look forward to spending time in.  Need ideas? Call Marc Williams Furniture and speak with one of our profession interior designers!

Choosing Artwork for Your Home

Choosing artwork for your home can be a fun and exciting task.  After all, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to art so this can be your chance to really show your personality! While the rules are flexible, here are some guidelines to bear in mind:

• The art in your home is an expression of you.  Choose styles and themes that you love and commit and to them. Take time to find pieces that you treasure.
• Consider your budget and plan accordingly. Perhaps begin with one or two expensive pieces and add on as your budget allows. 
• Consider the room you where the artwork will be placed. The living room may be a good choice for a bright and bold piece which calls for conversation while the bedroom calls for calming and soothing pieces to help guide you towards slumber.
• Think about the size of the room and the statement you wish the artwork to make. Will the painting be the main focal point? If so, a large piece prominently displayed will work well. If not,  take a look at what the main focal point is and choose a piece that compliments it well. 

Most importantly, have fun! Find pieces that create feelings of comfort, excitement, and happiness in YOU. Although you want your guests to enjoy the artwork, it is there for you to enjoy on a daily basis. Have questions?  Call Marc Williams Furniture and speak with one of our designers!

Interior Design Tips for Painting Your Home

One way to create an entirely new feel in a room is by simply painting it. The same color for all four walls and a white ceiling is one to go, but Marc Williams Furniture has some tips and techniques to help make your room unique!

• Tired of white ceilings? Try painting it lavender! The color will give the perception of the sky when you come in from outside. If you have dark walls, a white ceiling will make it appear lower. Instead, try painting the ceiling the color as well.
• Do you have white floors? If so, try painting the underside of your furniture red. The light from the floor will reflect the color creating a reddish cast.
• One time you might want a white ceiling is if you have a long, narrow hallway.  In this case, try painting the walls a dak color, including the baseboards and molding, then paint the floor and ceiling white. Light will be reflected from the floor and ceiling so the hallway will not be so dark.
• If you aim to make your ceiling look higher, try painting it the same color as the walls, but in a glossier sheen.
• The Behr Paint "Eight Foor Rule": If your room is less than eight feet high, paint the ceiling a shade or two lighter than your wall color.  If your room is higher than eight feet, paint the ceiling two shades darker than the wall color.

Marc Williams Furniture can help you discover countless interior design tips to use in your home.  Call us to help design your one of a kind home!

Share Your Vision with an Ideabook!

You want to create a room and you have a vision in mind, but how do you convey that vision to the architect, interior designer, etc.? One way is to create an "ideabook" on houzz.com. Marc Williams Interiors is proud to be listed as a professional on houzz.com and we would like to share the benefits of creating an ideabook.

• Why create an ideabook?  Instead of tearing pages out of magazines, pictures can be uploaded to your customizable ideabook. This is an easy and effective way to share your thoughts with the designers as well as friends and family. 
• Once a picture is selected, the ideabook provides space where you can write why you like the picture.
• You can post a picture to the message boards and receive feedback or answers to your questions.
• Create multiple ideabooks.  
• Embed your ideabook to your personal site or blog.
• Upload your own pictures to your design book.
• Email your ideabook to family and friends.

The ideabook is just one tool to help your vision come to life.  Be sure to share your ideabook with Marc Williams Furniture!

Furnish for Comfort

Once every two years family and friends fill up the family room to watch the Olympic Games. For over 2 weeks, family members spend more time together in one room than usual.  Take advantage of the common interest and decorate your family room to encourage more frequent gatherings.


Plenty of comfortable seating is the key to bringing family together to watch t.v. When placing sofa and chairs, plan for optimal views of the t.v. screen.  Sit on each section of the sofa and on each chair to determine if the angle allows for comfortable t.v. viewing.

Arrange coffee tables and side tables so that they can provide plenty of room to place snacks and drinks. Place large pillows or ottomans around the tables to offer extra seating.


Choose seating with comfortable cushions and add throw pillows for extra comfort.  As everyone has different temperatures they are comfortable at, keep the temperature on the cooler side, but have throw blankets within easy reach so family and friends can add a layer of warmth if needed. 


Create an environment that invites people to feel relaxed and comfortable and you just might find they come back more often for some quality family time!


Marc Williams Furniture wishes the Olympic athletes best wishes in the 2012 games!