Category Archives: Interior Design

What’s Your Style?

The Linen Duck

Moving season is upon us, and that means an opportunity to personalize a new space. But, how do you know what you want? We recently sat down with the experts at The Linen Duck, a full-service interior design firm and furniture store in Franklin, TN, to discover how they get inspired.

Q: What are some different elements that go into a home’s interior design?

The Linen Duck: Everything inside your home contributes to its style. The carpet, wall color, curtains, furniture, and light fixtures all work together to give you a palette upon which to decorate with photos, artwork, and other trinkets that showcase a family’s personality. For those new to design, we suggest visiting local shops, scrolling through Pinterest, and even looking at magazines and real estate websites for inspiration.

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How To Style Your Bookcases and Shelves

The Linen DuckAre your bookcases and shelves currently functional and fashionable, or are they a catch-all for the things that don’t have a home? More often than not, it’s the latter. Luckily, styling bookcases and shelves only takes a short amount of time and effort and creates a huge impact on your home’s overall look and feel.

The Linen Duck, a boutique furniture store offering interior design services in Nashville TN, shares tips on how you can take the existing items in your home and transform your bookcases and shelves from boring to chic in just a few hours.

Clear, clean, and sort

As with any styling project, remove everything from the area before you begin. Clear the bookcases and shelves and sort the items into separate piles. Give everything a good dusting.

Sort items into three main categories: books and magazines, decor and photo frames, and greenery and plant life. Let go of all the other items that don’t fit in these categories or find it a new home. Remember, a place for everything, and everything in its place. Loose paper, gloves or scarves, and gadgets should be stored in their rightful places.

Choose your color palette and aesthetic

Color palettes and aesthetics can be interpreted in different ways. A color palette in navy, blush, and ivory, for example, could be styled as French country, farmhouse chic, or ultra-modern. Be deliberate with the design style you want to create.

Having selected two to three main colors and a design style, find several pieces in at least one of your chosen colors to represent the following textures or finishes: fabric or natural fiber, nature (pine cones, dried grasses, florals, greenery, etc.), metals (bronze, stainless, rose gold, etc.) and glass (clear, mosaic, or ceramic).

Have fun and see what works

While the curation process is the same, styling your bookcases and shelves is different from the way you’d style a coffee table.

Place your items next to each other and take a step back. Do these items flow together? Edit out items that look out of place. Take an item from each of the categories mentioned earlier and make odd-numbered groups. Place each group of items on its own shelf.

Look at your shelf or bookcase objectively. You may need to shift a few pieces here and there or adjust the spacing. Either way, your bookcases and shelves are now a showcase of your tasteful curation skills, and you didn’t have to buy anything new. 

Do you need decorating advice not just for your bookcases and shelves but your entire home as well? The Linen Duck offers interior design services in Nashville TN or for anyone in surrounding areas. Sit down with one of our in-house designers and discuss space planning, art, accessories, and other elements of design for a space you are working on. We will review your room measurements, color swatches, fabrics, etc. to make sure you are on track. Please book this complimentary service at least 3-5 days in advance. 

Schedule your next project or refer us to a friend. Call us at (931) 548-2422 or visit our website to learn more.

Interior Design Tips: Your Guide to Buying a New Rug

The Linen Duck

There’s more to a rug than its colors, patterns, or textures. A great rug helps ground furniture and define a space. It also protects floors from scuff marks, absorbs noise, and provides plush padding underfoot.

If you’re looking for a new rug and are looking for interior design services in Nashville, a visit to The Linen Duck (located in Columbia, just 40 minutes south of Nashville) is always a good idea. Here are a few of their rug shopping tips:

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Get the right size

The right rug size depends on several factors: the room’s dimensions, the furniture in it, the function of the space, and the look you’re trying to achieve. 

For the living area, the rug should be centered under the coffee table and selected with the furniture arrangement in mind. Living room rugs usually range from 5’x8’ to 9’x12’.

For the dining room, always choose a rug that’s bigger than your table. To get the ideal size, a simple rule of thumb is to add 36 inches to both the length and width of your table (or 36 inches to the diameter if it’s a round table).

When choosing a rug for the bedroom, give your feet a soft surface to walk on and go for a rug that’s 18 to 24 inches beyond each side of the bed. 

A common mistake in interior design is buying a rug that’s too small. When in doubt, go for the larger option. The rug’s size could spell the difference between a space that looks haphazardly put together and a thoughtfully decorated one.

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Know your rug materials

Wool rugs are durable, affordable, and naturally stain-resistant. These rugs also retain heat, which would be perfect cold winter months. On the other hand, wool rugs have a tendency to shed and might need regular vacuuming. 

Cotton rugs are low maintenance and easy to clean. These rugs are less likely to shed than wool rugs but are less durable. Cotton rugs are machine-washable and are an ideal choice for spill-prone areas such as the kitchen.

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Silk rugs are soft and luxurious, making them a great choice for the bedroom. On the other hand, these are delicate and can be expensive, not to mention difficult to clean and maintain for high-traffic areas.

Eco-friendly natural fiber rugs are often braided and are made from materials such as jute, bamboo, or seagrass.  These rugs are best used in relatively dry rooms where it’s less likely to be dirty since these rugs are difficult to clean.

Stain and fade-resistant, durable synthetic fiber rugs are suitable for functional areas like entryways, hallways, or patios.

Consider the overall look of your space

Choose a rug that complements your room’s décor. A patterned or colorful rug will complement rooms with a muted color palette. Colorful rooms will benefit from the visual contrast a neutral rug provides. The Linen Duck

Take care of your rug

Always read the care instructions on the rug’s label to make sure you’re cleaning it correctly. Spot clean stains right away, and turn your rug 180 degrees every so often to prevent certain areas from being more faded and worn out than the rest. 

The Linen Duck’s interior design center has hundreds of sample options to choose from. Special orders usually arrive within a week. Learn more about rugs from our online guide or visit us in the store.

The Linen Duck offers interior design services in Columbia, TN, just south of Nashville. They are open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and on Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm. Call (931) 548-2422 or visit their website to learn more.