Distinctly Montana Magazine

PAMELA GUTH: Buy bigger fixtures! When you hang them up high, they diminish in size visually quite a lot and look underscaled. 5. WHAT TYPES OF UPHOLSTERY FABRICS ARE BEST FOR HOMES WITH PETS? KOELZER: Leather is good to a point; depending on the finish, it may or may not scratch. Microfibers are stain resistant, but attract pet hair. Go with colors and fabrics that are similar to your pet’s coloring. If you have a fluffy white angora, don’t buy a black sofa! PATRICIA DAVIDSON: We are finding that indoor/outdoor fabrics in their many textures, patterns, and colors are ex- cellent for repelling pet hair and are easy to clean. Always use a fabric that has a teflon or scotchgard finish. KUEHN: Go with medium tones. Very dark tones show dust, lint, and hair, while very light tones show dirt faster. That doesn’t mean it can’t be a pretty color. It could be a lilac purple. It doesn’t have to be brown; it just needs to be a medium tone. 6. WHAT COLORS ARE THE MOST CHALLENGING TO WORK WITH? DAVIDSON-BLADES: Neutrals are harder to work with than actual color. Some neutrals will read a little yellow in one room; in another home, with different lighting, it picks up a little pink. Paint is not easy. I love the five-dollar paint samples they do now; it’s much better to literally try it out in your room, in your light. CARINA RUSSELL: Our interior and exterior environments need to be cohesive. People move here from Florida and want to bring soft Caribbean colors with them. We have more deep browns, golds, and reds, earthy greens, and crisp blues here. After they live here for a while, people say, “I like different colors here than when I was back home.” It’s about what you see when you look outside. Incorpo- rate some of that palette into your indoor environment for it to feel right. GUTH: Blue, I love it, need it! The caveat: if it isn’t handled correctly and has bad lighting, it can have a wildly unex- pected effect and chase you right out of a room! 7. IS THERE ANY WALL COLOR THAT WORKS BEST WHEN DISPLAYING ART? RUSSELL: Many people think that white walls are best, but in reality a dark color is best... the artwork becomes the bright part of the wall—that draws your eye to it. SHANAHAN: Placing a light framed piece of art with a darker subject matter on a darker wall will pull the viewer directly to the subject matter. Yet, placing a dark framed piece on a lighter colored wall will also do the same thing. 8. HOW HAVE YOU ADJUSTED TO TIGHT BUDGETS? GUTH: Buy the best things, but not too many of them. Don’t give up quality, give up quantity. DAVIDSON: People are thinking more long-term and plan- ning for their purchases. Impulse purchases of trendy www.distinctlymontana.com HOME FURNISHINGS & DESIGN LTD Billings, Montana 406.656.9540 www.davidsonhomefurnishings.com 61 2228 Grand Avenue Enhancing the Comforts of Living.

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