Neutral Foyer

This striped wallpaper by Cowtan & Tout elevates the space and works beautifully with our customers new wool carpeting.  

We also added Molding around the doorway to emphasis the front entrance. 

A neutral entrance is always inviting and just in time for the holidays.  Merry Christmas to all!

A pair of Settee's were given a facelift!

We re-upholstered a pair of settee's in a GPandJ fabric called Oriental Bird Eau De Nil and they looks stunning. We also stripped and painted the old wood trim to give it a fresh look! Before & After shown below!

Totten-McGuirl Interiors is opening a showroom with JS Audio Video!

New Showroom Opens – Combining Services of

JS Audio Video & Totten-McGuirl Interiors

Pictured above are company owners: Bob VanArsdale, Dan Hahn,

 Linda McGuirl, Matt Lombardi & William Totten.

Imagine a living room where the blinds, lighting, television and music are all controlled from a hand held remote.  The speakers are hidden behind walls and well placed among the ceiling lights. The furniture layout is designed perfectly for conversation as well as television viewing and music listening and the art and accessories are hand selected working harmoniously with one another.

This is the new showroom of JS Audio Video and Totten-McGuirl Interiors. The two companies have joined together in one showroom to offer clients full service audio-visual as well as interior design services.  The owners of both companies decided to join forces so that all aspects of their clients’ homes would be considered from the beginning of the design process. “Combining our services into one showroom offers our customers everything they need for their home design in one location,” said Bob VanArsdale of JS Audio Video.

Together the two companies will determine the best place for the television to be, the appropriate scale of the furniture, where the furniture pieces fit best in the rooms, what type of sound system meets their clients’ needs, where the speakers should be, what kind of lighting is needed and where it should be placed, what window treatments, flooring and wall coverings should be used, what architectural elements should be highlighted and/or added and what art and accessories are needed to complete the design.  “It is wise to consider all aspects of your design from the beginning to the end including both the function of each room and the overall style of your home.” said Linda McGuirl of Totten-McGuirl Interiors. “We will even integrate your television, iPhone, iPad, computer and stereo with one another”, added Dan Hahn of JS Audio.

Both JS Audio Video and Totten-McGuirl Interiors are owner-operated and offer both excellent products and outstanding customer service.  They are two local companies that are now sharing one showroom, offering both full service home audio-visual and full service interior design. To learn more about the two companies please visit their new joint showroom at 912 Mt. Kemble Avenue in Harding Township (Rt. 202 on the Country Mile). The can also be reached by telephone on 908-630-0040, JS Audio Video and 908-580-9572, Totten-McGuirl Interiors.

Our Summer Column, "How to decorate joining rooms that are contained in one large open space."

This living room was separated from a family room by adding a wall with an archway.  

Peggy of Reading Township emailed us and she asked:

“"My Living room and dining room are contained in one large open space. Should I paint them the same color or treat them as separate rooms and paint them different colors?"

Many of today's modern homes are built with several open rooms, so we are often faced with the challenge of unifying the joining rooms while still differentiating the spaces. It is most important to be sure there is a visual flow between the rooms. This will create continuity and will allow the eye to flow around the space.

While every home is different, in most cases we suggest painting both joining rooms in the same color. Try adding architectural details between the two rooms such as columns or arched passageways to give the rooms the appearance of being separate. In many cases you can even add a wall between the two rooms leaving a large opening.  Also consider the use of a chair rail and applied molding below the chair rail in one of the rooms. Then paint the chair rail, below the chair rail and all of trim in both rooms the color of the trim. This will accent the woodworking of both rooms. 

It is important to decide on an overall style of the joining rooms and incorporate it into both spaces. For example, if you decide you want this area of your home to be a more contemporary formal area, do not decorate one room with cottage style furniture and the other with updated formal furnishings.  We often mix antiques with new items, but being consistent with the style is of the utmost importance. The style of your furniture and lighting in both areas should work well together and your accessories need to coordinate with one another. In addition, all artwork should be of the same style and framed similarly.

Be sure to select fabrics for both rooms that coordinate well together. Keep in mind that you may pull a chair or two from one area into the other area when entertaining, so the chairs should look great in both rooms. In most cases, when the rooms are one open space, the window treatments in both rooms should be made of the same fabric.  If the window shapes are different then you may want to treat them with different shaped treatments using the same fabric. Try to incorporate two different, but coordinating area carpets in each the space. This will add interest while helping to distinguish the two areas.  If the rooms already have wall-to-wall carpet, you can still lay area carpets on top of the carpeting for added design and visual appeal.

In conclusion, we usually recommend painting the walls in the same color and using some architectural elements to define the spaces. Make sure all fabrics coordinate in both rooms and pay attention to the overall style of each area, coordinating the furniture, fabric, lighting, art accessories and carpeting. As always have fun and good luck! Linda & Bill

Our Spring Column - Incorporating Antiques Into Your Home!

Robert of Far Hills emailed us and he asked:

“"I've recently inherited some antique furniture, can I incorporate it into the contemporary decor of my home?"

This is a question we are frequently asked and the answer is “YES”! As designers we often like to incorporate antiques into design projects of many styles. We have discovered that they offer warmth and are an interesting counterpoint to newly acquired furnishings, especially in more contemporary interiors.

Antiques can blend well with many design schemes, as long as the wood tones and scale of the pieces are in harmony with the rest of the furnishings in the room.  If the wood color of an antique does not coordinate but the scale and form look well, we might suggest refinishing the piece or alternatively applying a coat of paint in an unexpected color.

Although we never advise the painting of a valuable antique, this is a wonderful solution when using less valuable pieces.  If for example you had a 19th Century reproduction of a Louis XVI commode, painting it brilliant red would make quite a dramatic statement!  We have also found that Victorian furniture, with its undulating curves, becomes almost sculptural when given a coat of high gloss paint in white and other colors as well.

While French, English, and Victorian antiques tend to look best in more formal settings, early American and primitive pieces lend themselves to the informal areas.  The rustic finishes of the early American and Primitive pieces can add warmth to the "family" areas of the home, and can be functional as well.

In many cases the antiques one acquires are not furniture at all but are decorative items such as mirrors, art, and collectibles. These items are often much easier to include in a home, as they do not require valuable floor space.  Mirrors and art are easily placed in most rooms and, when hung over a sofa or mantle, they can become a much-needed focal point. Smaller objects such as china, crystal, old books and sculptures can be placed on surfaces throughout the home or displayed in cupboards and bookcases, adding a personal touch.

When incorporating antiques into your home, you should remember that form, color, and scale are of the utmost importance. Assess all areas of your home to determine where your antiques will function and look their best.  If you are considering painting or altering a piece in any way, it is advisable to have the piece appraised beforehand to avoid a costly mistake.

We hope our answer has helped you, and we wish you luck with the placement of your antiques!

Best wishes, Linda & Bill

Look at one of our latest creations - A cabinet with a hydraulic lift cabinet.

We just love this TV cabinet.  The TV works off a hydraulic lift system.  With the touch of a button it tucks away! This can be ordered in in almost any size and finish! Please contact us for custom orders! 908-580-9572 or tottenmcguirl@aol.com

A Coffee Table can be a beautiful focal point in a room!

A coffee table can be a beautiful focal point in a room.  Here is our latest creation which we designed for a clients family room.  The finish is hand painted with some gold line work. It is slightly distressed to give it an aged look.  Our clients just love it!

Chair Lift!

We gave this old wing chair a longer life and younger looking appearance by reupholstering it! Give your old chairs a lift today!

Our Winter 2011 Column is published!

“Ask The Designers”…

Written by William J, Totten & Linda Guy McGuirl of

  Totten-McGuirl Interiors

www.totten-mcguirl.com

Mary of Basking Ridge emailed us and she asked:

      “How do I choose the right lighting for my home?”

Selecting the right lighting from your home is key to any good design. The correct lighting is an imperative part of designing rooms from both a practical point and a decorative one. 

To begin, it is important to determine the function of your rooms and choose lighting that supports it.  For example, in a kitchen there is a definite need for task lighting for cooking.  It is important in these spaces to have overhead ceiling lights, countertop spotlights and a decorative chandelier over the main dining area.  When task lighting is placed effectively, this form of lighting will help eliminate eyestrain while performing everyday duties.  In both kitchens and built-in home offices, under cabinet lighting offers functional light to your countertop workspace and creates a warm glow to your work area at the same time.  Task lighting is usually more about usefulness than beauty, but it can also be decorative and good looking.  For instance, a chandelier can add a lot of light to the dining area and be a beautiful focal point as well.

We suggest you vary your lighting throughout your rooms. We usually use high hats in the ceilings of kitchens and bathrooms as well as other rooms where there is not a lot of room for ornamental lighting.  It is our preference, however, to avoid ceiling lights and use more decorative lighting in the other rooms whenever possible. We usually suggest using wall sconces, table lamps, floor lamps, lanterns and chandeliers wherever appropriate throughout your house.  In bathrooms, in addition to ceiling high hats, we love to use wall sconces and usually locate them near the mirrors for added ambiance. In bedrooms, we often suggest using a pair of swing arm wall lights on each side of your bed instead of table lamps.  Wall lights free up space on the bedside tables while providing movable reading light.  It is also good to have a lamp or pair of lamps for the bedroom dresser and a floor and/or table lamp near any reading chairs.  If you are lucky enough to have high ceilings in your bedrooms or bathrooms, you might consider the use of a chandelier or a lantern in the center of these rooms as decorative focal point.

Remember to select lighting that is consistent with your design style and your home’s architecture. Include both new and old light fixtures that honor your home’s architecture to add interest to a space. This will help your rooms look like they evolved over time in a historically correct way. When making your lighting selections it is also important examine the natural light that comes into your rooms and evaluate the need for lighting during both the daylight and evening. As the day progresses and the intensity of the light changes, color variations can be observed. These variations can affect your choice of lighting. To help with the changes in natural light we suggest adding dimmers to the switches so that you can control and vary the light according to the daylight and the mood you would like to create.

It is also important to consider the type of light bulbs you want to use as well in your lighting fixtures. For example, most often we suggest using halogen bulbs for under cabinet lighting and overhead high hats, as they are designed to emit a pure, white light that mimics natural daylight.  In addition, halogen lights are more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs and will last longer, meaning you will be spending less time changing light bulbs! They are now making Halogen bulbs for lamp lighting as well. Although florescent bulbs are also energy efficient, we suggest avoiding using these in residential homes, as they tend to create a cold and impersonal feeling rather than a warm and friendly atmosphere.

The key to good lighting design is to determine the function of the room and choose the appropriate lighting for both function and style.  Use a variety of lighting fixtures within your rooms and be sure to evaluate the natural light that comes into your home. Use dimmers whenever possible and carefully choose the correct light bulbs for your lighting fixtures.  Lighting is extremely important and can drastically affect the mood, feeling and function of your home, so take your time and have fun!

This Kitchen includes an antique chandelier, high hats in the ceiling and under cabinet lighting.          

                       To help with us with our next column, be sure to email your questions to the designers at 

                                                                              tottenmcguirl@aol.com