Simple Changes

As the season changes to the colder winter weather, sometimes it's nice to make small changes to our home to make it feel more cozy and comfotable, but without a major overhaul. Here are a few ideas:

Add a new shower curtain in fall colors in your bathroom if your wall color allows it. For instance, I just changed our blue shower curtain to a 1960's-ish inspired leaf pattern with the golds, browns and yellows. It goes very well with my pale yellow walls, and with the new rug in the same colors, it gives the bathroom a new look.

Another quick update is to purchase new lampshades as long as you like the shape and style of your current lamp. A new lampshade can change the look-by being a different shape, color, or style.

A favorite of mine, and so simple is to bring in some new throw pillows or a seasonal throw. This is very easy to do especially if you have a neutral color couch to begin with.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Enjoy the food, friends and ambiance! Our blog will be up and running again on a daily basis starting next week, as we've been upgrading our computers. Please visit us soon for new decorating ideas!

Decorate the Way you Love

The great thing about interior design is that it can be your design, you don't have to have someone Else's vision and inspiration. I know with my clients I like to lead them in the right direction, opening up sources and ideas for them, but essentially letting them be the decision makers.

Children's Art

I have a lot of clients who have an interest in hanging their children's art. I love this idea and am a big advocate of it! There is a wonderful company that can turn your children's artwork into a variety of products such as prints, cards, tote bags, water bottles, mouse pads, tiles, and many other items. Check out www.SilverGraphics.com for the opportunity to transform yours or your child's art into keepsakes.

Preserving Your Heirlooms

I recently had a client who had some family heirlooms that they wanted to preserve in some unique way. Some of the items were family pictures and war medals, unique serving utensils and some family jewelry. We made a series of shadow boxes and displayed these uniquely on the wall. She was so pleased with the results because she said she would have never imagined them displayed so beautifully. We also used a high museum quality glass to help cut down on glare and UV rays-thus helping to preserve the very old photos. Now, not only their family will enjoy them for years to come, but their friends as well!

America Recycles Day

November 15th is America Recycles Day, how do you plan to celebrate it? In design, I'm very interested in recycling and re-using older products in our new designs. So much so, that someday when we re-do our kitchen, I'd like to find a unique way to update my cabinets without replacing them.

Did you know that according to Family Circle magazine, 5.6 billion pounds is the estimated amount of carpet that will end up in landfills this year alone? Think about visiting www.carpetrecovery.org to find recycling centers in your area. When you purchase new carpet you can also inquire about the recycling content in the padding and carpet-as this concept is an eco-friendly one. Visit http://www.earth911.org/ for other information on recycling. Salvage stores and Architectural Salvage stores can be a great source of older, hard to find unique items for your home as well.

A few places I recommend for purchasing antique and restored items for your home project are;
http://www.marydavislighting.com/ for restored vintage lighting. Visit http://www.thesalvagestudio.com/ for unique items made from recycled products. And http://www.seattlebuildingsalvage.com/ for doors/hardware, architectural house parts, lighting and stained glass.

Rotate Your Art

Art can play a big part of decor-I know it does in my home. The great thing about art is that it doesn't have to be high end. Sometimes people tend to think that they can't afford art. But really, art can be anything you see as beautiful to your eye, no matter the price. I love art so much, that I have "art in waiting" meaning it's waiting for a open space to be hung! We suggest that you rotate your art with the seasons or just when the mood arises. I know I do this, because I have so many pieces that I just love. Also, not all framed art has to be hung on the wall. It can be "layered" on a mantle or against a wall for a gallery effect.