Shop at Home

It's a new year, and along with wanting to change our habits, it's also fun to change our homes a bit. I'm not talking about a complete overhaul here, just some simple ways to change your home by "shopping your home"-and it doesn't cost a thing, just some imagination on your part!

I love going from room to room to "borrow" things or use them for other than their intended purpose.

For instance, I received a beautiful, ornate, rich tapestry scarf for Christmas. It ended up being draped over my slipper chair in my family room. I loved how the rich reds in the scarf looked over the brown fabric of the chair. So, there it has stayed. It also provides a little extra warmth when I read at night. The best thing is I can still use it as a scarf!

Another very simple thing I did was borrow my cute cast iron place card holders from my dining room. They are in the shape of bunnies and look darling frolicking among my hurricane vases. It's also a little hint of what's to come-spring!

Those are a couple of fun ideas of how to use your items in your home in new ways. What can you find when you "shop your home"?

Organizing a Bookshelf

I love bookshelves, they bring order and sometimes drama to a room. And they aren't just for books! Sometimes clients get overwhelmed with how to arrange the small accessory items or how books should be arranged (by height? by color?).

The first thing I recommend is to completely empty out the shelf and start fresh. Determine what things stay and what goes, and if there are other items from your space that you'd like to display then bring those out at this time as well.

The final look should showcase your books and accessories and be restful on the eye. There are many ways to arrange books; by color, size, type, etc. I unusually arrange by the type of book first, (gardening books in one area, for example) and within that I'll arrange by size. For pops of color I will stack a grouping of red books horizontally and place an interesting accessory on top.

I like to alternate books with accessories or pictures and play around with it until the "balance" looks right. In the end, your shelves should have an organized, balance feel, and feel cohesive to the eye.

Inspired by the Outdoors

I don't know about you, but I love the Fall. Here in the Northwest it is usually sunny and crisp and clear during the fall months. It's a time I always want to do a little something to change my decor. A lot of clients choose fall to paint the interiors of their home. Not sure where to start? Look outside for some inspiration. Bring in the colors of the outdoors right now like greens, browns, oranges, reds and yellows. Try www.devinecolor.com for wonderful palettes, with colors made especially for the Northwest. They have also newly introduced a Devine green line, which has a zero voc formula. Here's some great colors to try to try; Devine Hosta, Devine Cocoa, Devine Le Pot D'or, Devine Paprika and Devine Cream. If you're not ready to take on a paint project, you can also be inspired by those colors by bringing in accessories such as pillows, table runners, throws, and small area rugs.