There is so much confusion about style and theme. Let’s start with style.  What does that mean to you?

Style is typically things like modern, contemporary, traditional, coastal, etc.  When I work with my clients though, the biggest question I have for them is what do you want your home to feel like? Most of them cannot answer that. They only think in terms of style.

What I know is that the “feeling” will help dictate how the style will work for you.  There are so many variations of each style and that is what makes it unique to you and your family.  Everyone visualizes what a certain style means to them and that may be totally different to what someone else thinks that style should look like.

Everything from color choices to furniture creates the different feel within each style.  Think about your style… what do you see? Now think about what you want it to feel like… how do you live in your home?  Do you like to entertain a lot, have your kids bring over their friends and traipse through the house playing or do you live alone and like to hibernate after a long day at work.  We all have a different life style.  The question is how do you   incorporate all that together?

My online design course will help you get clarity and give you specifics on how to create the home you have always wanted. Click here to access it now!

Do you change bedding, pillows, etc depending on the seasons?  I know on the east coast it is a very common thing to change out bedding - it’s kind of like spring cleaning.  

I change out my bedding in the summer to something much lighter in feel, take off the electric blanket and put on a lighter weight blanket, and change out my decorative dish towels depending on the season.  I know a lot of us do that for the holidays, but do you think about mixing it up for the summer?  

If you are doing a staycation this year or just want to make your home feel like you are on vacation, what would you do to change it up?  I just gave some easy ideas but there are so many creative ways to do it. With Pinterest there are many ideas for wall art that make you feel like you are at the beach or wherever you envision yourself.  I just returned from 3 weeks in Aruba and I am not ready to reenter the real world so I created a space that reminds me of Aruba, of the beautiful water and sunshine. Maybe a little treasure that you found like a shell or frame a picture of where you were. It’s not hard to conjure up the feeling once you think about it.

I do have an advantage because I live at the beach -  but what if I didn’t?  What would you to bring home from your vacation to create your home away from home?

I would love to hear about some of the little things you have done to create the feeling of being on vacation.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this topic and it can go in so many different directions.  My experience is that we see a cabinet or chair or pillow in a magazine, store or online and think “oh that would be great in my living room”. So we run out to buy it because all of a sudden it is a “NEED”. We bring it home and it looks terrible or just not right  - and suddenly the thing we needed becomes expendable.

Why do we do that? Why did we think it was so important to have?  It’s human nature. I know that when I see something I want I can justify a need for it.  Sound familiar? It becomes more of an impulse buy.

The answer is to slow down and really decide whether it is a want or a need.  Sounds easy, but not so much for me.  I know when my husband wants something it becomes a campaign.  I just sit back and watch it unfold ...and see how it becomes a need….

In my program, The Harmonious Home, I take you through a process of discovering what you want - and need - in creating a home you love to spend time in. No doubt there will still be some impulse buys, but your purchases will become more intentional, and the result will be in finding your happy place!

Summer is here in full swing! My grandson graduated from kindergarten!!
I’m sitting in beautiful sunny Aruba with my friend for the next 3 weeks and thinking about the comforts of home with a summer flair.

Whether you are home or on vacation you can make where you are living for that time feel happy and light!  I like fresh flowers and will usually buy some as soon as I get wherever am staying.  I also bring some things that feel familiar and like home.  I know, packing and staying within the maximum weight of luggage, especially when you have kids can be hard. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, maybe a pillow, a candle, whatever it is that makes you feel comfortable.  Just like kids who need their special blanket or stuffed animal.  We all need to feel comforted.

If you are doing a “staycation” or just staying home for the summer it can be fun to think of the one or two things that you can do to bring a little sunshine into your home.

Summer is approaching fast… kids out of school, vacations, relaxing with a good book.  Now is the time to also think about what you can do to make your home feel lighter and fresh.  

If you have heavy pillows on sofas, either color or texture, then maybe shake it up a bit with some nice lighter shades or even bold bright colors.  
Something that simple can change the feeling of an entire room.
You can also add some accessory touches that are simple and tie in the colors you have chosen.  Your eyes will be able to bring those colors together for a harmonious feeling.

Other things you can do that are also simple and inexpensive changes are changing out rugs or change up some of the things you have on the walls.
 
There are so many places to shop for these inexpensive items like Home Goods, Marshalls, Kohls, TJ Maxx and the list can go on.  

I encourage you to try changing it up a little for the summer months.  It will feel fresh and might bring a little more light into your home.

Everyone has a different budget. 
 
If you are in the higher end category you may already have a designer to help you with your selections. If you are, you will have access to wholesale pricing depending on how your designer works with you.  If you are choosing to do it on your own with a higher budget, then most likely you will be going into some of the higher end retail stores like Von Hemert, Kreiss or Williams Sonoma Home. 
 
If you are like me with a bit of discretionary income and need to stay within a smaller budget, then there are a lot more retail stores available like, Bassett, Thomasville, Ethan Allen, Room and Board just to name a few. 
 
If you are just starting out and on a tight budget, then Ikea or Living Spaces are perfect options!  They have great selections at a more moderate price.
 
Depending what you are looking for - whether it be accessories or tables and chairs, dining room sets, bedroom sets, living room pieces and or accessories including art and rugs – you can find many options online.
 
Some of the online stores I recommend to my clients and friends are Ballard Designs, Wayfair, West Elm, Pottery Barn, and Overstock.com.  There are many more to choose from as well.
 
The most important thing I’d like to share is if you are looking to purchase a sofa that you will be sitting on regularly then I really believe in getting the best you can afford since that will get the most wear and tear. 
 
When you are buying, let’s say a coffee table, you can find them in prices from a couple hundred dollars on up to thousands of dollars.  I like to remind my clients that no one will walk into your home and say “why did you buy the cheap one?” They don’t know your options and if your home feels good to you then it will feel good to them when they walk in.  When we buy things we only think of them individually.  But it’s more about how it relates to everything else in the room.  We usually walk into a room and see the whole picture, not just 1 piece at a time. 
 
Make the process fun.  If you get overwhelmed online then take a break.  You can save the pictures in Pinterest on a separate board and then go back to all the pieces you have looked at and compare.  You will be able to make better, more fluid choices.
 
Be gentle with yourself if you are doing it alone. And if you are not, then be gentle with the other person, be it a spouse/partner or a child/teen.  They might have opinions too.  Listen, and then be able to make a decision you all can live with and enjoy!
 
Happy shopping!

Budgets. This is a touchy subject for a lot of people. The fear of finding out you don’t have enough money to do your whole project or just have no idea where to start.  I’m sure there are many other reasons to not look at this part of the equation of the design process but it is so important.

Here are some of the benefits:
•    a clear idea of what you need
•    a clear idea of what you need to spend to get what you want
•    where you can find out your priorities
•    breaks it down to manageable bites

These are just a few of the reasons why a budget is so important.  It also takes the mystery out of it all.  It clears all the stuff running in your head and puts it down on paper.

Creating the budget is the same if you are doing 1 room or a whole house, just a few more things to consider. If you are doing 1 room you need to consider the adjoining rooms. If they open up to each other then you might need to think about how to make it all flow. If it’s a back bedroom that you don’t have to walk by then you can pretty much do what you want. Kids especially want their own space and giving them some options helps a lot.

Having a budget also gives you clarity on how to save for the next room or to define your priorities.

I have a budget template I created to help you get started.  If you are interested, contact me and I will be happy to send you one.

Looking forward to hearing from you, especially after you have done it to see how it feels for you.  

Happy budgeting!!!

2019 is a new year - and we are already more then half-way through February. I'm excited to share more of my expertise with you this year, including a new DIY product coming soon! In the meantime, the beginning of the new year brings us lots of things to think about; intentions, things you want to do differently this year, where to travel, what to do with my home....... So many options.  January is complete but we have almost 11 more months!

Today I want to talk specifically about the thing that touches my heart and that is my home.  Making it a warm, inviting place where I can come home after a busy day of work or play. I can hardly wait to come home and shut the noise of the world out.  A place where I can get comfortable, relax and breath.  This is my joy and I want to continue to share tips on how you can make your home your safe haven,

I believe everyone deserves to have a home that fills your heart. That can be a really fun adventure or a big scary thing to think about later.

If you are even just contemplating making some changes in your home then now is a good time to think about it and make a plan.  

I always start with mindset.  What do you want your home to feel like?  Most people can tell me what color they like, what style they like but at the end of the day they really have never given any thought to what they want it to feel like.

Here is my tip of the week for you.  Sit down with a paper and pen.  Write what I call stream of consciousness writing.  Ask the question, "What do I want my HOME to feel like?  Then just start writing.  Anything that comes to mind as to a feeling like, calm, happy, warm, inviting, happy, whimsical, a place where your kids are comfortable.  The list can go on and on...

Happy writing!