Preventing and Postponing Procrastination

Over the years I have noticed that people seems to accumulate so much stuff that when moving time comes they are beyond overwhelmed. I have often thought about the many years we have lived in our home and the thousands of times I have enter our door with bags of stuff I have purchased. Often times far less leaves the premises each week. If we do not have quite a bit going out, simple mathematics tells us eventually we are going to be creating a path to get from one room to another. And, that is often what I see when I go into a home to do a staging or redesign consultation.

Recently I entered a home that was out of control in this department and it reminded me once again to spend more time each day just reordering my home. Often times we will look at something like a pantry or closet or something that needs doing and actually spend more time putting it off than it would require to just jump in and do it. So yesterday I reorganized my pantry and my bathroom closet. It took some time but not nearly as much as I had envisioned. It was such a freeing experience.

Now I know exactly where all my grocery items are and what I actually have to work with in preparing meals. This will save me time and money and also free up my to do list and fretting about it.

My husband and business partner, Jim, has a saying that I think applies to having certain lifestyles. He says, "Be careful what you get use to." This applies to so many aspects of our lives, but for our purposes here it is so easy to just overlook the clutter and disarray and then get use to it. In that getting accustomed to something, we often do not realize how much it slows us down and interrupts our accomplishments, saps our energy, etc. I have found that once something is in order, it is easier to maintain it than to spend time tripping over or looking for your stuff.

For most of us ordering our lives is a daunting task. For my clients I recommend a few things. You have to sort through your things one by one and make a decision. Keep it, toss it, or donate it. It is a long process for most of us and you cannot "eat the elephant in one bite."

Try to stay focused on one room at a time, or one closet, one drawer, etc. Set your kitchen timer and clean out a silverware drawer in 15 minutes. Flitting from room to room or project to project can be counter productive and frustrating.


I like to keep similar things together like brushes and combs, hair equipment, make-up, etc. The little bins just keep it from all running together and gives us a place to return the item to after using it.

One or two projects at a time is enough. Find some containers to group items according to their use. Yesterday I went through our over the counter meds and organized them all into kits by putting them in plastic bags. All the cold meds in one bag, all the flu meds together, etc. It is much better than rummaging though all these half used boxes and bottles of stuff when you are sick. Now we can just pull out the plastic bin and get what we need without disturbing every things else.

Organization is maintenance once you get to a point of being on top of things. I know we have heard this before but the goal should be to 'have a place for everything and everything in its place.' Honestly, it makes such a difference in what else you will accomplish each day. The important thing is just get started with some aspect of it and once you feel the difference you will be motivated to continue. Every woman, no matter what stage of life she is in, is busy. That is just part of the culture we live in these days. Rarely do we have huge amounts of uninterrupted time. We have to learn to seize the moment and do things bit by bit.

I didn't take any before photos as I had no idea these projects would become a post until this morning. But I do have the photos of the results from this morning. I feel a sense of accomplishment just looking at the pictures! Little things can make a big difference in how you feel. Again, your environment sets the tone and mood for everything else. Feeling good, decluttering and accomplishing more by working smarter ~ is the goal.

It is hard to clear out many years of accumulated junk when it is time to redesign or to relocate. Also all the clutter makes cleaning so much harder. One day at a time is a good motto. Make it a way of life.

Then you will have time to do the fun things..for me, I love watching movies. Jim built this 'just the right size' shelf and I organized all of our DVD & videos alphabetically for easy access and more time to relax and kick back at the end of a busy day.

This is a quote from the book, Eat, Pray, Love that I really like.

"The beauty of doing nothing is the goal of all your work, the final accomplishment for which you are most highly congratulated. The more exquisitely and delightfully you can do nothing, the higher your life's achievement."

For me, what that means is that the end result of your hard work is having some leisure time to just relax and do nothing. And to that I would also add, in a lovely and peaceful environment.

Enjoy the view!

From Drab to Fab ~ Continued

In this continuation of the previous house ~ I want to show you some of the other rooms. Laura did a fantastic job on the little girls' bedroom and adjoining bath. The bathroom was wallpapered so we had them remove that. Wallpaper is a real problem when it comes to selling houses. No one like to remove it, especially new homeowners. For many, wallpapered walls are a deal breaker. If you are staying in your home it is fine, just make sure you prepare your walls properly as you will need to take it off before you sell.

After the paper was removed in the house, we asked the homeowners to paint the bathroom and bedroom the same sandy beige color. Neutral colors are a must for selling. Again no new homeowner wants to start having to paint right off the bat! In this house painting the bedroom and bath the same neutral color really helped to unify the space as it was originally a white bedroom with a green bathroom.

Bedroom and adjoining bathroom should always be coordinated.

The before photo speaks for itself. (Yawn!)

Laura did a superb job of making this room just come alive. It just looks like some little girls would have so much fun here. The bathroom is really cute with two shades of pink ballerina towels and some great art, fun flowers and some fragrant soaps and lotion. Now it looks like a suite instead of two disjointed rooms. Note how the new paint warms the room and highlights the baseboard trim. This room also has white plantation shutters on the large window and the paint really sets that off as well.


This home had a gorgeous kitchen as you can see. It was all ready for the final touches that it never received until it was time to sell. How sad! So many people never get the house the way it looks and feels best until it is time to leave. We should all stage our homes for living, or hire a redesigner to help us, so we can enjoy living in a home that makes us feel good. When we feel good at home the sky is the limit as to what we can accomplish not only there~ but everywhere else.


We asked the homeowner to cover up the pale green paint and to coordinate the paint with the adjoining family room which is latte paint with red & white furnishings (See the previous post for the photos.) The accents in both rooms are now red, black and white. The colors and accessories did wonders to connect these two spaces and make them feel like one very large room. The latte colored walls were selected to warm and soften the vivid black, white and red. By having it in both rooms the visual flow is uninterrupted. The flow in a home is very important to make it feel more spacious, unified and together.


I have included these two photos to demonstrate the importance of having something on your large flat surfaces like a table or an island that is tall enough to fill some of the void that is created by them. Tables should always have some kind of elevating center piece. It may be too tall for dining but can easily be removed and replaced when the kitchen is cleaned up at the end of the meal. Note that the red really brings some energy and life into the black and white motif. Red in naturally enlivening and I have learned that when using other colors you have to find the "kick" in other ways. I'll show you what I mean in my next post with some photos and commentary on a beach house we staged.

Bon Appetit! Enjoy to view!

Drab to Dazzling

Today I want to share a house that Interiors by Design staged last summer. You drove into this gorgeous, gated community and saw this fabulously beautiful home, great neighborhood and lovely grounds. You truly could feel excitement in the air.

So much happens in the first few minutes a prospective buyer comes to a home. A favorable location can only help but special considerations needs to be taken in the yard and porch area and entry way. The first 90 seconds at the front door can make or break a deal. Whether selling or dwelling in a home pay particular attention to your porch and front door and entry. Gain a fresh perspective by actually looking at and critiquing what you see when approaching your home.

Approaching this home you could hardly wait to see the inside. Unfortunately, this house was very lack luster. It was very dated, needed wallpaper removal, painting, new light fixtures, etc.

Our job was to stage this house with the intent of making the prospective buyers "fall in love." The house had fantastic potential so we were thrilled with the challenge.

When looking at the before and after photos think about how it makes you feel before and after the staging? Keep in mind that purchases originate from the emotional side of our personalities. A buyer will always leap at an opportunity to make life better for themselves and their families.
Again, whether you are selling or staying in your home, decorate to enhance the environment and to uplift all who enter.

The dining room in this home was dull, dark and dingy with no elements of appeal. When you entered the house and looked to the left, it was the first thing you saw. The furniture was very expensive and well-made but there is nothing in this space that remotely enhances it. As a prospective buyer or dinner guest how does it make you feel? Ho hum at best and bored or even uncomfortable at the worst. This house was immaculate~ but a real sleeper!

After it was staged it was colorful, inviting and interesting to view. The furniture placement gave it drama and a little pizazz. This dining room makes you want to sit down and enjoy a nice meal with family or friends. That is what staging for sale is all about. It makes the prospective buyer envision living in the home and enjoying it!

Note how the mirror is reflecting something beautiful.
Make sure your mirrors do not just reflect an empty wall or the ceiling.

Now when you walk in the front door this is what you see.

Check out the family room as we found it. Again, very lovely furnishings but the furniture placement is wrong, there are no accessories and even though they have a red couch, there is no follow through with the color to add any dazzle to it. This home sits on the third tee of a golf course but you can't get through the room visually to enjoy the view.

Bringing the color in around the room and moving the furniture to a better place helped. Painting an accent wall a darker color to emphasize the beautiful architectural features, the vaulted ceilings and the French doors and windows, which lead to the golf course was important It not only warms up the room but frames the gorgeous view.

Decorating the mantle with something fun also helps pull this room together. The red cranes on the hearth add a touch of whimsy to give it a relaxed and more casual feel. The wing chairs were removed and white chairs with red pillows brought in. The fainting couch adds the element of the unexpected. The greenery adds that touch of life that every room needs.


In my next post I will share some more photos from this home. This property was on the market for 2.3 million dollars and is located in one of the Bay Area's most exclusive neighborhoods.

Redesign

In the past 14 or 15 years Redesign has become a wonderful aspect of the Interior Design field. Some people are confused about it and have asked me to define exactly what Redesign is.

A Redesigner is an interior decorating profession that takes what you already own and through correct furniture placement, proper art display and enhancing accessories creates a whole new environment for you.

In defining Redesign I sometimes like to compare it to floral arranging. We can enjoy a lovely rose bush or a single rose just the way it is. However, by taking that rose and surrounding it with other gorgeous roses and adding a little enhancement you can create something even lovelier.

Redesigners can usually accomplish a total transformation of a living room and dining area in one day. We can do any room or combination of rooms you desire or the entire house over a few days. We ask the homeowner to plan to be gone during the time we work there so that we can fully concentrate on the redesign and so that everyone can have the fun of the "Big Reveal". It is so rewarding and amazing to watch the faces of the homeowners as they step into their home and suddenly everything works. The often seen, tears of joy, really put us over the top! There is now the cohesiveness that was sought and an emotionally satisfying and welcoming home in which to live.

The cost of a redesign varies but is usually less than purchasing yet another piece of furniture to try to get the look you are after. The fees will be determined in advance at a consultation. Most men love redesign because it costs less then continually buying new furnishings. The ladies love it because finally if "feels" right and they are surrounded with all the things they love. We can create a wish list if there seems to be something missing from the space that would enhance it. That way the homeowner can purchase that item if they are so inclined.

Redesigning gives a wonderful fresh perspective, it is economically sound and recycling at it's best! Everybody wins! It is interior decorating for the real world not just for the rich and famous!

Designing Beautiful Homes

As I begin this blog on one of my favorite passions~designing beautiful homes~I want to discuss some of the reasons why I am so intrigued by this art form. It may surprise you to know that I view designing a beautiful home in a spiritual light. I believe that one's home is a sacred place. A place where a family, whether just one person, a couple, or a traditional family with children can find peace and refuge from this crazy world in which we live. I believe that within those walls, the stage upon which we live our lives is created. It can define us and set the course for almost every aspect of who we become. It is our foundation, our spring board for the day and our resting place at night. It is the place we build our most important relationships, nurture each other and ourselves, and hopefully the place we feel the most love, peace, contentment and happiness. It is the place where we develop family traditions, wonderful memories and truly is where our story begins.

Our environment makes all the difference in how we actually feel as I am sure you are aware but did you realize that rooms can actually "speak " to you? Let me show you what I mean:


These are two "before" photos of a family room in a home that sold for over $1,000,000 so you know it is a gorgeous home. There is nothing wrong with this family room perse, but do you find it that inviting? Does it say, "Come in, relax. Does it welcome you in? Not really.

When our company, Interiors by Design, was hired to stage this home for sale, Laura and I went into this home excited to meet the challenges. We made this room "speak" another language just by using some color, textures, placing the art work differently, decluttering, adding plants, etc. This is a room that is wonderful for living in now. This change was also essential for selling it for top dollar. This room now evokes emotion and is not cold and sterile or boring. If you are staying it makes you feel warm and cozy, if you are buying~ it makes you want to sign on the dotted line.

The Transformation

Nothing major has been purchased to transform this room. Often in a redesign or home staging, you can find wonderful things in adjoining rooms. I love to do designing because it changes lives for the better and makes a house a home. It creates a better environment for happy families. Whether selling or dwelling it is a winner!

Sold! In three days, over asking price, multiple offers!

In this blog I want to share different fun things about design, explore my own love for what I do, and answer any questions that may come up in the course of comments made.