Nix This Please!

I have been enjoying this sight for a some time and this morning the Nester had the funniest decorating post up that I have seen in a long time. I could not agree with her more! Click here to enjoy.

Outside The Box

I saw these flowers on Simply Stated and thought they looked so pretty. I wouldn't have thought to put them in black and white vases and that made me ponder "thinking outside the box" when creating new possibilities for our homes.

Sometimes in decorating our spaces we become so emotionally invested in the comfort of things as they've always been, that we don't try anything new. That is one reason why another pair of eyes is often helpful.

One thing that I have learned as a professional home stager and redesigner is that change is difficult for all of us. That is why when our Interiors by Design team goes into a home to stage or redesign it, we need the home owner to be gone for the day. It is hard for them to envision the change while it is in process. Clients are strongly influenced by the emotional aspects of the changes and the preconceived notions they have carried with them for so long. It is best to go with the "big reveal" when the project is complete.

How are you when it comes to changing things? Are you open to the suggestions of others? Have you been pleasantly surprised trying different options? Poke a hole in that box you are in and peek outside. It is fun and besides, what's the worst thing that could happen? It is better to look for the possible benefits. Without trying...how will you ever know?

Flickr

Try These Things To Help Get The Process Going

• Look at your room with a critical eye. What works and what doesn't?
• Get rid of the space fillers you don't love.
• Get some furniture slides and start trying different furniture arrangements.
• Make a wish list of things you'd like to add to the room as your budget allows. Rome wasn't built in a day!
  
• Allow yourself a few days to get use to the new arrangement. Adapting to change takes time.
  
• Enjoy! Make your home a place you and your family love to be.
• If you need assistance call a qualified professional for

Try Something New!

The Appeal Of Redesigning Your Home

This is another of my article published on Blissfully Domestic


Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

Did you know that redesigning is the most economical way to decorate your home? With redesigning and home staging coming on the scene less than two decades ago, many people are unclear about what the difference is. The easiest way to remember is:

• Staging is for Selling
• Redesigning is for Dwelling

Each of these aspects of interior decorating has a specific purpose and although many of the same design principles apply, the methods and end results are very different. Redesigning is what most of us will find most helpful as we do a lot more dwelling than selling.

We live in a society with a mindset that things are primarily disposable. If something breaks and needs repairs, or if we are just tired of it, we often just go buy a new one! With the current economy, many are rethinking that mindset.

Redesign is the re-purposing and recycling of things we already have and love. Often just a new arrangement will make a world of difference in how inviting a room is. What could be more prudent and resourceful than that? Don’t get me wrong, I love shopping and getting new things for our home as much as anyone. But I save money by buying and keeping the big pieces we really love and adding new accessories. Redesigning gives new life to your treasured furnishings and is budget friendly as well. Often it has less to do with what you have, than it does with the placement of your furnishings and accessories.

Before redesigning this room was uninspiring and boring!

By proper furniture placement and accessorizing with things you love, it works!

In one day and without purchasing anything new, this room is now beautiful, warm, and inviting!

Here Are Some Ways To Begin Your Redesigning

• Remove the clutter and get organized. Allow yourself to take time to do this. Do a room or a drawer at a time until you feel great about the results. See Fly Lady for some help.
• Look at ways to improve the look of what you already have. Do you need a coat of paint on the walls or some elbow grease on that favorite piece of furniture to update and lift the room?
• Can a great slip cover make your sofa feel fresh and new again?
• Can a can of spray paint and some fabric make your old lamps look awesome?
• Make a wish list of things you’d like to purchase and shop your own house before buying more stuff. Often there is a thread connecting the things we love. Are you a seashell lover or a collector of brass candlesticks? Find a way to use them differently than you have in the past.
• Enjoy the process as you go along. Decorating should be fun and reflect who you are and how your family lives. Form should always follow function for comfortable living. Take your time and build on your accomplishments.

Updating to blend with your current color scheme and style is a great way to redesign and recycle something!

One Helpful Tip: Have an overall plan for your home but work on only one area at a time. Follow the plan until that area or room is completely done before moving on.

The homes I am called in to redesign are often ones that have a little bit of something in the works in each room and nothing completed. This is overwhelming and discouraging for all of us. Having one room that is beautiful and completely done is great motivation to keep redesigning.

If you are not a DIY person, you may prefer to have a professional redesigner’s help. Check here for an IRIS Trained Redesigner in your area. You will find the fees very reasonable. Gone are the days when you had to be wealthy to get some help creating a beautiful and functional home. And the best part is many rooms can be completely redesigned in less than a day! You can have a lovely day out and come home to the big reveal! You can have that same experience you’ve witnessed on HGTV a thousand times!

* All photos: Interiors by Design

When not writing for Blissfully Domestic, Bonnie can be found redesigning and staging homes for sale through her company, Interiors by Design, on the west coast. She also enjoys writing on her own blog (interiorsbydesigndefined.blogspot.com)

Blissfully Exciting

Monday, August 25, 2008

Blissfully Exciting

Don't Anyone Burst These Bubbles!
We Are The Dancing Queens!
Mamma Mia!

I have some exciting news! The site Blissfully Domestic was looking for some contributors to write some articles in their fields of expertise, so I submitted some things I have done. And they selected me to be one of their writers! I really love the posts on this site and I am so excited about this.

I will be writing about decorating, home staging, marketing for real estate sales, etc. This is the perfect blend of what I love doing...design work, writing, photography and media communications. Wow, who knew something could be so totally suited to my needs and such a perfect fit? I feel very blessed! I will keep you posted on it all. They are launching a big new site redesign on the Tuesday after Labor Day. I need to have my first entry in by then. In the mean time, check out the link to the site if you haven't already. It's a fun one!

I am so nervous and excited!
They sent me the lovely official badges you see on the sidebar.

Second Hand Rose

Second Hand Rose

By request here a few of the great finds I got at a moving sale this week that I can use for the business.

I like to use these types of florals in staging. I put them in a larger pot with moss and they look really great. It is impractical to stage with real greenery and florals as many of the houses are vacant and we do not run a plant service business...sooo we use the "everlasting" flowers and greenery.

Partner to the Above

The first picture made its way into our guest room temporarily while the one I normally have here is "in service" at one of our houses. Love the colors and that there are two of them.


This is a great rose bush for a patio room, porch, etc. It adds a lot of color and is definitely a carefree piece. And at $5.00 it won't break the bank if someone steals it off a front porch. New these are probably close to $45.00. It helps when the moving sale is being held by your sister-in-law! :-) Thanks, Gail!

Here's a fun one for a bathroom!

Decorating Faux Pas

HGTV's 25 Decorating Mistakes from Blissfully Domestic by Rhoda "Did you happen to catch this HGTV special recently? Evidently there are 25 Decorating Mistakes that we absolutely should not do. The red print is Rhonda~the black responses in parentheses are from me. Fake flowers and plants (I confess, I totally disagree with this one. Love the real thing of course but practically speaking, who can afford that in every room in the house all the time? I go into so many houses that have the most dreadful real plants. No thanks for me..I think it is personal preference as long as you buy high quality silks you will be fine. Too many pillows, on the bed or sofa (yes, I'm guilty of this one too) Knick-knack overload (This describes the little statues, etc. or doggie collections to me. Accessories that are larger and make a statement are different. Still keep decluttering all the time though.) Fear of color (apparently, this is not one of my problems) Ignoring windows (I do have a problem with elaborate window coverings personally) Pushed back furniture (don't do this for the most part, if there's room to float, I do it) Tacky couch covers (they were talking clear plastic, can you imagine? does anyone do that anymore? ) Frames too high (this is a pet peeve of mine too) Improper lighting (I think I have this one covered just fine) Floating rugs (nope, not a problem either) Too many colors/patterns (love color & patterns, but I think I'm under control) Furniture that doesn't fit (I think they mean oversized & too much in one room) Following fads (I have been a wee bit guilty of following some fads, but only the good ones) Everything matches (this seemed to be too much of one color in a room, everything the same color). Lack of traffic flow (not good for directing foot traffic in a room, I'm OK with this one) Uncomfortable dining room chairs (mine are pretty bad I must confess.) Too formal (nope, I'm not that formal in any room) Keeping something you hate (nope, I will not have anything out that I hate) Lopsided furnishings (this is balance in a room, not having too much on any one side) Outdated accessories (No ducks on a stick..OK?) Themes (I'm not much for themes) Undressed cables (and wires..put them out of sight) Ignoring the foyer (very important) Too many family photos (haves some around but not in every room) Toilet rugs (hate 'em and no toilet seat covers either. Ugh!)" OK, true confession time. How did you do?

Candyland

Can I just say, I loved yesterday? We worked on the beautiful home that I told you about a few day ago and did some redesigning. This is the best redesign project we have ever had as everything was already so lovely and the furnishings were absolutely gorgeous. I just wanted to share some of the photos.

People often ask me how I can work with the various types of furnishing if they are not "my style." Well, my style came about of necessity, aka lack of money, when first it all began. Also the cottage style of our home is a big consideration. I like all different kinds of interior designs not just the one I live with each day.

The home featured here is very formal, very fancy, opulent, luxurious, and basically like visiting a spa labeled "eye candy." It is rejuvenating just being in the home. It could be a little bungalow at Hearst Castle, a part of The Dunsmuir House, a fabulous movie set, or a Victorian vacation spot. Although I don't live in a house like this~I wouldn't mind the opportunity to 'give it a go' as they say in the UK!

One thing about the house...it is definitely not a manly type house and I cannot envision a bunch of kids living here either. This is a lady's paradise, however. So enjoy the view. Daydream of a couple of days here and the rejuvenating experience you would have. You can bring three friends if you all want your own room. Wanna play this game with me?

If you enjoy this house it is worth the time to double click
on the photos for an enlarged view of the details.

The Entryway
Come On In!


The Parlor is just off the entry. It has another
little red settee as well just opposite this one.
It has a beautiful grandfather clock, a glass display cabinet,
bronze statuary and stylish lamps. It also has multi-paned
glass doors that are really fun and the artwork is amazing.

Living Room ~ before photo


This is the living room now. We brought in the
red to tie it with the parlor and entry and to give it
the color the homeowner was seeking.


Check out some of the eye candy.

The linens and tassels are over the moon!
Maybe I should have named this post
"Tassel Castle"


Gorgeous Accessories

One of the Guest Rooms
Check the loft on all the comforters in this house.
It's hard to grasp in 2-d when it is so 3-dimensional.

The 2 pictures above are before pictures.
See how the lamps are way too
small or out of scale? They also don't match.

Now there are these two beautiful identical lamps in here.
This is my single most favorite thing we changed
that had the biggest impact. In this setting the
lamps couldn't be more prefect.

I have never been a big fan of heavy draperies or
'puddling' but in this house..oh my gosh, it looks amazing!
Double click on this to see the fabric~gorgeous and so feminine.
I can't really envision men's boots here.
Sorry, no boys allowed!

The Blue Room


Another Guest Room
Any Takers?


A Small Corner of The Family Room
And Media Center

I hope you have enjoyed your get-away. We did.
The Interiors by Design Team had a hard time returning to reality
so we stopped on the way home for an ice cream cone to soften the blow.