Great Photography

In my business taking great photos is essential for marketing our beautiful homes once they have been staged by Interiors by Design. This is not as easy as one might imagine. I have been trying to learn as much as I can about the art of photography. This website is pretty fun for that so I wanted to include it. No matter what you want to photograph, great interiors or those little munchkins in your lives...you can always improve your skills. Digital cameras make capturing those special things so much more fun! Enjoy!

You've come a long way, Baby!

Click here for some great ideas on Creative Photography.

Remodeling Funny

Fashion and Decorating

Simple Fashion Rules for Decorating

An article from About Decorating

Use Your Fashion Sense for a More Successful Home Decorating Project

We all dress ourselves every day, usually with no trouble at all. So why is it that so many people seem paralyzed by decorating decisions?

We decided to take a look at some basic fashion rules. Most of these you’ll recognize as conventional wisdom. But did you know that these same fashion rules can apply to decorating your home as well?

Find out how with these 8 simple fashion rules for home interiors.

Fashion Rule #1

Invest in classic pieces.

• Decorating Takeaway
  Spend the biggest portion of your decorating budget on pieces that will have a long life: a beautiful dining table, well-constructed sofa, a classic rug, or a gorgeous armoire.

Fashion Rule #2

Neutrals as a steady diet could be boring; spice it up with color!

• Decorating Takeaway
  Color is cheap.

Fashion Rule #3

Too tight a fit is uncomfortable; too loose is unattractive.

• Decorating Takeaway
  Scale your furnishings to your room: a huge canopy bed in a teensy room is a gamble. Likewise, a tiny settee in front of an oversize fireplace will look ridiculous.

Fashion Rule #4

Highlight features you like; play down what you don’t love.

• Decorating Takeaway
  Call attention to your room’s best features by using color, lighting, or furniture placement. Likewise, downplay less-than-attractive parts of a room by “painting them out” with matching wall paint (good for items like pipes and vent covers), or by disguising them with clever cover-ups. Have a great view or lovely fireplace? Arrange furniture so these best features are the center of attention.

Fashion Rule #5

A well-constructed color scheme helps bring an outfit together.

• Decorating Takeaway
  Consciously work with one main color in a room and one lesser-used secondary color. Add a third accent color (usually the brightest hue) in smaller amounts -- on artwork, trims, and accessories.

Fashion Rule #6

Fabulous shoes can make an outfit.

• Decorating Takeaway
  Pretty carpeting, lovely hardwood floors, or a beautiful area rug can be a terrific foundation for a room. Pull the colors and patterns found in the rug for use throughout the room.

Fashion Rule #7

A few great wardrobe basics can take you from day to evening, just by changing accessories.

• Decorating Takeaway
  Upholstery in plain textured fabrics are like wardrobe basics – they’ll allow you to decorate around them as you change your mind, update seasonally, or move to a different home – simply by swapping out pillows and accessories.

So, choose a chocolate brown chenille sofa for the long-term, and outfit it with orange pillows for fall, red for winter, and baby blue for spring.

Fashion Rule #8

Versatility is a virtue. Choose fashions that can be worn with a variety of other pieces; for example, a great tweed jacket that looks as good with a matching skirt as it does with jeans.

• Decorating Takeaway
  Versatile pieces are worth their weight in gold. Whip off a summer slipcover and your upholstered chair will be ready for fall. A great chest of drawers or armoire can take on many roles – in many rooms -- as your needs change or you move from home to home. And a roomy ottoman can stand in for a coffee table or extra seating. These workhorse pieces will give you more than your money’s worth over time.

Happy Easter!

Top 10 Sources for Furniture Bargains

I found this article and added some of my own thoughts regarding good sources for furnishings on a budget. Being a wise and thrifty shopper just makes sense and the treasure hunt is very fun.

1. Garage Sales

There are bargains galore at garage sales. If you don’t know how to shop them, just ask around and you’re sure to find a friend or relative who would be happy to show you the ropes. Cash will get you the best bargains as will showing up early or just before closing time.

2. Flea Markets

Not for the faint of heart, these are often mega events with booths for refreshments as well as furnishings. Expect to bargain with vendors for the best prices. Take a buddy and wear walking shoes since you’ll spend the day on your feet. More must-haves: water, sunscreen, a tape measure, plastic bags, lots of cash, and a rolling cart.

3. Online Auctions

You can look for bargains day or night on Internet sites, with eBay as the granddaddy of them all. Do a bit of price research before you bid, searching for similar products and noting the bids as well as the asking prices. Pay attention to condition of products as well, and ask questions before you buy. After is too late. Check out the rating of the seller as well. Don't forget to check out the shipping prices which can be prohibitive on large items. Some eBay sellers are using low prices to hook you and then charging way too much for shipping. Craig's List is great for large items as you can shop locally and then pick them up yourself. Consider PayPal to insure safe transactions online.

4. Local Consignment Stores and Thrift Stores

These retail outlets offer furnishings and décor items that are shopworn or used. Items maybe in excellent condition or they may be damaged or heavily worn. Look often at these types of sources, since inventory can change dramatically from week to week. Sometimes just a little attention to detail, a coat of paint, or a good washing and you will have just what want for next to nothing!

5. Free Sources

Nothing will stretch your budget farther than accumulating items that cost nothing. Whether you trade with friends, find items left by the curb, or get donations from family and friends ~don't say no. Jim & I got almost everything we own as someone else was casting them off. A little elbow grease and you can have a real treasure. This can be a great way to get started in a first home or trade out items you no longer love. Also in my business when people offer me something for the warehouse I always try to accept it even though I may not totally love the item. You would be surprised how often I do this and land up finding the perfect place for that item in one of the homes we are staging for sale. If you decide later you don't want something you can always donate it yourself~but let it pass through your hands first. You just never know...

6. Damaged Furnishings and One-of-a-Kind Sales

Retail stores have a back room filled with furnishings that have been damaged, returned, or are last season’s merchandise. Items are sometimes marked down on a regular basis, by week or by month. Call your favorite furniture stores to find out how they sell these less-than-perfect items.

7. Rental Furniture Outlets~Cort Furniture has some outstanding bargains.

Rental companies in your area may have a warehouse of furnishings that are no longer rentable. Look for used furniture in the phone book or call these businesses to inquire how they dispose of used furnishings. Don't forget the want-ads either.

8. Salvage Yards

Though you may not find furniture in a salvage yard, you will surely find an ever-changing assortment of windows, hardware, moldings, and parts to create your own unique furnishings. Take a look. You may just find an interesting piece or two to use as wall art or as parts for a shelf, table, or bookcase.

9. Warehouse Outlet Sales

Large retailers may have an annual warehouse sale of furniture and appliances in your area. Watch the newspaper for these events or ask a salesperson how to find out about these sales.

10. Local Estate Sales and Auctions

Look for these in local newspaper classified sections. Attend the “Preview Day” whenever possible, to check if you are interested in any of the items. It will also be your chance to examine the items close up and ask any questions about them. You may also have time to research prices and determine how much you are willing to pay.

Decorating as Art and Science

I think we would all agree that decorating is a matter of personal taste. We all like different things and we all enjoy creating our individual spaces based on our likes and dislikes. This is what makes decorating so much fun and adds an endless variety for the eyes to behold. That being said, why do some people have so much trouble with their spaces?

We might all agree that some of it is just simply questionable taste. As an example, if you are decorating with velvet paintings of Elvis, etc..you may be the only person you know who likes that and if you go in realizing this~ then fine. Go for it at your own risk!


Some of the problem may simply be budget. Everyone can have a gorgeous home if they can have whatever they want. I have only had a few clients with this option. However, it is very possible to have a wonderful room on a small budget if you know how to put it together. It does not matter so much what you have as much as it matters what you do with it.

I had a client that never bought anything for her house because she thought you had to spend so much money to make a space look good. She grew up in a very wealthy family and married a person with an average income. To her way of thinking unless she could have the very best, she didn't get anything. She was absolutely shocked when she went shopping with me for her home staging. She found that her house could look fabulous with inexpensive accessorizing. This opened a whole new world for her when her house was sold and she started decorating her new home.

There may also be some marital issues involved. Husband and wife can have extremely different tastes or they don't place the same value on decor. Working with couples to determine what can work for both is one of the aspects of being a decorator or designer. (2 parts designer ~1 part psychologist.)


There are a countless number of reasons for a room not feeling welcoming, inviting or relaxing.

I think the one thing that people do not realize is that not only is your definition of art involved in good design but there are also design principles that affect every aspect of the space. These principles are based on science and math. As an example, if you do not select and address a focal point in a room no matter what you have in the room, it will not work to your satisfaction.

There are principles of color, lighting, furniture placement, etc. that simply work well every time. Through education and experience a person can learn these principles and greatly improve every space they decorate. The principles of art are more subjective.

This is where the assistance of a trained professional can really help you. I have learned that it really doesn't matter what my personal style is or what I like when working with a client's spaces and furnishings. By following the principles of design, knowing how to use scale, colors, textures, patterns, and accessories ~any room can look and feel great.

The Subjective Aspect of Art
(what each individual finds attractive)
&
The Exacting Aspects of Math & Science
(ironclad design principles)

~Can Create a Perfect Environment~

It is All in the Balancing Act

Quiz

Here is a fun quiz to see how much you know about interior decorating. I found it on my IRIS Members Only Newsletter and Jim and I had fun answering the questions. We missed 2.

Click here to take the quiz.

Let us know how you liked it!