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getting a fresh start

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted here on my decorating blog.

And a lot has changed, both in the world, and in my little corner of the world…

Most notably, the economy has changed dramatically, and many of us have felt the pinch.  For me, it manifested in going back to work full time – not in the field of design, but back to my previous career as an editor.  I was very fortunate to find a good job as an editor, since decorating jobs in a bad economy were getting more and more scarce.

Also, I’ve gone through a divorce, which has further tested my personal finances.

Why am I sharing all of this?

Well, to tell you where I’ve been, but also because many of these changes have influenced who I’ve become as a decorator.

I’ve always loved a bargain, I’ve always loved junk and dumpster diving for trashy treasures, and I’ve always loved found objects.

But now, with my personal finances very different than they were a couple of years ago, and with many people in the same boat as me financially, decorating with bargains and junk and found objects has a new meaning and has become even more inspiring than it used to be.

While all of this financial mess was unfolding, I was also becoming acutely aware of the problems of climate change and over-consumption, and realized that I can no longer advocate consumption in the way I used to as a decorator.  Simply put, I’ve gone green.

(I’ve even started blogging about learning to live small, both financially and ecologically.)

So, the color of this blog has changed to green as well, and I will be sharing fun decorating ideas that won’t take much (or anything at all) out of your pocketbook, and will take advantage of reusing and recycling and other clever decorating ideas.

Hope you’ll enjoy the fresh start!

table on a budget

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This year, because money is tight, the theme for our Thanksgiving table was “don’t buy a thing” decor. Also known as “use what you have decorating”.

I wanted to do something different from last year, so I went on a treasure hunt, and scored!

First, I gathered up a couple of tree branches that I’ve been hording for a while. (These branches have been close to being thrown out more than once!) I gave these lovely branches a quick spray painting with an off-white that I had in my garage.

A trip to my basement yielded a couple of blue candles, as well as a couple of small blue mod floral plates. I gathered up some faux pearls and a faux bird.

Then I threw it all together and here’s what I came up with…


The brown tablecloth & napkins were purchased for last year’s holiday…


And the plates are a combination of two sets, since I don’t own a large enough set for our once-a-year big event.


Not too bad for $0!

I encourage you to set your holiday table using a $0 budget if money is tight in your household. After all, the holidays are all about spending time with family and friends.

the things we don’t for love

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Don’t let this happen to your house…

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, it’s time to think about giving a little loving to your house.

Home maintenance is an oft boring topic, in addition to being all too darn time consuming!

But after working recently with a couple planning to put their house on the [very bad real estate] market in the fall, it reminded me of the importance of keeping up with the very dull & time-consuming reality of home maintenance.

My clients have lived in their 50+ year old house for almost 15 years. Over time, they, like many of us, have kept up with the big-ticket repairs, which are important to the upkeep of any home, but have forgotten about some of the smaller things.

Now that they’re planning to put their home on the market, they have to scramble to fix years of minor neglect – nothing earth-shattering – just time-consuming, at a time when they have plenty of other things to do.

Not to worry about them, because after a marathon four-hour pre-staging appointment, I have given them an exhaustive list of everything that needs to be fixed, cleaned, changed, or somehow improved to get the most money in the shortest time when they list their home. Especially important in a downright lousy real estate market. And they are on-task and on-target to make these improvements by the time spring rolls around.

The time I spent with them got me thinking…unless you’re a clean freak (and I’m not…remember, I have a dirty little secret), you may be letting these little things go too.

I know the drill, because I’m an expert at it myself. With work, kids, family, dogs, activities, and whatever else you have in your personal mix, there’s not a lot of time.

And besides, you’re not planning to sell your house soon anyway, right?

At least that’s my thought process…and as a professional in the decorating & staging business, I should know better!

Sometimes, unless you’re one of the 596 remaining clean freaks that live in North America, you let it go.

How about a different perspective?

When we sold our last house, and I was completing the laundry list of things that had to be cleaned, tidied, or shined before the for sale sign arrived, an amazing thing happened…

I realized that my house looked beautiful, and that I loved it.

Then I wondered, “Why the hell didn’t I ever do all of this grout cleaning, lime build-up removing & generalized spit shining for myself? Why only do it for some stranger that might buy the place?”

So, I vowed to do more of that minor maintenance for myself in our new home.

Of course, much of that vow has gone by the wayside.

However, in honor of Valentine’s Day, I’m proclaiming February as Love Your Home Month! Instead of thinking of all the things we don’t do for the homes we love, let’s do a little something for the home we love.

For my home, February will be clear the clutter month. How about you?

Ladies & gentlemen, get out those scrub brushes and love your home!

And someday when we decide to sell this home and move to our next space, whatever or wherever that is, maybe, just maybe, we won’t have to spend precious time undoing years of living.

my dirty little secret

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Door to Chaos…

I have a dirty little secret…it’s called my *house*!

I know, I know, as a decorator, I’m supposed to live in a showplace. In fact, I’m almost certain that it’s at least a state, if not federal law.

A law that I break on a daily basis.

Somebody call the decorating police!

Of course, as with most people who live a secret life, I have scads of excuses…not enough time, messy kids, too much stuff, waiting for the perfect furniture piece to come along, I want to live in a house for a while so it can speak to me, etc.

But the bottom line is that I’m a perfectionist & wait until all of the planets are in alignment and the world is perfect to decorate my house with the precision of a surgical strike.

It’s strange, how I can go into another family’s home, and not only can I sense their style & the direction they want to take their home, but I can take action and make their decorating dreams come true. Now!

But like the nurse with sick kids and the landscaper without a lawn (yes, we lived next door to that guy when I was a kid and it nearly *killed* my folks, with our perfectly manicured fescue), I put my clients’ homes before my own.

No longer!

This year – actually very early in this year – I pledge to get a move on, and finish decorating my house!

No more inviting strangers into my living room and listening to them ask when we moved in as I see them scan the unopened boxes! No more embarrassment as I ramble senselessly about why we still have boxes after a year and a half!

Nope, I’m on a mission!

I will decorate my house, and not just yours!

Starting today!

[Phew! It feels good to get that off my chest! And while I’m at it, I’ll confess that I don’t clean as often as I should.]

Stay tuned for updates on how I’m doing…

moving in…

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I received my January 2008 catalog from Anthropologie, and while most of their clothing couldn’t even fit on my pinkie, I do love their style & photography.

Since the line between fantasy & reality is often blurry for me anyway, I decided that I’m just going to move into the Anthropologie catalog, since it is totally the kind of place I’d love to live…at least in fantasy.

It’s rustic, yet classy, with all kinds of funky antiques and beautiful fabrics! Very European & tres chic! Who wouldn’t want to live there? Well, probably a lot of people, including those who have a better grip on reality.

But for those of us fantasy dwellers, check out my new home.

You can get a better feel for the inside of my home toward the back of the catalog. In the front are mostly girls wearing finger puppet-sized clothing…

another chalkboard project

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One afternoon, I got the inspiration to paint another quick & easy chalkboard project. (To be honest, I was procrastinating about some less inspiring household projects when I had this brainstorm.)

My last chalkboard project was my kitchen pantry cabinet doors.

I decided to add a splash of blackboard next to my kitchen sliding door. This would create a visual barrier between the eating area and our family room, as well as highlight the cute beaded dog leash hanger we have, and anchor it to the floor, rather than it looking as if it’s floating in space.

Here’s the “Before” photo…


A bland, white wall crying out for color!

This project only took a couple hours from inspiration to completion, since I had all of the things I needed already on hand, including leftover chalkboard paint from my last project.

So I taped off the wall using a level to ensure it was even…


…quickly spackled & sanded a couple of spots, then gave it four coats of blackboard paint.

Voila! The finished product…


A welcome contrast to our stark, builder-white walls.

Why not give it a try at your house? Everyone needs a chalkboard!

Showing off at the Whisperwood Cottage Chalk Talk Link Party…

holiday table setting

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This year, Thanksgiving was a my house, so I decided to make our well-worn dinner table & the six-foot folding table look fabulous!

We were seating 11, rather than our usual four.

This is a table setting that can be put together easily & inexpensively, yet look fabulous & festive!

The theme ~ a rustic holiday, since the first Thanksgiving was more than a little rustic! Same could be said for the first Christmas.

First order of business ~ tablecloths. I went with two brown damask tablecloths from Target.

Also threw in three sets of four plain brown cloth napkins – but they weren’t the matching set for the tablecloth…don’t want things to look too matchy-matchy.

I wrapped the silverware in the cloth napkins & tied them with twine.

For the placemats, I tore up brown paper bags, which were free for the asking at the local grocery story.

For the table centerpiece, I picked up two strands of pine cone & cranberry garland from Target. The garland was topped off with three fabulous handmade recycled glass beaded votive holders.


Since I don’t have 11 place settings of either of the two sets of dishes I own, I mixed & matched, which worked out well & was really cute!


The end result was a lovely table setting, which just about anyone could create a variation of for their table for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just to beautify your table for winter.

But more important was the opportunity to sit down & have a wonderful dinner with my family. Now that’s something to be thankful for!

faded memories

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Last week, I was driving down a country road that I frequent to avoid the traffic in my town, and saw an auction sign at one of my favorite houses along that road.

My pulse quickened at the thought of vintage, maybe even antique finds! My rational mind encouraged me to put any such thoughts out of my head, because I have more stuff than I know what to do with right now!

As I drove past, I saw some fabulous & clearly vintage lamps outside the house that someone has already snagged. Envy burned in my heart for a moment.

But then something came over me.

Those lamps, and everything else being auctioned, and even that majestic home that is showing her age, they are all a part of someone’s life. The history of a family. Maybe even more than one generation.

Pieces of a life being sold off, one item at a time.

Suddenly I became very sad and hated that this home was being separated from its family and its history.

But what could I do? Nothing that I could think of. I’m sure the decision had already been made. The last resident had probably passed away or gone to a nursing home, and the remaining family members had a hard decision to make.

Then I became even more disillusioned when I drove by early this week & saw the windows were now gone. I hope that it’s going to be moved, but I suspect it’s a total tear-down.

I know she’s in disrepair, but she looks like she’s still got good bones…

I’d buy her if I could, but it’s not in the cards right now.

I’ll keep you posted.

quick & easy transformation

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Sometimes, even a decorator has to compromise.

That would be the case in my studio.

When we moved into our new home just over a year ago, I was thrilled to have a large loft as my studio. It’s big, and the entire house is within earshot – perfect for a work-at-home mom. In fact, I call it the Eagle’s Nest, since I can be perched up there & monitor just about everything.

But it wasn’t long before I became a wee bit disenchanted.

Mostly because this great big, lofty space was loaded with boxes full of all manner of arts & crafts supplies that had to go somewhere.

And typical of a loft, it was a big, empty room, oddly without a lot of usable space.

So, I began to brainstorm about storage for the room.

The brainstorm continued, but the ideas weren’t exactly forthcoming.

Finally, I thought that getting built-ins might be the best idea, but after pricing the configuration I wanted, my pocketbook quickly vetoed the idea.

Which left me where I started – with a big, empty room, oddly without a lot of usable space and boxes full of all manner of arts & crafts supplies that had to go somewhere.

I called in my sister for her opinion, and after telling her everything that I wanted, she said, “You want it all!”

Of course I want it all! Form and function!

But, as a friend of mine recently said about a completely different topic, every situation has its limitations, and you’ll be better off if you can figure out what those limitations are and work around them.

Sage advice, especially when considering a decorating project!

Because I can’t stand “visual noise,” I really wanted closed door storage. An armoire would have worked, but I couldn’t find one that I liked enough to spend the money on. I had some great ideas for some antique pieces, but couldn’t find those either.

Finally, I decided to take a cheap & easy approach.

A white laminate utility cabinet from Lowe’s for $218. Plus, for an extra $60, I got it delivered & assembled in my home.


It served the purpose, but wasn’t terribly stylish.

So, I decided to change the door handles to a more funky, stylish pair – the Modern Heidegger Pull in Brushed Stainless by Pacific Modern Hardware.

It made all the difference in the world, transforming a utility cabinet into a mod armoire.

Changing the door pulls only took about 10 minutes, and cost only $9.99 for each pull.


A quick, easy, and inexpensive transformation! That is unless you count the gorgeous chair I bought for $199 while I was shopping for the pulls!

At least it was on sale!

simplify

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Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about simplicity. Thinking about what it means to simplify. Or, more specifically, what I need to do to simplify.

Simplicity may seem counter to what a decorator stands for. After all, don’t we fill houses with stuff?

Well, sort of.

Decorators choose special elements to make a house a home. To be able to focus on the unique, special aspects of a home, there must not be clutter & chaos.

An excellent book on the subject of eliminating clutter is It’s Just Too Much by Peter Walsh of the television show Clean Sweep.

One of the things Peter focuses on in the book is the emotional attachment we have to things. Often, we feel that we can’t get rid of something because of the memories associated with it, even if we no longer need or use that particular item.

He sings the tune that we must realize decluttering doesn’t mean we have to get rid of the memories.

Even though you & I may not have newspapers piled up to the ceiling, and probably aren’t candidates for Clean Sweep, I would bet that many of us are holding on to something that we could afford to let go.

So, I challenge myself, and I will challenge you too…start to look at everything you own. If you love it & it has a place in your home, keep it and treat it with the respect if deserves.

If you don’t love it, or have ambivalence about it, pass it on to someone who needs it or will love it.

Simplify your life by simplifying your stuff.