As more and more people tap into their inner creative and/or look to save a few coins, DIY projects is officially a thing -- from the stay at home moms to professional interior designers, and everyone in between... EXCEPT ME.
I am surrounded by it -- television, Pinterest, you name it -- especially in my world of not just design, but also being a creative and a mom. But hear me good...
With a new year always comes new year's resolutions -- all those personal things we want to accomplish over the next 365 days. But did you know that your home affects how you show up in the world? Think about it -- this is the place you eat, sleep, live...naturally how it looks & feels will carry over into how you look & feel.
This is why I've decided to come up with 7 easy resolutions (translation: resolutions that you can actually keep) for your home, to not only help you love your space but also design your life for 2018.
Read MoreAttributed to the Danish, Hygge is finding happiness in the little things and finding moments throughout our day to embrace & create bliss. I grew increasingly fascinated with the concept & principles of Hygge, and the deeper I dove, the more I wanted to learn.
I've put together a list of essentials that every guest bedroom/suite should have, but this isn't any ol' essentials list — no ma'am (or sir). Each of these items was hand-picked by yours truly to make the holiday guest experience comforting, special, and memorable. But before we start shopping, let's talk about some practical steps to pulling your guests' home away from home together.
Read MoreWhile I love to shop — duh! — I don’t believe I always have to buy everything all new every time I want a new look, because no one has that kind of money or storage! When I decided to set the dining room tablescape, this year I pulled out my fav tablescaping pieces from last year — because that’s when almost everything was purchased — and started to plan out place settings with what I had on hand.
Read MoreTablescaping isn't exclusive to dining tables, although this time of year, it's often assumed that it is. Any time you're decorating a tabletop surface and/or creating a sort of flat surface vignette -- dining table, coffee table, fireplace mantle, console table, sideboard, bar cart, bookshelf — YOU'RE TABLESCAPING!
Read MoreOne of my favorite presentation styles as a merchandiser was color blocking but specifically using ROYGBIV to display merchandise. What’s ROYGBIV? ROYGBIV is an acronym for Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet — aka the rainbow. With June being LGBT Pride Month, I have been reminded of how a rainbow — ROYGBIV — can be a fun and vibrant addition to any space! Since shopping Amazon is one of my favorite past times here are my ROYGBIV inspired finds for the entire home.
Read MoreSo often when I'm working on a design the biggest dilemma tends to revolve around color -- picking colors, matching colors, using colors -- so I thought it be cool to share some of my "wisdom" on color!
Having already spent time ideating made getting started right out the gate super easy, but I was still — mostly — working off of a High Point Market specified design.
Between cost, customizations, and availability, I quickly (mentally) processed all the substitutions I'd have to make to make this design come to life for us for real for real.
Read MoreFrom the very beginning, I'd said that my ORC was based on real spaces in a real home. That home is now my home — look at God! — and I am able to bring this design as close to real life as humanly (and financially) possible. That said, consider this my part 2 to the Fall ORC. As all the guests are wrapping up their reveals, I am going to take you on another 6 week journey (because why not) as we tackle our "must be nice" spaces.
Read More2020 has been the year of online shopping but if I'm being completely honest, online shopping has always been my jam — more choices, less people. Granted there's nothing that can fully replace the in person experience of shopping and engaging all of your senses as you make your decision, but sometimes online is all you have...like during a global a pandemic or when you're shopping an e-tailer like one of my favs, Apt2B.
But how do you shop for a sofa online — pandemic or not — when you can't see it in person, feel the upholstery, or sit on it to do a comfort test?
Read MoreAlthough I'm not against mixing metals, as they've grown in popularity, I've noticed people using them haphazardly without any regard for how they'll play off of one another. This has been especially the case when it comes to rose gold, copper, and gold. Albeit similar, these are all very distinct metals, and when used in decor, these distinctions can make or break a design. Use correctly, they can absolutely elevate a design to something elegant and timeless; however, done incorrectly, and it'll be a piping hot mess!
Earlier this year, I'd made the decision to stop messing with my house — I literally decided to stop doing home projects, choosing to just focus on the day to day styling and organizing, but also (mostly) enjoying the home I'd created thus far. Paired with my husband being on deployment and not knowing where we'd be a year from now...yeah it was time to just chill.
After countless moves, I like to think I know a thing or two about apartment readiness. I’ve learned what to prioritize, what’s a necessity, and what can totally wait when it comes to making our rental feel like a home. Not to be confused with moving essentials, whether I was starting from scratch or bringing things with me, there were some things that I found myself always needing in my apartment.
Read MoreWhen it comes to social causes and political matters, I do my best — by choice — to keep that off public radar. I prefer to keep those types of conversations at the dinner table or in my text messages, not on my timeline and certainly not on the blog. But earlier this week, a retailer I’d shopped for years — for myself and for clients — did something some really stopped me dead in my tracks and forced me to reevaluate my relationship with them.
Read MoreThe words "Feng" and "Shui" have very simple meanings -- "wind" and "water" -- that represent the presence of balance & harmony. The overarching principle behind the art of Feng Shui is about creating harmony in your everyday life through the flow of energy. This is why so often, although sometimes misused, we'll hear people talk about Feng Shui when referring to their furniture layout -- how is the energy moving throughout this space? That flow of energy is your "chi" and at the center of really establishing good Feng Shui and ultimately setting the tone for your space.
