latest posts
get the look without copying
We've all done it. You're flipping through your favorite pins and you come across a jaw-dropper living room. A "stop everything and let's analyze every detail" living room that is absolute perfection. And then you get to the resources and you -- no judgments, I promise -- add everything to your cart. Or even worse, you pin the image and the algorithms deliver the exact products from the pin. That's how they get you! And boy is it tempting to just copy everything you see in that one photo, but I'm here to tell you: "You're better than that." I was definitely guilty of this when I saw Emily Henderson's redesign of Bri Emery's living room:
ugly beautiful
Hello and happy Valentine's Day! What are you doing to celebrate? I normally don't really care about this obvious corporate American holiday, but that feeling was so pre-March 13th shut down. This year we're going big with a lunch reservation at our favorite restaurant. Judging by my recent outing at Trader Joe's, I will probably spend half the meal awkwardly chatting with the waitstaff about what my cat has been up to in the last 6 months.
the british wave
Hello, sunshine! What are you up to today? If you've been following my Pinterest account, you will have noticed I've been pinning like crazy (my screen time is up 21% since last week AND I just got congratulated for my 10,750th pin... I think I might have a problem....). That's the thing I love about Pinterest -- those algorithms get me. My favorite thing to do is to fall down that rabbit hole and discover new and exciting things, because -- and three points if you guessed it already -- I have nothing else to do!
color and mood
Good morning! I hope you're having a lovely weekend so far and you get to do something today that makes you feel wonderful about life. For me, a dose of "green therapy" (that is, walking around our nearby lake) usually sets me straight. Or, if I'm feeling extra dingy, I have a telephone with my eternally optimistic friend. That's the thing about moods: there's usually something you can do to change them.
when being moody is a good thing
Before COVID-19 ushered in the work-from-home era (for most of us, that is) our homes represented the milestones in our lives. Instead of also having to serve as a workspace and conference room, our humble abodes were where we lived our private lives; where we laughed and loved; where we sipped our coffees; watched TNT's umpteenth airing of "The Shawshank Redemption" from the couch in our mismatched PJs; where we listened to podcasts while cooking dinner with friends. If our casas are going to serve virtually every purpose for the unforeseeable future, why not do it all in a home that's stylish?
out with the old modern farm house
Like all of us, you've probably been stuck in your house for the last 10 months -- and you're itching to add personality to your "modern farmhouse". Me too! I actually love the look, but feel it's a little restrictive and doesn't really represent my personality or my, shall we say, "natural color tendencies". And anything that is that pervasive tends to get old quickly. These days, rustic beams, word art, giant clocks, neutral window dressing, white, black, grey, conservative shades of pink, green, and blue are ubiquitous.
failure is an option
To err is human. To err in interior design is expensive. Chances are, if you're a home design pioneer and like to take chances, you have made a ton of mistakes. There are the obvious mistakes like not measuring and not testing paint colors in the actual room, but there are the other mistakes. The "What was I thinking?" and "Did I take it too far?" mistakes that make you second guess your bold choices and go back to square one.
large scale art
Hello and happy "Day Before You Officially Start Your First Work Week in 2021"! At least that's how I feel. Although, with the new work from home model, more people are working past the regular 9-5 M-F. What else are we going to do?
wallpaper: the tattoo of the design world
There are certain things commitment-phobes shy away -- neigh, bolt -- from: marriage, carpooling, children, buying a house, tattoos, wallpaper... Any one of these things would certainly send shivers up the spine of any free-wheeling spirit. They represent making a choice and then having to live with it beyond the "honeymoon" period, well into the unknown territory of the future. "Where will I be in 30 years?" is a thought that churns my stomach in the middle of the night.
whole house challenge
I'm about to step up the "One Room Challenge" and declare (on myself) a... dunh dunh dunh... WHOLE HOUSE CHALLENGE. And I am sure you are saying to yourself "But that defeats the purpose of the 'Better Homes and Gardens' One Room Challenge! The whole point is for 12 carefully selected and vetted top designers and influencers to transform one room over six weeks, while providing their expert advice and inspiration." I, for one, am not a top influencer (thank you for reading!) but what I do have is a lot of rooms and a lot of opinions which can be construed as expert advice.
Humble beginnings
Hello and welcome to my blog! It's been a long journey to get here, for myself personally, and you may be wondering where and how I became the designer I am today.
Find your #truecolors
The biggest epiphany I've had in my life was that there are no right or wrong answers. And this applies to everything, from weight, to style, to life choices, and to interior design. However, the worse thing you can do is make choices based on fads.