A Different Kind of Design (at least for me)

During the past year I was asked to help redesign the look of Penn Medicine at Radnor's Radiology office. What a great challenge and opportunity!

The goal for the newly outfitted Women's Imaging suite of waiting areas was to create a soothing and feminine environment for the clients that come to have their annual mammogram or other studies.

I wish I had more "befores", since these were actually taken just after the painter had come and put on the new coat of the colors we had selected.

With the careful selection of new furniture, custom framed prints, new lighting and live plants, the spaces are now more soothing & comfortable.

An annual mammogram can be an anxiety-producing event. The redesigned environments hopefully make this a less stressful time for women and their families.

Here is the additional waiting area now completed :

The Main Registration Area was another area that received the RR treatment. Here are the "before's":

Again, sadly these pictures don't document all of the things that were changed/improved in the space. I snapped these after the painter had visited, and also after moving the existing furniture around to have a more welcoming layout. The previous arrangement of chairs had each group lined up along the walls like soldiers, with no breaks between chairs and everything following the exact line of the walls.

With a little creativity, a more intimate and appealing sitting area was created. New furniture, lighting and accessories again totally transform the space.

I am very proud of the changes and improvements made in these spaces. It feels good to know that the work I do can help a medical facility take better care of their patients, and create an environment that can be of comfort to those visiting.

Don't forget, that should be the case in your home, too! My hope is that your home is a place that you find to be beautiful and soothing also. How does your home nurture you?

A Clever Way To Spend Some Money and an Afternoon

If given a wad of ones, what in your house would you "buy back" for a dollar? Would you re-invest in that vase that has been sitting on the counter for a couple of months since you received flowers for your birthday? How about the casserole dish that is dusty and lonesome sitting in the back of the cupboard? When was the last time you made Tuna Surprise?!?

Now remember, you only have a certain amount of cash to spend, and when it is gone it is gone. So what is worth it to you? What do you love? What do you find completely useful?

This technique using a limited amount of money helps us to re-evaluate what is taking up the other finite thing in our houses: space. With only, let's say, twenty dollars in your hand, choices become more clear.

I love this idea! I came across a blog entry presenting this technique on unclutterer.com, and just had to share.  You can read the whole post here. Grab a friend to help keep you honest...whom you will "pay"...and tackle that hall closet or spare room you have been meaning to get to. Write in and tell us how it goes!!! You can do it!

Grumpy Thing

I was a little grumpy this morning. Things to do, things yet not done, things I should have done, things that could have been done differently?, things to be put away, the thingee that needs to be fixed, "the thing is...", thing one and thing two.... SO, I went out to the porch to admire my favorite hydrangea bush which is in bloom now.

Mother Nature never disappoints and never fails to put things in perspective.  I was reminded of my FAVORITE THINGS, instead of all of those other things...who needs them anyway.

Overcoming Overwhelm

It has happened countless times. She stands there in the doorway, befuddled and paralyzed.  It isn't clear to her what to do or even what the first step should be. She wishes she could just walk away...deal with this another day. She is a nine year old girl, and she has just been told by her mother to GO CLEAN HER ROOM.

How is she any different from any of us? We all have stood in front of a mess of one kind or another, mouth agape, feeling overwhelmed, feeling defeated before we have even started.

I remember being that young girl, and I was reminded of it just recently with my own daughter.

It is of comfort to me that most things in life that seem problematic or complicated, are really very simple at their core. You just have to seek out that basic element, boil the thing down to its very essence.

For instance, have you ever heard the theory that married couples really have only ONE argument during all the years they are married? Oh sure, the words used each time will be different, and the TOPIC may change...but supposedly you are arguing about the same damn thing every time. How much easier would life be if we could only figure out the real message behind the annoyance with leaving the toilet seat up?!?

I know that on that afternoon when my daughter had been charged with PUTTING IT ALL AWAY, the mound of mixed up clothes, papers, toys, hair thingees, and shoes had been shifted around and kicked about for quite awhile before I came to check on her--without any noticeable progress being made.

I jumped in, and we worked together. We boiled it down to the most simple tasks:

"Grab all the books! Let's get all the ones that are on the floor...any more we missed? There's another one. Now let's put this stack back on the shelf." We didn't lose our focus until all the books had been dealt with.

We then piled all the clothes together on the bed. We very quickly sorted out the dirty from the clean, and the pile of dirty was happily shoved in the hamper.

By now she was visibly energized since the room was looking better by each passing second. The mixed up mess had been broken into manageable categories.  We had a system, and the thing that seemed impossible was quickly being dealt with. It felt like it could be done. And it was!

So, the next time each of us is faced with a daunting project, we must remember it really is simple. Start with a basic task and see that part through. The accomplishment will bolster your will to take the next step, and then the next....

What did Mary Poppins say? :"Well begun is half done!"

Now, go get started!

Tiny Treasure

Quaint or Claustrophobic? Simplicity itself, or simply insane? I don't think that people ever come down in the middle when it comes to a small space.  So, how does the thought of living here make you feel?

I spend a lot of time encouraging my clients to keep life simple while still keeping it beautiful, and this little house seems the perfect embodiment of both of those principles.

Listed at $24,900 on the Tiny House Blog, I can tell you that it spurred some wonderful conversations in my house, and set the imaginations of my children awhirl. After all, climbing a rope ladder up to this sleeping loft --what could be cozier?

Okay, so maybe all you can envision is awakening in the middle of the night with the desperate need to get to the bathroom quickly...and hitting your head on the ceiling as you struggle to get up. I guess a rope ladder would be a bit of a challenge at that time also, especially after a glass or two of wine with dinner.

But, c'mon. Just indulge me for a moment here. Even if this seems to be extreme oversimplification in your book, what if this petite cottage were at the end of a winding path in the backyard? It could be the perfect little place to get away from it all, without even having to put on your shoes.

Hmmm. What do you think?