You Know It Is Time For A Change When.....

Things can have a way of being put in place.... and then staying that same way for a really, really long time.

The truth is that oftentimes we don't know when the time has come for a change. Being comfortable with the way things are --and uncomfortable with change (who isn't??)-- can sometimes keep us from recognizing opportunities for improvement or updates that may be needed.  After a length of time, we no longer truly see the space, and  most importantly (especially in a place of business), don't realize what impression it may be giving to our associates and clients.

I was honored to be asked to redesign a prominent local law firm's reception area over the past several months--a space that had had the same furniture in it since the firm had moved to the building decades ago.  Even a large reception desk remained in the room, despite the fact that there had been no receptionist working at it for quite some time. While many exciting things happened in and all around this place of business, this particular room remained stuck, stagnant and not an accurate reflection of the firm it represented.

(I am sorry about the smeary, weird appearance of the "before" pictures. Don't know what was on my lens that day. Let's just pretend it is a 80's dream sequence, okay?)

The vestibule had an old metal rack for coats and the original dusty pinch pleat draperies.

Because this is the first area that clients would see when entering the building, I knew I wanted it to be more welcoming and elegant. AND I knew with some paint and new curtains and accessories, a much better first impression could be gained.

Just inside the door, there are many new pieces--mixed with some of the old--that invite visitors to sit down and hopefully feel quite at home.

Where the unused reception desk was, there is a lovely seating grouping that is now the focal point of the room...

making room in the corner for a secondary seating area.

Are there rooms that you live or work in that have been the very same way for as long as you can remember?  Try to look at them with fresh eyes and see how they can be updated and brought to life again. Change can be a very good thing!

Why Can't You Share??

In 2002, PBS produced a historically accurate "reality" television series that placed three modern mall-shopping, soccer-coaching, SUV-driving American families each on their own homestead, and  took them back approximately 120 years to 1883 on the Western frontier. I was fascinated. Having watched it when it originally aired, my husband and I were curious to watch it again with our children and see what their reactions would be, since they are now the ages of some of the kids on the show....

It didn't disappoint. Even though we watched it a few months ago now, Frontier House still comes up in family conversation probably once a week....

As stated in the Homestead Act of 1862, a person who farmed and inhabited (complete with a permanent dwelling) their 160 acre parcel of government land for five years, was able to lay claim to it at the end of the term....if you hadn't starved to death, lost your mind, or left in frustration. Only 40 percent of the original Homesteaders were able to endure the incredible hardships, backbreaking work, and cruel ups and downs that Mother Nature dished out. Okay, so how does this help us think about our lives and households in 2012??

What really pulled me in and made me think as I watched these three families struggle (and sometimes thrive) through their five months on the prairie, was the complete reliance and responsibility they had to one another's survival, adults and children alike. Adrienne, one of the mothers, realized one afternoon that her children had neglected to chop the necessary firewood, so dinner could not be cooked that night.

While, thankfully, the wolves aren't at our modern day doors, and our meals are prepared without having to chop wood for hours first, it is still good practice to think about our duties to the people we live with and the house we live in--and how we can best execute them with all of the other demands on our time and attention.

How much we are able to enjoy where we live is directly related to how much we are burdened or encumbered by its upkeep, organization, and maintenance. A clean, orderly house is more pleasant to live in, but creating that takes consistent effort and energy.

Many hands make for light work! ---SO, how can we share these responsibilities and make our lives better??

• Sit down and seriously think about the household chores--list what needs to be done, how often it needs to be done, how you would like it done, and who is capable of doing it.  Being intentional and detailed in making this list makes it easier to plan things out and discuss things as a group. Even if you have a regular cleaning service, there are plenty of household chores that need attention and planning.
• Which responsibilities make you crazy? Which ones barely seem like chores to you? --There are things we are good at, and hopefully like to do, and there are things we wish we never had to do again. If you live within a family, I bet there are things that you don’t like to do, that someone else in the household is particularly good at and doesn’t mind doing. For example, my son is wonderfully good at washing cars, and he loves to do it. If he washes my car once a week, I am happy to help him fold and put away his clean clothes. Talents, skills, and preferences are accounted for, and things are getting done!
• Make a list of things you would like to throw money at and make go away-- This could be a very long list, I know. However, now that you have done an honest accounting of the tasks at hand, think about which things are drudgery to all involved, or things you know you just don't do very well. Collectively you can work at finding the funds to pay others to do those things, freeing up your time for other things. Laundry services, lawn care services, grocery delivery services, handyman services, errand services....they have those, you know.  For example, if you don't mind cooking but loathe the time spent in your laundry room, eat out less and redistribute the funds. The $1/pound you will spend for the laundromat to clean your clothes will go a long way to lessening your load....pun intended.

Family life is about working together and sharing, making the whole thing easier....I am writing this because we have perfected this symbiosis in our house (yeah, right). Of course I still have kids that would rather watch tv than wash the dishes,  I still get the eye roll when I remind them of their chores, and how we share our household duties is still a work in progress. Seeing how much children were responsible for in 1883 opened my eyes to how little I ask of my own children, and I don't think that that is good. What IS good is the sense of mastery, responsibility and satisfaction that comes from contributing to our family's efforts and success--a cleaner house and improved self-esteem.

A Picture is Worth ...Well, A Lot

I think we all have had the experience of looking at a picture of ourselves and being a little underwhelmed .....

or surprised ....

and we can question some of our choices....

Most often we are being too hard on ourselves & noticing things that nobody else pays attention to anyway. Most of the time....

What most people don't realize is how much photographs can help us with our houses. If you are struggling with a room that feels off to you, and you just don't know what to do with it, snapping some pictures of the space can help you to get some distance -- a change in perspective that can help you make decisions, see what is needed, and clearly see what is working and what isn't.  And now that most of us have a handy dandy camera on our person almost all the time, this is a tool that is so easy to use, but one that is often overlooked.  Snap some pictures, take a step back to evaluate, and then use the pictures on your phone as a reference as you work on your project.

You will be amazed how much it helps!

Hilarious Bad Paid-For Photos via Ellen :)

A Summer Mindset

 Where is your mind in the summer? Mine is somewhere on the coast of Maine....ahhhh.

Maybe you already own your dream summer cottage, maybe you get to visit yours as a rental....or perhaps just driving by while dreaming, or flipping through a magazine. We all have a favorite place that comes to mind as Memorial Day  ushers in the season.

Most of us cannot spend the next three full months away on vacation, but we can capture some of its essence and bring it home to our everyday house, making the summer feel so much more ...summery, you know. What are the qualities of a summer cottage??

• simplicity--when on vacation we only have the things we need with us, and nothing else. How freeing! Start to create this simplicity by throwing away, putting away, or giving away at least 10 things in each room of your house and give yourself a vacation from all of that stress and visual clutter.
• a slower pace--make sure you have time built in to your schedule this summer just to spend quiet time at home.
• light and bright--put away heavier, darker fabrics and rugs (you can get them back out again come September), and put some accessories around that are colorful and airy. I bet you already have some things in your house that would qualify...no shopping needed. Think sparkly clear glass vases, white bed linens, a collection of sea shells from last year's trip....
• fresh flowers--a little life in their room goes a long way. Flowers are blooming and leaves are unfurling everywhere right now, so be sure to bring some indoors. The kitchen table, your nightstand, the bathroom sink are all places that can benefit from a blossom or two.

Here's to a relaxing, peaceful, and beautiful summer at your summer cottage--wherever it may be!

"Is That A New Window??"--A Perception Changing Kitchen Re-Do

I love the unexpected things people delight in after a room is completed.  Like the perception that there is a "new" window in this kitchen....although it isn't new at all,  just newly appreciated!

This kitchen, new in 1991, was quite the hang out for family gatherings...but the owners couldn't figure out why no one ever sat at the table --the place in the room with beautiful sunlight & the best view.  Everyone instead always gathered around the peninsula--crowded really--with the view of the door to the garage, of all things. They acted as though that big space behind them didn't exist. I know this to be the truth, having squeezed in there myself on many a Christmas Eve, since this is my step-father's kitchen.

Here was the eating area before....

You can see the old kitchen was dissected by the peninsula....

and seemingly half of the space in the room was never used. Just silly.

My family asked me if I would help them figure out how to make the kitchen work better (my favorite thing to do!) and they had lots of thoughts and questions about what might be the best solutions: Should the cooktop in the peninsula be removed so it wasn't in the way while entertaining? Maybe a high top table would make the eating area more attractive to people?  What elements of the current kitchen could be retained/re-used?

When I sat down to work on the space on paper, I knew I wanted to stretch the room along its length, making it seem bigger, creating a better focus when looking into the room from the adjacent family room, highlighting its architectural features, and, of course, putting the existing space to its best use. I am very happy to say that now the project is done, there are rave reviews, and every inch of the kitchen is well used and loved.  Whenever someone is in the kitchen, they now find themselves sitting, relaxing, and enjoying the view out of that "new" window.

The existing tile floor was in great shape, so it was left in place and we worked the palette for the new room around it. I think the new complimentary wall, cabinet, and countertop colors give the old floor a fresh and updated feel....once again, it is hard to believe it was there all along.

The kitchen sink remains in the same spot, as does the refrigerator....

 but now with the new island, the cook has his or her own space while still being able to visit with those who sit on the other side of the counter.The separate cooktop was switched for a slide in range, creating more counter space and working more efficiently for how the family actually used their kitchen.

I hope that seeing all of these possibilities inspires you to creatively think about rooms in your own house. What features does your house have that aren't currently being enjoyed to their fullest? What  already works well?  What can be given a whole new or new purpose?  Even if you aren't in the market for a big renovation, small changes can bring about big results.