Great Weekend Away!

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Last weekend we took off for an overnight with the kids and had tons of fun... We started at the Great Wolf Lodge--

(I know my daughter looks miserable....it is an 11 year old girl thing, I hear...)

And stopped at Mauch Chunk/Jim Thorpe, PA on our way home.

So much beautiful architecture nestled there between the mountains!! And the MOST charming public library I think I have ever seen. 

Such a quaint place. We had a lovely lunch, wandered around taking in the sites, and had a blast!

Nothing like some time away!

It Can Be A Little Seductive & Distracting--(The Distraction of "Total Transformation")

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So, are you allowing yourself to be seduced this first month of 2013? 

(Do I have your attention now?)

 

By seduction, I don't mean the kind of thing that would make one blush in front of their mother, or change the channel when the kids come in the room....

 

I am talking about how in January we all get sidetracked by the dream of a complete transformation, a fresh start, a total change. You know the drill--dropping 100 pounds, running a marathon, quitting your day job as a librarian to form a heavy metal band....

In my line of work, this idea usually expresses itself in one of the following dreams: creating a totally redesigned master suite with a dreamy spa-like bathroom, designing an amazing gourmet kitchen that completely smokes your current pokey galley kitchen with the laminate counters,  or just perhaps winning the HGTV 2013 dream home and leaving it all behind??....

 

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE THOSE THINGS. They can be AMAZING...but sometimes the idea of a complete transformation (what a seductive distraction!), can keep us from focusing on small, very simple things that can have just as much of a lasting positive impact on our day to day life in our homes. They just aren't as sexy.

 

Take some time to think about the things that are bothering you around your house--clutter? unfinished housework? piles of laundry? drab rooms? that stack of papers on dining table? Now commit to picking ONE THING to do each day or each week for all of 2013.

Here are some ideas to get you started (you have heard some of these from me before...:) :

  • Do one load of laundry each day, from start to finish. Three easy steps: throw the load in before you leave for the day, switch it to the dryer before you eat dinner, have each person put their pile away as they go to bed.  This habit will totally change things in your household...no kidding.
  • Set a timer and sort papers for just two minutes once a day. It is amazing how this tames the paper tiger.
  • Declutter one drawer or shelf a week. No big time commitment or overwhelm here! Just 15 minutes to straighten, sort & trash/donate unneeded items. You are off to the races!
  • Purchase fresh flowers for your nightstand or kitchen table each week. This little treat makes everyone feel welcomed in your house, especially you!
  • Ask others you live with to do one chore each day to help out. In the past, my children were responsible for making their beds & putting 10 things away in their room each day. The number was easy for them to remember, and it was a measurable task quickly completed.(I think this will be our household's 2013 habit to renew!)

Remember--JUST PICK ONE--something to do for the long haul. I would LOVE to hear some ideas that you have, too! Please stop by Revealing Redesign's Facebook page  or leave a comment below, and share what ONE THING you will do to change things for the better around your house this year!!

A Cozy Spot To Write Your Resolution...An Unused Corner Gets A New Purpose!

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The Bungalow is an iconic American house style that is full of charm and practicality, and, I have to admit, it is one of my favorite types of houses... Here is a typical ad for one that was sold in the Sears catalog from 1913-1929: 

You can only imagine how excited I was when I was contacted by a bungalow owner who wanted help making use of an awkward space in her home...

It was a small space that didn't have much purpose other than just being a walkway between the staircase and the front door, but she was wondering if I could help design a window seat that would create storage space as well as a nice place to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea. 

I loved the idea! --especially since bungalows are known for their cool built-in features. Adding such a neat-o, custom element would be the perfect solution that, if executed well, would look like it was always meant to be there.

You can see that original drawings for such houses showed quaint window seats....

and charming built-in benches perfectly placed so one could sit and talk on the phone.... tee hee

For the space I was to work on, I knew it was important to add a bit of definition so that the seating area would feel like its own area. A simple straight bench plunked along the wall would never feel like a place to sit and relax...it would always seem exposed and somewhat lost in the middle of the larger space.

 

I felt a half wall would do the trick...

Mimicking the paneling and details of the original woodwork of the house, the dividing wall was put in place. In addition to providing a back for the u-shaped bench, the half wall gives definition to the entryway....

it is a place to set down mail & keys upon entering, 

but still allows the area to be a part of the adjacent living room and dining room.

The carpenter did a beautiful job of incorporating the existing radiator into the design (nice and toasty!), and the space under the bench is ready to store boots, and other items the family needs by the door. 

The family has gained additional living space and storage space with the clever use of existing space. Another one of my favorite things!