Your Monthly Homework Assignment--A Return to Routine!

back to school a Well, this month it was time to shed the carefree ways of summer, and get back to the more structured days of school...and some of us were more happy about it than others. :)

 

Because of this, I thought it would be a good time for us to talk about our houses & our routines...

  

SO, you guessed it! This is our quick assignment for the month!!

 

How do you feel about routines?? I know that to some structure can seem like a straight jacket, but I want to invite you to look at it as the groundwork for tons of fun and free time. 

After all, the sexiest of designs and prettiest of rooms can't be enjoyed if they are buried under dirty socks, piles of unopened mail, or stacks of soiled pots and pans--these are the kinds of things that aren't fun, but always need to be dealt with. HELLO, ROUTINES! 

Here are three of my favorite routines that take very little time, but can make a world of difference:

1. Make Your Bed Each Morning- This simple habit has actually been shown to increase your happiness. Pulling up the sheets and comforter as soon as your feet hit the floor takes less than 5 minutes.

2. Give Me 15-- Each day, right after everyone is off to school and work (and my kitchen looks like a box full of gremlins were let loose), I set a timer for 15 minutes, and quickly straighten and put away breakfast dishes, lunch-making items and and anything else that is out of place. Most days I even have time to empty the dishwasher and wipe down the counter before the buzzer goes off. Just fifteen minutes a day on a room that drives you nuts can be life-altering....

What room make sense for you and your house?

3. A Load a Day Keeps the Crazies Away-  Laundry can be so demoralizing, especially if on the floor is the heaping pile of clothes that needs to be washed, on the bed is the pile that has been washed and is waiting to be folded, and on the dresser is the basket with folded items that need to be put away. UGH-how overwhelming.

The routine of completing one load of wash from start to finish every day can give you a sense of mastery, accomplishment, and peace.

In the morning, throw a load in before you leave for work. As you start dinner that evening, throw it in the dryer. As everyone goes up to bed at night, have them take their clean clothes up to their rooms and put them away.  You will be amazed at  how little time it takes, and how there isn't stuff just laying around in transition.

Remember these assignments are supposed to be fun not overwhelming! Think of ONE routine you want to implement, and do it each day this coming month!

Some Inspiring Shopping....

I have been working on a new project for one of my long-time favorite clients...a person who likes color and whimsy, and one who happens to have a guest room that she wants to redo in a hurry before the Thanksgiving holiday. Usually, there are some constraints when starting a project--things like existing colors, carpeting, fabrics that will be staying. But in this case, everything is starting from scratch and the world is our oyster! Fun! SO, to get a starting point and find out where her heart was telling her to go, we went fabric shopping to find our inspiration... fabric shopping 2

There were almost too many possibilities! But here are just a few of the things that caught her eye...fabric shopping 1fabric shopping 3 fabric shopping 4 fabric shopping 5

The design is starting to come together now, and in a few more weeks I will be able to show you the finished product. Can't wait!

Cramped? Dark? Dreary??

kitchen before 5
kitchen before 5

Does your house feel cramped to you? Dark? Awkward? Maybe an addition is the answer....    Or maybe NOT

Whenever we become frustrated with our houses, it is really easy to blame it on a lack of space...but often putting the space we have to its best use can resolve the itch to add on (and save tens of thousands of dollars).

A house I worked on last year is the perfect example of this--a typical house built in the late 1940's-early 1950's--lots of charm, but not a lot of space compared to today's McMansion standards.

Before 2
Before 2

My clients called me after they had already met with an architect and had plans drawn up for a complete kitchen/downstairs renovation, including an addition.

But after we talked and I saw the spaces,

dining room before
dining room before

I could see why they were frustrated with the house. Of course, an addition would add space, but it wasn't going to fix the existing problems--problems that if addressed properly might negate the need for an addition in the first place.  

It seemed to me that the biggest obstacle for this house working to its potential was the poor relationship between the main living areas. Narrow doorways and an odd traffic flow added to the cramped, closed off feeling.

kitchen before 2
kitchen before 2
kitchen before
kitchen before

So, what to do?

To make spaces live larger, you want to create longer sight lines, so that rooms can share visual space and also natural light...a huge component of making a house feel spacious and welcoming.

front hall before
front hall before

The existing front hall was dark and felt cut off from the rest of the downstairs--not the most welcoming thing to come home to each day. 

To make things come together, I knew that the wall dividing the front hall and the back of the house had to go....

Stair During Construction
Stair During Construction
Stair after a
Stair after a

and the resulting shared light and space speak for themselves.

dining room after a
dining room after a

The remaining doorways were widened to help with this as well, and the wall separating the kitchen was removed just as on the architect's original plans...

The result is a first floor that flows beautifully, sharing light, long views, and a feeling of a space that lives much larger than it actually is. 

kitchen after 2a
kitchen after 2a
kitchen view after a
kitchen view after a
kitchen after
kitchen after
diningkitchen after a
diningkitchen after a

In the new kitchen, we created a layout that would keep the existing exterior openings with all of their beautiful sunlight and views (changing a door to a window, and shortening the large picture window) but still give us acres of countertop, lots of cabinetry and a super functional work area despite losing a whole wall....

The addition has been subtracted from the plans for now, and I am proud to say that the house no longer feels dark or cramped, but rather light and spacious.  And because they didn't have the added expense of new foundation, walls and roof spent for an addition, money was directed into beautiful craftsmanship and the best possible materials. Stunning!

Storybook Land

SO, for Labor Day Weekend the cousins came to town! And we decided to take a day and visit Storybook Land!!! Have you ever been???  I am so excited to share our day.....Oh boy, oh boy, oh BOY!  Storybook Land 14 Storybook Land 16SO MUCH FUN. We enjoyed the rides...Storybook Land 15Storybook Land 1 Storybook Land 2 Storybook Land 3and even braved the terrifying experience of Bubbles the Roller Coaster!!... Storybook Land 19Storybook Land 17Storybook Land 4Amazingly, we walked away unscathed.... Storybook Land 12and went on to enjoy more goofiness and overall fun...Storybook Land 18such as being eaten by a whale. Storybook Land 9But the thing that is most dear to my heart about Storybook Land are the little tiny houses and storybook buildings...Storybook Land SchoolhouseI have a soft spot for churches and chapels, and here you will find one of THE MOST  quaint ones around, I think...

Storybook Land Chapel 3 Storybook Land Chapelcomplete with a cute little old Victorian organ in the back...Storybook Land Chapel 2

And, of course, we have the Easter Bunny's house,

Storybook Land 13The Three Bears' House,Storybook Land 24Sleeping Beauty's castle,Storybook Land 11aThe Merry Miller's Mill...Storybook Land 10and Jack and Jill's HILL!!Storybook Land 7Snow White's house is especially charming, I think. I mean, she did have seven men to help her take care of it after all...Storybook Land 6Storybook Land 21 Storybook Land 22 Storybook Land 23

It even features a little vignette of the Evil Queen making her poison apple! SPOOKY! Storybook Land 8A wonderful day for sure....somewhat like a fairytale!

 

The Best Things Come In Small Packages--Turning Outdated Into Lovely

It is always so much fun for me to look at an outdated room and think about the possibilities that are there just under the surface... bathroom before 1

This spring I was so excited to be asked to redesign a bathroom that still had its original Harvest Gold fixtures and so much POTENTIAL! :)

Bathroom before 2 Bathroom Before 3

We came up with a plan that would give my client the updates, storage, and beautiful aesthetic she had been dreaming of...

 529531after 1Because the house was originally built in a Cape Cod style, it was important to me to be true to its New England roots. The new color palette, bright & sparkly lighting, simple cabinetry style, wainscoting on the walls and ceiling, gorgeous faux slate floor...after 2all come together to create a soothing, peaceful, updated room that has a traditional yet upscale feel. So lovely!

after 4