So, Your Room Feels A Little BLAH. What Now??

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So, maybe the way your house feels to you right now isn't so great. You aren't sure why…since you have nice furniture, the paint is in good shape, & things are pretty tidy. But nonetheless, it just feels BLAH--like a big ol' yawnfest. 

What can you do?

This is the perfect scenario to do what I call a "redesign"--the reworking of a room using most of what is already there, but creating an entirely new feeling for the space. 

You really can't have more fun than this! :)

The above picture is from my clients' house in Louisville, KY. I had originally worked with them when they lived here in Ridley Park, but last summer they relocated for work and asked if I would visit for a "Redesign Weekend" of sorts! It was amazing. 

The family room was one of the rooms we focused on during our time together.  The furniture was spread out across the room, the floor was bare, and there were lots of small pieces of furniture that were confusing things a bit...

The first step in a redesign is to get the big pieces of furniture in the right place. After that step, smaller items such as side tables and lamps can be added, as well as decorative items. 

Pulling the furniture closer together was a important step in making the room feel more welcoming and less like a waiting room. Adding a rug and throw pillows that pull together the colors in the room, and then reworking my client's own accessories made this den feel like a totally new space. 

Take a look at what a difference these small changes can make :

The only new purchases for this room were the rug, throw pillows, and lamps. That was it!

So, if a room in your house feels a bit lackluster to you, take heart! A cozy, inviting space that you will love to spend time in is only a few simple changes away!

Do you remember THAT place from your childhood?

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I remember the first time I was in their house.  The furnishings so pulled-together and the colors soothing-- I especially remember the swaying, swinging, clackety-clacking of the the beads that hung in the doorway between the entry and the living room (this was the 70's, you know). My 4 year old self could have stood there for hours just running my hand back and forth through them, feeling their smoothness and watching their percussive, fluid dance. 

I was mesmerized. It seemed like a whole new world, but yet it was right next door.

Our neighbor's brick rancher was so different from the straight-forward, use-what-you-have-on-hand, transplanted mid-western simplicity that my parents had created in our split-level, one house down on the left. 

I'm sure you have a place in your past like this one, too--although yours is probably a bit different.  The memory may be a bit fuzzy around the edges, but I am sure you remember how it felt to be standing in that space--a room or house that spoke to you, took over your senses, and made you realize that not everybody's house looked just like yours. 

When we are little, we are joyfully prone to awe and wonderment. With our life experiences being limited, we are more open to being swept away or taken in by a new sensory experience. Environments can make a lasting impression on us and subconsciously still affect how we live in our homes today. I learned all about this on a very personal level a few years ago. 

We are not always aware of it as adults, but environments are still speaking to us, and making us feel certain ways. The most meaningful spaces help us to know more about the people who live in them, and also help the people they shelter each day to express who they are and what they are working towards in their lives.

That space from our childhood was a memorable one, wasn't it?  It made us feel things, it made us see things differently. What about the rooms we live in today? I hope that they, too, fill you with good feelings, help others to know you better, and nurture you--making your dreams feel more possible. 

If so, who knows! Maybe some little person will be filled with awe and wonder the first time they come through YOUR front door, and as a result see the world as a much bigger and more fascinating place. :)

 

It's A Sure Thing (Or A Shoe Thing, Maybe...)

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School has started! Fall is upon us! And it is a sure thing that our closets can use a little TLC at this time of year. 

Bet there are some things tucked away in there that you have completely forgotten about. It is always fun to see what surprises are lurking amid our clothes and shoes--this client's closet surely didn't disappoint. Wait 'til you see what I found on the bottom shelf... :)

Hope this video I filmed a while back will help get you inspired to roll your sleeves up, dive in, and start decluttering!

My Morning Ritual

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I was preparing my cup of coffee the other morning, just as I do every day,  and I realized why this daily ritual makes me so happy.

First,  l love coffee.

Second, everything I need to get my cup of joe ready is all within an arms reach of my coffeepot. So satisfying.

This got me thinking about all the tasks we do on a daily or weekly basis, and how they can either be annoying and time-consuming, or satisfying and efficient.  Which side of things they come down on has everything to do with the way we set the whole thing up--this is the very heart of good design.

It sounds almost silly to say that you should store items where you use them, but the truth is often we don't.  The tools and items we need for daily life can be scattered about and we make getting throught he day so much harder as a result.

With a little planning, these day to day things can be almost effortless. Here are some ideas that you may already have put in place, but if you haven't, they can save you hours of aggravation each week:

  • A "landing strip" for your arrivals and departures--car keys, purse, jacket, work bag all stored together, as well as other daily incidentals--preferably right by the door you exit and enter the house.

  • A homework bin kept near the kitchen table containing sharpened pencils, erasers, markers, crayons, colored pencils, and glue sticks. (I did this last September just using the left overs from the previous school year. That bin came in so handy each afternoon, and easily went back in the cabinet when the work was done.)

  • A single place for all the tools you need to pay your bills each month--perhaps a drawer near your computer with stamps, calculator, pens, any bills that come in by mail, along with a list of your bills and when they are due.

  • For the pup--leash, waste bags, walking shoes, umbrella, biscuits all together at the ready for the daily walk.

A good test to see if a task area is set up efficiently is to see how little you need to move your feet to gather the things you need to complete it.

If you can stand in one place and get your hands on all the components, you win!