A Quick Before & After! (House Hunter's Edition :) )

It's kinda funny. For the past year or so, I have been helping one of my clients prepare her house to go on the market, one room at a time...

And now her husband isn't so sure he wants to move anymore. :)

SO, if you are thinking about how you can make your house more marketable (or even more irresistible to you each day!)--using things you mostly already have on hand--then today's article is FOR YOU! 

This month in her house, we focused on a guest room that had some good bones in place, but just needed a little bit of tweaking to really make the room come together...

It had a beautiful bedroom set that was my client's grandmother's, paint color and carpeting that were in good shape, and some window treatments that that complemented the existing color scheme of the room.

So take a look at the space now that we have made some tweaks: 

When you are creating a room that will make your buyers swoon...or even better yet, a room that makes YOUR heart swell each day when you see it, you want to create a feeling of balance, a little decorative drama, an overall look that feels pulled together, and include the creature comforts that make a room seem so cozy you can't wait to spend some time in it.

So how did we do that here? Can you see the things that have been changed? 

First, we rehung the existing curtains in a wider stance to give the windows more presence...

we removed one of the dressers that had been next to the bed so that the room could feel larger and so the bed could be centered featuring night stands and lamps on each side...

and we added texture and cohesiveness with new bedding, lighting, and artwork that pulled together the colors that were already in the room and really made them shine. 

The beautiful light from the new lamps, the fresh flowers, and the other decorative touches of soft pillows, a cozy throw and sparkly accents add the top layer of warmth and elegance that really complete the room. 

As my client said when we were all done, "I think I want to come here and be a guest in my own house now!" :)

{Video} Routines. UGH. (But maybe not??)

Maybe you can't stand routines either. UGH. But just hear me out...

Because I received so much positive feedback from the little SaturdayMorning Inspiration messages I sent out during December of last year, I wanted to send you some more inspiration and support to help you as we start this new year together...

Hope this morning's short video gets you thinking in a new way about YOUR house and how you LIVE in it. 

Have a wonderful weekend, and let me know if this week's message hits home for you. I would love to hear about the things you are hoping to create in your life and home in 2018!!

A Cozy Bedroom BEFORE & AFTER!

Of all the rooms that I help people with in their homes, I have to say that there are two spaces that seem to be the most meaningful and impactful in they way they make the WHOLE HOUSE FEEL BETTER when they finally come together, feel peaceful, and look gorgeous. 

Can you guess which two rooms they would be?

Well, first it would be the kitchen (I am sure you aren't surprised...), and the CLOSE SECOND is

drumroll, please....

THE MASTER BEDROOM!

When this room irks you, doesn't nourish you, and just doesn't work for you, you can literally lose sleep at night. 

My client's master bedroom, when we started this project, was spare and lacked personality. Take a look: 

I knew I wanted to bring in some depth, character, and comfort--some elements that reflected my client's eclectic style-- loving both Mid Century furnishings as well as French-inspired decor, as she does. :) 

Take a look at how the space looks now: 

We started with a deep wall color that resonated with the new bedding my client had selected, and then added new rugs to cozy up the space. Reorienting the bed so that it anchored the room and was flanked by the two windows that faced you as you entered the room, gave the room a sense of balance and the bed the presence it should have in such a lovely room. 

Vintage matching nightstands and a pair of mercury glass lamps were added to complete the symmetry.

Harry The Cat was a constant help as we worked on the room, and gave his approval to every corner...

He especially loved the new settee, with all its comfy pillows and soft throw, that we placed on the other side of the room in the sitting area we created.

Throughout the room we layered textures and patterns creating an artsy, bohemian feel...

The final result is one that definitely creates an oasis for my client and her family. 

My FAVORITE image of this room is the one she texted to me shortly after I left the final day we were putting the room together. 

She wrote, "Look what I found in my room after you all left!"

I guess Harry couldn't keep the new room a secret for long!

Are you looking for that TOTAL TRANSFORMATION?

Maybe we are looking at this whole 'New Year,  New You'  TOTAL TRANSFORMATION thing the wrong way...

Because I received so much positive feedback from the little Saturday Morning Inspiration messages I sent out last month, I wanted to send you some more inspiration and support to help you as we start this new year together...

Hope this morning's short video gets you thinking in a new way about YOUR house and how you LIVE in it. 

REMEMBER, SOMETIMES PICKING JUST ONE THING TO DO DIFFERENTLY CAN BE MORE MEANINGFUL THAN TRYING TO CHANGE EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE. (You'll see what I mean in the video. :) )

Have a wonderful weekend, and let me know if this week's message hits home for you. I would love to hear about the things you are hoping to create in your life and home in 2018!!

Happy Saturday!
Love,
Erin

Things can get messy...

When I was a kid, I would sometimes tag along with my mother when she went to work.  I would sit off to the side in a big, comfortable chair and listen to the friendly but hushed conversations as patrons came and went, the gentle thud of books being put on the counter, and the light swishing sound as they were slid along the table, checked out, & gathered up to go out the door.

My mom was a librarian at our local library, a wonderful place to spend time, get some inspiration, open your mind to new ideas, and a building that was the epitome of "a place for everything, and everything in its place...." Libraries are so good at that!

I have been thinking a lot about this lately--this where everything goes thing--and it seems that whenever we have persistent messes around our house that annoy us, it is because one of the two following statements is true:

1. We don't have a set place where those things belong.
2. We know where they belong, but it is a pain to put them there.

Now, you may want to roll your eyes at me because this seems overly simplistic, but from time to time we all need to get back to basics. So, here are some things to consider:

• Your belongings need--ahem--a place to BELONG.  Things have a way of sitting around simply because we haven't made a decision about where they go. The place something is stored should not be elaborate or fancy, it just needs to be convenient to where the item is used, and make sense to you so you know where to find it.
• It needs to be easy to put something away, or it will never be put there. YOU may like putting your children's backpacks neatly on the hook way down the hall, around the corner, behind the kitchen door, but you aren't going to get much enthusiasm from them for this. Making it as easy as possible for those other people we live with to comply with our wishes makes for a happy (and neater) household.
• Your enthusiasm will wane....I know those other people I just mentioned can really be a pain, but, trust me, we are a part of the problem, too. After a few weeks, when the shine is off the penny, you will tire of filing papers in your new, meticulous, oh sooooo organized filing system with each folder color-coordinated and carefully labeled. UGH. (Do you know how many of these things I have decluttered from people's houses??) Keep it simple or it ain't gonna happen.
• Remember, having less stuff is easier to manage. Carefully evaluate all of that STUFF laying about your house. If we are honest with ourselves, most of it probably doesn't need any further attention other than loading it in the car and taking it to Goodwill.

Straightening up a space in which everything in it has a home--a place it belongs--is a snap, takes only minutes to do, and everyone in the household can be a part of keeping things neat since it is so easy to implement...even easier than using the Dewey Decimal System!