All Things Love

Ah Valentine’s Day is upon us.  In honor of tomorrow’s holiday centered around all things love I thought I would highlight things I love.  Specifically, the 5 things I love most in my house.  

5 Window Seat- It serves as additional storage which the anti-clutter part of me adores.  I also love that it gives a purpose to the bump-out in the wall.  The fun patterns and textures on the pillows help to tie the area in to the rest of the room.

4 My damask print pillow-  When we first moved here over two years ago I volunteered to host a New Year’s Eve party.  Keep in mind, we moved in mid- December.  I had all the furniture taken care of and was trying to bring in new accessories for the finishing touch.  As soon as I laid eyes on this pillow I knew it was perfect for one of our living room sofas!  I have always been drawn to damask patterns and this pillow uses it in a modern way.

3 Pewter “T”- I picked this piece while on vacation in Myrtle Beach a few years back.  I’m of the school of thought that anything to represent your initials is a must-have.  This accessory can double as a bookend or just something decorative.

2 Glasstop table-  I’m a huge fan of glass tables.  When you can see through a furniture piece it creates the illusion of invisibility thus making the space feel larger.  I love a room to be full and complete but hate when it feels cramped.  Using a glass table keeps the cramped feeling at bay. 

1 Striped Foyer- I spent hours thinking over what to do in this area.  The problem with a decorator trying to select something for herself is she knows too much.  There were so many ideas I had for the walls- I toyed with changing the paint to a bold color, adding a grasscloth wallcovering, putting in a dramatic rug.  Ultimately I was inspired by a photo I found online that showcased a wall painted in a similar striped pattern.  I chose to leave the base color the same since that’s what ran into the living room.  I used an off-white and charcoal gray to keep the color scheme sharp but modern.  I love walking in the door each day and being enveloped in these bold stripes.  Now if I could find time to paint a portrait of Mr. Wendel (my dog) to hang on the wall, the space would be complete!

What do you love about your space?  Make a list, then celebrate those things.  Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Easy ways to make a space feel larger

You wouldn’t normally think adding something to a space would make it feel larger, but that is just what hanging drapery panels can do.  Most windows do not go floor to ceiling in a room, thus leaving wall space above and below the window frame.  Our tendency is to take a drapery rod and mount it on or directly above the frame.  In that same line of thought, we usually only draw the rod out far enough for the finials to stop at the side edges of the window.  What we are left with are window treatments hung tightly around the window and a lot of wall space to spare.  Mounting a rod this way can dwarf not only your window, but the whole room , as well.  

When I hang window treatments, I take the rod all the way up to the crown molding (if there is no molding, go to the ceiling line).  This adds dramatic height and plays up the vertical space in the room.  When hanging stationary panels on windows greater than 3ft in width, I recommend foregoing the long rod spanning the window width and instead using two short ones on each end.  This is an especially helpful tip if you are using store-bought panels because it creates a sense of fullness.  Even for custom made draperies, two small rods looks stunning on a window and the rods appear more substantial.  To create the illusion a window is wider than it is, place the rods out to the side of the window frame so that only a portion of the panel is overlapping the window.  

The Underground Railroad Quilt

Last week I had the privilege of hearing a great speaker.  Kathy Kenimer shared a presentation about the Underground Railroad quilt at the Professional Women’s Forum luncheon.  I’ve heard the story of the Underground Railroad all my life, but never from this perspective.  Kathy explained that quilt squares were the form of communication to the slaves as they were fleeing.  A particular square hanging on a clothes line or in the window would act as a sign to get ready to leave, signal whether it was safe to stop there for the night, or to identify where the slave was to go next.  Before that luncheon, I had no idea the role these fabric creations played in history.  

Kathy was dynamic and engaging throughout her time at the podium.  She related elements of the quilt back to life and shared inspirational thoughts with the group.  Being as February is Black History month, the topic was appropriate, but the story was so intriguing and inspiring it could fit any time of the year. If you have an organization that brings in speakers I highly recommend Kathy and this topic!  Shoot me an email if you would like her contact information.

Get Organized!

I asked Chris Hall of Bluegrass Go2Girl to share some organizational tips for your office.  She is the queen of helping people de-clutter, create a system and stay organized.  Here's the great advice she had to offer:

There has been quite the clamor this first month of 2012 of customers looking to get organized. They are specifically looking to get their office/work space streamlined. These clients understand the importance of getting on “top” of their clutter at the beginning of the New Year. This one task will help them with productivity and stress reduction for the entire year.

The first step and probably the most important one is to get everything OUT of the office space that is not necessary to your daily work tasks. This can often be problematic due to space constraints. Lack of space is quite often the reason for the clutter to begin with. If lack of square footage is your problem it becomes even more important to have a clean, orderly system to work from. Once you determine what needs to be out of your office separating into shred, toss and store piles is the next step. Containers for your “store pile” are often determined by where the information is being stored. I am and have always been a huge fan of the banker box. They are inexpensive easily stacked and labeled. However if moister is potentially an issue you may want to consider plastic containers which you can find at most office supply and discount stores.

Once you have cleared your work space out the next step is to create a system to help you maintain a clean space. Each business is different as far as what information they need to keep for their own daily operational functions and tax purposes. I like to keep it as simple as possible for referencing and for end of the year collection. This is where color coding can be helpful. In my business the personal and business information never co-mingle but if space is of a premium different colored hanging file folders help to separate business from personal. For further simplicity I have sub-folders within my hanging folders, i.e. expenses hanging file folder, sub-folders gas, meals, printing etc. If the system is set up at the beginning of the year it makes it simple to follow and nearly effortless at the end of the year. If your business does a lot of credit card sales you may need 12 folders for each month so it is easy to reference a receipt and again a much easier process at the end of the year.

The biggest problem most people have is not having a plan for success. If you can implement a system now at the beginning of the year and take ownership you will be amazed at the lack of clutter and the inevitable end of the year scramble to put together your information for tax purposes. You and your CPA will be grateful for the early planning to streamline your business and your life.

Chris Hall can be reached through http://bluegrassgo2girl.com/default.htm or by phone at 859.230.2298

Family Home

I had the pleasure of working on a project for my friend, Allison, last year.  The challenge presented was to turn a house that once belonged to her grandparents into a home for her and her budding family.  They were moving from a good sized home in the city to a large plot of land in the country with a house that once was cutting edge but by today’s standards could be considered simple.  As you can imagine, there was a lot of sentimental attachment to all elements of the house requiring much consideration for any decisions.  Each change had to fast forward the look of the home by 50 years and be a nod to the architectural style, all while keep the family memories made there intact.  This was like Christmas to me.  So many possibilities were available.  Do we go retro to suit the age of the home? Would elegant country be more fitting due to location?  How do we blend the needs of a young family with the space available in the house? My mind was reeling with ideas.  After weeks of various discussions, a plan was formed.  With the skill of many talented carpenters the space took on a new life.  Some of my favorite features include: 

                                                          (bottom photo is before update)
The tall cabinets in the kitchen.  No need to replace something that has good bones and can be updated with just a little paint, some nice hardware and beautiful countertops. (left photo is before, right is after)

                                                                               (bottom photo is before update)
The oversized family room that affords plenty of space for seating guests to watch TV and converse while the play area behind the sofa offers an easy solution to keeping an eye on their son.

 

Each furniture piece in the house has a story.  What I realized during the project was that this house and it’s contents were influential in shaping Allison’s personal style through the years.  She and her family couldn’t fit more perfectly in their new home.    

 

While I had a very small hand in the process, I felt so honored to be consulted and to help guide them toward what they have now.  When Allison shared photos of the home through her blog, she wrote, “Although I wanted to update things, my heart was a little heavy. What I kept remembering, though, was that both of them would have wanted us to give the house new life. Each time I was there, I could feel my Papa smiling down on us, loving the fact that we were making our mark on a place he loved. I only hope that while we are here, we can honor the memory of Mama and Papa and live a life of which they would be proud.”

Colors and fabrics excite me but words like that are what drives me.

A Lesson in Leadership

Driving to Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon I was pulled over by an Indiana State Trooper (or “the L.A.W.” according to my husband).  It goes without saying that I was less than pleased about this.  As he wrote the ticket, I kept my mouth shut so as not to aggravate the situation.  This was a difficult feat considering what the officer said to me.  When explaining that I was speeding (a fact I’m not refuting), he shared that his own speed was 75 miles per hour in a zone where 70 mph was the limit.  He went on to say that the reason I was getting the ticket was because I came up next to him and then proceeded to pass him.  The passing was due to cruise control so it was a very slow and steady passing, but I digress.    I was appalled!  He just openly told me HE was speeding and yet I was being penalized for doing exactly what this enforcer of the law did.  

Call me crazy, but I believe if you are in a position to enforce rules, you best abide by them yourself.  If I, as a citizen, am expected to obey the law, he as a leader and enforcer should without question have to, as well.   A slew of clichés come to mind- practice what you preach; do as I say, not as I do; and the like.  I’m aware that life is not fair.  And I know I was not in the right in this situation.  Those are not my points.  As someone who holds leadership roles in organizations from my own business all the way to community service groups I could never imagine asking someone else to do something I wasn’t willing to do myself.  In fact, it’s always been my opinion leaders should be held to a higher standard and set good examples for those around them.  Now more than ever I will be sure to examine my behaviors so that I keep myself in check.  While this officer cost me a little bit of money, I gained much more from him than he knows.  I got a valuable lesson in leadership I won’t soon forget. 

Exciting News!!

I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted.  The last four weeks have flown by and in preparation for the new year I examined all that I did in 2011.  I saw exciting achievements along with some things I want to do differently in the future.  One exciting change for 2012 is going to be this blog. We’re going to step it up a notch.   Posts will still provide design ideas, tips and trends but there will also be a flair of fashion and inspiration thrown in.  My goal is to share more of me with you and to immerse you in all things creative.  Periodically guest bloggers will offer their take on things and I have lined up a great list to kick off the first half of the year.  You will hear from insiders in the fashion industry, the world of television and experts in design related niches.  I am SO excited I can hardly stand it.  So be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed so you can stay in the know!