Where do you start? Redecorate!

I love the elements of design but sometimes I am so overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of the task ahead. So, I try to break down my projects into many parts, once one is accomplished I can move on to the next. I have checked out so many websites for information and many of them are forthcoming about how to approach your project in their book or materials that you must purchase, but not a lot of "how to" information out there for free. Here's where I can help, of course you will also have to wade through my trials and tribulations in my own design and decor projects. I am a big believer in doing is learning. If you try and it does not work out, you can always try again. That is why I like the idea of starting with redecorating instead of all out decorating from scratch.



Redecorating uses the items you already have in your home to mock up your space. If you place items where they fit and look good, then you can get a much better idea of how your space will look. That does not mean that the couch you borrowed from your family room will not ever go back to where it was, but you may ultimately decide you like it better somewhere else in your home and you will buy a new one for the family room or do without because it was never really right in the family room anyway.



To redecorate you must remove everything from the room or space that you are working on (yes, that means whatever is on the walls, too). Once you have the space cleared you can start moving pieces back into the room, starting with the largest (usually a couch) and working your way down by size until it looks good and is comfortable to you. After all, you have to live there so it must be comfortable for you!



Then after you have placed all the furniture that the space needs you can place accessories and hang pictures and other wall art. Here's a hint: The best placement for furniture in normally not against the walls (notice I said normally and in some cases that is the only place for some furniture). Do not be afraid to borrow furniture and accessories from other places in your home, you can put it back where it came from you are trying to get a good feeling for what you ultimately want your space to look and feel like.



After you are done you can assess wall color, whether you need some new furniture or accessories, lamps or a rug. It will all come together.

Zensational

I'm not usually a huge fan of Asian architecture but something about this photo really caught my eye. The simplicity in the symmetry is pleasing. It seems simple yet has many small details that make the interest level peak.

I found this photo when I was looking for something else at Architectural Digest magazine's website. I do not subscribe the the magazine because it seems a little pricey for me but it is a beautiful publication. If you check out the website, they have many resources, photos and articles that were published in past versions of their Digest. I like to look there for ideas.

Vanity dreams...

I know it's a fad but I love the look of this free standing, furniture style vanity. I think it is really clean and new, even though you can have one made out of an antique of your choice. The look is so much nicer than the standard cabinetry that so many of us have in our bathrooms.



My next project after complete the living room and dining room is going to be the bathroom. I have it all planned out in my head, just need the money and time to implement.



In the meantime, I can continue to dream...

Shutter - What's Next?

I am often in the quandary when deciding which design or decorating project to take on next, there are so many I want to tackle but so little time. So after taking a long break from making any changes to our home, an almost seven year break because I made changes up until the time our twins were born then I ran out of energy for a while, I'm back!

This year I decided I am going to tackle our dining room and living room. I have a checklist a mile long, a wandering eye that points out to me so many changes in other parts of the home that I think should be made and one half year left to accomplish my task. So far, in the dining room, I have been successful in adding some paint to one wall (actually full credit goes to my husband for the paint job), rearranging the furniture (my husband moved the furniture, also), and adding tie-backs to the draperies that have been hanging there limply for, you guessed it, seven years. That's the dining room, it still needs a few more tweaks but since it's attached to the living room I'm oscillating between the two.

In the living room I finally ordered a shutter for a large arched window. About the shutter, I looked but could not find exactly what I wanted for a couple of years. I was looking for an interior raised panel shutter (that's means no slats), do you realize how difficult these are to find, and in a custom arch shape to boot? I thought I was going to have to resort to purchasing an exterior shutter and mounting it interiorly (like my new word?). But, eureka! I found this awesome local company when I was perusing Angie's List one day, they were the highest ranked company in my area and they can order exactly what I want. Wow, what a find! (I'll save a discussion of Angie's List for another day.)

So, the owner of the company came to my home and took measurements. Right now we are in the color matching phase. The company that makes the shutter will custom match any color and it provides a nice array of standard colors, to boot. But I chose to match my existing trim color. As soon as we can get a complete color match, my shutter will be delivered and installed. That will be the first new element in my living room in the past seven years.

Then the design and decor can really begin!

Interior Design, or is it Decorating

I have been interested in interior design for quite a while now. I'm not sure how I developed the extreme interest because I do not see myself as artistic at all. Suffice it to say, I have so many ideas for our home that I cannot implement all of them at once (or maybe ever), "One step at a time," I keep telling myself. It seems like every time I do something to our home it triggers another thought of something the would be neat to do, all I need are the resources. Actually, I enjoy design or decorating so much that I have taken several design classes from the accredited design school that is closest to my residence. I have also done much research into making a career change from my current trade as an attorney into a design practice. We'll see...I'll sort this out, too, over time.

In the meantime, I will keep you up to date on my encounters, the current trends, as I see them, and post ideas of ways to decorate or redecorate your home.