3 Mistakes that all designers make in their business

On today’s podcast I sit down with Barbara Viteri from Viteri Style Management, a boutique consulting firm specifically for the interior design trade. Her firm focusses on bite sized, easy to manage systems, simple to follow organization and design specific software to optimize efficiency and profitability. Her passion for design with a nuts and bolts approach to the business side of things, takes your hobby into full blown design empire.

Tune in to learn the top three mistakes that every designer makes, who to hire first and learn more about running your million dollar empire from the comfort of your own home!

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Cash confessions-Quick tips to perk up your budget

It’s no secret we all wish we could stretch our dollars further in order to complete our project the way we want. As a professional I will often recommend to clients that they save their dollars to get exactly what they want, rather then sacrificing, but as a rule of thumb always keep these four things in mind:

1) If you’re not sure what your project is going to cost, hire a professional like myself to come out to give you an idea.

Kitchen in need of remodel

I was recently hired to help a gal do this very thing. She is about to move here from Dallas and loves a home located in Brentwood, TN. Great location, good size and close to work. The problem? The entire house has medallions on every cabinet (shown above). They are in the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room…you name it they are on every surface. Unfortunately this application has ruined all of the cabinets, thus explaining why this house has been on the market sine 2010. Before even doing minor decorating this home will have a minimum of $75K in renovations. Had she not hired me she would have had to live with the existing cabinets, or fallen into a money pit.

2) Prioritize-Create a list of the essentials

Home Exterior update

If your house needs a new roof, a front door and a new garage, figure out what NEEDS to be done first and budget accordingly. If you only received $4K back on your tax return and the new roof is going to be $5800, you need to decide if you want to set that $4K aside in savings or move forward on the garage door. I see many people fall into the pitfall of wanting to do it all at once, and putting home improvements on your credit card is never wise. Plan, plan, plan.

3) Avoid DIY if you don’t have experience.

DIY projects

There is a huge DIY movement sweeping the nation thanks to reality TV shows and DIY classes at big box stores. Many homeowners fall into the trap of thinking they will save money if they “do-it-themselves” and avoid hiring a contractor. Homeowners that go it alone without proper training and experience learn real fast that mistakes are extremely costly. Especially if you end up having to hire a contractor and the materials you purchased have to be repurchased again. Not to mention the lost time!

4) Choose projects that will yield the biggest return.

Kitchen update

In our industry we call this the ‘cost vs value’ on return. Does your project retain resale, and will another potential buyer think so? If money is driving your decisions on your home improvement projects, all of the above factors must be taken into consideration, but none are more important than the ROI. If you are really scrimping pennies you need to choose projects that give you the biggest bang for your buck.

The Kitchen project shown above is a great example. By simply repainting this kitchen a complimentary color to the kitchen cabinets her small investment of $1500 turned into a $20K ROI when she put her house on the market. Why? Because the potential new homeowners saw the value in a beautiful large kitchen that works well for their kids and family….not the cabinets with a strong yellow undertone. By hiring me to help her select the RIGHT paint color, her small investment turned into big reward.

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Photos: AB HOME Interiors, DIY life,

4 Mobile Apps To Boost Your Design Project

As our lives grow increasingly difficult from lack of time and overworked schedules, nothing creates more chaos than trying to manage a new home project in the midst of it all. Whether you are working on a vast home remodel or redecorating the living room, home projects take time, money and great tools!

1) Sherwin Williams Color Snap

Sherwin Williams Paint

OK, this app is brilliant and just might save lives. The Color snap app allows you to capture real items in your everyday world and match them to Sherwin-Williams paint colors; for free! The app also lets you choose coordinating colors or you can Ask Sherwin-Williams for recommendations. WIth a tool like this you can easily create a color palette from all your favorite things and keep them at your fingertips.

2) iHandy Carpenter

iHandySoft

iHandy is the easiest and most convienent tool kit in the world. Why? Because these days who doesn’t have their phone? This app gives you 5 tools in one app and it is easy to use. Not to mention handy! It comes with a plumb bob, a surface level, a protractor, ruler and once calibrated the plumb bob, surface level and level bar become an inclinometer. Ok I have no idea what that means or is, but the level and plumb bob have proved to be life savers for me!

3) Pinterest

If you’re not on Pinterest you are living under a rock. It is the quintessential tool to use if you are doing any kind of remodeling or redecorating to your home. It is the best tool to find inspiration and organize and share your findings. Essentially an online scrapbooking of sorts that allows you to keep all your ideas at your finger tips. I honestly do not know how I ran my business before this tool!

4) Houzz Design Ideas

Houzz Design Ideas

Houzz is an upscale website offering more than one million high resolution photos of anything and everything interior design. Cnn called it the Wikipedia for interior design. It offers a place to create idea books, surf through categories by room and collect inspiration on everything imaginable. It also offers up terrific articles to help educate you on what to expect on your next custom build to how to hang a chandelier.

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LED and Education

Hit lights

“The Designers Lighting Forum of New York has announced its highest advance registration numbers to LEDucation 7. Held in New York City on March 20, 2013, the event draws designers and lighting professionals for educational sessions and a product expo dedicated to the LED market.” quoted by KB+B.

This is exciting news! Lighting has always been a passion of mine since college. One of my instructors instilled the importance and correlation of good lighting with good design. As she would say “If a space is lit well, the Architecture and furnishings will sing!” And I agree with her. Unfortunately, good lighting has always been done with halogen lights. They offer the whitest of light, showing off interiors in their purest form. While they make the interior look beautiful they are harsh on our environment. And frankly, fluorescent lighting is not the “green” answer-no one needs that in their environment, they’re ugly! LED is the answer! They use less energy, produce little to no heat and are the closest to white light that you can achieve! Here is a great post on lighting basics!

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Designer Do’s and Don’ts

I would like to thank DefySupply for featuring me as one of their experts for their latest sales infographic. If you are looking for furniture they are the place to go! As one of their favorite designers they stroked my ego by including me in their latest ad. So thanks defysupply, you rock. But honestly, I am pretty great so listen to what I recommend, it will change your life-promise!

Soothing decor to help you sleep

When designing a bedroom space it is always wise to choose colors, items and textures that promote rest. It may seem like a great idea to follow that new trend of flaming red on one wall, but ultimately it won’t be a wise choice so always start with things you love. I just met with a new client this past week that was a prime example of outside influence taking charge. Her mother-in-law loves red and kept advising she too put red in her living room. Problem was she hated red. But it wasn’t until she removed all the red accents from the room and replaced it with her love of blue that she realized this. Your bedroom should be decorated the same. Surround yourself with the things you love to promote a place of rest.

Brooke Giannetti

1) Choose soft colors-

They are always soothing and help lift our spirits. We lead hectic lives so simplicity is key. Don’t choose harsh colors that will agitate or raise your energy. This is a space to relax and allow you to unwind.

2) Don’t over clutter-

Clutter in a bedroom does not promote rest and sleep. In fact people who bring their work into the bedroom are less likely to sleep the entire night through. Paperwork and computer emails play on the mind even once the computer is closed. So avoid bringing anything other than fun magazines, a good book or a journal into your room.

3) Lighting-

Always use lamps in your bedroom as the main source of light. Overhead lighting can be harsh unless on a dimmer. Keep lighting low and comfortable to help warm up your space and help you unwind.

4) Easy fabrics-

A bedroom should not be decorated with complicated fabrics. Keep it simple. In fact, most of your fabrics should be all natural materials of Cotton, linen, or wool. Don’t underestimate the power of an all natural fabric. They are easy to care for, and feel great on your skin.

5) Furniture

I am a huge fan of upholstered headboards in a bedroom. They are comfortable to lean on when reading in bed and can easily be changed up for the seasons. I am also a huge fan of comfy seating in a bedroom. Even if you can only fit one chair in your space, it is a great place to throw on some shoes, read a book or catch up on blogging.

Love Joy design

Another tip, always have two nightstands. I go into so many homes that only have one nightstand. Sorry folks, this is a big party foul. Even if it is small like the one shown above, each side of the bed should have a place to set a book or a cup of coffee, there is always enough room!

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Dark VS Light-How To Choose The Best Paint

Most people design their homes one room at a time and one of the biggest decisions homeowners will choose in their design is their paint color. It will become the deciding factor for how the rest of the room and design plays out. Will it be dark and moody or light and fresh? In order to make that decision you need to take into consideration the rest of the house. After the other rooms have been considered what is it that you really want, and what will the room be used for?

dark walls, capiz chandelier, moroccan wedding blanket. Amber Interiors.

Amber Interior design

A bedroom is often a great place for dark and moody interiors as it promotes rest and relaxation. But light and fresh may be more appropriate for someone who is wanting to uplift their spirits and bring a sense of serenity to the space.

amber Interior design

As you can see from the two examples, these two bedrooms have an entirley different feel to them. So what would best suit your personality? What is best suited to your home? Don’t choose random colors from the paint store without taking everything into consideration. Since most homes are designed over the course of several years, it is likely that your tastes will change and shift. Have a plan to stick with to help you stay on track and avoid picking random colors that match nothing but look good at the paint store.

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Apartment series: The best ways to decorate a temporary space

Today I kick off a small decorating series: Apartment therapy. My bathroom remodeling series has been wildly popular amongst my readers, however many readers live in temporary spaces. I recently started working with a gal, Mrs M, who comes to Tennessee for work. She leased a beautiful apartment near my office and has hired me to be of assistance.

Mrs M bedroom

We will first start on the bedroom. Her bed is an antique made for mattresses that used to be much smaller. The bed height with a modern day mattress measures at 54″…..it’s a bit too tall. With nothing else in the room it looks unbalanced and disproportionate. We will address that with large nightstands, and add some color to the bed to draw the eye away from the big elephant in the room. Another issue I will address is her lighting. The lamps she has chosen are beautiful but not right for this room. She wants a clean contemporary feel, but these are a bit extreme. I plan on adding something with a bit of color, more bulk and a little less whispy feeling.

She currently has no seating in the room . It is always nice to have a chair in the room to read a book or throw on some shoes. Tune in next week and I will give you a sneak peek at the presentation process and ideas I plan to share with her.

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Paint-The colors you need now to update your home for fall

When I went to design school I studied two years of color theory. While I love paint, choose paint every day and feel it has a profound influence on our well being, it is not something I specialized in. Similar to a med student who interns in various medical sectors but later chooses what they will “specialize” in. I have the knowledge and formal training but will often look to color professionals who eat, sleep and breathe color, for expert advice on upcoming trends and movements in color.

As we enter fall at a high rate of speed I wanted to know what the color experts (AKA Color Geeks), were seeing and specifying for this years color palettes. Here are a few of my favorites!

Barbara Jacobs Amanda, my “picks” are Ecohuesn Full Spectrum – Red Clay, Nomad, Fieldstone, Mulberry, Glow, Virbunum, Blue Grotto. All together: Warm Earthy, Vibrant…not too bright but still saturated. For a green: Ellen Kennon – Olive.

Elizabeth Brown Yesterday, I assembled items from a walk that inspired this fall palette:AF-230″ Buttered Yam”, AF-645 “Chambord”, AF-375 “Rattan”, BM 1258 “Fading Twilight”, SW6381 “Anjou Pear”. Yummy.

1267 Ruby Dusk

Nancy H Welch-Alwin A few of my favorites that will work as Fall color choices; Benjamin Moore Classic colors #1118 ‘Classic Caramel’, 1259 ‘Beaujolais’ or #1267 ‘Ruby Dusk’ or #1245 ‘Sequioia’ and #1485 ‘Brushed Aluminum” the greenest of many greens #530 ‘Medieval Times’. Everyone a winner!

Deep Navy/teal interior

William Baccini Look for a subdued minimal approach to color for spring 2012 with subtle hues and interesting casted neutrals. We are finally moving away from the intense colors, cool neutrals and black constant of 80’s retro influencers of past seasons. Look now for quiet and sophisticated 90’s touches but far more complex and interesting than in the past. These colors have depth and complexity, which the 21st century educated consumer has come to expect. This is not your basic khaki or your standard boring midtones. Navy kicks in as the new deep accompanied by a saturated murky teal, a muddied brown, and a foggy claret color. For the important pales, shades of wheat and jute start to warm up the previous spring palette with cool grays evolving to shales, raphias and warm pebble tones. A palette of neutralized tinted whites appears elegant and new. Dusty blues, minted greens, and golden gingered shades hold court as the new mid ground along with bean shades, the newest direction. This important category emerges as tea-stain, henna, and patina, joining in the evolution to rusts and apricots, replacing our waning (finally!) fascination with cool pinks. It’s going to be a beautiful and elegant season, highlighting the individual – after all, isn’t that what it’s all about?

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Images: Histor, Danielle Oakey

Remodeling series-week 18

Well things will be delayed a bit longer at Mrs S and Co. They are headed to Maine, and then Charleston with friends and family, but the good news is we are THIS CLOSE to being finished. This week the doors were painted (despite my dream of stain) and the walls completed. Sconces and all lighting were completed and once Mrs S returns we can wrap everything up, can’t wait!

1) Doors

We had planned on this:

Walnut door

And were so lucky to get this:

Stained door

And ended up with this:

Painted doors

Doors

Is this what I wanted? Nope. But it is what it is, and Ritchie did an incredible job matching the trim and painting the doors to perfection. I had him add mirror to the linen closet to add reflection and sparkle and and I am confident that when everything is complete no one will ever know the damn doors were suppose to be stained!

2) Sconces

Bathroom entrance

I may not have gotten my doors, but the custom vanities are superb! It took A LOT of convincing but I finally got Mrs S to agree to sconces. Her vanity shown above will have two sconces flanking her mirror. I fought hard for those sconces and can’t wait to see them. Mr S refused sconces. While two coordinating vanities would have been ideal, as a wise woman once told me, “Amanda pick your battles!” So Mr S will not be getting sconces.

3) Master

Master bedroom

The master bedroom has been painted, and floors completed. Mr S has been daydreaming about sleeping in his own bed so Ritchie was kind enough to put his bed in the room today for a lovely nites sleep….that hopefully is as good as he remembered!

Master bedroom

Next week we will hang the shower door, install plumbing, hang the sconces up and the only thing left will be vanity tops. Those are scheduled for October 4th. hard to imagine it but we are really on the home stretch and could be seeing a completed bathroom in about two weeks! How very exciting!

Here is a little reminder of how far we have come!

After

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Posted: October 5, 2011 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: Before and after | bathrooms | design education | remodeling | before and after, doors, lighting, master bathroom, master bedroom, painted doors, remodeling, sconces, stained doors 3 Comments AB Homes Interiors Blog

Remodeling series- Week 17

To say that last week was frustrating, aggravating and disappointing is an understatement! The good news is Ritchie ALWAYS knows how to make it better. Today he surprised me with vanities!

1) We started with this:

Amanda's scribble

2) Then signed off on this:

Custom vanity

3) And like magic, we got this!

Mrs S vanity

Have you ever seen anything more beautiful? Me either, I am so pleased. And you cannot see it real well in the pictures, but the custom cabinet shop nailed it with the blue piping. Remember this?

The blue comet incident

For those of you just tuning in, I wanted a pinstripe of blue painted into the lines of the cabinet for an elegant detail. This photo shown above was far from elegant. And the painter tried to convince me that I wanted this look. The stripe was uneven, blotchy and too thick. Actually looked like a three year old did it! Not at all what I had in mind. In order to get what I wanted, the finished vanities were sprayed with an automobile airbrush sprayer, creating the finest pinstripe of blue, fit for a Queen!

Blue pinstripe

It’s all in the details:

Mr S vanity

Too often homeowners want to try their hand at remodeling, convinced that DIY is the way to go. While DIY suits many homeowners, you can miss out on some of the most spectacular “wows” of a space. The benefits of hiring a professional team ensures skilled detail, and finishes that most DIY’ers are not capable of doing. Skilled professionals, especially those that often work together produce remarkable projects. Combined experience is exponential and it can also help avoid costly mistakes.

Detail one

Case in point. When I showcased this photo below back in week 10, my inbox was FLOODED with emails. Why you ask? Everyone wanted know why on earth I would use 12″ tiles, in a day when 18″-20″ is the norm. I knew right off the bat that larger tiles would not work. The design I had in mind with a border and alternating tiles would not allow for larger tiles, and I refused to sacrifice the design for the “norm.” As a DIY’er you may succumb to the “norm” because of pushy sales people, glossy magazines and inexperience, which in the long run costs you time and money!

Dry tile run

The results? A beautiful tile design and a luxurious border. Larger tiles would not have fit, nor would they have looked correct in such a small space!

Tile layout

Detail two

Detail number two. When Ritchie and I discussed how we could make the tile design even better, we knew that the vanities would play a serious role in performance. I wanted the tile to have that extra special detail, similar to a well made outfit that has detailed stitching and oozes quality. So we bordered the bathroom as planned

Amanda's chicken scratch tile design

But added diagonal tile just behind that:

AB HOME Interiors tile design

Why on earth did we do that? Well I wanted a tailored shirt that oozed quality, and custom style……..the results?

Customer designed vanity by Amanda Burdge

A lovely little peak under the petty coat….so to speak. A nice little surprise in design and detail.

Vanity by Amanda Burdge

This added bonus in design is custom and unique. It adds texture and dimension to the space and makes the vanities and floors extra special. In order to achieve results like this it is necessary to plan ahead and always work with professionals. In order to get results like this it required a team of experts: design experts (umm, that would be me!) a skilled contractor, and a very talented tile installer to get it right! This required a whole lot of math that without Ritchie and his team would never had happened.

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Remodeling series-Week 13

Can you believe it’s been three months? I have to say I am loving all of your comments. I have been doing this for 12 years and I approach every project as if certain things are known, completely forgetting that this is my 400th remodel, and possibly your first! Mrs S will ask me a question that if I were in her shoes, I would want to know too, however, since the entire blueprint is in my head it’s as if everyone including Ritchie can just crawl in there and grab what they need. Unfortunately I am not programmed like google to spit out facts at all hours of the day and night. I typically need to be present to share my hard drive. But it is a valuable lesson for me. As a designer I always give progress reports to my clients. I hate surprises, and I hate working with someone who is considered an expert in their field ( whatever that may be-A mechanic, graphic designer, insurance agent) and they fail to clue me in on what is happening with my project, and dollars. Not to mention I hate having to contact someone, when I have already reached out to them once before. ( But I digress) My point is, I do my very best to keep everyone, especially my clients in the loop. But I cannot help but laugh at myself when I diligently cross every “T” and dot every “I” and I forget to share something as simple as: How to clean the shower door. Believe it or not, even me the Queen of simple and easy can make things too complicated!

This week seemed to come and go in an instant and we are being held up by doors. Tile completed, we now await for the doors that were suppose to be in on Friday……and then Monday…..and now they will be here this Friday. Vanities are due to be completed at the end of this week and then the jewelry ( better known as plumbing) can start to go in! yay!

1) Tile

Completed shower

Here is the completed shower. You’ll notice blue tape inside of the shower on certain tiles. After an item has been installed Ritchie and the homeowner (Mrs S) go through everything to make sure everything is up to par. Blue tape shows the installer what needs to be fixed, and typically has notes on each piece.

Shower

I am so pleased with the way this came out. From my chicken scratch (shown below) to the completed project.

Chicken scratch

Shower ceiling

This was an ‘on site’ decision. The tile originally was planned to stop at eight feet. (About 14″ shorter than shown) However, since I wanted Ritchie to raise the ceiling to make the shower feel more expansive, we had to decide if we wanted the tile to stay at eight feet, and have open dry wall above it, or tile the whole box…I think we made the right decision!

2) Floors

Finished Floor

How many times can I show off the floor? I am thinking as many times as I want. Here is the completed floor….again……but I just love how it turned out. The marble is stunning and the border equally so. Now we continue to wait for the doors, and vanities, but no time is lost because the floors in the bedroom are going down.

3) The Bedroom

Master bedroom

While the bulk of the construction has taken place in the bathroom, the bedroom has been the hub of activity for tools, tables, and stuff. All of this will be removed to lay the floors, and once they are laid they can be stained. Tune in next week to see it completed!

That is week 13.

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Outdoor entertaining-fabulous tips for the ultimate party

It’s the middle of August, and there is no better way to celebrate summer than with an outdoor party with friends. It’s hot and we are lethargic, and nothing soothes that summer heat better than a cool drink,( martini anyone?) and tasty B-B-Q! Outdoor entertaining is fun, so people are turning the televisions off, hooking up with friends and neighbors and enjoying the cool summer nights together. Outdoor entertaining is easy, and requires very little,( a motto and philosophy we at AB HOME love!) One of our favorite quotes from Real Simple,

“A successful dinner party doesn’t demand anything elaborate-just simple food, good company, and a convivial setting”

I love entertaining and I especially love entertaining outdoors. SO what are some things you can do to bring the party out side? Here are a few of my tips for entertaining outdoors:

1) Outdoor rooms:

[/caption]

Outdoor furniture is wildly popular and can be found just about anywhere. Summer Classics is one of my favorites. But why not bring out a couple of chairs from the dining room or an old sofa from the basement? Buy inexpensive slipcovers in white, (Target has a great selection), and bring those peices outdoors. It creates a more intimate and cozy feeling to your soiree. White is a great back drop for any setting and can easily be dressed up for any style or occasion. It’s unexpected and super fun.

2) Lights

Outdoor lighting

Bring the indoors out

Never underestimate the power of lighting. Hang an old chandelier from an oak tree and light it up with candles, or have your skilled electrician convert the wiring to an outdoor plug. Put floating candles in the pool, string lights up through the trees, or take a strand of lights and use it as garland around the fence. You can never have too many lights and trust me, you can never have too many candles. Lights add whimsy and magic to the event and create a beautiful intoxicating mood.

Designer tip: Turn off any security features like motion sensitive flood lights. Nothing kills a mood like flood lamps hitting your eyes every time you run to the bathroom!

3) Comforts of home

[/caption]

Many parties start in the afternoon and continue through to late evening. Outdoor entertaining is all about the comforts of home. Relaxing, laughing and enjoying good food. Don’t spoil the magic because you weren’t prepared. Have bug spray handy (I often keep it in the bathroom, in a basket on the counter), soft throws for your guests to snuggle up in, decaf coffee, soft music, anything you think they might need, have it on hand. When entertaining make your guests feel comfortable and welcomed. The more accessible these items are, the more they will feel at home. Often people don’t like to ask for things. They feel it is too much to ask, and they will either leave or suffer. That isn’t a memorable experience. Have all of these items on there own buffet table, in the bathroom, or in an area that encourages them to grab what they need without regret.

4) Dinnerware

Outdoor dining

Comforts of home

Just like bringing out a few upholstered pieces of furniture, I love using real dishes outside. Yes it’s not practical, they need to be cleaned but a mismatched set of china combined with old stemware is romantic and decadent. Life is too short, live it up and enjoy the simple pleasures of life! Take a trip to your local flea market and gather up beautiful mismatched dishes and stemware that work perfectly with your outdoor space. You’ll be amazed at how happy it makes you!

5) Cloth napkins and silverware

[/caption]

Always use cloth napkins, even if it’s simple B-B-Q or hamburgers. If there are children at the event you can provide paper napkins for them to use, but the juxtaposition of formal-rustic is a good tug and pull for outdoor entertaining. It is more inviting, and they work a hell of a lot better than those napkins with seasonal prints that work as good as a plastic bag. Cloth linens are easy to find and not expensive. If you are concerned about stains, go for a black or brown option. Same goes for silver ware. Pick up an inexpensive set like this one from amazon, if you don’t want to use your every day stuff. It is more civilized and enjoyable. Guests will often sit longer and enjoy themselves rather than bolting for the door. Include them in the clean-up. Most guests are happy to help. It’s not the end of the party destination that counts, its the journey through the evening that should be enjoyed…even cleaning dishes!

6) Flowers

Outdoor flowers

Outdoor entertaining

Always include fresh cut flowers on the buffet table, dining table, in the bathroom-where ever your guests will be. They are pleasant and uplifting and suit the festivities perfectly. Outdoor entertaining is all about the outdoors! Not sure how to put your arrangements together? Click on Mondays easy tips for arranging. Keep it simple and easy. The more simple you can make it the more charming and delightful the arrangements are to your guests.

images: room-galleries, outdoor lighting, apartment therapy, the brides cafe, hellow lucky

Remodeling-series week 12

This week at the house was not a very eventful one. Three pieces of the tile had to be torn up and replaced because Ritchie wasn’t happy with the way they were installed. We are waiting on the doors to come in and the vanity to be completed. Other than the tile being completed, things will be slow until the rest of the materials come in this week.

The doors:

Doors for Mrs S

Four doors in the bathroom will be replaced with the one shown above, but instead of being five panel they will be three panel. The two closet doors will be a three paneled door with frosted glass. The linen closet will be a three paneled door with mirror, and the water closet will be a solid three panel door, with no glass.With everything being so light and airy, all of the doors will be stained a walnut color to help ground the space and make it warmer.

The vanity:

Vanity color

The vanity

The original selection for the vanity was Ben Moore White Dove. But honestly, I am sick of that color. It seems to be the default color for every door, trim and cabinet color throughout Williamson county. It was an awesome color seven years ago however, after seeing it so many times I decided it was time to move on to fresher pastures. Alabaster is a wonderful white with a grey undertone. Unlike White dove it has no yellow in it, and has a wonderfully warm finish.

Walls:

Tradewinds

Once everything is installed Ritchie can complete the paint. We currently have one coat of primer and one coat of paint. But we need to get doors, plumbing and crown completed before the final coat of paint goes up.

Plumbing:

Vanity faucet

Plumbing will be put off until the floor, doors and vanities are completed. If I had to guess, it will be installed in about two weeks.

Just for fun:

Often when homeowners get to the home stretch they get antsy. Who wouldn’t?! We are wrapping up three months of construction, trades coming and going at all hours of the day and living in a make shift bedroom, that at this point, feels normal. So it is hard to feel like progress is being made when an entire week goes by with nothing happening. Or so it seems like nothing is happening! Here is where we have come from,

Mrs S vanity before

Mrs S soon to be vanity

So we are getting there….. I have to say it looks a thousand times better than before!

If you missed week one, click here.

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If you missed week nine, click here!

If you missed week ten, click here

If you missed week eleven, click here

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Posted: August 10, 2011 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: Before and after | bathrooms | design education | bathroom construction, before and after, construction, master bathroom, remodeling, tile installation, tiling 6 Comments AB Homes Interiors Blog

Floral Arrangements Made Easy

Florals, is there anything more beautiful than a flower? You have heard me say it before, I love me some flowers. Dare I say as much as I love vodka? Maybe that’s why I am so attracted to dragon and passion fruit flavors. It’s the best of both my worlds. To me, flowers are one of God’s greatest creations. They are sweet, kind, charming, beautiful and captivating. Pretty much all the things I strive to be so I surround myself in them.

Floral arrangements often intimidate a lot of people. They enjoy them, but would never attempt them. The shear idea of making a floral arrangement sends most people into a downward spiral. The good news? They are just flowers folks, not liability insurance claims. And I have to admit, they used to scare me too. But flowers are very forgiving, and so is floral design…..especially the approch I take! Heres how to get your floral arrangements in tip top shape.

1) Use florals that are simple

The easiest way to create a charming floral arrangement? Make one that it simple. I find that the simplest, easiest arrangements are the ones that create the biggest stir amongst my guests. Take this rose in a coke bottle. It is sweet and honors one of our favorite past times, drinking a coke. This is a perfect arrangement for a casual get together amongst friends, or an intimate dinner for two.

2) Small bouquets

Simple florals

Along with keeping things simple, keep things small. No need for big elaborate florals. While the eighties were a great time for many things, we have learned that BIG is not always the best. Big florals are so passe and yesterday. Small floral designs are pleasant and pleasing to the eyes. Especially if you use different types of flowers. Experiment, have fun and make your tabletop as delightful as the food!

3) Floral designs

Pave floral arrangement

Another misconception is that florals need to be fancy, have elaborate designs, and have exotic flowers with feathery crap hanging out of it. Not true. Some of the most dramatic, and stunning arrangements consist of one flower. Known as Pave arrangements, these floral arrangements typically use roses, but can consist of orchids, carnations, peonies, or even artichokes. ( No nibbling on the florals until the event is over!) For more tips on making a pave arrangement click here at Design Sponges’ top tips on making this simple centerpiece.

4) Aromatherapy

In general, I don’t follow rules very well. No I don’t choose to be a menace to society for the shear purpose of staking my claim on the universe. It’s more of an attitude of acquired taste, and realization that “I followed the rules for years and look where it got me?” kinda thing. Not to mention that when I am 80 I am allowed to do and say what ever I want…so why not start now?

OK, so what the heck does this nonsense have to do with flowers, rules and aromatherapy? (Did I mention that I also have A.D.D tendency’s?) The so-called experts say that flowers on the dinner table should not be aromatic. And to some degree I do agree with this statement, but not entirely. Rules are made to be broken. Flowers that are extremely aromatic, like Lilies, should be avoided on the dinner table. However roses, (which have been cross bred so many times have very little scent) are perfectly fine. So throw caution to the wind and wing it. If you like them and they compliment either your dinner or festivities and won’t be disruptive, go with your gut and do what you want to. Throw those bras in the fire!

5) Arranging your florals

Yes it is a center piece, but it isn’t the center of the universe. It should be treated more like Pluto, and regardless of what you think, it’s still a planet! Keep your arrangements low, so your guests can enjoy one another. (Unless it’s John Baener sitting across from you, then you may want as many distractions as possible) Floral arrangements should never interrupt someones conversation forcing them to bob and weave like Phoebe running in the park. They are there to add color, texture and beauty. An underestimated, but expected detail that shouldn’t require training for the olympics. Make it easy, keep it simple and you’ll have beautiful florals every time.

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images: Martha Stewart, google, design sponge, the brides cafe

Remodeling series-week 11

Mrs S corner dilemma

OK, So remember this issue last week? (shown above) The question was, what to do with the corner? Butte joint or miter?? Well after careful consideration and much thought, I decided that a cut miter was the way to go. So Ritchie, laid the radiant flooring first…..

Radient flooring

And then he poured a fine layer of thin set on top, and started laying the tile border. (and you can see my mitered corner)

Thin set covers radient floors

And here is my mitered corner up close..may I say, perfection?

Mitered corner here in the right bottom corner--------------->

I have to say it was the right choice, a butte joint would have looked undone, and personally, like I laid the tile…no one wants that!

View from the water closet

The entire week was pretty much consumed with laying tile, measuring, and cutting. The shower was completed,

Shower interior

and with much excitement, the floor is complete!

Bathroom entrance

And seriously, would the floor look this beautiful if the black marble border was not in it? Mrs S was really concerned about the black border and I told her to just trust me…..and I have to say, it completely makes the floor! Thank-you Mrs S for trusting me, and taking a leap of faith…

Floor from closet

Stunning. It is really starting to take shape! The vanities are now in production, and the fancy back splash is being ordered this week.

Fancy backsplash

iPhoto

Now this is where I advised Mrs S to throw caution to the wind. There are places to cut the budget to keep things in line, and there are places where expense is absolutely necessary. The backsplash for this bathroom was an area that needed those extra dollars, and where they mattered. Mrs S has what I call the “a” wall vanity. Meaning the most visible vanity, most visible wall in the whole bathroom. Her space is the first point of contact, or introduction to the bathroom. A great “how do you do” if you will. So her vanity, backsplash, mirror, sconces….everything needs to be stunning. This back splash ties everything together, but more importantly it’s classic, timeless and beautiful. Remember when Mrs S and I went back to the plumbing store to reselect our plumbing fixtures? Well we went back to re-select plumbing fixtures that brought the budget down, to offset the cost of this border tile. At $106 a piece, (yes each 4×12 piece is $106) and we need approximately 13-15 pieces, something had to give! But I guarantee that this is going to make the bathroom!

Week 11 in all it’s glory…..Progress!

If you missed week one, click here.

If you missed week two, Click here

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If you missed week four and five, click here

If you missed week six, click here

If you missed week seven, click here

If you missed week eight, click here

If you missed week nine, click here!

If you missed week ten, click here

Have questions? See something that you want more clarification on? Send me your comments and let us know your thoughts. We will post questions and answers here on the blog.

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

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Posted: August 4, 2011 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: Before and after | How-to's | bathrooms | design | design 101 | design education | remodeling | tile design | bathroom remodel, bathroom remodel ideas, bathroom tile, bathroom vanities, marble floors, master bathroom, Nashville bathroom, planning a bathroom, radient floors, remodeling, remodeling help in brentwood tn, shower installation, shower tile, tile installation 4 Comments AB Homes Interiors Blog

How to update your home without the cost of adding on

According to this article by STL today, in order to get the best return on your home there are five remodeling projects that get you the most bang for your buck. But like most cities, Nashville is a city with a lot of history, style and small homes. Maxwell coffee started here, Vanderbilt’s, and of course, country music. At the turn of the century many every day folks lived in wonderfully small bungalows, not in the suburbs where many of today’s urbanites find sprawling square footage! Thankfully, because of our history we have some of the most quaint neighborhoods and homes that I have ever seen. Edgehill, Sylvan park, 12 South, Berry hill, Downtown Franklin, just to name a few. Several of my client’s live in these beautiful areas, and they take pride in their wonderfully small bungalows. But how do you maximize and update a cracker jack lifestyle, two kids, and a dog when trying to salvage your homes original charm? It’s hard to imagine a massive remodel, that includes exploding that home’s charm out into the garden, just to suit the needs of your 21st century lifestyle. So what do you do if you live in a smaller space and a remodel is not an option? Heres how to get an update without the cost of adding on!

1) Taller doors

Tall doors

Taller doors give the illusion of more space in your home. Have you ever walked into a small family room that had vaulted ceilings? Often, when there is added height, the space creates it’s own optical illusion and you don’t feel cramped. Same goes for the doors. Taller doors give you the illusion that there is more space, and they also allow more light to flood into the space. An added bonus is painting them something special. Like the photo above, this home’s kitchen is very small, however, the beautifully tall, GREEN, doors take your attention away from the obvious, and makes the space spectacular! Here is a great place to find stylish doors, that are tall and affordable.

Designer tip: Can’t afford to replace and remodel your doors from 6’8 to 8′? Add pediments, antique windows or mirrors above your doors. It will give you the added affect, and won’t break the break.

2) Raise the drapes

Tall drapes

Just like raising the doors, raise your drapes all the way up to the bottom of the crown. Drapes add softness to a space, and draw your eye upward. For additional illusion select colors for your walls, trim and drapes in a similar color.

Designer tip: Add features to the top of your drapes like grommets, ribbon, or buttons. The added texture creates shadowing and more weight to the top of the drape.

3) Extended cabinets

Taller cabinets

Instead of choosing the ever-popular and standard 42″ upper cabinet, opt for the 36″ cabinet and top it with a 12″ upper with glass. As with the drapes and doors, it extends the eye up and the glass adds sparkle. The 12″ uppers can have lights placed inside them, grabbing the eyes attention with light. It is a great way to display some of your more special china, and also makes your space look more custom.

Designer tip: Already have a good kitchen in place and not about to remodel your kitchen? Paint your ceiling the same color as your wall, and add rope lighting or LED ribbon to the top of your cabinets. It will be harder for the eye to discern where the wall and ceiling meet, and the lights will help expand the space up.

4) Mirrors

Vintage mirrors

Mirrors add sparkle, grab and bounce light, and reflect objects from different angles. They are superb weapons for a small space.

Designer tip: You can never have enough mirrors!

5) Rug

Small Rug

Instead of choosing a small rug, go for the largest one that your room can fit. The photo above is a great example, by Southern Living, on making a too small rug, work.

Large rug

Many homeowners want to put a small rug in their small room, for fear of covering the floors! Above, this photo is a great example of extending the eye with a sisal rug, and then adding color and texture with a beautiful hide. If the rug option you have is too small for the room, layer it with one or two rugs to add texture and color. Otherwise the eye will only devote attention to the rug thats in a small room.

What are some of your favorite tricks?

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

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images: houzz, kitchen cabinets, elements of style, simply seductive, emily clarke

Style and how to get it in 3 easy steps

When it comes to style decorating, sometimes homeowners get overwhelmed.(OK a lot overwhelmed!) They obsess trying to make their homes look like the magazines, or that TV show. But the warmest, most charming homes, are those with personal mementos that show your personal style off. (Won’t find that in a magazine.) In fact, I attended a magazine staging for Better homes and gardens last December and the entire shoot focuses on how the room looks through the camera lens. Flowers adjusted, lamps tweaked, and furniture placed just right. Literally everything is just so! Now I am a huge fan and reader of BHG. Their style is relaxed, easy and accessible to the everyday homeowner, however, remember that people don’t live in those pages.

How do you get that room from the magazine, but put your personal style in it? Here are three of my favorite tips.

1) Family photos

Family

There is nothing more personal than family. And who shares the best memories of happiness, love, sadness, and humor with you? Your family does! Turn them into your best decor and show them off. Nothing uplifts and supports you like family, honor them by making them a show piece in your home.

2) Color palette

Color

Nothing is more personal than color. Sure there are always those colors that are considered on trend. But most people have a color that they love, and while the intensity of that hue may change over the years, most homeowners stick to it. For anyone who has taken my design class, I talk about my mother and her love affair with mint green.

Mint paint. Moms FAVORITE color

Everything in our house when I was growing up centered around this color. Everything! The house trim, the tile in our kitchen, the floors…. Even today she has mint green bowls, dishes, a Kitchen Aid mixer, furniture, all of it mint green. Mom has never veered from the mint green ideology. If it’s mint, she loves it! When I SEE mint I think of her. That’s personal style! Color is intrinsic to who we are and it inspires us and our homes.

3) Art

Personal art

You have heard me say it before, I love art. And nothing is more personal than art. The art that you like, may not be what I like, and vice versus. Art is one of the best ways to add personal style to your home. Art inspires you and is uniquely you. A great way to show off your style, and make your home special.

What are some of your favorite tricks?

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

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images: The birds papaya, house tweaking, desire to inspire

Remodeling series-Week 10

Before I left for Atlanta, Richie and I had a meeting at my office to discuss the upcoming week of events for the bathroom. ( he has a tendency to get crazy when unsupervised) and I don’t want to come back to a pink bathroom that’s been moved to the opposite side of the house. We determined that he’d be doing a dry run of the tile for the floor, laying the radiant floor and hooking up the floor thermostat. The biggest issue is what to do with the most noticeable corner in the bathroom:

Bathroom corner

1) To butte or miter, that is the question

If the opposite side of the bathroom lined up with the tile design, (as I drew it above) there wouldn’t be an issue. But the two points are actually 20″ apart. OY! So the question is, do we make it a butte joint, or a miter? Well my first instinct was to blurt out, MITER! But of course, it wasn’t that easy. The tile border is being cut down from 24″ pieces, into 6″x24″ strips. Laying tile doesn’t follow the philosophy of fuzzy math, that I commonly stand behind. The pieces are not long enough to create a clean miter, so in order to miter the corner we need to make an extension with a 6″x6″ piece…..UM, Huh? Mrs Burdge,…..You say….I din’t get that! See below:

Major bathroom corner

Butte joint or miter

The decision to be made? To butte joint (shown in pink) or miter (shown in black). The strips don’t match up, so we either cut them down for the butte joint, or create a mitered corner from a 6″x6″ piece.The decision we choose will be revealed next week. Oh the suspense! Can you stand it?

2) Tile layout, pre-run

So Richie continued with his dry run lay out, to get all his cuts, and make sure there were no other hiccups. Here is a sneak peek: ( Fill in oooooo’s, and awwwwwww’s here!

Dry run

3) Radiant flooring

OK, back to the regularly scheduled program. Before the tile can be laid, Richie has to put down the radiant floors. What’s that you say? Well it’s this fancy orange stuff that is essentially a heated blanket under your tile. It makes your footsies feel warm and fuzzy in the middle of winter when it’s coldy. Pretty awesome!

Warm and fuzzies

This will be hard wired into the electrical, and Mrs S will be able to control the thermostat via a remote control panel that hangs on the wall. Purty cool!

4) Cabinet vanity

Along with tile, we made final decisions on the vanity and it will go into production next week.

Mrs S bathroom vanity

There are a few things that have been tweaked and changed from this drawing, but this gives you the general idea! And I am ready to get this built. I feel like this imaginary box of wood with pretty detail and paint has been floating around in my head for months. I am ready to SEE it!

There you have it, week 10! So what do you think so far? Think you’re ready to remodel? Not quite as fast as they make it on those home decorating shows now is it? haha, stay tuned!

If you missed week one, click here.

If you missed week two, Click here

If you missed week three, click here

If you missed week four and five, click here

If you missed week six, click here

Have questions? See something that you want more clarification on? Send me your comments and let us know your thoughts. We will post questions and answers here on the blog.

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

Want more designer tricks, tips and trade secrets, delivered to your inbox, all for FREE? Click here for our monthly newsletter!

If you missed week seven, click here

If you missed week eight, click here

If you missed week nine, click here!

Remodeling series-Week 9

We are on the home stretch for all you weary homeowners…….and that includes Mrs S! This week the tile installation was continued, the electrical fired up and the first coat of paint went up. Exciting times! This is when all those daunting decisions finally start coming into fruition. Picking colors, tiles, and what seems like infinite details from objects less than 3″ in size, can really make a person go insane! Not to mention, question every little decision. Will that tiny piece of wall tile coordinate with that basket weave floor tile? Does the cabinet door style work with the door style you picked (from a three panel brochure the size of a Nat!) and fit with the overall look? OMG! What IS the overall look? Did we even decide that?

The good news is, YES to all of the above! That is the greatest benefit of working with a designer. Designers put together a vision, and then make sure you stay on track. Often where homeowners fall of the cliff is three quarters of the way through the project. They forget some of their first decisions, or loose site of the over all goal and the exhaustion sets in, taking over like a bad mother-in-law. And whether you have a plan or not, sometimes these last few weeks take their toll, and you just want to throw your hands in the air and be done with it already! The dust, the heat, the trades coming and going, definitely can make the most calm homeowners feel defeated. Don’t get exasperated. Take a deep breath. Remember that construction always takes longer than planned, always, and while being in the thick of things may seem like too much, rarely does a homeowner remember the heartache once the project is completed. Sure you may have some giggles about the OMG! moments, but as I always say,

“A homeowners quality of enjoyment and satisfaction is always remembered far beyond the cost and construction, once their project is completed.”~ Amanda Burdge

Scouts honor!…….. And no I wasn’t a scout, but if it helps, it will hopefully convince you that it’s worth a few months of pain. Ten to fifteen years of utilizing that new space brings you ultimate pride and joy, and that far out weighs the time it takes to create it.

1) Shower Tile Continued

Shower tile

Last week the shower floor (basket weave) had been installed, and the back wall got started about 40″ up from the floor. This week the side walls continued to get their 12″ pieces, and then the pencil mold went up to create a breaking point between the 12″ and 3×6 tiles.

Tile installation

I had Ritchie take the ceiling up 18″ in the shower to make it feel more spacious. The original ceiling was barely seven and half feet, and felt like being in a wet, dark coffin. (Everyone’s dream, right?) Originally the tile was going to stop at the 8′ mark, however, after reviewing it, Ritchie and I decided that it would be better to tile the entire shower. Now this was not a hiccup, but rather an ‘on the job observation on how to make life better’ decision. We could have easily left the tile at the 96″ mark and called it a day. However, a small box shower, as this one is, tends to hold moisture. TN happens to be VERY humid. And despite having a fan and custom shower door made to dispel moisture, there just isn’t any guarantee! Leaving the ceiling and upper wall in painted drywall would eventually mildew, and we didn’t want that for Mrs S. So for maintenance and cleaning purposes, we decided to tile the entire shower enclosure.

2) Preliminary Bathroom floors

Floor pattern layout

Here, shown above, Ritchie has laid out the tile according to my chicken scratch (you’ll remember the pic below). As you recall, our original tile was back ordered until August. Each and every one of those marble 12″ tiles had to be cut to size…..a very laborious task!

Amanda's floor tile chicken scratch

On this particular day I had to rush out to the house for a tile emergency! Mrs S was not certain the black border looked good with the marble. This is something very important for homeowners to remember. Often, when you see something in an incomplete state you will question it. Again, this is where a professional can help you through this seemingly scary process. If Mrs S took this black border out of the design, the bathroom floor would fall flat. The border is there to outline the bathroom, add punch and wow factor but most importantly, ground the space. An all white floor would be way too wispy, and would get lost. And after each and every tile has been hand cut, I’m sure Ritchie wants everyone to take notice!

Designer tip: Certain design elements date a space. For instance, a home with gold fixtures screams the 80′s! So if you are about to remodel, how do you pick items that feel on trend, but won’t date your space? Always keep it classic. Hard elements like floors and cabinets should have simple, classic lines. This ensures a solid investment and allows you to change other elements, like paint, in a snap, and it easily updates your space.

3) Electrical

Sloppy First coat of paint

Ritchie got the tradewinds primer up end of last week, and the electrical went live this week. Electrical was suppose to go live last week….and they were having some issues. At any rate it’s up and running now. I was very pleased with the paint color. Although this is just a sloppy starter, what a difference it makes compared to the look of the old bathroom! Tile will most likely continue until the end of this week, and may go into next week. Since every piece has to be hand cut, the installer is moving much slower than usual. But we will keep our hopes up for end of week!

There you have it, week 9! So what do you think so far? Think your ready to remodel? Not quite as fast as they make it on those home decorating shows now is it? haha, stay tuned!

If you missed week one, click here.

If you missed week two, Click here

If you missed week three, click here

If you missed week four and five, click here

If you missed week six, click here

If you missed week seven, click here

If you missed week eight, click here

Have questions? See something that you want more clarification on? Send me your comments and let us know your thoughts. We will post questions and answers here on the blog.

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

Want more designer tricks, tips and trade secrets, delivered to your inbox, all for FREE? Click here for our monthly newsletter!

Posted: July 20, 2011 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: Before and after | Interiors | bathrooms | design 101 | design education | design tips | design tricks | remodeling | amanda burdge bathroom design consultant, bathroom inspiration, bathroom remodel, bathroom tile, construction, cool springs remodel, how to remodel, master bathrooms, paint, remodeling help, shower installation, showers, tile, tile installation, what to look for when remodeling 6 Comments AB Homes Interiors Blog

6 things to consider, before planning your new kitchen

When it comes to designing, or remodeling your kitchen, bigger is not always better. In a society that prides itself on larger than life portion sizes, that may be hard to believe. But when it comes to your hub, an efficient plan trumps it’s larger counter part. So what do you need to know in order to make smart decisions and feel confident about you choices? Here are my tips for designing the best kitchen.

1) It’s all about geometry

Always work within the bermuda triangle, otherwise you’ll get lost! Wait,… what? Ok, not really, but you will get tired and worn out. The triangle was concieved to help cooks perform more efficiently. When everything is tight and easily accesible you expend less energy. Real science y’all! SO design your kitchen accordingly!

AB HOME kitchen

2) Open shelving

Did she just say what I think she said? Yes, I know, your teeth just clinched, your butt tightened and your head is already bobbing into the “NOOOOO” position. What most homeowners don’t realize is that 20% of their kitchen items are used 80% of the time. So what does that mean? That means you are utilizing the same things, over and over and over again…and most often, more than twice a week. How much easier would your life be if all you had to do is grab them off the shelf, and then place them back on the shelf after they were cleaned? Ummm, ooo, ooo I know! EASY!!

Stylish Kitchen, Better Homes

3) Flooring

What type of cook are you? A microwave connoisseur? An every day, Rachel savant? Or an expert Ramsey gastronome? When designing your kitchen, the materials you choose under your feet should not go unnoticed. Sure, most homeowners choose their floors merely on whether or not it coordinates with the rest of thier Kitchen finishes. However, if you tend to spend hours on end in your kitchen, choose materials that are going to be forgiving on your knees!

Kitchen floors

4) Cooking the Books

In my experience, even the microwave connoisseur (who swears they can’t cook), owns The joy of cooking. And for the more adventurous wannabes, Mastering the art of French cooking. Don’t we all dream of being Julia Childs? Although I haven’t been able to pull it off, I have a copy of Beef Bourguignon in my cupboard that is going to win awards!…….As soon as I actually attempt to cook it. So whether you have four books or hundreds, always plan for storage of your books. Every houshold has them, and you don’t want it to be an after thought.

Cookbook storage

5) Kitchen Island

Even if your kitchen is small on size, always plan for an island, or penisula where possible. Kitchens tend to house a lot of people at one time, especially during gatherings or holidays. Even though this isn’t a Justin Beiber concert, the more you can distribute the tribe, the better. They are also great to set up buffets or prepare meals, desserts and or crafts on. Islands and penisulas are kitchen utility workhorses, that get you away from the perimeter of the room (where you are staring at a wall; BO-ring!) and into the actual space, where you can enjoy conversation and the activities.

Kitchen island

6) Let there be light!

Six years ago the family and I journeyed to Memphis Tennessee, to visit with the king. OK, we weren’t actually visiting WITH him per say, it was more like visiting his home, Graceland. But let me tell you, there were folks in our tour that were not only with him, but having conversations with him!…..OK,moving on. The one thing that has stood out until this day, the lack of lighting. How on earth did y’all cook and prepare meals in these archaic dungeons? Better yet, how on earth did you manage to make it to the 80′s with all ten fingers?

Graceland kitchen

When it comes to designing your new kitchen, lighting is THE most important ingredient. Things to consider: Natural light, recessed light, under counter light/under shelf light, over cabinet light and toe kick lighting. Now whether you decide to do all of them or not, at least choose three of those options. Recessed lighting gives you the overall general lighting necessary to SEE. Under cabinet and under shelf lighting prevents shadowing from the recessed cans, and provides you with important (no fingers were harmed during this remodel) task lighting. Over cabinet and toe-kick lighting are spectacular for entertaining and create a dreamy mood in your kitchen. Not to mention, they are wonderful nightlights to come home to.

Lighting

What are some challenges you have faced, or are currently up against with your kitchen design?

Heres a few more posts I recommend that may help you with your kitchen:

How to create dining space in your kitchen

6 known facts to help you out in the kitchen

5 things to update your dining table

How to build a lighting plan

Best ways to get organized

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

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images: Better homes and gardens, the kitchen, Design Sponge, DS, peta flop, sacramento street

5 tips for decorating a small space

Have you heard? The new trend in the housing market is no longer buying Mcmansions. Pocket sized homes are the hottest, big-thing to hit the housing market. As our economy struggles to get back on it’s feet, one lousy foot at a time, homeowners no longer have big house envy. Nope. People are scrambling to buy pocket sized homes, smaller than 800 square feet. Some even as small as 400 square feet. Gone are the days of being house poor. Homeowners want to live within their means, and live the bigger dream: being debt free! So how on earth do you decorate and luxuriate 400 square feet of space? Here are my top tips to show you how!

1) Mirrors

Mirrors

Your biggest weapon to make the space appear larger than it is! Also adds character and charm.

2) Use tone-on-tone colors

Soft tone on tone room

Through out the space, use tone-on-tone paints and fabrics in light colors. Keep base, walls, crown and ceiling paint in the same color, and vary the finishes. Matte for walls, satin for trim. The softer the palette the easier the room is to read, and the easier it is on the eyes. When working with a small space, it is important!

3) Laquer your floors.

Shiny floor

Lacquered floors

Whether they are wood, concrete or acrylic, paint or coat your floors in a high gloss sheen. It is reflective, and makes the space feel expansive.

4) Add skylights

Skylights

You just can’t go wrong with natural light….

5) Go big with less

go big in small spaces

Homeowners always assume that in a small space, their decorations should be small. Not true! Opt for larger pieces and less of them. Larger pieces, decorated in a simple, easy to read fashion, makes your space appear larger, and less cluttered. Always choose larger scaled items. You know my motto: GO BIG, OR GO HOME!

What are some of your favorite tricks?

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

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Harley decorations

I find that decorating with Harley’s is the perfect solution for decorating in small spaces, like live sculpture. So avant garde, and stuff. Puur-oew!

Think I’m awesome? Me too! Find me on facebook!

images: tumblr, twenty two avenue, #mce_temp_url#, creamy life, apartment therapy, jordinII

6 things you can do now for an instant home makeover, that won’t break the bank

So you have decided it’s time to decorate, or maybe redecorate your home. You are excited, overzealous about all the things you’re going to do, and you are equipped with all the necessary inspiration: the magazine clippings, the home shows set on your DVR and plenty of decorating books to boot. There’s no way you can fail! Then you realize how much one room will cost. Oh dear, you think, I was planning on doing the whole house! SO what can you do? Here are my top tips to get the biggest bang for your buck with the best impact.

1) First rule of thumb-dont try to do everything all at once!

Trying to do it all at once

One of the biggest mistakes most homeowners make, they try to do it all at once! Believe it or not, decorating your home is overwhelming. There are a lot of decisions that need to be made, it takes a lot of time, and it can get expensive. Instead of trying to do several rooms all at once, keep your sanity and do one room at a time. Trust me, when you do it slowly you have more focus and actually enjoy the process. It isn’t a race so take your time!

2) Paint-least expensive with the biggest punch

Paint

Designers and the like preach this over and over again. Paint is by far the most prolific tool we pocess. Why? Nothing can transform a room like a fresh, new coat of paint. Think about it. If your room was white and you paint it a deep eggplant, that has an immediate look that changes that space. Nothing can create mood, drama, and change better than paint. And if you are trying to keep things budget friendly, or simply test the waters, paint is the best improvement to start your decorating.

3) Moldings. Base, crown, and waincoting

Molding

Never underestimate the power of moldings! It can add instant sophistication and detail to a room. Molding is inexpensive, and easy to install. Designer tip: Many homeowners want to do their own moldings to save cash. But keep in mind that your resources are limited compared to a professionals. I alone have three molding companies in my back pocket, that provide beautiful moldings that few have ever seen! Not to mention I get terrific pricing on those materials. Most homeowners run to their nearest home improvement store to find their materials. While they have moldings to choose from, their selection are limited, and costly. I would also recommend hiring a professional to install them. My contractor can install a rooms molding in one day. If you are really short on cash and you are a terrific carpenter, then install it yourself. However, my experieince has seen that when a homeowner installs it, it turns into a month long project. One day of labor to hire a professional installer is much less than a months worth of your valuable time.

4) Move your furniture around

Repurpose and move furniture

Don’t stay married to your furniture arrangements. Mix things up! For some reason I find that clients can’t envision their sofa in the next room, or a chair from the living room placed in their bedroom sitting area. Tear everything up, place it in the center of the room and then rearrange everything in other parts of the house. It sounds scary, but I promise it creates a fresh and exciting look, without costing anything other than time!

5) Move art

AB HOME art

Like furniture, most of my clients hang their art on a wall and only envision it on that first wall it was ever hung on…until of course they move. Don’t feel like your art has to be stationary. Move it around. Like paint it is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to update your home, and give it an instant facelift!

6) Paint your cabinets

Painted cabinets

Don’t have the budget dollars to remodel? Update your kitchen by painting your cabinets. In the past three years I have had many clients opt for this update, instead of completely remodeling and gutting their kitchen. This is a great way to update, change and spend a third of the money a typical remodel would cost.

Harley

‘Scuse me! Why have I not been on the blog???? Hmmmm? I am the most important contributor to this space on the web!

Thats right, I am the best putty cat on the web. Damn straight! Find more of my awesomeness on facebook!

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

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images: flickr, design sponge, oh happy day, small shop studio, traditional home, quinntessence

Remodeling series-week 6

This week things started getting a bit sticky. Literally! It’s been very hot here in TN, and throw in the 70% humidity and you feel like you need to grow some gills to breathe. But as our remodel progresses so do the decisions that need to be made. Before I left on vacation the electrician accidentally poked a hole into the drywall going into the powder room. So now the powder room drywall, and wallpaper have to be stripped and repaired. This weeks hiccup number 1 to fix.

Along with that little mishap, we had a few other major decisions and re-decisions that needed to be made

1) The doors we picked out in week three:

Bathroom doors

I personally have opted for stained doors. The room will be predominately white, and sparkly so stained doors will ground the space. But the first reaction to this idea “absolutely not, we want them painted!” Which was perfectly OK. I can ground with other items….however, as we approach and pass week six, Mr. and Mrs. S cannot decide if they do in fact like the idea of painted doors, and they are now thinking that staining them is a good idea. The problem with this indecision is that it takes three to four weeks to mill a door. An additional week when they are customized with frosted glass. So remember this when you are about to remodel: Always have as many selections and decisions made UP FRONT, before the project starts, so construction is not delayed, and costs don’t escalate for days lost.

2) Also in week six, all tile products and tile designs were finalized. We started out with this:

Original idea and layout for tile

This is an example of my chicken scratch (shown above) that I typically do in the beginning stages of the project. This is to help give a direction for tile layout and selection, but also helps give the client an idea of overall design direction. I used to do very elaborate designs in the very beginning but found it to be counter productive. A design will typically morph into something bigger or change due to budget or availability of the product, so elaborate designs are saved until ALL decisions are made.

Tile I chose for the bathroom:

Marble

Tile, hiccup number 2: Tile was all in stock when Ritchie checked quantities three weeks ago…….when Ritchie placed his tile order on Friday the 12″ tile was backordered until August. To prevent further delays and force the entire project to stop, Ritchie wanted me to determine the solution. Did I mention that being an interior designer is all about being fast on your feet and solution oriented?? Well the company makes 12″ x 24″ tiles and those happened to be in stock. The problem? Well each and every piece has a beveled edge:

Beveled edge

So if we cut the tile in half…one edge is straight while the other three sides are beveled. In order for us to move forward the edge will have to be cut and beveled, each.and.every.piece! Yup, so this is going to slow us down and add to the labor cost. But if we were to wait until August to buy the material when it is available we would make up that cost in construction delays. It is what it is.

SO, you are all wondering, why didn’t we order the material three weeks ago? Too many things were undecided. Mrs S was still determining her vanity cabinet style, the marble slabs were not selected, the bathroom floor blue print was still not completed and the shower layout has changed three times. I have been on jobs that have done it both ways, (ordered ahead of time and at the time it is needed) and neither one is perfect. If you order the product up front you may: 1) end up with too much, 2) the design concept gets tweaked and requires something different, 3) not have enough by the time you start installing at which point the dye lot could change and the material looks distinctly different, 4) And the biggest of all issues, storage, where do you put all the product? But as with anything, when you wait to avoid the above issues, you get hit with a whole other set of issues….nothings perfect!

At any rate, the design has been tweaked to accommodate the available material and tile will start going down next week.

3) Drywall sanding and finishing

Drywall

Along with the items listed above, the drywall was taped, sanded and smoothed out for paint. If you’ll notice, the drywall has a funny gold color now. Ritchie always paints his drywall a dark color to ensure absolutely NO imperfections are visible. He is a perfectionist when it comes to walls, and he insists that his drywall guys SEE everything. So far no hiccups with the drywall…but it’s still the beginning of the week!

There you have it, week six in a nutshell. If you have been tuning in each week you’ll notice that we are heading into our second month swiftly and we are still doing major construction. This is important to know for all you first time remodelers. At this stage of the project homeowners are starting to get jaded, they question their decisions, and start getting frustrated because they still aren’t seeing results. Remodels are expensive, dirty and you have strange people coming and going out of your house. Six weeks is a long time, and although we are approaching the home stretch, we are not out of the woods yet! Trust your decisions, grab your second wind with gusto, and hang in there!

If you missed week one, click here.

If you missed week two, Click here

If you missed week three, click here

If you missed week four and five, click here

Have questions? See something that you want more clarification on? Send me your comments and let us know your thoughts. We will post questions and answers here on the blog.

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

Want more designer tricks, tips and trade secrets, delivered to your inbox, all for FREE? Click here for our monthly newsletter!

Interior Scale-2 ways to get it right

I have done many posts on scale and explained why it is important to our interiors. And if you have taken my Design strategies class, you know I put a lot of focus on this subject. You see, when it comes to decorating your home, scale is what creates harmony. Without harmony your home just feels off! Ever walked into a home and it just didn’t feel right…but you couldn’t quite put your finger on why?

Today I show some wonderful examples of beautiful rooms with poor scale, and awesome examples of how to correct it!

1) Lamps-this is MY BIGGEST pet peeve. Lamps should not be smaller than 30″. If your lamp is below your bed, side table, end table, etc….how the heck are you suppose to read? or see for that matter!?

Beautiful room, poor scale

So this is an example of poor scale (shown above)

Good scale

This is an example of good scale (shown above). This lamp is ABOVE the furniture setting and can be utilized to SEE!

2) Coffee tables-Pet peeve number 2! I cannot stand it when I see teensie-weensie cocktail tables in front of furniture arrangements. We walk around these peices to sit, so why would I want them to bite me in the process? Is there anything worse than getting shazzammed in the shin as you go to sit on the sofa? I think not! Stay away from the pint sized midget furniture.

Poor scale

Very, very poor scale (shown above). Too short, too small, too pointy! Screams ouch all the way around!

Proper scale

Great scale, soft corners, correct height and perfect scale with the over all room!

I have found that most people instinctually choose proper scale. Why? Becuase it feels better and more comfortable. As I mentioned above, when the scale is off it makes us uncomfortable, and looks funny. Where most people get themselves into trouble is when they blindly go into a store or shop through a catalog and buy something without measuring, and not taking into consideration their own room. Always measure what you are about to buy, and always keep in mind how that item will fit into YOUR room.

What is the most confusing thing about scale for you?

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

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images: digs, good girl gone glad, houzz, french by design

Posted: June 27, 2011 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: Before and after | Interiors | design | design 101 | design basics | design education | design tips | design tricks | accessories, accessories in cool springs, design 101, design basics in Brentwood tn, design education, design how-to, Home decor Nashville tn, how to buy accessories, how to buy decor, Interiors in brentwood TN, scale and proportion 4 Comments AB Homes Interiors Blog

Art 101-Why art is synonymous with a well lived life

According to wikipedia: Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects ones senses and intellect. As I often say here on this blog, interiors done well equal a true lifestyle. And what is a lifestyle? A home that inspires and influences your mood!

My biggest arsenal when decorating: ART. I.love.art! I cannot tell you what makes a piece special, or why one costs more than another, but I can tell you that art, like a well lived life, influences your mood, and emotions. Nothing can make a home more personal or special than the art that you put in it.

Case in point: Three years ago my hair stylist went to Alabama for a weekend get away with her three sons. Before this trip her and I had many, many conversations about interior design and art. “Why oh why does art need to be so expensive?” she’d say. “And why oh why would someone pay thousands of dollars for it?” “I just don’t get it!” she’d screech.

Well on this particular trip she found herself immersed in the art district (thanks in part to her eldest) and like fate, she was whacked in her flabby dabs by a sculpture that made her weep. Never had she experienced such emotion over what she’d declare as “an absurd blob, deemed as art for a ridiculous price”. Her three sons, 17,19,and 22 years of age had never seen their tough, single mother cry in such a way over “an absurd blob…deemed as expensive art.” Those boys worked out a deal with the art dealer and saved for an entire year to buy that sculpture and gave Tracy (mom) an absurd blob on Mothers day 2010.

To this day when I tell a client that very story my eyes well up with emotion. Not only did the sculpture bring her to tears before she owned it, but now knowing how important it was for her sons to buy that art for her, it means ten thousand times more to her now. Those three gentlemen not only negotiated a deal with the art dealer to make payments for a year, but worked as a team to save up $3800 for their mama to have something extraordinary! How many young men do you know that would do that?

Art may seem like an absurd amount of money. Or it may be completely reasonable. But have you ever cried in the middle of a Target because a pillow or vase was just too much? Or screeched with laughter in the middle of a Costco because you were so moved by their Starving artist plate series? Probably not. Genuine art moves us in ways that cannot be explained. And each piece speaks to all of us differently. What peaks my interest may put you to sleep. What is important about art that speaks your language is that living in a home that screams authenticity rather than HGTV, allows you to live your best life.

Every time Tracy passes, “Three Sons” (her blob named after her sons) in the entrance of her home, she cannot help but smile from ear to ear. When she is having a bad day she sits with it, and on a good day she speaks her praises to it. Art transcends and transforms you. Just like Music, it can completely change your life. And sorry ladies, but plastic ivy from Michael’s, or a cheap vase from TJMAXX can’t do that!

Art by Carl Plansky

This beautiful piece of art (shown above) from Carl Plansky, compliments of, Young House Love, is a beautiful display of using art correctly. So many homeowners feel that they have to put tons of stuff in a hallway to make it pretty. Beautiful, large art is the perfect compliment to add a splash of color, and interest. And I don’t know about you, but this piece would definitely elevate my mood!

AB HOME, October showhouse

In our most recent show house, this painting by Marabeth Quinn, brought this antique console to life. Paired with modern, turned-wood lamps, and a mirrored bar tray, the homeowners loved it so much they bought it!

AB HOME, Living green in green hills Show house

Here, in the Living green in Green Hills show house I placed this beautiful piece of art in our hallway to add a wonderful splash of color, interest and whimsy. This painting was such a success, Marabeth, the artist, got more attention and acclaim than anything I did with the interior. The interior designer, whO?? But as luck would have it, Marabeth and I became wonderfully close and this past April she and her husband decided to move to Hawaii and as a gift to our friendship she gave me her most famous trademark piece,”Wonder”, that now hangs in my conference room:

AB HOME Interiors

For three years I would randomly call her up and tell her the studio had been robbed and the only thing they took were her paintings. Of course it was a cheap effort to get a piece of her magic, and a quick giggle amongst friends…..although I was tempted many times to take one home to see if she would notice. My efforts finally paid off and I swear I go into the conference area all the time with Harley just because it makes me so freakin’ HAPPY!!

Your home should influence and uplift your mood. It should breathe every interest you have and show you off. Nothing does that better than Art. It doesn’t matter if Suzy down the street doesn’t agree with your selection. If that piece of Art changes your mood for the better, your day will be more productive and in harmony with your intent. That my friends is a lifestyle!

Do you have a favorite artist, or painting that you love?

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

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images: Young house love, AB HOME Interiors, AB HOME Designs, Amanda Burdge

Remodeling series-Week two

So if you are just tuning in, I have started posting a remodel in real time, to let you my readers see what a remodel is really like. I have done many remodels in my 12 years of business and I am still surprised at how many people do not fully understand the process. And that is OK. That is why I am posting this series. Where it becomes an issue is when you land in my office ready to get started, with “X” amount of dollars in your pocket and three weeks to spare. Remodels require a lot of money, time, and patience! Things inevitably go wrong, always, and the process is always slower and more expensive than people expect.

In week two, a new floor had to be put down, reinforced and walls had to be constructed.

1) Original floor, once old tile, had been pulled up and all plumbing ripped out.

Cleaned up floor

Original old floor

While floors and walls were being constructed and placed, we met with a plumber to determine plumbing placement, shower wall niche placement and met with the cabinet builder. We are having custom vanities made to look like furniture. Cabinet builder will have professional drawings to me this week that he drew from my chicken scratch. Here is the overall concept:

Custom cabinet

This will have to be modified because the vanities are separated. Hers will have drawers on both sides with sink in the middle, and his will have one bank of drawers on the right side and sink on the opposite side. This drawing above is from an antique chest of drawers I saw that I modified into a vanity. Paul the cabinet maker will actually make all this work. I do concepts and crazy ideas, my peeps around me make it happen.

2) New walls were constructed.

New shower wall

3) New floors were laid.

New floor

New floors

All in all a pretty good week, but not with out another hiccup. Kohler faucets that we were planning to reuse are completely corroded and brass fittings busted. Two new Kohler faucets, (the ones client wanted) will dent our budget $1200. An unexpected expense because we selected a more expensive tub thinking we had faucet dollars to spare!

Up next we will determine our lighting plan for master bedroom and master bathroom. I will need to completely space plan the bedroom to determine the best placement for lights, and the bedroom currently looks like this:

Current master bedroom

This is where working with a professional really saves you time and money. Most homeowners struggle with all the infinite details and decision making. It is very hard to see a bedroom like this, and envision a beautiful space three months down the road. Having a professional to get you to that light at the end of the tunnel, and help you make tough decisions is worth their weight in gold. Even if you do not want to work with a professional designer through out the whole process, hiring one to consult with you will really give you peace of mind, and help you sleep at night!

Here, I drew up a quick draft of the bedroom in CAD, so that the electrician and I could determine light placement over the bed. Having lights strategically placed over the bed, with dimmers, is a great way to have overall reading light, without disturbing your spouse. We have a preliminary switching plan of where all switches will be placed but nothing is set in stone until the furniture plan is drawn on the floor and the homeowner can walk the space.

Rough bedroom plan

So there you have it. If you missed week one, click here.

Have questions? See something that you want more clarification on? Send me your comments and let us know your thoughts. We will post questions and answers here on the blog.

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

Want more designer tricks, tips and trade secrets, delivered to your inbox, all for FREE? Click here for our monthly newsletter!

Posted: June 1, 2011 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: Interiors | architecture | bathrooms | design basics | design education | remodeling | amanda burdge bathroom design consultant, Amanda burdge interior design in Cool Springs, bathroom help, bathroom inspiration, decorator in cool springs, design tips, Nashville designer, remodeling, remodeling help in brentwood tn 16 Comments AB Homes Interiors Blog

Remodeling Series-The evolution of a master bedroom and bath

In my twelve years of doing business I have found that clients are always baffled about the remodeling process, and it’s associated costs. First, they never believe the budgets that are necessary to do what they are wanting to do, and second, the actual process of living in a make-shift environment for weeks at a time seems easy until you are living in it. And if you are prone to watching those decorating shows….you know who they are…..they misguide and mislead the homeowner into thinking it is a seamless, effortless undertaking, that happens in a short time (like an hour) and the results are amazing. The good news is the results ARE amazing! But the 6, 8, or 10 weeks of make-shift living, unexpected delays, unexpected problems, dirt, dust, and people coming and going out of your house at unthinkable hours, is never painless.

So in an effort to educate, and help those who are about to enter this process, I will post a remodel in real time so you can fully understand what a true remodel is like and how it really unfolds! And thanks to my lovely client, whom we will deem Mrs. S, has graciously allowed me into her home to take pictures of the good, the bad and the ugly!

1) Consultation to review project, (this occurred in March), Starting budget $35,000.

Existing hers vanity

Existing his vanity

Existing tub area

Existing shower

Existing bedroom and entrance to bathroom

So this is an introduction into this project. As I mentioned above the consultation occurred in March and demo started May 9th. From here on out, every Wednesday, I will post updated photos as the process unfolds, along with the hiccups, the unexpected’s, the think-on-our-feet-for-an-immediate-solutions, and of course the running numbers.

Have questions? See something that you want more clarification on? Send me your comments and let us know your thoughts. We will post questions and answers here on the blog.

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

Want more designer tricks, tips and trade secrets, delivered to your inbox, all for FREE? Click here for our monthly newsletter!

How to build a color palette

Pink blossoms

Storm clouds

Colorful animals...look close!

Green field

Waterfall

Blue butterflies

Field of Lavender

Clients ask me all the time how they should start a color plan for their home. One of the most inspiring and easiest ways to build a color palette is to research photos of nature. Ever wonder why certain color combos just feel…natural? God did it right the first time. Get inspired, nature provides us with so many options you will never feel limited. You may feel you need to go on a month long hiatus to see them in person, but just tell everyone it’s research…

Ready to get your room started? Contact us. We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state. Click here for more info!

Want more designer tricks, tips and trade secrets, delivered to your inbox, all for FREE? Click here for our monthly newsletter

Harley Cat

Yup, it’s true, God was thinking perfection when he made me. And who’s to say He’s wrong? I mean look at me!

Think I’m awesome? Me too! Find me on facebook!

images: Splendid willow, bighugelabs, flickr, blueberry blvd, widespread panic, devilduck

Posted: April 13, 2011 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: Interiors | clever ideas | color | color trends | design 101 | design education | Amanda burdge color consultant, color 101, color consultant cool springs, design education, how to build a color palette, how to choose paint, paint combos, paint combos that work 8 Comments AB Homes Interiors Blog

Organization-Clever tips and tricks

Well here we are already into April! I swear the older I get…well the older I get. But my point was more directed at the fact that I was just popping some fine bubbly for New Years and it is already April. I swear I will blink and the holidays will be three months away. happens. Every. Year!

1) Funnel your twine

Twine in a funnel

From the Queen herself, yes I am talking Martha Stewart, is little ingenious idea. For anyone who gardens, or crochets this could save a bundle of twine…heheh I mean time!

2) Toilet paper rolls

Toilet paper rolls

Compliments of Storage and glee, it just doesn’t get any simpler than this. An average household frees up a toilet paper roll every other day. In my office it’s everyday, and I thought they were just great toys for Harley! Use them to store cables efficiently and organized for easy access.

3) Flexible filing

Flexible filing

Anyone who has an office knows how quickly the paper monster takes over. This little system is brilliant. Hang anywhere, and like that foldy thing that goes in your closet, these stack neatly on the wall, on top of one another, and all you do is lift when you want a particular file. I think this would be great in a mudroom. Families are busy and this would be a great way to keep schedules, appointments and “life” organized. By wester village design.

Which is your favorite idea?

Harley

Yup, I’m pretty freakin’ awesome. I know this. SO why are you questioning me?

Want to know me better? Find me on facebook!

images: Storage and glee

Design Strategies 101 and Style Blueprint

We are very excited this Monday morning! And we think you will be too! We have teamed up with Styleblueprint, a wonderfully fresh Nashville blog, to bring you a special offer on our famously popular Design Strategies 101 course!

Design strategies 101

Style blueprint deal

For one day only, we will be offering our Design Strategies 101 class to 50 lucky individuals for an unprecedented $99!! So what the heck does that mean, and why are we so excited?

Design Strategies is geared to help you complete your home projects on time and on budget with easy tips, and simple organization. Our mission is to provide you, the homeowner, the necessary tools and expertise needed to complete the job on your own, with our easy to follow techniques.

Never shop without focus again. Stay on track, on budget and save time all while having fun. Now, that’s sounds pretty good, huh? We think so.

The StyleBlueprint Deal: The Best of the Best.

Highlights

Design Strategies 101

Today’s deal is for the DIY’er who wants an intensive course on home design to learn how to tackle their own design projects or cut back on their interior design bill.
AB Home holds boot camp design classes for professional home designers, but today’s deal is specifically for the homeowners themselves.
This 3-4 hour course will educate you on the design process and get your creative juices running!

Like doing your own home projects, but don’t know where to start? Tired of making costly mistakes and wasting valuable time? Let AB HOME teach you their award winning Design Strategies to help you achieve design success.

While this course is usually a 4 week intensive, meeting for 2-3 hours each week, today’s deal was specifically conceived for the busy StyleBlueprint woman – or guy!- and made into an intensive one day, 3-4 hour course, with several dates available. If you wish you could pick up classes at O’More College of Design or could spend days flipping through home decor magazines…. or, conversely, if you are simply lost when it comes to home decor, this is your chance to learn from the pro’s.

Design Strategies 101 is for the DIY’er who wants to learn top tips on how to plan for their next project efficiently and quickly. Learn how to:

1) get started
2) build a floor plan
3) budget
4) accessorize
5) And use color effectively and correctly

We are honored and excited to have been offered this opportunity to give you this incredible deal! If you want to learn easy to follow tips on home decor in one afternoon, then this is the class for you. Don’t miss out on this great offer. Quantities are limited, and when they are gone, there gone!

Click here to purchase your deal!

Harley kit kat

The best part of of this deal? You get to meet me for free! And I’m pretty awesome…

Posted: March 14, 2011 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: Interiors | design 101 | design basics | design education | design strategies 101 | designer bootcamp | brentwood tn consulting, design basics, design education, design mentorship, Design Strategies, Design strategies 101, interior design coaching in cool springs, interior design consulting, learn how to decorate, Learning design, learning in cool springs Leave a Comment AB Homes Interiors Blog

Savvy Collecting-Top Tips for Vintage Cocktail Shakers

Cocktail Shaker collection

For those of you who know me, and for those of you who don’t, my booze of choice is Vodka. It’s the kool aid with so many options it can be hard to decide what to drink next, and when your finished drinking you can simplify your cleaning habits, and maybe sneak a slurp or two! My drink of choice is an extra dirty Vodka martini, three olives, preferably with Grey Goose or Belvedere. Yes, I know there are stupidly expensive, supposedly more smooth than rain vodkas like, Crystal head vodka, by the blues brother himself, Dan Aykroyd. But a good quality Vodka shouldn’t cost more than $20-$30 bucks a bottle. However, anything below $10 bucks a bottle save your self the trouble, run to Target and buy yourself some rubbing alcohol. It’s cheaper and tastes about the same . Ok, obviously I am not condoning such ridiculous behavior but cheap Vodka feels like jet fuel down your throat. If you can’t afford the good stuff, wait until you can.

Crystal head vodka

Part of the allure and fun of drink making is the ritual of making the drink. Due to the resurgence of such drinks like the martini and the cosmopolitan, there has been a renewed curiosity with cocktail shakers. More importantly the revival of pre WWII cocktail shakers. The height of their decorative popularity was between WWI and WWII. However, when WWII began the heyday of the luxury item ceased and all metal went to the war effort, therefore they have become highly collectible!

1927 Lighthouse Cocktail shaker

This cocktail shaker shown above, from Cocktailshakers.com is made by International Silver Plate, and is one of the rarest cocktail shakers around. Mainly due to its enormous size, and it has been preserved in such magnificent condition it comes in at $23,900!

Manhattan cocktail shaker

Also by CocktailShakers.com, this shaker by Revere Bel Geddes is ca 1936. Pulling in a price tag of $3900, this set is highly collectible and equally rare because it includes the cups, which were only made between 1936 and 1940.

Instant Style that’s affordable:

Vintage cocktail shakers are a great way to add immediate style to your bar, and are a fun item to look for and collect. They are also very fun to incorporate into your decor. Many of them have sharp lines, energetic pops of color,and a spirited history. For those interested in collecting and thinking this sort of thing is out of your price range, not to worry. Many sets are available in the $150-$300 price range.

Commonly found Styles:

1) The Skyscraper

Vintage Cocktail shaker

Deemed the skyscraper for their unique sleek shapes, iconic asymmetrical spout and staggering height. Drink up!

2) Revere

Revere Cocktail Shaker

The epitome of Art Deco design many of W.A Weldon’s pieces were designed in the mid to late thirties. This iconic cocktail shaker is a great example of modern 1930′s American design. It was designed by William Archibald Welden in 1938 for the Revere Copper and Brass company.

3) Chase

Chase Cocktail shakers

Also during the Art Deco period in the mid to late thirties was the Chase Brass and Copper company. Their shakers were streamlined polished chrome and included Bakelite accents, jewel color and their iconic tops. While they made several shaker styles, this shaker shown above, to me, embodies THE chase cocktail shaker.

4) The Zeppelin

The Zeppelin Cocktail Shaker

The Zeppelin Cocktail shaker was introduced in 1928 with nickel plated body and gold inserts containing the following: four cups, one funnel, one strainer with juicer, cap and body, nose cone, decanter, tail and cover for sugar, cup & cover for dried fruit, muddler, and finally a cork screw. The zeppelin comes in many shapes, but always holds true to it’s iconic silver bullet style.

Tips for collecting:

Design-Look for whimsical and clever designs. The Zeppelin, a lighthouse, or a women’s leg are most valued amongst collectors. Anything with unusual shape and style
Manufacturers-Chase, International Silver, and Revere are known for their silver-plating. If you prefer glass look for shakers by Cambridge Glass, Hawkes Glass company or Hazel Atlas,( known for their cobalt blue glass.)
Pricing-Styles that were mass produced bear a lower price tag for collectors. These pieces can be picked up for less than $200 while rarer finds by designers like Geddes or Russel Wright can run into the thousands. (hence the $23K price tag of the lighthouse)

What to avoid:

Avoid pieces with dents, scratches and flakes. Major damage will lower the value and will not appreciate in value.
Examine a glass shaker closely for any major chips, cracks or scratches
Color-The more brilliant the color the higher the value. Look for bright, clear colors for glass. For instance cobalt blue was the hardest to produce and therefore commands the highest price tag.
Reproductions-Be sure the piece you are buying is authentic. Get to know the shakers you love. Learn their history and do your homework before you purchase. Most shakers have patent numbers, manufacturer inscriptions or stamps.

Vintage cocktail hour

Where to buy:

Having an afternoon toddy was a favorite past time of many Americans during the 30′s, 40′s and 50′s. It was considered an entertaining essential to all get together’s. For this reason the cocktail shaker is fairly easy to find. Antique malls, flea markets, swap meets and places like Ebay.com, Cocktailshakers.com and 1stdibs.com are excellent online resources. And you will never have more fun than looking for one, and when you find a set that sings to you, you’ll be hooked!

Great recipes from AB HOME that we recommend, to shake it up!

French 75 cocktail

Pineapple Mint Julep

Orange blossom cocktail

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Harley the Kit Kat

“Yea, I don’t need a cocktail to get my shake on, it just comes naturally.”

Think I’m awesome? Me too! Find me on facebook!

images: flickr, james allen,Cocktail shakers, 1st dibs, Art knowledge, Space modern, Southern accents

Content research: Stephen Viskay

The ultimate guide to purchasing a toilet

The Nebulous Kingdom from etsy

Every time I remodel a bathroom the conversation always stops at the toilet. I will easily and swiftly choose your tile, counters, floors, faucets, sinks, even your towels, but my selections stop at the toilet. Why? Well in my opinion the toilet area is a sacred space. I really don’t care to share your bowl size. Nor do I care to know if you need a one piece or two. What you do with your giggly bits is entirely up to you. It is a space of quiet, and intimate vulnerability that is as individual as nature itself. Me selecting your toilet is essentially like me telling you the kind of undergarments you should wear without knowing the proper sizes.

Toilet exposure in Switzerland

Time and time again I have been in the position to make such a decision. Unfortunately my dear mavens, I find the water closet a highly classified place of business. Therefore, it is my duty to educate and share my knowledge, letting you make the decision that is right for you and your snicker doodles.

The toilet

So how do you pick the right one?

Just like the egotistic wallstreet tycoon, the toilet with the most appeal is faster, more powerful and quiet while destroying everything around it. When selecting a toilet here are a few factors that you should keep in mind, before you make a selection.

Top 10 amenities in a toilet:

1) Comfort. Many are available in comfort height. What does that mean? The toilet is close to the height of a chair so you expend less energy seating and getting back up. Can I insert this into general life?

2) Style-A toilet is not an American patron of consumerism without options. Skirts, traps, seats, trip levers…all available to customize to suit your needs and desires.

3) Bowl shape-Do you prefer round or elongated? How much room do you have? Elongated bowls are more comfortable but space can be an issue so you can choose compact elongated.

4) Performance-From Double cyclone from toto, to Kohlers Class five technology, every manufacturer has options galore when it comes to flushing performance and hygiene.

5) Water conservation-Most toilets now use less water by incorporating larger flush valves and larger trapways. This ensures less clogs for less water use.

6) Noise-Ever been woke up at three am by the gurgling airplane sounding vacuum? And then been unable to sleep as the tank fills with water for what seems like 10 years? New toilets don’t do that!

7) 1 peice or 2-One piece toilets are just as they sound. Their tank is not separate. Performance is the same as a two piece, but word on the street is a one piece is less likely to leak and is more hygienic.

Efficiency-Most toilets now use less water. But thanks to the EPA’s water sense program, manufacturers are trying to outdo themselves by manufacturing HET toilets. A.K.A. High efficiency toilets. Less water, better performance

9) Concealed or exposed trap-Concelaed traps feature a smooth surface at the back of the toilet rather than an open area. Easier to clean and also adds to the design element.

10) Color-Companies like Kohler have 35 colors to choose from. What is America without the choice of an orange or pink toilet option!

My top three manufacturer that I recommend for toilets are Kohler, American Standard and Toto. The average toilet costs between $300-$800. Each bell and whistle you add makes the price go up. Also keep in mind that the more efficient toilets can be more dollars and that is not a decision that should be taken lightly. If you are in the market for a new toilet the one amenity that should be kept on the table is water conservation. The average toilet from twenty years ago flushed (wasted) FIVE gallons of water PER flush. You know that water cooler at the office? One of those every time you flush. Now imagine an office of ten people, twenty people or fifty people flushing on average four times an hour. An average family of four using an old toilet will flush 300-400 gallons of water PER DAY!!

All three of the listed manufacturers above offer a toilet with Water Sense, the EPA’s seal of water conservation, stamped approval. They have a fancy little blue and green sticker that signifies water conservation. What does that mean exactly? In comparison to the above mentioned five gallons per flush, most toilets today have higher performance with an impressive 1.28 to 1.6 gallons per flush. And many manufacturers offer dual flush technology. Dual flush means one flush is for the down and dirty, (using up 1.28/1.6 gallons of water) while the latter uses .9 gallons of water. (My flush of choice since I pee like fifty times a day!)

Dual flush technology

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Harley cat

I don’t like it when you talk about my giggly bits that way……I may decide to ignore you as soon as I get what I want.

Think I’m awesome? Me too! Find me on facebook!

Images: The nebulous kingdom, the money pitt, fwd emails

Posted: February 25, 2011 by Amanda Gates |Filed Under: Interiors | bathrooms | design 101 | design education | design tips | design tricks | Bathrooms, guest bathroom, guide to toilets, How to purchase a toilet, master bathroom, toilet how-to's, toilet style, toilet tips, toilet trends, toilets, top 10 in toilets 6 Comments AB Homes Interiors Blog

Design, creativity, and the ugly truth about the furnishings business

Musings of a frustrated designer

Instead of saving lives I chose to save homes and marriages. Although not as respected as becoming a doctor, being a designer has given me my fair share of deserving street cred. Had you asked me 12 years ago when I graduated from design school what that meant, I guarantee you my answer would be entirely different than it turned out to be. I had no idea when I left campus on that fateful day that instead of being surrounded in pretty fabrics and paint all day, I instead would have business management in my future with violence, frauds and theives…OK, so that may be a stretch in the truth, but only now, four interns, two assistants, and a full fledge design business later am I realizing that in order to run a successful firm, you have to have your head on straight, and be prepared for the worst. Turns out I am cut out to work with violence, frauds and thieves only mine come in the disguise of trucking companies and vendors. And don’t put it past me to get violent, with a serious take no prisoners attitude of GSD (get shit done), just because I’m a designer (A.K.A mythical, magical creature of make-beleive)

Thinking=Solutions

Every job that I have worked on has taught me something new and design is no different. It is an ever evolving business, filled with creativity, magic and chaos. To transform a space from ordinary to extraordinary makes my heart skip a beat. To see a clients excitement over a room they could never imagine is purely captivating and joyous. But in order to get to that point we need to back up. We need to rewind to the beginning because in order to get to that magic, we need to go deep into the bellows of the furniture business.

Working with a designer opens you up to lines of accessories, custom trades and furniture that you may otherwise not have access to. We have the ability to take your home to the next level of “wow!” What most homeowners don’t know is that they have a lot of talent of their own. Everyone we work with dictates how the project will unfold. They all have unbeleivable vision and untapped creativity. We act merely as a guidance counselor to edit, direct, and help you make the best design decisions to achieve the best result. But in order to make that happen we must work with trucking companies, trades and vendors. So what does that mean exactly?

1) Vendors

AB HOME Interiors

Every designer has a plethora of vendors, and trades they use to get a job done. Vendors are merely the suppliers we get our products from. Whether they supply us with a product of furniture, or an accessory, we rely heavily on these unique sources to provide us with one-of-a-kind product. Some are vendors we use on a regular basis and some are used only once for a special job application. In either instance, designers play a key role in getting a vendors products seen, and showcasing it in a way that is creative and unique.

Unfortunately, not all vendors see the importance that designers play in showcasing their products. At the end of their day it is about the dollars they earn, and we become a thorn in their side when issues arise. Due to the nature of this aspect of the business I choose my vendors very carefully. If I spec a product for a client they know that I have given that product my seal of approval. Most of my vendors are ones I have used for 10 years and every once in a blue moon something is bound to happen. But due to my relationships, those vendors bend over backwards to accommodate my clients and make sure the product and client are taken care of immediately.

So remember when you are working with your designer, it takes a lot of orchestration and project management (that most clients never see) to coordinate all the little pieces to your room. Their design fee may seem high, but be mindful that your designer is your biggest cheerleader and they are handling all the minute details so you don’t have to. That salesman at the furniture store will never take care of you like your designer does, and the designers relationships with their vendors are what save you from endless hassles when issues arise.

2) Lead times

Waiting......

Once you have signed off on the plan your designer has presented you, the furniture from the vendors is ordered. After each order is placed, the vendor acknowledgment is received within a week. It basically acknowledges that they have your order and they provide a preliminary lead time, or expected time of delivery. Depending on the vendor, a lead time can be anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months. This is where things start getting harry on our end and we start working overtime in the office.

Based on the general lead times that we receive we try to determine an install date. Rarely do we get this right. Why? Because our vendors get shifty. The chair frame that was in stock last week when we called….no longer available. Aliens fell from the sky, tipped the mexican boat and the frames got wet in Marshmallows. huh? Long story short, pick a new chair. Then we pick a new chair, and find out the mill in Italy got bombed with meatballs, the mermaids went on strike and now the turtles have no shoes. huh? Long story short, pick a new fabric.

Now this doesn’t go on with all the vendors, nor all the items you order. But crazier things have been known to happen and I don’t put anything past the person on the other side of the telephone line…..I have heard it ALL!!! It’s our job to manage, orchestrate and swim through the bullshit so we get your product on our dock in a timely manner or estimated lead time.

3) Trucking companies

Trucking companies

After we dig through the meatballs and marshmallows and the items are complete, it is time for them to ship. We are three quarters of the way done, however, nothing makes me twitch more than the trucking companies. . When an item is oversized and a company like UPS cannot ship it, it is considered freight. (Just another term for oversized shipping thats also heavy.) This is where all hell breaks loose. Trucking companies pick up the items from the vendors and transport it to the designer. However, that truck that has your item or items also has 45 other items going to 45 other locations. So what does that mean? Well that means the truck driver now has your item in his hands for the next 10-15 days, and if he’s having a very bad day in the hot sun, a very cold day in -2 degrees, or your not there to collect at 6:30 in the morning ( despite setting an 11am-3pm delivery window with him) let’s just say your items can be 10-15 days in the hands of hell.

As designers it is our job to act as managers and buffers for the job and to our client but when the trucking companies provide constant false information (that we give to our clients) we begin to look like incompetent idiot’s. This is the part of the job I hate. Relaying information to a client only to find out it wasn’t correct in the first place, drives me crazy! We do everything we can at my firm to buffer the bullshit, but we can’t always win. It can be a very helpless feeling knowing you are doing everything possible to expedite something only to have their shortcomings fall onto the designer’s responsibility to the client. Oh how I loathe trucking companies. And there is nothing we can do about it. Nothing. If your item is in California and shipping to Tennessee, it’s bound to have damage. And this is partly the vendors fault. Most items are not crated properly, so that 10-15 days of hell takes it’s toll on a poorly packaged product. With the millions of dollars spent each year on furnishings I still cannot comprehend why furniture shipping has not been prepped for the hell that trucking companies put it through.

All freight is generally priced in addition to the cost of the item you purchase. So when you see parentheses in the pottery barn catalog next to the sofa you are about to order ($150) that means the $1899 sofa will have an additional freight charge of $150 to get it to you.

4) Trades

Trades

Trades are the lifeline to a designers creativity. They are the ones that make it all happen. We come up with a crazy idea, or concept and their skill and ability turns our pipe dream into reality. Most of them think designers are crazy, and may even cringe when we arrive at the job, but we challenge their capacity to build, craft, paint, upholster, cut, form, assemble, develop and install our master piece. Without them our designs would never make it out of the concept stage. But like all the pieces to the overall puzzle, trades can be difficult. Don’t ever pay a trade before a job is complete. And if your job is in or around a holiday, be conscious of the fact that you may not have work being done in a timely manner. As one trade said to me after the 4th of July holiday a few years ago, “I’m so sorry Miss Amanda, I know I was suppose to be there Tuesday, but my 4th ran into my fifth and here it is the 7th, you understand, right?”. Um, what? That doesn’t even make sense! So yes, you may cringe when the designer shows up, but running and scheduling a job of trades makes a circus look easy. And keep in mind that if one trade falls short, the next ten trades can’t start their job. So if your drywall installer is scheduled for Friday but the electrician fails to show up on Monday, guess what? No drywall.

AB HOME Studios

Interior design is a beautiful thing. It transforms lives. I have seen it time and time again. When a person lives in a home that is not attractive, disorganized and beat up, the homeowner feels the same way. But give them a beautiful home, and surround them with comfort, color and simple luxuries and the entire atmosphere uplifts their mood. Think about how you feel when you leave your home and the bed is messed up, dirty dishes are in the sink, piles of laundry are on the floor and you loathe that 1960′s kitchen you have. That energy you put out effects your mood and reflects on your day to the world. Rewind yourself into a home with beautiful linens on a freshly made bed, a beautiful crisp, clean kitchen, an organized laundry room, and a living space that makes you sing. How do you think you would feel each day when you left and came home to that house? Purty darn good!

Yes, Interior design is a beautiful thing. But there is no pixie dust, or magic wands. There are no magical elves or leprechauns (that HGTV seems to possess) to put it all together . And there are no glamorous yet thunderous Tony Sopranos in our back pocket to threaten and exterminate unscrupulous trades, and trucking companies. ( although I wish there was!) There are only interior designers, mystical, creative, creatures; the thing legends are made of. As I said here in this post,

AB HOME Studios

“It takes great talent, consideration, and organization to do what we do, and it is a business. Our time is valuable, and our ideas are our enterprise. We do what we do because we love it, and the creativity keeps us alive. But remember that the intellectual property that we hold is not just for good merit. What exactly is it that we do, you ask? We are entrepreneurial tycoons, organizing and dealing our trades, multi-tasking design ninjas, that hustle on your behalf to twist, tweak and skillfully accomplish with absolute expertise ~ design magic! So that when you start your day, and end your day, there is a smile on your face because your home makes you genuinely happy!”

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Images: found, flickr, one love, luxurious life, ditte isager

Cleaning 101: How to clean in record time

I hate cleaning and as a child I always daydreamed of adulthood. It would bestow upon me no responsibility, reckless abandonment, and a carefree lifestyle. As an adult I could do whatever I want…

Fast forward seventeen years and now I daydream of being a kid again doing little to no chores and stressing about whether Shane B. from the football team really likes me.

Cleaning is awful, but we have to do it. Well actually you don’t have to do anything, but when I come to your house and it’s clean, I really do appreciate it! Not to mention a clean house lessons your stress load, and lifts your mood. Think about it. When you leave the house in a hurry and forget to make the bed, clean the dishes and pick up your clothes, what do you come home to at the end of the day? Chaos. And when it’s a bad day, the last thing you need is more chaos! Here are my top tips to lighten the load and make it a breeze to do.

Source

1) Stay focused

This has got to be the best tip I have and if you take my advice on this, you will save an hour. I am about as ADD as they come. I start to pick up and straighten the house and five hours later I have accomplished nothing and started 20 different tasks. Get out the kitchen timer. Write down all the things that need to be done in a weeks time. Break it down into two to three items at 30 minutes tops a day. Knowing that the timer is going will keep you going, and the list will keep you focused.

2) Flash Cards

I learned this trick years ago and still use it today. Keep 7 flash cards for all the chores that need to be done in a week for your home. Limit 2-4 chores per card. Keep the flash cards in a recipe box, junk drawer or cupboard. Randomly pick out a card each day. Whatever the chores are on the card is what gets done that day. Set your timer (preferably 30 minutes) for the flash card pulled. Once those chores are complete separate that card from the rest of the chores that have not been done for that week. This keeps chores manageable, and not so routine. Sometimes I vacuum on Tuesday’s and sometimes is gets done on Saturday.

Source

3) Straightening up

Keep baskets, or attractive tubs around the house that are labeled or distinctive in some fashion. For example, keep baskets at the top and bottom of stairs, if items need to be taken upstairs they can be thrown into the baskets and hauled upstairs when someone uses them or vice versa. Also, keep baskets or tubs in various rooms for quick clean up. Toys, magazines, and misc items can be quickly thrown into them to organize and straighten up a room until you have time to distribute the items to their original location.

4) Lint rollers

Like Vodka, these little guys are multitaskers. They can quickly clean upholstery, lamp shades, headboards and chair cushions at record speeds. They are great at quickly rolling over placemats if you don’t have time to wash them.

Handheld Vacuums
Invest in the best you can afford because these are perfect for in between cleans. They can quickly pick up crumbs, dust bunnies, little messes and allow you to go longer without the big mammoth vacuum.

Source

5) Newspapers

Get out the cheap Vodka and wipe down all your counters and glass surfaces with newspapers. It is the greenest way to clean possible, cheap, and won’t leave streaks!

Baking Soda
Whatever the Vodka can’t clean the baking soda will take care of. Mixed with water it has the necessary grit to scrub anything clean, but is gentle enough to not harm hands, pets or kids. It is also a green product and wont hurt the environment!

Unfortunately it is a part of adulthood no one ever told us about. I was under the elusion that it meant eating ice cream for breakfast, pancakes for dinner and staying up till 3am just because I felt like it. And while I can do all those things, no one told me I’d have to clean up the messes I made at 3am. ( the pancake syrup really sticks if it isn’t cleaned up right away!)

‘If you want to see me, come on over. If you want to see my house, call ahead.’”

Melissa Taylor, Denver, Colorado

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