I started doing yoga over a year ago. At the time I had not worked out in over five months and that little voice within me was really kicking in, wreaking havoc on my thoughts, especially when I went straight for the fries and cakes, instead of the salad. I had done yoga before but wasn’t really impressed. However, prior to my five month lapse I had been working out consistently at a gym for six straight years; and frankly I didn’t want to see another treadmill or bench press again. No longer hiding in sweaters, as I walked to the pool I was really beginning to see those tasty cakes and fries taking shape on my……insert imagination here.

yogi jessi

I can’t tell you why I ended up in a yoga studio, but I can tell you I wanted a different experience than the gym. And I am also very lazy when it comes to things outside of work so if it’s convenient even by one mile I’m sold! I decided to start doing bikram hot yoga. It’s miserable, really. For an hour and a half you flow through 26 asanas in a room that averages 110 degrees at 60% humidity. Many of the poses are based on your own body weight which helps build strength,and even breath. While my goal was to loose those extra “cakes and fries” there was something else I was loosing too, my emotions.

Core power yoga

Recently I added flow vinyassa yoga to my practice. Not only does it combine meditation within the practice but it is much faster paced and focuses on breath and chakras. Every time I would get into childs pose or the instructor would guide us to our heart center my emotions would bubble up within me. “Why on earth is this happening? What is wrong with me? Am I loosing my mind?” Well a few days ago Yoga Journal released a wonderful article on this very thing. According to Joan Harrigan, Ph.D:

“Yoga is not merely an athletic system; it is a spiritual system. The asanas are designed to affect the subtle body for the purpose of spiritual transformation. People enter into the practice of yoga asana for physical fitness or physical health, or even because they’ve heard it’s good for relaxation, but ultimately the purpose of yoga practice is spiritual development.”

“This development depends on breaking through places in the subtle body that are blocked with unresolved issues and energy. “Anytime you work with the body, you are also working with the mind and the energy system—which is the bridge between body and mind,” Harrigan explains. And since that means working with emotions, emotional breakthroughs can be seen as markers of progress on the road to personal and spiritual growth.” Read article here

Bikram has been my Everest. Some days I can get half way up the mountain and others days I barely get across the lowlands. Vinyassa however has been a great addition, and I consider it to be my Grand Canyon. Sure there are difficult parts but there is so much beauty and enjoyment in it I hardly notice that I am doing 400 push-ups, and it has really allowed me to tap into those subtle energies for spiritual growth.

Have you tried yoga?

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Design Steps to a More Productive & Profitable Office, register HERE

I am excited to announce some of our upcoming events here at AB HOME Interiors. Mind you, it took about five takes to make this video and I am beginning to think it would have been faster to type it…but my coach keeps telling me y’all prefer video. So for all of those that would rather SEE and HEAR me in person, this is for you!

Want more designer tricks, tips and trade secrets, delivered to your inbox, all for FREE? Click here for our monthly newsletter, and receive our top tips on “How to accessorize and where to shop!”

And don’t forget to register for my upcoming teleclass: 3 Steps to a More Productive and Profitable office. Register HERE

Find out more about Virtual Interior Design HERE

For more information feel free to contact my team here

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While color is the predominant hiccup for most of my clients, Style is definitely number two. Where do you find it? How do you get it? And is it something you buy off a shelf, or innately own?

Well it can be both but it is typically something you innately own. In order to get style you have to know what you like, and that doesn’t include the entire store. Most of my clients that I work with struggle with editing, because they like everything. Don’t worry your not alone, I like everything too, but I am an expert at editing in order to get the desired look.

Before you start putting down your hard earned dollars you first need to know what that style is, and how to edit it for the desired look you want. Take stock of what you already own. What do love, and what are so-so pieces that you don’t want defining that space? Next is color, which one is predominant in your space? Do you like it, or was it the color you picked out ten years ago before you were married and had kids? It’s important to remember that we evolve as we get older and our style and tastes change. Edit accordingly and allow your space to evolve with you.

Style

My tips to get the best style for your home:

1) Never buy suites of furniture that match. Allow your collection to grow and mix it up.

2) Mix colors to keep the style interesting and aeclectic

3) Buy the best you can afford. Quality is the study and appreciation of Style, Quantity is a vapid attempt at unattractive kitsch, (that makes it look like you’ve tried too hard!) so know the difference before you buy.

What is your style?

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Image: Stylebyemilyhenderson.com

AB HOME Interiors has been offering online design for over two years but after reviewing our survey from a week ago, we discovered that a majority of our readers don’t necessarily need detailed design plans, but rather prefer quick and easy phone consultations to get their design questions answered now.

AB HOME Interiors

You asked and we responded! Starting Monday February 6th I will  start offering phone consultations to help you choose the right paint, position your furniture correctly, make the right purchases and get you going in the right direction on your design project! And to show my appreciation I will be offering  *phone consultations for $197, roughly 35% off until February 29th! After that they will be $300. For more information or to book your appointment now, please contact Katie @ info@abhomeinteriors.com. Look forward to working with all of you!

* All consultations will be 45 minutes to one hour. Phone consults will be recorded and sent to you within 24-48 hours. Phone consultations will also include an email action sheet and a conversation wrap-up. AB HOME Interiors accepts all major credit cards.

The very convenient truth about our carbon footprint is that each and every one of us have the ability to make an impact. For years the task at hand seemed daunting to me. How on earth (pun intended, Har!) can I make a difference? After watching Al Gore preach to us about Global Warming, and celebrities running in flocks to trade in their 911’s for more efficient options, I wasn’t sure I wanted to join the revolution. Seriously, it was just too much work…. or is it?

Recycle and reuse

We are all busy people, but if we just stop and take stock in the little things, WE CAN make a difference. National Geographic recently published that there is now 7 billion people on the planet. If 10% of that population makes a few conscious decisions every day we can reduce our carbon footprint, and imagine if 25% of that population participated! Think you can’t do it? Try these 12 EASY things around your home over the next thirty days and join in the revolution….it’s fun, you’ll see!

The EASY 12 step eco-home plan

Turn off your lights

1) Turn off the lights-if you leave a room, turn off the lights. During the day, utilize as much natural light as possible and forgo artificial.

2) Vampire energy- Random cords plugged in all over the house charging NOTHING. (Computer plugs, cell phone chargers, drills, iPods…any wireless device that requires a recharge) All those cords that charge stuff shouldn’t be plugged in when they are not CHARGING.

Post consumer

3) Recycled-Buy products that contain post consumer product. Bottles, egg cartons, toilet paper, general packaging, cat litter etc. Most of us visit a grocery store at least twice a month, make a conscious effort to buy at least three items with reused or repurposed material.

4) Reuse newspaper- Use it in compost, for cleaning, burn in the fire, packaging, or combine with cat litter.

Homemade

5) Gifts-Most of us have at least 5 events each year for celebration. The average household has 15. In stead of buying a NEW product as a gift, give the gift of something homemade, secondhand or antique. In order to make true change the supply and demand chain needs to shift. Stop the insane media driven consumerism.

6) Toilets-Put a brick or two filled water bottles in every toilet tank in your home to reduce your water consumption footprint. The average person uses 15-20 gallons of water per day, the average household uses 50-60. Imagine removing the trap under your kitchen sink and having to remove a 3 gallon bucket every time it was full…..you’d be running out to the garden 5-10 times a day.

Showering 1 minute less

7) Showering-Make it a point to shower 1 minute less or more. Put a clock in your bathroom for a week and determine how long you typically bathe. A 10 minute shower wastes 5-8 gallons of water. Think of how much you could save by cutting off an entire minute, and you will save on your water bill.

Printing-Instead of printing every single piece of paper, consider putting the info on a file in your computer. Temporary things like hotel confirmations and flight itineraries can be stored in your phone. If printing is absolutely necessary, reuse and recycle the paper.

Made from scratch

9) Make from scratch-Instead of buying harsh commercial cleaners, make your own at home. They are safer for the occupants and gentler on the environment. Remember, your soaps, detergents and scrubs all go down the drain into our water supply and get absorbed by our earth.

10) Buy local and buy organic-If our food travels an average of 12,000 miles to get to your local grocery store think of the fuel, crude oil, and resources necessary to make that happen. If the farmer down the road has the same product it is a much healthier option for you and the environment…and probably tastes better too!!

Use rags not paper

11) Paper towels-Instead of using 20 paper towels a day, recycle old t-shirts, rags, socks or buy some from a thrift store. Rags can be used over and over and can easily be rinsed in the sink, or thrown in with the laundry without producing a ton of waste.

12) Reuse containers-Instead of buying more containers (media driven consumerism), reuse milk jugs, wine bottles, sour cream containers, egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, jelly jars etc…get creative! A gentleman in my yoga class uses a recycled/repurposed wine jug to bring water to class. Whatever it is use what you got!

Have a great green idea? Share some of your great tips, and I will feature them here on the blog!

Ready to get your room started? Need some help? 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: Ab home interiors, blogging america

Household odors

In the past twenty years consumers have been inundated from shiny, media-driven ad campaigns, to FEAR odors. I guarantee if you sit down and watch 30 minutes of TV, you will see everything from odor controlling garbage bags, aerosol room sprays, to contraptions that emit froo froo smells every time it senses movement. The ads are intriguing and meant to play on all sorts of emotions-A HAPPY home smells good, A well organized home isn’t complete without vanilla apples, (and my favorite,) What must your neighbors think! So for 25 seconds you watch an over joyed housewife running through the bedrooms, to family rooms destroying all evil odors.

Air fresheners

What most of you don’t realize is these marketing gurus are carving out a money train, putting the fear of odor in your brain, that must be replenished every thirty to sixty days, Cha-Ching! Kinda like those prescription drug ads: Does your house have dirty socks? How about a trash can? Does your kitchen smell like food?….OMG! They are talking about me, I have that! So you run out and buy up every apple cinnamon air freshener on the shelf. The good news is your home will now smell like cinnamon apple dirty socks, and kitchen trash! yummmm!

Commercial air fresheners are toxic. They contaminate the air and have major health hazards thanks to petroleum distillates, chlorinated hydrocarbons, ketones and other dangerous solvents. Some will deaden unwanted odors but as Carla Emery states in her book, Country Living, “most are designed to deal with you.” Air fresheners basically mask natural odors by overpowering them with highly concentrated commercial chemicals, or worse designed to COAT your nasal passages with an oily film to impair your ability to smell. Some even consist of nerve-deadening agents called phthalates, that attack your nasal passages so you may not be able to smell that cat box, but your guests can. Phthalates are starting to be phased out of the US and Canada thanks to birth defects, infertility and being carcinogenic. Not to mention the Center for Disease Control did a test on numerous women of child bearing age and found 7 different types of phthalates in their urine….but that was in 2006 and you can still buy apple cinnamon and a myriad of other flavors at your local market.

The Solution:

Instead of buying the commercially driven, air freshener death wish, opt for a homemade, DIY, environmentally safe option instead.

Air freshener alternative

What you’ll need:

1C vodka or isopropyl alcohol

1C water

1 Spray bottle

essential oil or oils of your preference

I always make my DIY linen and room sprays with vodka because it is one of the most prevalent ingredients at the AB HOME office, and at home…but isopropyl alcohol works too! In a large container mix all the ingredients together and add in your essential oils last. Gently shake or stir the ingredients. With a funnel pour what you’ll need into a small 2 or 3 oz bottle and keep the remainder in an air tight container in a dry cool place. Will keep up to two years if stored properly.

Simple and easy to make, safe for you and the environment.

images: Debbie Atwood, Time health,

Things you'll need

One of my biggest pet peeves is a clogged drain. I can’t decide if it’s because the Loch ness monster lives there, or the fact that I have to fix it and I forget like a cagillian times to do it. You know what I am talking about. You use the shower treading in 3″ of water and you are certain it will get fixed TODAY! No one wants the Loch ness monster nibbling on their toes while they are showering……(or maybe you do), but not me! But like everything else in our lives five hundred things happen and on the next day what are you doing? Treading in 3″ of water… again.

Here is one of my favorite homemade DIY drain cleaners. It is safe for the environment and the dry ingredients can be premixed and kept under the sink. Super easy and super fun to hear it fiz….that means it’s working!

DIY drain cleaner Recipe:

1C baking soda

1C basic table salt

1/2c Vinegar

1/2 c lemon juice if you have it

Pour baking soda, salt and vinegar down the drain. Let sit for about 15 minutes. If you have it, pour lemon juice down about 5 minutes after the three main ingredients. Let sit and then pour 2C scolding hot water down the drain to complete.

Another DIY solution to fix that clogged drain is good ol’ vinegar. If you don’t have the other ingredients, vinegar will often do the trick on a small clog. Do you have a great DIY recipe? Share it with us, we’d love to hear from you!

Ready to get your room started? Need some help? 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!

Todays post is brought to you by Jessica Phan from Balsam Hill, a high-end manufacturer of Christmas trees. Jessica is out of San Francisco and just before the holidays got into high gear I had one question for her: What do we do with all these beautiful porches come January? I mean let’s face it, even the grinch can get into the spirit of throwing a pumpkin next to his front door. But after all the festivities are over, and the decorations torn down, does that mean our porches go naked until next December? Here are Jessica’s tips to decorate your front porch even after the holidays are over.

Winter Front Porch

Inspiring and Welcoming Winter Front Porches

Winter is a wonderful time of the year to celebrate a bountiful harvest and to showcase your design creativity. While there are many places around the home to decorate with the beauty of Winter, the front porch is the first (and perhaps, only) place that creates a lasting impression upon visitors. Decorating the front porch for the Winter can be a tricky proposition, but you can elicit oohs and aahs from your guests with these simple do’s and don’ts.

DO: Prepare your front porch for a make-over.

The front porch gets plenty of traffic all year long. Make sure your porch is always clean by sweeping away debris from the floor and steps. You can also use one-part cleaning solution mixed with three-part warm water to scrub your porch floor clean. For wooden floors, consider using mild soap or an oil-based cleaning solution to retain the natural beauty of wood.

DON’T: Decorate only for the Holidays.

Fall and Winter is associated with “porch decorating”. While the iconic pumpkin is a fantastic decorating piece and a default that many homeowners use, opt for decor that is festive for the time of year but also compliments the style and decoration of your home.

You can also transition your fall decor into winter by adding sculptural items like pinecones on your wreath. Tie on sprigs of berries or poinsettia and you have a beautiful front porch wreath that spans seasons.

DO: Make the colors of Nature your inspiration in your design.

The bright hue of falling leaves dominates the color scheme of autumn. Draw inspiration from these rich colors to complement your front porch design. Yellow, red, orange and brown look divine against a backdrop of dark green. Put faux green apples on gold urns and place them on opposite sides of the porch. You can also use rectangular planters or hay bales as the foundation for your other front porch decor. Mix and match shapes to create an attention-grabbing visual element on your entryway.

If you have outdoor furniture, cover it with fabric that matches the hues of Winter. Tinted glass jars with pillar, taper or luminaria candles also add a touch of color and coziness to your home exterior.

DON’T: Go crazy with color.

It can be tempting to throw in all the colors imaginable to make your front porch enticing and festive. There is no need to use all the colors of the rainbow to make your outdoor space look fantastic. Limit the color scheme on your front porch to a maximum of three. Repeat the hues all throughout the space.

Keep color simple

DO: Revamp your outdoor furniture.

Winter is a wonderful time to get cozy with family and friends. While it feels great to be able to throw yourself on a bean bag, remember that you will be receiving visitors. It’s time to update your outdoor furniture and select pieces that are classic and also comfortable for your guests year round.

Since most people do not have the time (and budget) to shop for new furniture, look for creative pieces from auction sites, used furniture websites and stores, or thrift shops to save dollars. It doesn’t hurt to peek at your neighbor’s garage sale. Who knows, you just might score the porch swing of your dreams without going very far!

DON’T: Go over your budget when choosing furniture and accessories.

Shopping for furniture, accessories and other decorations for the home is bliss to many. However, searching for great pieces often means that there’s some form of overspending involved. Before heading to the stores to purchase decor, make a list of all the items you need and plan to use on your design. This helps to curb reckless spending and stops you from putting out a plethora of unnecessary items on your porch.

Front porch lighting

DO: Light up your doorway

The path leading to your front porch is just as essential as the entryway itself. Spruce up exterior lights by adding surprising embellishments that keep with the colorful theme of Winter. Tie a colorful bow or a burlap ribbon on a post mount and secure colorful decorations for a whimsical touch to your outdoor lighting. You can also accent wall sconces with fresh flowers or berries.

Decorating your front porch for Winter is an exciting project and doesn’t have to expire simply because the holidays are over! Draw inspiration from Nature for color schemes and use old furniture to dress up your entryway year round.

Jessica Phan is a designer for Balsamhill.com a purveyor of high-end artificial Christmas Trees. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area is perfect for her because she has a wide range of interests, including Art & Design, Fashion, Photography, Painting and Thrift Store Shopping.

Images: Cleverly inspired, House of Hawthornes, Besco Lighting

Give Thanks

I hope that everyone has an incredibly great and wonderful Thanksgiving. Take this day to spend time with friends and family, and eat lots of food!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Image: Good Housekeeping

A few weeks ago I started the apartment therapy series for readers who live in small, temporary spaces. Often, people who live in temporary spaces think they cannot have beautiful spaces. We all know my theory on this. Living in life cycles rather than a lifestyle takes it’s toll mentally, physically and emotionally. Coming home to a beautiful space gives you a sense of pride and a great welcome home.

After I finished up Mrs M’s bedroom we started on the living room. Her space was well on it’s way, however she made a few common mistakes and like most clients she panic’d when it came to the accessories. Most of my clients have incredible vision with the over all look they want, and can get as far as the furniture but then stop dead in their tracks when it comes to accessories.

1) The overall space

The room

While Mrs M is well on her way, there are several things wrong with this room. Her main living area has 22 foot ceilings. Scale is critical here. From my assessment the art is too high, lamps too small and the pillows just not right. Another issue, the room does not have enough seating.

My assessment

She also has no cocktail table so in an effort to give her something to place a drink on, I will find easy to use, easy to move around pieces with a pop to add some life to this room.

2) The main wall

Th focal wall

The main wall, or as I call it the “A” wall, in this room is a huge focal point. It is the main wall you see when you walk into the apartment. With some tricks up my sleeve this can be an incredible space for inspiration and drama! But first, lets look at what my designer eye sees that need some fixing!

The chair is way to big and heavy to be on that side of the TV cabinet. The TV needs to move closer to the middle of the room, and we need to take advantage of that enormous wall!

The "A" wall

Want to know what I would do? Tune in next week when I reveal the overall plan and design concept to get this room into serious dramatic shape!

Ready to get your room started? Need some help? 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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For too many years I have been saturated in browns, reds, and sage greens. Each room darker than the next and the fabrics just as heavy. In the last two years I have started to shed my desire for such strong saturated colors and have opted for more light uplifted brights. Here, beautiful examples of white walls, natural woods and materials.

Gray, white, and natural

Copper

Natural

Natural and white

White room

So what do you think? Are you ready for white walls, and natural woods? Yum!

Ready to get your room started? Need some help? 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: Walking around, a perfect gray

As I opened up my computer this morning Yahoo had an article on amazing garages. I couldn’t help but giggle because when I design a home men are always AMAZED that a sofa is typically $2500. When their wives redo a room it can easily cost twenty thousand dollars and they go bananas. “Who in there right mind would spend $2500 on a sofa, they screech!?”

What I find so funny about men and women is how different their priorities are. Give a man a fancy garage, big TV, electronic gadgets and he will easily pay thousands. Tell him to buy a couch and he freaks out. But if the sofa houses a TV, well its cool and worth the money.

780 Ashley road

21600 Norman Shores Drive

I don’t know about y’all, but 20 million for a garage seems a bit much. I will take my $2500 sofa a few chairs, candles and a few cut flowers and be just peachy! What are some of your personal favorites to have around the house?

Phew! Southern Living Show house is done. AB HOME and staff went out today and took everything out. I have to say the show was an amazing experience and we had over four thousand people walk the house; an incredible turnout! Here are a few more photos to remember the beautiful vintage pink, and Marilyn herself.

Guest retreat entrance

Guest retreat entrance

Guest retreat

Marilyn

Vintage Cane chairs

Thanks to all who participated, the lovely designers and everyone at Castle Homes. And most importantly, thank-you to all who helped me make this room what it was. With out you and your beautiful art, furniture and linens my room would have been four walls!

Ready to get your room started? Need some help? 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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Beautiful walkway

Beautiful walkway

Beautiful walkways

Beautiful walkway

Over the weekend I went on an incredible walk through the woods and found myself daydreaming of incredible walkways. Aren’t these walkways just gorgeous?

Ready to get your room started? Need some help? 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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image: unknown, tiny white daisies, hgtv, coral beach

This past weekend I went to fall creek falls. It is a national park outside of Knoxville and after  7 years of living here I finally went to see it. Southerners are quite lucky living where we do because we are surrounded by natural beauty. Lush forests, slate stacked mountains, wildlife and water all around us. Here are a few photos from my journey as I hiked my way through the mountain tops.

Fall creek falls

Above the trees

Slate

George pond

Me on the mountain top...

It was awesome being in Gods country. The colors, the water, the trails all of it were beautiful. And if you haven’t been, well I suggest you go!

Ready to get your room started? Need some help? 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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I recently had the privilege to be featured in Brentwood home magazine. Amy, the journalist called me up and said, “out of all the designers I have seen in town you epitomize family friendly design.” I found that to be quite a compliment. Being that most of my clients are between the ages of 35-55, most either have young children, teenagers, or grandchildren. And I strongly believe that a home can be both stylish and family friendly. As I thumbed through my portfolio over the past ten years I realized that it is possible to coexist with youngsters and it is possible to do it in style, but there was a formula I used to approach each project.

1) Lifestyle

Design by Amanda Burdge

Always consider how you live in your home, and the lifestyle you lead. What are the routines of the household? What are family traditions? What is a typical day like? What are the schedules like? How old are the children….these are all questions I want to know to help carve out a design plan that suits your lifestyle.

The room shown above is a perfect example of family friendly design. Liz has two children under the age of seven. The fabrics are durable, and washable, and all the surfaces are rustic, or easy to wipe off. Think you can’t have a two year old and a white sofa under one roof?

Bens artwork

One week after delivering the white sofa shown above, two year old Ben decided to customize it with his paint and markers. All Liz had to do is throw the cushion cover in the washing machine and today there is no evidence of Ben’s now famous artwork!

2) Children VS Style

Liz, Ben and Mya. Design by Amanda Burdge

Just because you have little ones, doesn’t mean you cant decorate. I have met so many people over the years who put their decorating on hold for ten to fifteen years for fear of ruining the investment. That is not living a comfortable lifestyle. Don’t sacrifice style and comfort because you fear the children will destroy it. Design accordingly. If you approach the design with the kids and patterns of the household in mind, fisher price and cheap furniture does not need to rule supreme.

3) Don’t sacrifice

Interior design by Amanda Burdge

Don’t be afraid to do what you love. Hire a professional if you need some guidance, but don’t feel like you have to sacrifice the look you love because of the little ones. Compromise maybe, but most ideas can be tweaked to work according to what you love. The room above was styled with grandchildren in mind. The ottoman is soft and durable for the grandkids to climb on. The two chairs in the seating area are gliders to rock the kids to sleep, and while I am not a fan of an office in the bedroom, it suited this family for their lifestyle. The homeowner is a day trader and needs access to a TV and a computer to do his work. For them this was a perfect solution for everyone to hang out comfortably.

4) Invest, Invest, Invest

LEE Industries

Buy the best you can afford, period. Too often homeowners approach design with a “throw away” mentality when they have kids. That is the wrong approach. Families are very hard on furnishings. Cheap furniture falls apart, doesn’t last and needs to be replaced three times over compared to a quality piece. So in the long run you pay the same price in three purchases for one quality piece. You don’t have to do everything at once. But a quality piece can withstand kids, their friends, and the animals with style and grace.

5) Families are messy

Always have plenty of storage. Unfortunately kids rarely keep stuff within the space of their rooms. And the more kids you have, the more stuff you have. Home work, projects, back packs, clothing, toys…the list goes on. Put storage in as many places in your house that you have room for.

6) It’s in the details, buy the best

Interior design by Amanda Burdge

Buy the best materials even if they are more expensive. If you have the chance to upgrade to a more durable fabric, invest in it. The room shown above is covered in sunbrella fabrics, leather, contract vinyl and high impact stain repellants…on everything! The red chairs in the background are contract outdoor plastic, meaning they can be hosed off. Seem extreme? Not to this mom. She loves that she can host a birthday party with 15 seven year olds without worry, and later hold an adult party with style and comfort.

7) Keep it easy, safe and cleanable

Keep surfaces easy and cleanable. Take advantage of companies that offer slipcovers, like the fun 3009 chair from LEE Industries shown above. Upholster ottomans in vintage rugs, or busy fabrics to keep them soft but easy to clean and hide stains. Use contract or outdoor fabrics for investment pieces like sofas and chairs and bring in accents with pillows and throws that are washable. Purchase good quality wool rugs. Wool doesn’t stain easily and is easily cleaned. It is why every casino in America has 100% wool wall to wall carpet. It can take a beating and still look great!

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Labor day

I hope all of you have a fantastic labor day. Enjoy the festivities, relax, and have a martini!

Is this how you relax on labor day?

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

Ready to get your room started? Need some help? 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: Delightful Endeavors

I cannot tell you how many bookshelves I have styled over the years. Like candy coated pipe dreams, clients organize, shuffle and shove everything into less than Martha Stewart perfection. While most homeowners do a superb job at organization, they often approach their book shelves in a systemic, left-brained arrangement, not taking into consideration the overall look. Seeing it more as a storage solution, rather than a decorative element in their room. While left-brained, type-A shoving, and piling is just good and dandy, (do you really need to be able to find that book? Wouldn’t you rather have it look pretty…? I suppose left-brained structure is a little important…) but us creative types need a little more pretty and a little less of that so called practical organization. I mean who are we kidding? Serial organization is for the birds. If you ask me ( the opinion that really counts) organization is synonymous with the devil, I mean, republicans.

Typical Bookshelf, pretty good, but needs some love

So how on earth do we come up with our brilliant creations? It isn’t complete rocket science (well, maybe)  But designers do look first at the shelf, the color, the style, and finally how those books relate to the ‘whole.’ From there we start sorting like creative scientists gone mad! Expertly master-minding where and how each piece will fit into the puzzle. So how on earth can you tap into this California gold rush, otherwise known as creative genius? Well to be in the company of one (talking designers here, not Republicans…those you can find in dirty bathroom stalls in Minneapolis),  and if that won’t work, read on!

1) Beautiful matching books

Book shelves

These suckers are hard to come by! Gone are the days of encyclopedias, thanks in big part to the information highway. (Amazing how fast technology has taken over in just 15 years!) But you can find beautiful sets of encyclopedias at vintage bookstores, and antique malls. Books that are the same size, and color are pleasing to the eye and create a resting point. ( example shown above) Not to mention it grounds  the shelves visually so the overall look is easy to read.

2) Add accessories

Styled book shelf

Like the first photo, most homeowners use every ounce of their shelves for books…… thats just silly! Using a bookshelf for books! As if it were called a BOOK-shelf or something…Oh wait, it is called a bookshelf, and I suppose it is made to house our books. OK, well I vote we call it an ‘everything’ shelf. To help break up the monotony of book after book, add accessories in for visual interest. It is also a great place to display prized mementos to show off to your guests.

3) Color palette

Book shelves

Keep books and accessories with in a particular color palette, that matches your existing furnishings. By keeping everything in the same color palette the bookshelf makes sense. It coordinates effortlessly, and doesn’t stick out like a sore, unorganized disaster.

4) Honor thy books

A book room

OK, so going against number two from above, but this is for the client who just has too many books, and refuses to share an ounce of space for a tchotchke. If you love books, and have more than you care to give away, devote an entire room that respects and honors your unnecessary hoarding….I mean collection. If the shelves can’t be simplified, create a simplified room that is pleasant and easy. Get rid of all the clutter and allow the books to be the focal point. Like the photo above, this room is simple. Neutral wall color, black floors, walnut table with ghost chairs. The surrounding elements are practically invisible. The chandelier adds glamour, but here the books are the show piece.

What are some of your favorite books to hang onto?

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images: google, I suwanne, citified, second story view

Clear light switch by Forbes and lomax

OK, so I don’t know about y’all, but I needed a pick me up after a wonderful four day holiday. Well this did just that. This invisible light switch from Forbes and Lomax allows paint or wallpaper to show through, while looking sleek and stylish. Made of acrylic, the toggle switch can be ordered in numerous finishes

Silver toggle

and can also be made for outlets

Forbes and Lomax outlet

Another great product I love, Door knobs!

Sherle Wagner

By Sherle Wagner this amazing door knob was originally from her molecule collection in the 70′s. Uber cool, and uber retro, this hardware will definitely stop your guests in their tracks! Yum!

What are some of you favorite decadent home products?

Have questions? See something that you want more clarification on? Send me your comments and let me know your thoughts.

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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4th of July-BHG

Happy 4th of July everyone! Today we celebrate our independence from the brits!… Oh, and have good B-B-Q and drinks filled with vodka. Any excuse for a drink….Heres wishing all of you a spectacular day of fun with family and friends!

images: BHG

When it comes to holidays, the goal isn’t to outdo yourself and get lost in the kitchen for hours, while the rest of the group has an amazing time. It is about throwing together what you have so you have time to ENJOY the event, while being a great hostess.

When I first got married my goal in life was to impress and wow my guests. I would start cooking in the kitchen the day before the big day, and then spend the next 24 hours setting up elaborate trays, displays, and over the top buffet set-ups so that my guests felt special and uplifted. Nothing was left undone. Everything down to the plates, food and napkins were perfect. I would even sew cotton table cloths out of sheets to coordinate with the event (actually I would have mom do that, but I’d be a crazy psycho to her until it was finished!) And I would run around in chaotic pandemonium the day of the event making sure everyones drinks were full, had plenty of ice, the food was perfectly displayed at all times, and NO DIRTY dishes were in sight. Sounds exponentially pleasant doesn’t it? By the time we actually got through dinner, I was so strung out from stress and running around that my legs could barely keep me upright. It would take me days to recuperate and this is when I was in my twenties! Unfortunately for my guests, by the time I hit 30, I was no longer able or willing to do my elaborate soirees. I wanted to sit down, have a stiff drink and giggle with family about silly memories…..memories that may or may not have included my methodical crazed entertaining skills from my youth.

For this fourth of July holiday here are some of my best entertaining tips to help you enjoy the day, all while playing hip hostess with the mostess!

1) Simple Serving:

Silverware displays

From a soft place, this photo is a great example of how I set up my buffets. I like to take old mason jars, or mayonnaise jars and fill them up with silverware. This is a great way to display a little extra color with the festivities (by adding fabric scraps to the jars, or construction paper) Kimba used a mason jar for each guest, but I like to throw a bunch of forks, knives and spoons in each jar individually and each guest grabs what they need. We all have jars laying around and scraps of paper or fabric. These are quick and easy to throw together and look great!

Another great tip-if you don’t have fabric or paper to use, fill them with inexpensive soup beans, or layer colored salt (use your kids chalk to color it) and put your silverware on top. Voila, elegant, fun and EASY!

2) Drink:

AB HOME Mojito

In a high ball glass, throw in the mint, the limes and smash. (In fancy terms the PRO-fessionals call these tools: muddlers. (sounds like my definition of the mother-in-law) Anyways, I take an old wooden spoon, or anything else I can find in my junk of a utensil drawer, and smash everything like a cave  woman.) Hey your having a good time, we don’t need no stinkin’ ornate tools! OK, moving on, add the sugar, muddle some more, (but don’t destroy the mint), just gently muddle until everything is mixed. The goal is to get the lime juice out of the lime and get it mixed up with the sugar, and mint. Next pour in the rest of the ingredients BUT NOT THE ICE. Stir all the liquid until the sugar dissolves. Throw in some tasty cut up strawberries…then add the ice! YUM!!

2 tsp sugar

2 oz water

Juice from 1 lime

4 mint leaves

1 Sprig of mint

2 oz Grey Goose le Citron Vodka

2 oz seltzer

1/4 ice

3) Decoration:

Hurricanes from AB HOME

Picnic on the fourth from epicurious

A wonderful idea from epicurious.com, take fun and decorative napkins and make them the show piece of the table. Take it a step further and have the kids gather up some rocks, sticks, twigs, leaves, ribbons, twine or rope and add it to the decor. It can be used as the napkin holder, decoration or both! To add more flare and color, add some decorative cobalt blue hurricanes down the center of the table.

Great tip:Don’t have time to go out and buy blue hurricanes? Take brown paper sacks used for kids lunches and insert candles. Write fun 4th of July facts on the bags for your guests to discuss! Fun and easy!

I hope all of you have a fantastic 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July

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images: a soft place, epicurious, Boulder Colorado government

OK, so I was M.I.A for remodeling week 4. As you all know I was here. So I crammed like a crazy person,(and probably freaked Mrs S out too!) when we did all this, in week three! But I take my jobs, clients and vacation very serious, so no time for screwing around. In week five the electrician came out and placed the lights in the bedroom.

Smith lights

First order of business was to move the fan over 18″. It’s old location was off centered and drove me crazy. She decided not to go with the accent lights, (those shown in pink) and opted for the two lights over her bed. As the budget gets squeezed, Mrs S is having to make sacrifices, and decisions on what her absolute priorities are. Some things are worth the extra dollars, others, like the lights, were not. And yes all remodels require a tug and pull. You can’t always get everything, so you will have to determine what is most important.

Our starting budget was $26K. This fee does not include my professional services, and Mr and Mrs S. opted against a 10% contingency. Many contractors and architectural firms will include a 10% contingency fee at the end of their bills. This dollar amount helps ensure that you stay on track, when your project gets squirrely. So what does that mean exactly? Things like this:

1) First hiccup:

hiccup one

The floor was laid with wire and concrete. Typical for the time it was laid, but without the contingency can easily add $500 to a budget

2) Second hiccup:

hiccup 2

Also a floor issue, when the carpet was pulled up Ritchie discovered carpet mold. Or at least that’s what we all thought it was. Turned out to be silicon gummy balls from deteriorating carpet pad. But we lost a day while we were waiting for the test to come back. Estimated Costs: $500 in labor and the loss of an entire day

3) Third hiccup:

3rd hiccup

These faucets were supposed to be re-purposed. Original, and beautiful Kohler faucets….that we found out had corroded and now busted interiors. Not originally built-in to the budget, these added $400.

A contingency will help absorb some of the “unexpected”, without extra dollars coming out of your pocket. But in this economy just about everyone takes the contingency out thinking that THEIR project won’t have any hiccups. Well guess what? In twelve years I have NEVER, EVER been on a project without one or two hiccups. When you start busting into walls, it’s inevitable! And the unexpected thus far would have been covered with in the contingency.

OK, moving on. Remember this beautiful slab from week three?

Marble slab

Well we were hoping ON A WING AND A PRAYER!, that the marble company could make this s-t-r-e-t-c-h into two vanities and the top of the tub…..turns out, it.ain’t.gonna.happen. There just isn’t enough. Mrs S loves this particular slab and we cannot get two. So we are headed to another slab yard this week to see if we can find another TWO slabs that she will love, to finish all her surfaces.

So there you have it. Week five in a nutshell. In case you missed it, here are weeks 1-3

If you missed week one, click here.

If you missed week two, Click here

If you missed week three, 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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Romantic bedroom

Writing a love letter

Swept away

Poetry anyone?

For this hot, June Monday, I wanted to bring to you these inspiring interior photos. Warm, relaxed and uber comfortable, these are spaces that ooze sophistication with understated elegance. Interiors should never be stuffy, and they should always encourage our best selves to shine. I love spaces of charm. These remind me of a lovely, lazy Saturday, of taking naps, writing love letters, and making our way down to the breakfast room for brunch….before an afternoon with the girls of delightful shopping!

What do these photo remind you of?

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images: little blue deer, house and home, tartan scot, loft life

As a designer I am always hit with particular challenges when decorating a home. The ingredients are crucial to the perfect recipe and each home requires different measurements. Challenges that each home faces: collections! Collections are special and unique, and often very sentimental for the homeowner. I once had to design an entire room around army figurines that my clients husband had been collecting since he was a child! But collections are also something that make your recipe all your own.

One collection that every home has are family photos. They are special, and capture important memories to share with our guests and enjoy ourselves. As I perused the Internet this morning I found this awesome display from fresh paint on displaying a family tree.

Family tree

It not only creates beautiful art for their home but displays and honors their family history! Awesome!

What do you think of this family tree?

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So as you all know, the south has been having record breaking heat. So in an effort to cool Harley down and provide him some relief I had Serena the vet professional give him a little lions haircut. Surprisingly, he didn’t put up too much of an argument until we hit his nether region. That din’t go down as pleasant as I had hoped. But the good news is, he survived, despite him thinking he wouldn’t, and here he is in all his naked glory.

Harleys new haircut

I look ridiculous mom. And you call me a cat…..I swear the crap I have to put up with to be a designer cat.

Harley

Oh dear, don’t look, I’m naked!