A Mother’s Heart for Home

Posted on May 9, 2013 by

Heart for HomeBorn with capacity to love her home
Not knowing at first, she ponders alone
If she has what it takes
To make her house a home

She shaped her daughters
Influenced her sons
A labor of love, a life fully worn
She is a Mother, her heart is her home

As days move on, now years long gone
Reflections of laughter
Hide and seek foregone
Hugs and kisses still going on

My mother shaped me not knowing at first
The type of mother to be from the moment of birth
When therefore new life conceived in me
I knew her capacity of love meant to be

Thanks to the one whose heart for home
Shaped her daughters, influenced her sons
She is a Mother, her heart is her home
Love eternal to all she has born!

Copyright 2013

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Color & Space: Updating An Outdated Space

Posted on April 25, 2013 by

Color-Green and Brown BRIt’s that time of year: color is popping up everywhere and spring is being announced loud and clear! Limited only by what climate region you reside in, early spring perennials are blooming and igniting our emotions toward a hopeful and exciting season that this year will bring until… we enter that room in our home that could use a little refreshing and updating.

This is a space in your home that is shouting ‘update me please!’ and you know it in your heart as year by year you have considered it only to get distracted with daily life but it is a new year filled with the possibility of actually taking the proper steps to get it done. I’ve created a simple guideline that if followed will help you achieve this goal:

1. Take an inventory of current items that should be removed and items that are keepers.
2. REMOVE the movables, find other uses for them or others that may need them or maybe they’ve seen
their best days.
3. Determine your budget.
4. Determine your updated color scheme (pursue professional design help if needed).
5. Paint, it’s the quickest way to update a space.
6. Lay out your space plan on paper before buying any new pieces of furniture.
7. Update your furnishings and fabrics to enhance the color scheme by considering re-upholstering or
buying new
8. Remember beauty, function and scale get equal consideration.
9. Accessorize accordingly.
10. Enjoy for years to come!

Updating and outdated space is similar to tending the garden which we seem to want to enhance and change things around a little each year. May this be your season to update, fall will be here before you know it!

Enjoy the process.

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Color of The Year 2013, Sherwin-Williams

Posted on April 17, 2013 by

SW6464,AloeWith all the talk about interior color right now it seemed appropriate to comment on Sherwin-Williams 2013 Color of the Year: Aloe, SW6464. The adjectives are amazing…”funky or glamorous…soothes souls and brings unexpected harmony to any area…no ordinary pastel…highly adaptable…” and seem to offer a crossover appeal to any style. It is a beautiful color, warm and cheery, reminding me of vacations past and future, “a breezy sunroom or a well-dressed living room,” says Jackie Jordan.

The $64M question however is: how can I incorporate this color into my existing plan or must I come up with a completely new color plan that compliments Aloe? A hint to the answer to your dilemma is found in the title of this blog…color of the year. It’s not always practical nor affordable to change an entire color palate in order to fit a new one in UNLESS it is truly YOUR COLOR and you will know it when you see and experience it for the first time!

When you are exposed to a color that changes your world you should find a way to incorporate it; we don’t always have to think of applying it to the walls, it can be brought in through accessories, furnishings and window or wall treatments. I love this color named Aloe, it is a wonderful hue and I am confident that it will find its way into many homes around the world in various applications from ceilings to walls to flooring and accessories. Let me know if it’s a good fit for you!

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Color Trends & Home

Posted on April 11, 2013 by

Affair With Color

Affair With Color

What is one of the most consistent designer questions ever? You guessed it…the color question. From what are the latest color trends to what color(s) would work best in my home – will forever be the decorating dilemma to solve; and that’s what I hope to help you with today!

Begin by taking a look around your home at what you’ve collected over the years and discover a color trend that’s been there all along; think about what grabs your attention when shopping for accessories, clothing or impulse purchases. Color trends change from year to year but your favorites don’t because they are driven from within and personal in nature. A great designer will help you discover your favorite color(s).

I am excited to help a new client discover a color plan for her home. We will begin with some of her favorite items in the home that are keepers; this can include upholstery fabric, existing drapery, flooring and accessories that need to tie into the color plan. Secondly, choosing the right temperature of the color is important – should it be warm or cool colors that best compliment the existing items. Third, the color hue determines the strength of the color desired and fourth, the flow from space to space must be considered.

Then and only then are we in a position to finalize our choices for the best possible outcome, a warm and inviting interior space that will be enjoyed for years to come. I’ll let you know how this project turns out…

Let us know if this inspired you to create your interior color plan!

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Life & Home by Design: Let The Fabric Speak

Posted on March 20, 2013 by

Bright Antique Chairs“Let the Fabric Speak,” spoken by one of my FSU college professors during a semester of learning how to create and construct fashion from a sketch. This phrase is a keeper; a principle as it turns out to live by when it comes to selecting the best fabric for the intended use in a home.

In a few weeks I will be attending a lovely “Appreciation Reception” as the recipient of my college’s ‘Alumni Recognition Award for 2013′. I am so honored and humbled to receive this recognition and hope to continue serving and influencing students for years to come. Little did I know then the impact of investing four years of my life on a college campus would have in shaping my future both personally and in my career as an interior designer.

This simple yet profound principle has been a guiding light with every project that I take on that involves fabric and has served me well in helping others create environments that are beautiful and functional. I have been passing this principle along whenever the application fits and it works every time. If you listen to the fabric (its content, durability, fragileness, design pattern, texture and finish) it will tell you where it is best suited for application in your home.

‘Let the Fabric Speak’ and you will do well in the design of your home and every fiber of your life!

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Spring Into Design

Posted on February 28, 2013 by

As we enjoy the expectations of springtime and the potential of new beginnings we should also consider bringing Spring into our home by focusing on a space that could use a color lift or a piece of furniture that still has potential but whose look is outdated and shows signs of wear with its frayed edges and slumping cushions. We all have a piece like this that is shouting for a little tender loving care that can happen easily with a great fabric that will usher your room into an updated look at half the cost of a new piece of furniture. Locate a great re-upholsterer and have the sofa or chair(s) recovered to bring new life and excitement to your home as you spring into designing a fresh new look!

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Love & Home, II

Posted on February 14, 2013 by

cutcaster-photo-100313572-Vintage-Valentine-hearts, 2 heartsIn homes around the globe today when love is expressed verbally or in action, what sort of language are we really speaking to our closest relationships, what do we really mean? I believe more often we are communicating the message or plea of acceptance; not toward the person or child we are speaking to or helping in some way but toward ourselves. In many cases ‘love’ means seeing things ‘my way’ so that I feel loved rather than being loving to others by pouring or investing into their lives from the love that we have received from others.

Love is kind, it gives the benefit of the doubt that others have a good heart, even if its hard to see sometimes. Love protects the best interest of those around them at all times. Love is giving and generous, willing to invest and make a difference in others dreams and aspirations. Love is steady and dependable, it remains calm in threatening situations and is always safe to those affected by it. Love views life through a patience window, not just tolerating others but believes in those entrusted to its care. Love never loses hope, always looking for the best in family, others and all situations, it never fails to show up. And finally, true love accepts others as they are even if we are not accepted as we are.

This is love and this is home.

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