| DECORATING | |
| D-1 | Living Room Decorating Ideas – The living room is an inherently social space. Generally when friends or family come over for a visit this is the first place you take them. 2 pages |
| D-2 | Bathroom Re-Do’s – The bathroom can be a kind of awkward place within the home. The source of so many unsavory smells and uncouth actions, it is often ignored when people set out to beautify their homes. 2 pages |
| D-3 | Decorating With Feng Shui – Philosophy over Form – In order to decorate using Feng Shui principles and sensibilities it is important to understand what this ancient art form is, how it evolved over the centuries, and what it can mean for your life today. 2 pages |
| D-4 | Home Decorating Trends – As a decorating professional, I carefully observe trends and changes in the world of interior design. I want to make sure my clients are getting the best from me and not dated cookie cutter design achieved by doing things the same old way. 2 pages |
| D-5 | Fabric Fibers-Pros and Cons – Fabrics add aesthetic value, impact the noise level in a space, and provide a sense of comfort to a space. The key triggers as you select fabrics are style, color, and appropriateness for the space. 2 pages |
| D-6 | Focus on the Focal Point – Each room has a decorating hierarchy, beginning with the major focal point of the space. The focal point establishes the initial point of interest which typically is the heart of the conversation grouping. Focal points come in lots of shapes and sizes but fall under one of the following categories: 1 page |
| D-7 | Makeover Magic – Makeovers are always exciting. Whether it is the woman who suddenly looks 10 years younger or the room that goes from drab to fab, quick changes are exciting. Take a moment, look around your room. 2 pages |
| D-8 | What is your Style? -Understanding your decorating likes and dislikes can save you money and result in a home that feels…well, like you. The best decorators and designers know that the only signature style that matters is the clients. 2 pages |
| D-9 | The Decorating Plan – A home decorating project can be both joyful and frustrating. The key is careful planning and creating an accurate vision. Whether you are working with a professional or going it alone, have a plan to avoid confusion, stay on task and budget. 2 pages |
| D-10 | Tools for the DIY Decorator – How many times have you started a project to end in frustration because you needed a simple tool and couldn’t put your hands on it? Here are some tools that every home should have to make your job easier and the process less stressful. 1 page |
| D-11 | Bring the Indoors…Out – Entertaining and relaxing outside takes on an entirely new feeling when we incorporate the decorating principles we use inside. In years past, you sat in a chair that was built for lasting power from the elements than any nod to creature comfort. 2 pages |
| D-12 | Book it Danno! – Ten great ways to use books when decorating -I can’t tell you how many homes I have decorated or staged that had no books. No, not one! Not even a magazine! Can you believe it? Books are a valuable decorating tool…plus they may even help you to be more intelligent…if you take time to read them. 2 pages |
| D-13 | Decorating Tips & Tricks – A well decorated room is a combination of decorating fundamentals and tricks that create a polished and cohesive space. Take your room to a new level by following some of the guidelines our team uses on a daily basis. Better yet, give us a call and let us show you how to make the following work in your home. 2 pages |
| D-14 | Bedding Sizes and Why they Matter – One of the best things in the world is crawling into a comfortable bed at the end of a day. But deciding what size is best for your needs can become a bit overwhelming. Queen, Full, King, one is larger than the other, but do you know the true difference in sizes? 2 pages |
| D-15 | Buying Quality Bed Linens – Climbing into a comfortable bed at night begins with the mattress and is supplemented by the bed linens. Buying quality sheets is a combination of fabric quality, thread count and the hand. The most comfortable sheets are not polyester or blends but “the touch, the feel of cotton” is where you will find the best quality. 2 pages |
| D-16 | Big is not always Better-Small Space Decorating Tips – Small spaces bring intimacy and warmth when decorated correctly. Although the footprint may be smaller, an organized and planned approach to living in a small space can result in a delightful room. Here are a few simple decorating tips you can implement to make any room appear larger. 1 pages |
| D-17 | Styling a Bookcase – A book case becomes much like a closet, the more you can fit, the more you do, and soon the once organize space is chaotic. The only difference…you can close the closet door. So let’s take a quick look at bookshelves and six steps to creating beautiful ones. 2 pages |
| D-18 | Five Decorating Don’ts to Avoid – Although rules are made to be broken, there are a few things that will help you create a beautiful space more effectively. In most cases, our rooms evolve over time and the end result can be dazzling or disappointing depending on your application of many of the following guidelines. The key is a focused approach to beautiful spaces, not a haphazard process that ends in disappointment. 1 page |
| D-19 | “It is so much more than Decorating” – Home is our private place where we go to relax, celebrate joys and yes, even sadness. Home is where our lives unfold and memories begin. Creating a beautiful space is so much more than decorating, it is creating a haven. Let me share a few tips to transform your house into a home. 2 pages |
| D-20 | What is your Decorating Style? – Creating a beautiful room begins with establishing your style. Take some time to look through decorating magazines, catalogs, and online, to find things that appeal to you. Create your own style file to save photos and pictures of colors, styles, accessories, and furniture you like. 1 page |
| D-21 | Sofa Styles and Designs – Time to go shopping for the sofa, and you may be a bit overwhelmed. Who would have thought there could be so many variables in the key component of most family rooms? Round arms, square arms, one cushion, three cushions, down filled, phew, it can be overwhelming. But it is an important decision as not only does the sofa open its arms and welcome you in at the end of a long day, it also is a determining factor in establishing the style of the space. 2 pages |
| D-22 | It’s All in the Details – Do you struggle with the putting the finishing touches on your outfit before walking out the door? Don’t you wish there was a rule book to avoid mistakes and ensure the perfect look. The finishing touches on your outfit and your home are a struggle for many. The number of fashion and decorating magazines remind us that millions are striving to achieve the perfect style. 3 pages |
| D-23 | Bookcase Styling Easy as V-X-Z – I think the strength that we bring to the table, is our ability to create easy to follow systems that make creating beautiful spaces easy. I spent a year analyzing spaces until I saw patterns emerge that resulted in a perfect room every time. Now let me show you the great ODD Bookshelf Styling System-easy as V, X, Z. – 2 pages |
| D-24 | Making Your Kitchen More Inviting – The kitchen is a room with a very specific purpose, food. However it is also a source of warmth, good smells, savory treats, and all of the love that goes into the preparation of nourishment for the entire household. As such it often draws people towards it naturally, acting as a kind of social center for the home. |
| D-25 | Creating Casual Spaces – Casual decorating is about arranging the elements of your home in such a way that they create spaces that are relaxed and inviting. These are rooms that you can get comfortable in, unwinding with friends, or lounging after a hard day’s work. |
| D-26 | How to Create a Rustic Room – There are a variety of elements that you will find in a room decorated with a rustic style. This will often include pieces built from natural materials, hand crafted items that are designed to be sturdy and durable. |
| D-27 | The Trouble With T.V. Rooms – Elegance Versus Technology – Electronic devices fill our lives, bringing the wonders of the technological age into our homes and surrounding us with entertainment and convenience. |
| D-28 | Decorating Tricks For Small Bathrooms – A small bathroom can be a big hassle. There isn’t a lot you can do with the room, and even the most functional accessories can quickly become clutter and chaos. |
| D-29 | Textural Decorating Tips – Texture refers to the way that an object feels when it’s touched or rubbed against. However in decorating, texture is also a visual element. That is because when you look at an object, your mind brings up a lot of different information about it. |
| D-30 | Getting Rid of Kitchen Clutter – An ideal kitchen is neat, organized, and efficient. It is filled with a variety of tools and accessories but those objects are not clutter, because they are all necessary, and placed in an appropriate spot, where they can easily be reached without getting in the way. |
| D-31 | Finding the Beauty in an Organized Home – A chaotic home can lead to a disorderly mind. If your spaces are filled with teeming mounds of useless frivolity, it’s going to be difficult to find peace. Organization is the art of segmenting your possessions, displaying those which create an attractive atmosphere, and then sorting, categorizing, and storing everything else, in such a way that you will be able to find it whenever you need it. |
| D-32 | Breathing New Life Into Your Home’s Décor – Every space has a personality, a unique atmosphere that makes it different from any other in the world. This is created from a variety of constituent elements including smells, temperature, architecture, and visual decorations. However, over time, a space can grow stagnant and stale. |
| STAGING | |
| S-1 | Curb Appeal Success -The very first thing someone sees when they come to your home is the outside. Curb appeal can set the tone for the entire experience of visiting and spending time in someone’s house. 2 pages pages |
| S-2 | The Art of Staging a Kitchen – The art of staging is all about understanding the psychology of the buyer, and using that knowledge to create a fantasy that they can believe in. When it comes to staging a kitchen, you have to decorate the space in such a way that people will be able to imagine themselves cooking, and eating, and enjoying their lives in that space. 2 pages |
| S-3 | Sell a House from the Inside Out – Selling a house is like going on a blind date. One needs to maximize the positive and minimize the negative, to improve the first impression. The analysis of a property begins before you even open the door. Curb Appeal is a key component to the selling process. 2 pages |
| S-4 | Staging Success – Selling a house has become much more difficult in the last 3 years. Regardless of location, pricing, or time on market, staging is now a necessary step in the selling process. 2 pages |
| S-5 | Moving on up to a New Life Made Easy – You staged the old house and it sold more quickly than you anticipated. It is time to pack things up and get ready to move on with your new life. How exciting, but also a bit overwhelming to get the moving process started. Let me share some easy tips that will make the moving and even worse, the unpacking process easier. 2 pages |
| S-6 | Power of Staging – Smart Realtors and homeowners have been staging their homes for years when they took off rose colored glasses and looked at a property with a critical eye. Much the same as listing your profile on an internet dating site, your photo would show you in your best garb and makeup as opposed to sweat pants and bed head hair. Staging is simply the art of presenting a property in its best light. 2 pages |
| S-7 | Is your House Show Ready? – You come home at the end of a hard day at the office, kick off your shoes, throw your coat on a chair, and set the mail on a table. You head out to cook dinner, tripping over the dog and the kids book bags. Ah-h, this is just another day at home. The day to day of life can be messy, filled with clutter, and not always as neat as one may like. 2 pages |
| S-8 | Staging the Heart of the Home – “Turn a Look-See… into a Must-Have” -Staging a home involves analyzing every place a potential buyer will explore, which is everywhere. There are no off limits when people are looking a house to purchase. You need to address the curb to the back fence, and every interior space in between. Today, let us focus on “the heart of the home.” The Kitchen is where most of our lives unfold. 3 pages |
| S-9 | Staging-Judging a Book by its Cover – People judge, almost everything we desire to purchase or make a part of our lives…at first, by appearance. Cars, spouses, clothing, food, and of course, houses, attract us initially because of their visual appeal. That old adage, you can’t judge a book by its cover, isn’t true when it comes to staging. The “cover” or curb appeal is the first thing that 74% of all potential buyers check out, virtually or in a drive by, before they schedule that all important appointment to see a house. 2 pages |
| S-10 | Staging in the ZONE – Staging is a competitive sport. It requires an understanding of the aesthetics of the property and the business of staging. The average buyer looks at 15 properties before making a purchase. 2 pages |
| COLOR | |
| C-1 | Color Schemes that Work – Colors have the power to transform or trash a space. Understanding how to blend and coordinate a color story can be daunting. But there are simple principles and tools, many that you used in elementary school, available to guide you. 2 pages |
| C-2 | Color Tips & Tricks – Color can be so intimidating so many will avoid it rather than make a mistake. Here are simple tips and tricks to consider next time you are selecting colors for your room. 2 pages |
| C-3 | Color Facts and Fallacies – If you sit down with a group of people who are discussing interior decorating, color is always the first topic that will pop us. One of the most impactful parts of the decorating process, it is also the element that strikes the most fear. 2 pages |
| C-4 | The Emotion of Color – Color impacts us in a variety of ways. Some may have you believe that we all react to a color in the same way. But our cultural background, life experiences and aesthetic sense each play a role in our individual opinion of a particular color. 2 pages |
| C-5 | Yummy Spaces with Chocolate Brown – Chocolate is not just for Hershey Kisses anymore. In fact, the rich luxury of chocolate is more then a taste sensation.The addition of brown into a color palette creates a visual feast for the eyes plus spaces that are stylish, sophisticated, and even a bit regal. 2 pages |
| C-6 | Let Coffee Wake Up Your Room – Every room needs an inspiration to begin the decorating process. After all, the possibilities are limitless. Conventional wisdom would lead you to catalogs and decorating magazines. But there is inspiration everywhere you look, if you are open to it. Let’s begin with something that starts most of us off everyday…coffee. 2 pages |
| C-7 | Achieving Tranquility with Color – Color is a very personal element of the decorating process. People react to various shades and hues based on a visual reaction but even more important is one’s emotional reaction. There is also a cultural influence that may make color mean different things to different people. What one may find soothing may be energetic to another. 2 pages |
| WINDOW TREATMENTS | |
| W-1 | Open the Curtains and Let the Sunshine In – Do you feel oppressed and heavy every time you walk into a room in your house? Is it dark and musty, even when you open the windows? Get rid of those old drapes, the thick heavy blinds, and let some light and brightness return to your life! 2 pages |
| W-2 | Window Treatment Twists – The best spaces have elements of surprise throughout the room. A great place to show off your style and create interest is to approach window treatments in a fresh way. 2 pages |
| W-3 | Why should I buy Custom Window Treatments? – Window Treatments have changed, as has everything else in the decorating world. In the 8o’s and 90′s we were inundated with swags, jabots, cascades, so your eye was caught up in style more than quality. 2 pages |
| W-4 | Measuring for Window Treatments – The days of one size fits all has disappeared as windows evolve and become as much of an artistic statement as a way to bring in light and air. 2 pages |
| W-5 | Drapery Rods that Rock – Window treatments go from simple to sublime but at the core of most is the curtain rod itself. The days of simple white traverse rods have come and gone. Today’s rods are functional and decorative, the sky is the limit and prices are varied. 2 pages |
| W-6 | Today’s Trends in Windows – Watch what is walking down the runway and chances are those details will be showing up in your home decor soon. Furniture styling, decorative accessories, and the way you dress your windows will all be impacted by the latest fashion trends. As you select the perfect window treatments you will be impacted first by functionality and then style, color and texture. Whether you are working with readymade or custom window treatments, here are some trends to implement in your home. 2 pages |
| W-7 | Top Five Ways to…Beautiful Windows – Showcasing your windows is an important aspect of the decorating process. Whether you are using ready made window treatments or custom made, your goal is the same, create a window treatment is both functional and fashionable. 2 pages |
| W-8 | Hard Window Treatments made Easy – A room simply isn’t done until the windows have been addressed in some way. Even if your view is breathtaking, often window treatments are needed to provide privacy and/or light control. There are a variety of options and the key is finding a look that solves your problems. Function, aesthetics and of course, cost, are the driving decision makers. When you look at window treatments, you have a couple of layers to consider. 3 pages |
| W-9 | What Today’s Windows are Wearing – When walking into a room for the first time, you can get a good sense of the last time the space was decorated. Two very telling signs are the color story and style of window treatments. A room sporting mini-blinds at the windows indicate a good 10-15 years since the room last had an update. 2 pages |
| HOLIDAY | |
| H-1 | (SEPTEMBER- OCTOBER) Fall in love with your Home Again. – I love this time of year, autumn is on its way and colors will soon be everywhere. Incorporate nature’s abundance into your décor plan. 2 pages |
| H-2 | (FEBRUARY) Love Your Home Again – Just like in a relationship, over time you may begin to pay less attention to the details in your home that you first fell in love with. 2 pages |
| H-3 | Christmas Trees made Easy- Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, how do I decorate your branches? Although a tree occupies a space for a short amount of time, it is typically the subject of much thought and planning. 2 pages |
| H-4 | Frugal Fashionista’s Holiday Tips – Increased food preparation, gift buying, and holiday decorating are all part of the process of preparing for the holiday season. 2 pages |
| H-5 | Five Minute Holiday Decorating Ideas – Decorating for the holidays can be an overwhelming project. The key is to break it down into small manageable sections and pretty soon, the job is done. 1 pages |
| H-6 | Inspired Holiday Color Schemes – Creating a color scheme for the traditionalist in easy, classic red and green work every time. 1 page |
| H-7 | Top Five Ways to Stress Free Holiday Entertainment 1 page |
| H-8 | New Year’s Decorating Resolutions – It’s that time of year again, when everyone is making plans for how they want to be a better person in the coming year. Why not make a resolution for your home decor? 2 page |
| H-9 | Bring Nature into Your Holiday Decorating – A great way to prepare your home for the holidays is to bring a little bit of nature into your holiday decorating. The beauty of nature will also help you to be a little more frugal this year. |
| H-10 | Decorate Your Mantle for the Holidays – One of the most exciting and fun things to do when it comes to decorating your home is getting ready for the holidays. Decorating your home for the holidays can be as simple or as over the top as you like, for it is all about having fun and enjoying your home’s decor. |
RECIPE |
| R-1 | Each month we will feature a season specific recipe for you to share with your readers. – 1 page |
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