Design, Interior styling, Tips

Custom creative project for my client

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I finally finished my client’s living room mantle after months of collecting all these colored glass pieces.

I would call this maximalist design. It might be too much for some people but it’s perfect for my client and I am so happy with how it turned out.

There is a story behind this…

It all started last year at Christmas  when I surprised my client with a new Christmas decorating theme to go with her newly redesigned colorful living room. I collected bottle brush trees in a rainbow of colors and scattered in some colored glass with battery powered twinkle lights.

Once it was time to take the Christmas decorations down my client said she was sad and didn’t want a mostly empty mantle.

I knew instantly what I wanted to do…

Creative projects like this that are custom tailored to my clients are my absolute favorite thing to do!

I love bringing a creative vision to life! Could your home use some creativity? I’m here to help!

Design, Feng Shui, Interior styling, Tips

How to decorate with candles

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Have you ever looked around and thought your home might be missing something?

Maybe it just doesn’t feel warm and inviting. It lacks that calm and cozy feeling?

One of my favorite ways to add a calming cozy vibe to your home is by decorating with candles.

My husband and I suffer from allergies and live in a small space so I try to limit my real candles to one lightly scented candle.

I might be a little obsessed with adding battery powered candles around our home though! The soft amber glow reminds me of a fireplace and has an instant calming effect on me. I set my battery powered candles on timer mode and they come on at night after dinner and are perfect for setting a relaxing mood.

I am picky about the quality of my fake candles and like them to flicker and look realistic. Battery powered candles are definitely not all the same.

Another way you can elevate the look is by placing the battery powered candles in glass or metal votive. I love the way the light reflects through the metal cut outs or off the glass. I mix my real and fake candles on the same tray so its hard to tell they are not real.

How do you feel about candles? Do you have certain nightly rituals and routines that you follow in your home?

Design, Feng Shui, Interior styling, Tips

How to style your home with faux flowers

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I love decorating with real and fake flowers. They can add so much color and life to a space.

It doesn’t matter what season we are in…flowers can be changed out for spring, summer, fall and winter.

You can reuse some of the stems and alternate others depending on the time of year.

I like to choose vases that can pretty much work year round so I don’t have to store too many extras.

Flowers are perfect for decorating an entryway table, bathroom counter, dark corner… the possibilities are endless.

I truly believe if you add these extra details to your home it will make you more accountable in keeping your home organized and de cluttered. Do you really want to create a drop zone next to a beautiful arrangement of flowers?

Adding extra finishing touches to your home will help you be more intentional about maintaining your newly styled space.

I am very picky about the flowers I choose looking real. These roses are a favorite and have fooled many people from a distance! They are a little more on the expensive side but totally worth it! I get them at Michaels believe it or not.

Some tips I use when decorating with flowers and creating vignettes:

-Choose stems and flowers that look more realistic.

-Create a cohesive color palette with other decorative items. This will create a “vignette” and make things really stand out and flow.

-Selecting flowers with texture adds another layer of interest and warmth to your space.

-You are not limited by a small space. There are so many cute bud vases you can use on bathroom counters and places where space is limited.

-Get creative and play with some arrangements and you will be surprised how flowers can brighten up your space and instantly lift your mood.

Design, Interior styling, Organization, Tips

How to create a peaceful bathroom

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What does elevating your bathroom look like?

There are so many ways to make your bathroom feel more like a spa. More spacious, relaxing and peaceful.

Over the years I have organized so many bathrooms. It is one space that can easily get cluttered and chaotic. But with a few simple changes you can make your bathroom feel so much better. It starts with de cluttering and simplifying your products. Next comes the fun part…accessorizing and styling your bathroom. We want your bathroom to be easy to maintain but it can be beautiful as well.

Tips for creating a spa like feel:

-Upgrade your towels to a matching set. Get rid of any old scratchy towels that are falling apart. You deserve better! Add some hand towels with a waffle weave texture to create that spa like feel.

-Add real or battery powered candles.

-Bring the outdoors in by adding a real or fake plant or flowers.

-Choose a favorite fragrance of some sort in the form of a reed diffuser, fancy soaps or a room spray. Something that smells fresh and clean.

-Elevate your countertops by using glass or ceramic canisters for things like q-tips, dental picks and cotton balls.

-Add some color and texture by using a decorative tray, decorative bowls or a basket on the top of your counter for items you need out for daily use. I love repurposing items you already own in new and creative ways.

-Designate a drawer or basket for self care and pampering for things like masks, scrubs and bath salts.

-And the not so fun but necessary maintenance to keep your bathroom feeling good:

-Toss any expired products. Old facial products and old makeup can cause breakouts.

-Take everything out and wipe down your drawers and products.

-Simplify your beauty routine. Let go of those products that just didn’t work for you and now you feel guilty about tossing them. If they are new and in a pump or spray form you can always donate them to a women’s shelter.

-Use drawer liner or drawer organizers so it’s easier to keep things clean.

-And I’m going to emphasize this one! It makes me crazy..clean your hairbrushes. Pull out that loose hair regularly and wash your brush. Just grab your brush when you are jumping in the shower and add a little shampoo and rinse it off. Easy solution. (I have seen brushes with 5 years worth of hair on them. We can do better!)

I hope this gave you some inspiration… If you need some help tackling your bathroom I’m happy to help!

 

Closet edits, Outfit styling, Shop your closet, Tips

Creative spring outfit inspiration

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Do you have things in your closet that you think can only work for one season?

This camel colored blazer may look like a Fall wardrobe staple but there are lots of ways to wear it for Spring!

If you add white or ivory pants or jeans and this fun colorful scarf it already feels much more like a Spring outfit.

Finishing touches are the accessories-jewelry, shoes and a handbag are another opportunity to make it more of a Spring look.

Are there things in your closet you can play with to create more looks and outfits with what you already have?

Could your Spring wardrobe use a refresh?

If you need help getting creative and getting out of a style rut then I am here to help.

Design, Holiday decorating, Interior styling, Tips

Easter and Spring decorating for your home

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I had so much fun shopping for my client and creating this cute little Easter display in her entryway.

I went to Homegoods with a vision and am so happy with how it turned out. Although I did buy some new stuff I incorporated some of her old decor as well. Mixing it all together gave the old stuff a new fun look.

Do you like to decorate seasonally? Or for every holiday? Personally I have a very small space and very little storage so I add a few Spring touches but that is it for me.

For this client once Easter is over I will put away the rabbits but the eggs, balls and lavender garland can still make a nice Spring display. I like to reuse what I can and just change things up a bit.

Could you use some help sprucing up your home with some Spring touches?

Design, Interior styling, Organization, Tips

Your home can be organized and beautiful.

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If you had to choose would you choose form or function?

I recently had a discussion about this with one of my favorite clients.

She said that her sister who is artistic will always choose form. But my client herself is very practical so she will always choose function.

But guess what? I am here to tell you that you can have both! This is why I am so passionate about organizing and styling. It is those finishing touches that make your home feel warm and welcoming. These finishing touches also add an extra incentive to keep these areas organized.

There are so many creative ways to provide beautiful storage solutions that are still just as functional and easy to maintain. For example, this is a photo of my client’s bathroom counter. I have worked with her for years and she has a beautiful home that is decorated with earth tones and pops of greens.  When I walked into her bathroom and saw a  dusty clear dish on her bathroom counter with a mixture of buttons, coins and some jewelry thrown together I told her I knew we could do better.

Her first question was if we put some other tray or dish here isn’t it going to look more cluttered? Nope! I assured her that was not the case. I suggested we go straight to the kitchen and look in her cabinets at the entertaining pieces she was not using. We found this beautiful wooden tray and then we grabbed these adorable bowls. The greens in the bowl matched her bathroom accents perfectly.

The whole process took less than 20 minutes but made such a big difference! It didn’t cost her a penny and it elevated her bathroom and gave her a more functional system.

Do you have a spot you could improve in your home by getting creative with some storage?

 

Design, Fashion, Interior styling, Outfit styling, Shop your closet, Tips

How to elevate your style

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Do you look at your home and wardrobe and think… something is missing?  You just can’t put your finger on it.

I truly believe the key to elevating your style is to add accessories. Sometimes a space in your home needs a refresh but you don’t want to do a complete remodel.  You CAN redesign and refresh your space on a budget by accessorizing.

You can completely change the look and vibe of a room by changing out the accessories.

Accessories add color, texture, pattern, depth and so much more.

For your home… Think throw pillows, curtains, rugs, decor, books, art, lighting, candles, plants and flowers.

For your wardrobe.. shop your closet and mix up your looks with jewelry, scarves, shoes, handbags, third layers and hats.

Questions to ask yourself when it comes to interior styling or creating outfits:

Are you not sure how to define your personal style?

Do you know what you like when you see it but have no idea how to put it together?

Do you struggle with how to combine colors and patterns?

I am here to help if you need it!

-Kristina

Design, Feng Shui, Interior styling, Tips

Style your space for the New Year

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Have you noticed when you take down the holiday decorations you feel better without all the clutter BUT it can look a little sparse and sad?

It is a New Year after all so change some things up and refresh your space!

My favorite thing to do after the holidays is give all the surfaces a good wipe down. (get all that glitter off).

Once you have cleared the spaces and wiped them down then get creative when putting things back.

Is there any excess clutter or things that have just landed there accidentally? This is your chance to start with a clean slate.

Only put back what you love. I realize things have to be functional as well. But they can be beautifully styled and be functional. One of my absolute favorite ways to elevate a space is to add a decorative tray. We have 2 decorative trays on our entryway table. One has to be functional and holds a bowl with our keys, my husband’s sunglasses and a few other things.

But the second tray is my fun area where I like to decorate seasonally. I have battery powered candles in various styles of votives on there. And I also have my favorite scented candle and I burn it all year long.

I have a faux plant or a vase of faux flowers depending on the time of year and then I add some twinkle lights.

You would not believe what a difference these details can make. They add so much warmth and coziness.

There are so many ways to accessorize your home without spending anything or spending very little.

Some of my favorite accessories to change the look and vibe of your home:

-Throw pillows and blankets

-Candles and twinkle lights

-Faux or real plants and flowers

-Decorative trays, bowls, boxes (these are a great way to add beautiful storage and still have a practical space.)

-Display favorite mementos from travel or sentimental items in creative ways.

-Go to thrift stores and find unique pieces that tell a story. Mixing old and new gives a home some interest.

-Do not display and keep things out of guilt. (because someone gave it to you or you spent too much money on it).

Display what you love and what represents your personal style.

What do you already have in your home that you can restyle and refresh your space?

Design, Holiday decorating, Interior styling

My favorite Christmas decor this year

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This year I may have a little bit of a bottle brush tree obsession.  It all started when I saw a mantle on Pinterest with a beautiful rainbow of bottle brush trees. And then my client mentioned she might like to do a theme this year with some of her holiday decorations instead of being traditional as usual.

And visions of bottle brush trees and brightly colored ornaments and ribbons danced in my head….

And this is how a brightly colored Christmas living room was designed! Keep reading for the full reveal!

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