Your home can be organized and beautiful.

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?

 

Style your space for the New Year

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?

Styling and Simplifying your home

Do you know what one of the easiest ways to refresh your home is? Take away some of the excess clutter and only display things you love. Be a ruthless editor of what you allow in your space.

These days we see so many influencers on social media redesigning their spaces every few months with all new things. This makes me crazy. Not only do most of us not have the budget for that but it also sends the wrong message that things are disposable and something shiny and new is always better.

My favorite thing to do for my clients and at my own house is to first shop your home. Look at all of your decorative items and collections and see if there is anything you can display or use in a new way. I find that one overlooked area can be the kitchen or china cabinet with small decorative bowls or other interesting objects. Mementos from travel or family members can also be great to incorporate into your design.

Be very selective and take away anything that doesn’t add to the space or make you happy. Less is more. If you want to add a few new things then consider small changes like a new throw pillow, vase or picture frame.

My 3 main tips would be:

-Calm down the space by de cluttering and removing the excess.

-Create a cohesive color palette.

-Display old items in new creative ways and mix old with new. Make sure to add texture and color.

Is there an area in your home you can tackle today? You will be surprised at the impact even the smallest changes can have.

If you need some inspiration here are 2 of my favorite books on simplifying and styling:

I highly recommend them both!

Are you ready for summer guests?

photo credit: Pure Salt Interiors

Summer can be such a busy time filled with lots of activities and trips. It can also be a time for last minute guests.

-A visit from family or friends or a last minute sleepover for the kids.

– Birthday parties and cookouts, Special occasions and events.

-A neighbor dropping by for a play date or glass of wine.

-A last minute weekend get away or day trip to the beach or lake.

So what can you do to make summer a little easier and less stressful? How can you be ready for your guests and stop that last minute panic?

Guest Room:

-De clutter your guest room now. If it is always ready for guests then there is no last minute panic and shoving everything in a closet.

-Update the bedding and towels. Make sure everything is clean and fresh.

-Make sure the room is clean. Dust and vacuum regularly to keep the cobwebs and dust away.

-Make sure there is a working lamp or some sort of lighting.

-Check your guest bathroom inventory for soap, shampoo and any necessities guests may need.

-Have a space for guests to put their suitcase or hang up a few items.

Household Systems:

Set up household systems so that everything has a place and it is easy to maintain. This makes a last minute clean much easier.

Keep surfaces clear from clutter:

Keep main surfaces as clean as possible. Try not to use your dining room table, kitchen table or kitchen island as a drop zone for papers and other clutter. If these surfaces are easy to clear then last minute entertaining is much easier.

Kids Areas:

Create a summertime routine so that kids areas do not get completely out of control.

There is no reason for “mom” to keep spinning her wheels cleaning up all the time. Kids can be taught routines and taking care of their things; then when they ask to have a friend over no one has to be stressed and cleaning frantically at the last minute.

 

How does your home make you feel?

 

 

Does your home feel like a sanctuary or is it a source of stress and anxiety?

I had an interesting conversation with a longtime client last week. She commented that she loved her powder room and it made her happy. It was recently redesigned with a new bold patterned wallpaper and a textured tile backsplash. Along with a new beautiful navy vanity and a fun piece of artwork.

Before my client even said anything I had been thinking how much the powder room represented her fun bold and colorful style. And how streamlined and clutter free it was compared to other parts of her house. So I asked her “What if your whole house could feel as good as this powder room?”

You don’t have to tackle your whole house at once. Just take one space at a time. Walk around your house and take inventory of what spaces and things you truly love. Less is more..you can create the home you have always wanted.

Take one room at a time and be a ruthless editor. De clutter, organize and style it so it represents your current lifestyle. And your style right now. Not the you from 5 years ago, not your ex-husband’s style and not the hand me downs from your family and friends you are keeping out of guilt. Keep only the things that feel like you and make YOU happy. (Of course, you do have to be mindful and respectful of other family members and their spaces.) But start with what you can change and you and everyone else will notice a difference I promise!

The little things do make a difference…

Do you ever say to yourself “Well this room is a mess and I don’t have time to do a big cleanup so there is no point in trying?”

I’m here to tell you the little things not only make a difference but they also provide motivation to do more! There are so many times that I have worked with clients who say “That area isn’t a priority and it doesn’t really bother me.”

Until….we improve the spaces around that area and suddenly it really jumps out as an eyesore and starts to drive them crazy.

This is why I am so passionate about organizing AND styling your space.  When you style your space or even just a corner of the room and love the way it looks then suddenly you feel better and want more of that feeling in your home!

What is one small thing you can do today to make your space feel happy?