If I had a single flower for every time I think about you,
I could walk forever in my garden.
~Attributed to Claudia Ghandi
Happy Mother’s Day!
xoxo
* images courtesy of simplified bee, byfryd, anna williams, and amy butler design
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Design Tips For Styling a Living Room
Recently, Canadian House & Home published a great blog article, Styling a Room by Michael Penney. I completely agree with Penney; It’s the layers that make a room and pull it all together visually. In the before photo above, the living room has some nice design elements, but is unbalanced, uninviting and lacks a focal point.
The after photo below (via Country Living), shows what a little styling can do. As Penney points out, a few design elements haven’t change including the sofa, wing chair and wall color. Here are some principles and elements of design that come to play in this redesign:
Define the Space
The most obvious addition in the room is the striped area rug. In addition to anchoring the furnishings and defining the space, it also brings needed texture to the space. When purchasing a rug, it is important to find one that is large enough so that all your furniture fits (it’s okay if the back half of a chair or sofa are not on the rug, but the front half should).
Establish a Focal Point
New drapes, parallel furniture arrangement and artwork in a vertical pattern emphasizes the room’s architectural window and creates a needed focal point in the room. However, I would have added the same drapes to the adjacent window for a more balanced look. This leads me to my next tip;
Create Balance Through Scale and Proportion
The original room also had too much visual weight or mass. In the styled room, one wing chair is replaced with a lighter Windsor chair. Mixing materials can also help balance a room. In this case a metal coffee table takes the place of a wooden one (too many wood elements in the before room). Equilibrium is also achieved by the parallel furniture grouping.
Build Color Harmony
Pulling from the room’s wall color, solid yellow and green throw pillows are added to the sofa creating a more harmonious color palette. However, I would recommend at least one textile print for a pillow, window treatment or chair that pulls all of the primary colors in room’s palette together. Galbraith & Paul’s Donuts pattern in warm would be a good choice for this living room.
What elements of design helped you pull together a space?
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By on February 24, 2010 in color, Design Tips, interior design, Interiors, Living Room, living rooms, Tips/Tricks
Storage Tips and Ideas for Your Kid’s Toys
Is your child’s bedroom or playroom overrun by toys? Now that the holidays are behind us, this is the perfect time to take action and organize your child’s play items.
Toys collections seem to add up quickly and the visual clutter created may be an issue. In an article on Parenting.com, Katy Koontz explains that, “[Too many toys] can have negative effects on kids’ psyches. For toddlers and preschoolers, an overload of playthings can be overwhelming and distracting.” Simply put, by reducing the number of toys in your home you will not only prevent accidents, but may also improve your child’s health.
The first step in organizing is to get rid of any unused, broken or duplicate toys. One way is to give back and help your community by donating gently used toys to women’s shelters where toys are needed. Another way to purge toys would be to sell them either on eBay, at a yard sale or through a local consignment store. If there are toys you can’t part with and have sentimental value, one option is to ship them to a grandparent’s house to be played with on special visits.
After you have gone through the process of reducing the amount of toys in your home, evaluate how you store toys. If you have limited storage space, I strongly encourage investing in vertical storage units or shelving. Pottery Barn Kids has some great storage wall systems that would be ideal in most playrooms and could be easily scaled down for a bedroom.
If you’d like to conceal your children’s play items, this Under the Big Top Storage Tent from Land of Nod is a darling and affordable {$119} option.
This Jenny Lind Bookcase at Land of Nod caught my eye. Love the intricate woodturnings!
If you do decide on having a shelving unit, one nice way to store smaller toy collection such as dolls or cars is in a bin, box or basket. Land of Nod has some stylish vintage train cases and colorful suitcases perfect for housing small trinkets. If you are looking for personalized storage bins, the Macbeth Collection also has some great options.
Another storage solution is a toy chest or bench. Serena & Lily’s custom upholstered bench would be perfect at the foot of the bed or under a window. This tufted bench flips open to store toys, stuffed animals or spare blankets. It’s available in any fabric from Serena & Lily’s extensive line.
Available at Target, this three-piece stacking storage bin set is a great option for keeping toys, games or sports gear neatly organized. The bottom bin has wheels to easily move from room to room.
Storing children’s items under your child’s bed is another storage option, but can be a dusty one. Posh Tot’s storage chest for Sam Beds is a great alternative to storing items neatly and dust-free.
Once you have found a storage systems that works for you and your home, the next step is to keep organized by setting up a daily schedule to put toys away after use or before bedtime. Ask toddlers and older children to help clean-up and reward them with hugs, kisses and praise – rather than food, TV time or more toys.
Do you have a toy storage system that works in your home?
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By on January 13, 2010 in baby and children, home organization, organization tips, Playroom, storage
Household Cleaning Tips and Chic Housewares From Alice Supply Co
It’s a bummer and there’s no way around it. Keeping your house clean is a chore. If you are falling behind on housecleaning it is time to create a schedule. Create a list of each chore that needs to be completed, how often and when (days/times). Post the list in a spot that you will see often – inside a kitchen cabinet, message board or daily planner. Sticking to the schedule will help you tackle those chores and keep your home clean.
In addition, I always advise my clients to try to make tasks as fun as possible. What better way than to use some super cute and chic houseware products from Alice Supply Co? The collection which includes dust pans, plungers, brooms and pails in vivid colors and designs was launched by fellow Californians, Maria Barnes and Raili Clasen. These women have brought serious style into the mundane world of domestic products. We thank you and we salute you!
What is next on your housecleaning chore list?
*images from Alice Supply Co.
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By on September 29, 2009 in Garden, home organization, household cleaning, organization tips
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