Simply Cozy

Fall, with its cooler evenings and milder days, makes us start snuggling in. After the summer we’ve had (record breaking heat, severe drought), it was hard to imagine the autumn season would arrive. But here it is!

You may find yourself looking for a lap throw to snuggle under while reading in the morning or evening, creating a warm glow with candles, and transitioning to warmer, earthy colours in our décor accessories. Transitioning from a lighter, airy summer décor to a warmer, cozier fall style can be a simple and easy process that doesn’t take loads of time. Summer is a time of light and airy décor. In fall, the use of richer, warmer colours and textures dials up the cozy and makes our homes relaxed and comfortable and mixing contrasting patterns and textures adds even more depth and comfort.

The following ideas can be adapted to many décor styles and create rooms you may never want to leave!

Throws – drape one over the arm of your sofa or favourite chair. Available in a wide range of colours, throws can also be found in many materials such as chenille, wool or mohair and are also available in strips, plaids and solids.

Pillows – no husband that I know likes throw cushions but what a simple and easy way to change the look of any room! There are some really fun cushions out there in a wide variety of colours, patterns, textures (faux fur is back :) and appliqués.

Candles – one of my fav décor elements! In fall I love the deep amber and orange as well as cream colours available and many stores now carry unscented candles in a wide variety of colours and sizes.

Natural Elements – leaves, fruit, pinecones and nuts and grapevine can all be beautifully incorporated into fall décor and many of these items can easily transition from fall to winter and Christmas décor (yes, I said it!). They are plentiful at the grocery store, the farmers market or in your own backyard.

Area rugs – adding an area rug or two to the side of the bed, in front of a sofa (layering an area rug over wall-to-wall creates depth and texture) kitchen or entranceway can enhance the coziness and add a splash of warm colour to your home.

Enjoy updating your home for fall and be sure to cozy up with a cuppa when you are finished so you can admire and enjoy your changes. Wishing all of you a blessed Thanksgiving and remember to be grateful and give thanks for the simple pleasures and treasures in your life.

Swank Smaller Spaces

As I write this I am looking out at a beautiful sunny fall day – my fav season of the year! Hope you’re having a sunny day too!

As the seasons change, I get energized and motivated to start the next home project or get the energy and incentive to finish my WIPs (works in progress). As many of you know, we have downsized twice in 4 years and are in a much smaller home that actually feels bigger than the last. The layout, number of windows, natural light and the fact that it’s a bungalow (full basement with lots of space and storage) make it feel very roomy. At this stage many of us are opting for smaller spaces but that does not mean sacrificing style and the opportunity to reflect our personality and flair in the design and décor.

This video outlines some of the general guidelines that can make small spaces ‘live large’ while keeping the rooms inviting, comfortable and functional. They are simple and can apply to any room in your home.

Decorating a family room is a challenging task, as it's often a room that needs to provide several functions for your family. And it's even trickier if you're working with a small space! Brody Hutzler has five decorating ideas for small family rooms that will help them seem larger, and help them function more effectively.

The guidelines are pretty straight forward, but if you’re like me, you’re visual and need to see them put into practice. The following slide show provides some beautiful photos of small living rooms that reflect a wide range of décor styles, colours and layouts. Lots of ideas here and I got excited and motivated when watching it.

Stuck with a tiny small living room? Need some small living ideas? Want to make your living room seem larger? Not many of homeowners or renters are lucky enough to have spacious living rooms, but that doesn't mean that your tiny rooms must lack style.

These small bedroom designs would make it very hard for me to get out of bed in the morning! These are very livable rooms that are huge on style!

If you are looking for inspiration on how to decorate a small bedroom, prepare to be overwhelmed with fantastic ideas. After publishing these contemporary bedroom design ideas guaranteed to "rock your world", these charming Swedish modern bedrooms and these holiday-inspiring ocean-view bedrooms, it is time to have a look at practical solutions for small homes.

If you’re doing a smaller room and need ideas, let me know - I would love to work with you to create a fresh look! And if you have completed a project, be sure to share the pics – I would love to see your style and flair in action!

Have a great weekend and remember to make it swank!

Simple Fall Decor

Fall has arrived! Unofficially of course, but the temperate days and cooler nights signal that it is here. With the change of seasons many of us make some updates to our décor to reflect the fall season.

I have three main display areas in my living room and kitchen area and changes in these areas signal a change in the season and/or celebrations. While updates to these areas sound like a lot of work, I have established a ‘foundation’ display in each area that I can easily and simply update. I can update one at a time or all at once as my schedule allows, which makes for an easy transformation.

The top of the hutch has a foundation of a cork filled bird cage (a very pleasant and enjoyable work in progress!), a grapevine wreath, a hurricane vase and a candle lantern. The bird cage always remains as is. However, the wreath has greenery on it in summer which is layered with maple leaf shaped mini glimmer lights in fall (http://www.pier1.com/glimmer-strings#nav=top); the candle lantern is empty in summer but mini gourds, pine cones, pumpkins and cinnamon sticks fill it in the fall; the hurricane vase contains sand and sea shells along with a white or pale blue candle in summer which is swapped out for acorns with a cream coloured candle in fall. The filler items around this ‘foundation’ can be clear or sea blue glass bottles or more pillar candles in summer and clear glass and a white pumpkin in fall.

The fireplace mantel foundation is made up of a large rectangular silver framed mirror casually leaning against the wall along with a large apothecary candle jar and two pillar candle stands all in sea green glass. In summer these are enhanced with starfish, seashells and sea green coloured candles. The fall transition means a white candle in the apothecary jar, removal of the seashells and the addition of clear glass and white pumpkins and one of the pillar candles for balance. I did keep one starfish this year – I thought it was a lovely contrast to the teal coloured gourd. It’s a simple but festive display!

The dining table in the kitchen has a foundation of seasonal coloured/styled table runner and shallow rectangular wooden tray. The tray is filled with stones, a small glass candle holder and a couple of glass votive holders and décor elements change around this to reflect the season or celebration. In fall the stones are topped by small pinecones, acorns, colourful fall leaves and mini pumpkins and/or gourds; the candle is swapped out for a cream coloured or orange one and fall scented candles are added to the votives.

I also have a large metal bucket in a corner of the dining area and the contents are always swapped out for something more appropriate to the season or celebration – in fall it’s a large bouquet of fall leaves (maple and maiden’s hair), bittersweet and mini jute pumpkins.

Having a foundation of décor elements in each of these areas keep updates from being overwhelming and time consuming and allows for quick and simple refreshes. It also eases storage as the décor items can be stored away by location and easily pulled out one at a time or all at once, as your time allows.

Have fun transitioning your home for fall and be sure to share pics – I would love to see what you’re up to!

Decorate Anywhere Anytime

Ah, September! For many, me included, this is the ‘real’ New Year! Somehow the beginning of school whether we have children going back or not, makes us want to get organized, start new or resume established routines, improve our eating habits, start new exercise regimes and prepare for fall. I am just back from an amazing couple of weeks in Nova Scotia where reading, rest and relaxation were the orders of every day.

We rented a charming cottage at Halls Harbour in the Annapolis Valley (https://www.tripadvisor.ca/VacationRentalReview-g154967-d4125892-Huntington_Point_Cottage-Nova_Scotia.html) that provided beautiful views of the Bay of Fundy. I was in my element beach combing every day, sitting and watching stunning sunsets, watching the tide rush in and out and just listening to the sounds of the ocean. But my ever lovin’ will tell you (to his amusement) that even on vacation I have to decorate my surroundings!

So, how did I decorate our space? Natural elements were plentiful and easily available. And of course, my love for anything coastal just made it that much easier and enjoyable! The wild roses in wine glasses set along the window ledge provided a beautiful splash of colour and heavenly scent throughout the cottage.

Of course, the many beautiful stones and shells made for simple and delightful vignettes on both the kitchen window ledge and the porch railing.

And candles, one of favourite décor items, are always with me and cast a lovely warm glow and ambiance for dining, reading or playing board games.

However, all too soon going to sleep and waking to the sounds of the ocean is over and reality has set in. Now that we’re home, my thoughts are turning to fall (my favourite season!) and preparing for the cooler weather ahead. I so look forward to the changing seasons and the changing décor that goes along with it. Stay tuned for fall décor ideas and simple, stylish and elegant updates.

Consulting Has Made Me a Better Interior Designer

Happy Friday! I have to confess this fantastic summer weather we're having has distracted me from my blogging so you may have noticed a few gaps in the posting schedule! But during that time I haven’t been ignoring my design and décor biz.

In fact, I’ve been networking and promoting my business and working on a couple of exciting new ventures (watch for upcoming announcements!). In the process of meeting with people the question regarding my background and experience and how I became an interior designer inevitably comes up. I was apologetically explaining that I have done a 180 and gone from working in Management and IT consulting but then decided to follow my passion. But why apologetically?!

Just like meeting clients and working with them to identify their business challenges and making recommendations for changes together with a game plan to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their organization, I meet with clients to discuss and identify what challenges they are dealing with in their homes. I then make recommendations and provide a plan to create an inviting, comfortable, functional home in which they can live and play.

Surprisingly, many of the questions asked in either profession are very similar and designed to get clients talking about likes, dislikes, goals, desired outcome, etc. In fact, I relied heavily on my consulting background when developing the questionnaire for my interior design clients and just like management consulting, one or two questions are all it takes to get them chatting and discussing what frustrates them, what they would like to change, what they’d like to see disappear and how they picture using their space.

While the path I have traveled is a bit unconventional and not the one typically taken by most interior designers, I wouldn’t trade it. I loved working with my consulting clients and now I get to work with people on a much more personal and intimate level and see the recommended changes come to life.

The ultimate goal is happy, satisfied clients regardless of what services you are providing. While I am following my passion and starting my echo career, the experience gained in my previous life has actually made me a better interior designer!

Happy long weekend!

To Stage or Not to Stage?

Why stage your home?

When selling your home you want the best possible price in the shortest time possible. Staging and styling ensures your home stands out from the others on the market and enables prospective buyers to envision themselves living there.

Over 81% of buyers ‘”find it easier to visualize the property as their future home” when it’s staged. Staged homes sell 79% faster than those staged after being listed. (NAR (National Association of Realtors)

What does it cost?

The cost of staging depends on the state of the home. It can be as a simple as decluttering, cleaning inside and out, rearrangement of your furnishings and/or the addition of a few new decor items and fresh flowers. Or, it may require fresh paint, repairs and completion of unfinished home improvement projects.

 A NAR survey found the average home staging investment is 1-3% of the home’s asking price, which generated an 8-10% ROI on the cost of home staging.

Make your home outstanding!

You want buyers to be excited by what they see and select your home for an onsite visit. Exceptional photos make your home stand out and staging ensures the photographer is able to capture the attractiveness of your home so that in turn, it catches prospective buyer’s eye when they are doing online research.

 NAR found that 90% of potential buyers search online first.

These before and after photos show what a difference staging can make!

Using items the homeowners had, this bedroom was updated for less than $400!