4 FALL Updates for Your Home

September 28, 2015

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If you think FALL decorating is popping a few pumpkins here and there around the house, gentle reader – Allow me to help you reconsider. As our seasons rotate and change, so should a bit of your home décor. Why? Because when you shake it up, rotate it out and embrace a change in your home – You change too. By giving your space a seasonal rotation, you engaged in your home's spaces and celebrate your most important place in the universe. Your home will return the favor by making the occupants and visitors happy and look at things renewed.

Here are my 4 fall updates you can make to your home to embrace this new season.

[PHOTO: Plaid fabrics from JoAnn's, faux fur pillow from Tuesday Morning, IKAT pillow self sewn, Kilim rug from own collection.]

#1 - Refresh Your Textiles:

Clever textile changes can inexpensively refresh your spaces within a home environment quickly. This fall, try some fun faux fur pillows to make a space feel cozy and insert that tactile texture into your home decor. Layer a table with a small rug, just as you would with a runner - a Kilim style rug is a great choice, since they come in all sorts of sizes. Plaid prints are all the rage both in fashion and interior design. Head over to your local fabric store for a few yards (Joann Fabrics has a nice selection), or dig out that old stadium blanket you saw in Grandma’s trunk. Use it just as you would any throw. Swap out or sew-up a few new pillow covers – Heavier fabrics such as tapestries, animal prints, knits in deeper color tones will channel those outdoor changing colors.

[PHOTO: Knitted pillow cover knitted with yarn found at Tuesday Morning. Found too at Knitting Fever. Etsy find, 'HOME' chalk paint and burlap mason jars by LIVE,LAUGH,CREATE.]

#2 - Get Crafty:

Whether it is sewing/knitting up a few new pillow covers, creating a plaid throw or heading to the local craft store to scour the seasonal section for inspiration – The Homespun/Homemade look trend is taking hold this season. I found some awesome shaggy yarn at my local Tuesday Morning and knitted up a pillow cover. So pick up a pair of knitting needles, dust off your sewing machine, or at least peruse Etsy, I like Live, Love and Create for some clever crafty Homemade styled accessories you can easily incorporate into your accessory collection.

[PHOTO: Antique dough bowl from own collection, Pottery Barn has a similar version. Assorted terrariums. Glass containers found at HOMEGOODS and plants found at Home Depot.]

#3 - Bring Your Garden Inside.

Buy or create a terrarium ( super trendy, decorative and green), showcase a vase of fresh sunflowers, a pot of blooming mums or create a bolder statement with tall dried grasses or branches in a floor vase. No time to go out and buy fresh? Last week I found out about the folks at BloomNation. If you haven't heard of them before, they support local florists through floral delivery services and showcases their unique bouquets with their online marketplace. Really bring the outside with the mimic of bark with a rough hued bowl, a new wall art piece or even a new accent furniture piece. It’s the rustic texture that brings nature in.

[PHOTO: Sea Salted Pumpkin candle - Tuesday Morning, Millet sprays, potted mums and wood Rooster - Farmer's Market.]

#4 - Harvest Finds.

O.K., O.K., finally… here’s where the pumpkins come into play. Fall is all about the harvest, head over to your local Farmer’s market for inspiration, from pumpkins to dried flowers, you’ll have a hearty supply of styling finds to add the final fall layer. Continuing the harvest theme, every home needs a bit of whimsy, so yes, you can add a farm animal or two. Farm décor is trending this year (In my latest ‘REAL SIMPLE’ magazine, there is a whole fashion spread shot at a farm) - so go ahead and add back that ceramic chicken in your basement. Set that cozy, fall mood with a fun new candle scents, such as ‘Pumpkin Sea Salted’ or ‘Smoke’. Swap out your lamps bulbs with the “Reveal’ warmer tones, Edison bulbs and add dimmer adapters to set the mood.

Lastly, find the time to do these seasonal updates to your home – You’ll find new joy in your living spaces, you may even finally spend time in your living room, enjoying the ‘HARVEST’ of your labor.

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accessorizing Bedding Home Styling

Moving on Beyond a Bed-in-a-Bag - How to Buy Luxury Bedding

February 12, 2015

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So listen up - your days of grabbing the plastic wrapped bed-in-the-bag are over! Sure they’re cute and sassy and that set you saw in the Sunday paper will look totally fantastic with your freshly painted ‘Tranquil Turquoise’ bedroom. And why not, it’s all there in a zipper locked bag, like a "seal-a-meal dinner". Plus you have that 20% off coupon... Hold on extreme coupon clipper, because your need to say bye-bye to bed-in-a-bags, Why?

You can't stick your hand in that zipper locked bag to see if the material is so scratchy it will cause injury while sleeping.
It may be illegal to remove a tag by law, but there is no list of ingredients - who knows what that bedding is made from.
Your Bunco friend is scouting the same set.
You deserve better!

It’s time to treat yourself to some new luxury bedding. Why? –Because first and foremost, you deserve it, second, you spend 1/3 of our life in bed, third, luxury bedding well... feels fantastic and makes you feel and sleep better and lastly, with a bit of on-line scouting savvy - high end, luxury linens at an affordable price can be had.

It’s time to allow yourself some new luxury bedding. Why? –Because first and foremost, you deserve it, second, you spend 1/3 of our life in bed, third, luxury bedding well... feels fantastic and makes you feel and sleep better and lastly, with a bit of on-line scouting savvy - high end, luxury linens at an affordable price can be had.

So here are some tips on how to buy and style a blissful bed and move on beyond a bed-in-a-bag.

PHOTO: Parachute Bedding

1. Quality is Key. The best sheets, cases and duvets are made of Egyptian cotton. It's not about high thread count, but instead the quality of the cotton. Egyptian cotton has long fibers and produce sheets that are thin and sumptuous, yet extremely strong and long-lasting.

2. Create A Tactile Sensation with Luxury Products. There is nothing better than slipping into the blissful caress of cool cotton sheets, the envelope of voluptuous fluff of a down duvet, and the warm, cozy comfort of a cashmere throw. Luxury is yummy.

3. Layer Your Bedding. Your bed is the focal point of your bedroom. Make it look as good as it feels. Start with basic hued fundamentals: Sheets, cases and duvets in one color. Build in shams not only to layer the bed, but protect the sleeping pillows. Add a decorative stamp of a accent pillow or two, and a throw for a pop of color and texture to complete the bedding layers. Layers create visual interest, dimension and texture.

4. Final Touches. Restful colors, the flicker of a scented candle, every light in your room with a dimmer switch, and an organized space, will create a cozy, relaxing room. Your resting and sleeping space should look, feel and smell blissful.

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Home Design Home Tour Interior Design

The Best Home Tour Ever! - Lessons in how to create curated comfort

January 25, 2015

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A recent trip to the West Coast was a joy. One of the highlights was my friend's invitation to visit a client and tour her very special home. By trade, my friend, Jenna Bayer (Jenna Bayer Garden Design, Inc.) is a landscape architect who turned her passion into a career. She is a delight, and every time I head out to the west coast, I'm eager to spend time with her. I was excited by the invitation and dying to see what she creates. Jenna and her client became fast friends and share a mutual passion for detail, an aesthetic for design and affection for developed beauty. I was gifted in seeing the glorious results.

The gift they both gave me was a rare peek at a truly magnificent home - magnificent on so many levels. The best home tour ever! From the incredible landscaping and gardens that Jenna created, to the home's beautiful architecture, to the detailed, rich interior design so carefully and soulfully developed. Luxury, oh yes, totally - but in the most comfortable way. But the real reward was lessons learned in embracing a passion, an eye for curated detail and care for homey comfort that went into creating a perfect blend of luxury, detail and total relaxation.

I'll call it 'Curated Comfort.' I'll define curated as creating a layered, collected home by celebrating past and present. It’s what you own and art and science of appreciated detail displayed in both architecture and design. What is the definition of comfort? A desire to make a house a home.

It would take dinner with drinks, dessert and two lattes for me to unravel my tour experience, but here are a few tips and lessons I learned when touring this incredible home. Please note, since the homeowner was present and I a polite and gracious guest... I took no photos. I share my home tour lessons, with sourced photos.

The landscaping was in-tune with the natural surroundings and complimented the home. Specimens were selected and placed as an artistic collection. Exterior ‘rooms’ were created and connected with meandering paths.

TIP: When planning a garden or landscape, or just refreshing one that you have - strive to create a place that looks like it’s naturally there, compliments the home and can become an extension of your home's space, so it can be enjoyed like your favorite interior rooms of the home.

(Photo: Jenna Bayer Garden Design)

The house was only a few years old, but the architecture and style of the home looked as though it had been there all along, incorporated local elements, and fit right into the area.

TIP: Doing thoughtful research at the local historical society or library will reward you whether working from scratch or altering ready-made home plans. The land and your neighbors will thank you.

(Photo: Source)

Each fireplace was custom made, inspired by fireplaces admired while visiting historic European homes and estates - making just another element in the home unique.

TIP: Love a certain style, era or place? Seek an expert to have it made. Commissioned pieces are not out of your reach if you just take the time and effort to track down, ask and research to find the right people to create your vision.

(Photo: Pinterest)

The living room anchored with her family's vintage sofas reupholstered in dark sapphire blue velvet and approachable linen accent pillows invited me to sit, rather than feeling like I was imposing on a piece of furniture.

TIP: If using luxurious fabric on seating, choose a darker "I can sit on this" hue; add toss pillows or a throw in a juxtaposition textile such as super friendly linen that calms the stature of the statement fabric.

(Anthropologie Blue Velvet Sofa)

In bedrooms, the beds were adorned with the perfect mix of voluptuous down, organic cottons, linens and a total lush, layered envelope look of coziness.

TIP: Do not pinch pennies on quality, but always pair with comfort in mind. Look for natural washable fibers and comfortable styles, so your bedding is easy care, but totally indulgent. Create layers with down, matelassé coverlets, quilts and plenty of fluffy pillows. Keep the colors tonal to let the materials shine.

(Photo: Source - Linen Bedding)

The detail that went into to creating the interior design of this home came arose from thoughtful planning and resulted in pure comfort. Spectacular commissioned kitchen backsplash tiles and museum worthy fabric trims on window treatments, divine details and layered styling were displayed in each room.

TIP: Scour, hunt and procure your finds so that your home becomes layered. Consider mixing elements, pairing old and new together. Create a room with detail, with a few eclectic elements to add just the right interesting twist.

(Photo: Source - London-Style Linen Shades)

The best home tour ever! After, we all headed to dinner with drinks, no dessert or lattes - but instead, more deliciously, a few more hours spent in creative conversation. And that's that. I'm now back home in Chicago, still digesting my joyful west coast adventure and a highlight I'll soon not forget. Cheers to you Jenna.

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lifestyle design

ReStyle Old to New - Making Your Inherited Stuff Stunning

January 01, 2015

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I was chatting with my longtime Chicago friend yesterday about her brother tucking away Dad's inherited watch in a safety deposit box rather than wearing it. He said that he was only going to use it on special occasions; I was totally puzzled why he would do that. Why not wear it every day to celebrate his Dad’s memory?

It made me think back to eyeballing a perfect little velvet loveseat at a thrift shop - perfect because it was encased in a plastic slipcover. I had thought to myself, the old owner never got to experience the joy of sinking into that sofa and feeling the lush texture of the velvet. I envisioned a hard crunched rather than a soft, cozy sink when (if ever) someone sat down.

Please don’t tuck away your fabulous things! From Grandma’s silver service to old stuff sitting in the basement, don’t hide it - celebrate it. Your home should make you happy each day, be filled with a layered collection - rich with finds of every delicious chapter and morsel of your life. Don't store things behind glass, wrap them away or like the owner of the loveseat, encase them in plastic. That loveseat should of had a worn spot where the owner curled up on Saturday afternoons to read her next murder mystery novel!

Celebrate it, use it, restyle it and make it your own. How? Here a few examples of how you can reinvent what is inherited, old or unused into something with purpose and loved.

One of my clients was struggling with her husband's gifted grandparent's dining set. They really wanted to honor it in the dining room, but the dark wood wasn't appealing and the table wasn't going to work with daily use. The restyle solution was to purchase a new table and have the rest of the set painted to match. The celebrate what you have result is the perfect mix of old and new. And the big bonus is they now get to love that set as much as his Grandparents did.

Inherited Hutch

Restyled Hutch (Photo: Julea Joseph)

Why not get ready every morning in vintage style and maybe a wink and nod to Mom with a lovely vanity vignette of your makeup necessities organized in old silver serving pieces.

Silver Serving Pieces ( Photo: Source)

Don't toss the collection of unused encyclopedias collecting dust in the basement bookcase - Repurpose and reuse them as accessories or style accents with a can of paint.

Painted Encyclopedias (Photo: Jennifer Rizza)

Aunt Millie's tea cup collection boxed in tissue somewhere? Unwrap them, head over to a craft store and cook up a batch of wax to make them into candles. They'll warm your heart with their romantic flicker on your sofa's end table as you settle in for the evening.

Tea Cup Candles (Photo: Source)

Transform an antique photo of your heritage with a blown-up image updated in a wrapped canvas technique. Add a few more in various sizes to create an unique gallery wall.