by Jen | Oct 25, 2013 | How To, Interior Decorating
Starbucks and Magazines
I am a leading authority on anything that appears in Time, Better Homes and Gardens, Oprah, Afar Travel Magazine, an occasional People and a host of other decorating ones. I don’t read the whole article-just the first few lines of each paragraph or so-that makes me the expert. Frequently I will proclaim something to my husband and he will reply “How do you know?” I don’t like to tell him. It might undermine my “creds”. I hope he doesn’t read this.
Anyway, I am a magazine junkie. I have stashes.
My family frequently gets mad at me during the holidays because I let myself relax and I shove a magazine in front of my face–even if it is during a card game, family conversation, sometimes a meal…I’m not proud. I love my magazines. I always put off looking at them til I have time. Alas, sometimes that time doesn’t arrive until, say family game night on Thanksgiving:)
Enough about me. It was riveting, wasn’t it?
The point is about YOU.
You want some decorating help. You are overwhelmed with what to do first. Underwhelmed with your space. We need a starting point. What do you like? “I don’t know what I like”. Ok, grab a magazine and look. Do you like that picture? Ok, rip it out. What do you like about it? “I don’t know what I like about it”. Ok, fine. Look through some more magazines. Rip out some more pictures. I don’t care if they are all of bathrooms and you hate your kitchen. Just rip the pages out. Do you notice anything the pictures have in common? Are they all dark? White? Bright? Modern? We don’t need a label. We just want to find some common denominators.
Frequently I go to people’s houses and they want me to name their style. Or, they want me to name what their style should be or would be if they did this and this. Guess what? If everything fits into one style you are going to be sick of it in one year. Who cares what you call it. Just work on finding what you like, regardless of what category it falls into.
A word of caution. If your house is say very Traditional. Don’t look for what matches what you have if you don’t like it. I had clients who would do this all the time. Just because you have it now doesn’t mean we have to keep adding to it. WHAT DO YOU LIKE NOW? Where are we trying to go? We might not get there tomorrow but at least we are on the right road.
I use to tell a favorite client named Regina that it was like planning a road trip. You need a map. You might be in New England today and want to get to Southern California. You aren’t going to get there by driving willy nilly without a map. Well, you might but it is going to cost you a lot more money in gas and lodging. Get a plan. Figure out where you want to go. What route do you want to drive?
Decorating. You need a map. Where are you trying to go? Start with pictures. Figure out what you like. Do you need roadside assistance aka decorating assistance? Goals are just dreams until you write them down. Baby steps. Start small.
What do you like? Grab a magazine. Make a file.
We’ll talk more about what to do with that file later. One step at a time.
by Jen | Oct 23, 2013 | Fun Style, Inspired Style
I thought this said, Cooooool, Normal, and BOLD
My husband thinks I am crazy. When we lived in Virginia a neighbor had a orange 1950’s Chevy permanently parked in their driveway. I thought it was the ultimate accessory and proclaimed we needed one too. Apparently, cars that don’t “work” which just sit outside a house aren’t everybody’s idea of a “must have”.
I put it to all of you—how much better do these houses look WITH their Chrome Tiara’s?
www.chicagomag.com~FGH Architects
Elledecor.com Not sure of date?
curbsideclassic.com
I wish I could give someone credit for this picture. I don’t know where it is from. I just know that it is PERFECT.
I know a good idea when I see one. I don’t want to toot my own horn but I was onto tortoiseshell glasses long before Elaine made them popular. And that whole “all things French” trend? I was rocking the French flag in my childhood room circa 1980’s—LONG before Ballard Designs latched on. Chartreuse and Navy? That green and blue combination that is everywhere? Yup. I was asking if they had that in Chartreuse when they didn’t even know what Chartreuse was. I know, I’m such a trendsetter, my husband just doesn’t know it.
This is THE END.
curbsideclassic.com
by Jen | Oct 16, 2013 | Art, Fun Style, Happiness at Home
Kerry Murphy
Yesterday was Wordless Wednesday. Wordless because I had no internet. Which brings me to today–Thankful Thursday.
I’m thankful that my internet is back. Thanks Comcast for showing up 30 minutes after I called and spending 90 minutes at my house!
Did you know being thankful is the cornerstone of happiness?
So grab a pad of post it notes and scribble willy nilly some things you are thankful for–then stick them all over the crazy place.
Thankful Thursday Everyone!
by Jen | Oct 15, 2013 | Inspired Style
A few weeks ago I wrote about redecorating a room based upon this picture as my inspiration.
John Mayer, Paradise Valley.
I am not finished.
Some of it has gone swimmingly, meaning, swell.
Some, not so much.
I had two criteria. Nothing could cost a lot of money. And–I did not want to spend a lot of time on this project.
I can find items that will completely accomplish what I want. I found the perfect twin duvet cover that had an American Indian meets Ralph Lauren in the exact colors I wanted for $850. REALLY????? And as I type “REALLY” I am slamming my fingers on the keyboard.
And you try finding leather or denim accents for a bedroom that don’t look–that don’t look, well, REALLY REALLY REALLY BAD. Again, slamming fingers on keyboard. My ideas exist. And they look mighty fine. They just cost a mint. It’s the inexpensive options, so far, that look really, really bad.
So I keep going to TJ Maxx, outlets, Goodwill, random store, Target, Marshalls, more random stores, Etsy, Ebay, Overstock…wait…this better sums up what I am doing.
See this is me running endlessly through the desert of retail. Those people in the background? That’s you. Waiting.
So that criteria about not spending a lot of time??? Well too late. To quote good ole Forest, ” …I just kept on shopping. I shopped clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I’d gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on shopping. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I’d gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on shopping.”
Somebody’s gotta do it.
by Jen | Oct 14, 2013 | Inspired Style, Interior Decorating
Santa Ynez Media & Bloggers Going Home To Roost
It’s that time of year again for door to door tricksters looking for treats.
Nothing says Halloween like cobwebs, burned out lights, and dirty neglected spaces. And nothing says hot mess like cobwebs, burned out lights and dirty neglected spaces if Halloween is long over.
You’re covered if you fall into the above category for a few more weeks.
After Halloween it’s time to do all that decking of the halls and entertaining–so grab a broom, a light bulb, and a can of paint.
Here’s a little inspiration.
RED
ORANGE
YELLOW
GREEN
BLUE
PURPLE
DOOR BLING
