Making a room feel homey

We all agree that certain rooms need certain things - bedrooms need beds; living rooms need couches, tables, lamps. Although it may be a hard sell to some, rooms need accessories. These accents - pillows, artwork, flowers or plants, really change the feel of a room. You can have the same furniture with totally different accessories and the room will have two different vibes. To most of you, this may seem elemental, but I wanted to state it for two reasons. One: adding a few simple accessories to your room (or removing some) can change the look and feel of that space. If you want a change, you can do it very inexpensively. Two: three to four key accessories can give your room much more life or warmth.

If, for example, you have the basic living room: a couch, a chair, some end tables and a coffee table; think about the walls of that room. Do you have some coordinating curtains? Do those curtains give another texture to the room and add more dimension? Are the walls displaying artwork? Are they placed in a way that helps the room feel appealing? If you have artwork - be it a painting or some ironwork - be sure it is in a focal spot. Does it center over the couch? Does it not distract from the architecture of a room?

Please do not forget flowers/plants/greenery. They act as neutrals for any color scheme, but can really bring life into a space. Just a few touches of foliage will give your eye another spot of interest as well as give the room more dimension and texture.

If these concepts are a challenge for you, just give me a call to schedule your initial consultation. We will review your spaces and with an educated eye, determine what needs updating. A few small changes can create big payoffs!

Different, but Unified

So here's Tuesday's tip ( a wee bit late!). Check out these images. This is a great way to tie together two-three-however many rooms without taking away from each of their personalities. In the below images, you can see a dominate stripe - in the same color - throughout three rooms. This gives the three rooms unity. The rooms were all painted different colors - one a grayish-green, one in a dusty orange, the last in an umber yellow. Then, a bold burgandy stripe was placed just below the top of the door frames in all three spaces. These rooms are a boy's bedroom, a playroom and a nursery, respectfully. Maybe you can unify your spaces with this similar technique. It's quite simple and so many paint companies show you coordinated - but different - colors. And, with so many of our homes having an open floorplans, maybe this is the "spice" you are looking for in your space. Separate the spaces with a differnt color, but unify them with a common theme/color/stripe/detail/whatever!

Mementos

Is it Tuesday again!? Well, here is my tip for you today! SHOW OFF YOURSELF! In every home, I believe, there should be personal items that either tell other's who you are, what you are about or remind you of your history on this earth. For example, one of my clients had an art friend take all the little mementos of her and her husband's past (old movie stubs, maps from vacations, menus from fav restaurants, etc) and decoupage them on a large canvas. This is prominently hung in their entryway to show everyone who enters that space, what the owners are all about. It's a wonderful way to display your keepsakes, make wonderfully personalized artwork and free up drawers space! Decoupaging is so easy... just get a canvas, put on some decoupage paste, lay out your items and decoupage them over. I recommend determining your layout before you grab the glue! Maybe you want to cut the edges of the movie stub to give it some interesting texture? Maybe have a piece of fabric from your wedding dress? Whatever you have tucked away in that little shoebox, get it out... show it off and watch it bring a smile to your face whenever you pass by it... remembering some good times.

Tuesday's Tip!

Hello Friends!
As I sit here enjoying the fresh rain, I am reminded of one of my clients comments after we painted a room of hers. "It looks so fresh, so new, so clean!" While it may be an easy change, painting a room does more than just give you a new colored backdrop. Painting provides an opportunity to fix any knicks you may have incurred in your walls. It also makes all those scuffs and scrapes disappear. It's very gratifying to roll that paint over a scuffed wall - erasing the "mistakes of the past" and makeing a clean start! (well, that may be a little optimistic!)
Bring fresh color to your walls to clean up your room and bring some much needed, relatively inexpensive style to your room. I would love to work with you on changing a room with a coat of paint. You may be surprised to fall in love with that old room even if you don't change one piece of furniture!

And finally some photos....

Thank you all for your patience!

It has taken me quite some time to get to posting photos, but here they are!

These are some images of homes I have worked on. Some are just adding color and character, some are rearranging things for a better flow.

Enjoy!

more images!

and even more!

Tuesday's Tip!

Since I am starting this design/decorating blog, I thought I would make a commitment to doing a weekly tip called "Tuesday's Tip!".
Today I want to talk about the biggest question/issue I have found most of my clients face: COLOR. "Is it too dark!?" "Is it too light!?" "Will it make my room look too small!?" "Is it the RIGHT color!?"

So many questions about color and, of course, they are all valid questions. Color is important - especially in your home. Color evokes emotion and can literally change your state of mind. Some colors seem to be soothing, but they have a hint of a red or a yellow that can make you feel - yes FEEL - a bit out-of-sorts. My tip for today is to find a color in the paint store that "speaks" to you. I truly believe that people can find a good color by just being focused on what they like.

For example: Let's say Sally knows she likes Daisies. She has a yellow lab puppy. Sally also wears gold jewelry by choice more often than silver. She has gold toned lamps she bought last year and they have off-white shades that she just loves. From these clues, I would say Sally likes yellow - soft, ivory yellows. So, let's work from that initial palette and start something wonderful.

Ask yourself: What clothes am I drawn to? What jewelry do I love? What shoes are my favorites (except those black "make you look like a goddess" heels)? When you buy stationary, what color paper do you pick up first? These clues will help you see what colors you like.

Don't forget to notice your furniture, too. If you have a strong colored couch, you are more courageous with color. If your couch is neutral in tone, you want more subtle color. Either way is right. Either way can create a beautiful interior that can make you FEEL relaxed and proud of your home.
I would love to hear any comments on this topic. Drop me a note!

For more tips... give me a call and we can set up an initial consultation!

Friends and Clients

Hello again from my little design house. I just wanted to pass on some positive energy today. I have been so blessed with great clients who become great friends. The ladies with whom I work are so like me - personally - that I feel honored to be helping them enjoy their homes. As we chat and find out similarities, I get another perspective on issues we all deal with. Makes me feel less crazy! Heehee! Interior work can be hard and sometimes, yes, I get sweaty, but knowing that my friend will enjoy it is like a little gift to us both. So, thank you darling clients for your support, your trust and, most importantly, being wonderful ladies!
I'm almost ready to post some photos here so ... stay tuned!
Wishing everyone sunny days and happy homes!

WELCOME!

To those in need of decorating advice... Interiors by Jackie Brown is here.

I have met some wonderful people and, together, we have transformed their homes. Some just needed some color advice... others needed furniture rearranging... still others needed painting jobs and redecorating help. Each home offered unique challenges and each client has specific needs for themselves and their family and my goal is to resolve all those issues so the space is cohesive and enjoyable.