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Small space seasonal decorating

I don’t have a very large foyer, but want it to look inviting. My foundational pieces in the space are the chair and a small side table. I always change out the artwork, lamps, and decor items seasonally, or when the mood strikes. Right now, I have it decorated for Halloween. A lamp base with gothic styling, a piece of spider lace fabric for a table cloth and a wreath in the holiday colors start the process. I filled it in with a cozy throw, and pillows. Fabric stores like JoAnne and Hobby Lobby have great seasonal fabric. My pillows are double sided with contrasting fabric, and fun trim. Candles and holders become decorating opportunities too. These candle holders were cream colored when I found them at a flea market. A little black spray paint, some trim and orange candles say “Halloween”. Scrapbooking paper becomes instant art in a cool frame. Just look for small frames on sale at your favorite home decor stores, and save them for times like this.

I hope this inspires you to look for bargain items and turn them into spectacular treats for your small spaces.

As I’ve mentioned, I am a great bargain shopper. For example, I regularly purchase single drapery panels if they’re interesting – if they are a great color, or have a texture or pattern to them (Pier 1 has some great ones). Now, what to do with one panel? Can it be a table runner, or napkins? Can it be a border on solid colored curtains? Can it be pillows? These are just a few things that come to mind.

I held on to one of the panels that had the qualities I look for – color and pattern. When I suggested paint colors for a client’s condo, I remembered that panel. I knew it would look great in her kitchen nook area. So, it went from a single panel to valances. Not a huge stretch, but it was an inexpensive solution that tied the color together and invited you into the kitchen to stay for a while.

A drapery panel is transformed into a kitchen valance

Try to look at things in a new way. Can those clearance table runners or placemats become window treatments? A pretty rod and some drapery rings can turn those finds into just the right pop of color in a kitchen, or in a child’s room. It’s all about looking at things differently, and repurposing what you find. Have fun hunting for things that you can use to create beauty in your own home!

Color – I love it!
Each of us gravitates to different colors, and color combinations. You may be drawn to warm colors like red or orange, or cool colors like blue or green, and what you like today may change as your life circumstances change.

As I visit clients, I usually can see a pattern, or a common thread to their color palette. They don’t see it, but as an outsider, I do. I can put designs together that they never dreamed of, but it’s because they already picked furniture or accessories that go together.

Right now, I personally gravitate towards yellow-green or chartreuse. I have provided pictures of my bedroom. The bedding was purchased at a different time than the art and the pillows – way, way different times. But, it all coordinates together.

Why don’t you see what you have in your home that can work together to create a cohesive space?

Easter – it’s a wonderful time of year. A time of renewal and rebirth. Spring is coming, or in some parts of the country, is already in full force. I decorate seasonally, and to me, this is the first time that I can bring in the pinks, yellows, greens and blues into an otherwise darker toned house.

Last year, on a visit with friends in Florida, we went to a garage sale. I bought this great teak lazy susan. I think what attracted me to it is that it’s unique, and organic, and my mom had some similar pieces when we were growing up. I have it on my kitchen table, and change it out as the mood strikes. For Easter, I have daffodils, with fuzzy baby chicks surrounding them, and glass beads with Easter eggs (Pier 1) around the outside.

Happy Spring!

Welcome to my blog. I’ve been wanting to write my thoughts for a long time now, so what better time than now? It’s not quite 6:00 am, and I’ve been up for 2 hours already. (Take note, this may happen to you, as you grow older).

I’m hoping that my blogs will inspire you. I expect them to be my musings about design, creative how-tos, and info on items that I’ve bought or seen at some of my favorite shops. By the way, I love to shop, bargain shop to be exact, so I expect there will be a lot of talk about that.

So, to begin, what is redesign? It’s a funny word, that has to be explained. Redesign “revises the appearance or function of something.” As a verb, redesign makes a new design for something. To break it down, redesign takes what you have in your home, and uses it in a new way. Let’s face it, we can’t always dump the sofa we got as a hand-me-down from our parents. So, how can you use it differently so that it’ll feel like you bought a new sofa? Can you change the position? Can you take some chairs from another room to add life or downplay the sofa? As a professional redesigner, I look at the architecture of the room, see what the focal point is, and ask lots of questions about how you use the room. You can try it to.

I had a neighbor recently ask me if she should switch her living room and dining rooms. Her dining room is quite small, and she has large furniture. Her living room is rarely used. So I say yes, switch away. Let your dining room furniture breath in a larger room. The smaller dining room can then become a cozy reading room, or quiet room for conversation. Redesign is all about how you use a room in your home, not how the house was originally designed. What room in your house could be repurposed to be more useful?