Quotes by Amazing Designers

I thought today I'd share some of my favorite quotes from some of the most well known designers.... along with providing my friend Jennifer with inspiration as she's beginning design school.......

"I'm going to make everything around me beautiful.  That will be my life." - Elsie de Wolfe - the first known Interior Designer

"Exquisite details make interiors sing." - Larry Laslo

"The details are not the details, they make the design." - Charles Eames

"Interior Speak! Rooms emphasize whether one exists or lives, and there is great difference between the two." - Van Day Truex, interior designer, director of design, Tiffany & Co. 

Have a great day!

Gorgeous Baker Furniture

Are you a Baker furniture fan? Take a minute to check out these gorgeous rooms styled using Baker furniture.

Want to see more from Baker? Click here!

Staged Home

I've recently started doing more staging for resale and thought I'd post some pictures of a recent home that I completed.

 I worked with an investor on this home. His goal was to make it sale-ready, but not sink too much money into it. I really had to get creative on a few areas as it was really rough when we first went in. 

Living Room

The wood floors and trim work was really damaged so we had these refinished. A fresh coat of a soft, neutral paint was added, simple window treatments and then some cozy furniture and decorative accessories were added. 

Dining Room

The floors and woodwork in the dining room also had to be refinished. The built in cabinets needed to be cleaned up and also a fresh coat of paint added to the walls. A light fixture was added above the table to create a more intimate feeling in the room along with a few accessories. 

Kitchen

The owner did not want to tweak the cabinets, and in fact they were not in bad shape. We simply added satin nickel hardware to update the look, added a new countertop and a decorative tile backsplash which really added a fun element to the room. 

In addition to these rooms, we updated the master bath with new tub and tile tub surround, new hardware and I added a few decorative elements. All three bedrooms were updated with fresh paint and carpeting in neutral colors

In the end this was a very fun project. Sometimes a tight budget can be even more enjoyable because it encourages you to become more creative. 

On to the next project.....

Define Your Personal Style

Do you have trouble creating, a flowing and cohesive look in your home?  Perhaps you need help finding your personal style.  I often have customers that call me for help with this.  

Here are some recommendations to finding your “look”…..

Take a walk through your own house

Walk around your house with a note pad and jot down notes about each room, what you do and don’t like about the room. What do you feel as you spend time in the room? Is it cozy and warm?  Are you just drawn to the blue wall color in your powder room? Perhaps you have a specific pattern of fabric that you love. Make notes of all of these items.

Magazines

At your next trip to the supermarket, pick up some magazines such as Interior Design, Veranda, Elle Decor, Better Homes and Gardens or any other home décor magazines you may find.  Rip out pages of rooms you like and take note what exactly you like. For example; brightly colored window treatments or upholstered chairs in a floral print.

Websites

Of course I can’t talk about defining your style without directing you to Houzz. Pinterest is also a great way to find interior design ideas.

Shopping

Is Pottery Barn one of your favorite stores to visit or do you prefer the clean lines of Crate & Barrel? Maybe the eclectic mix at Arhausis just for you. If you could win a shopping spree to one home décor store where would it be?

Now sit down with your notes and look for repetition. 

Maybe you’ll discover you already have several pieces of modern, clean lined furniture and are drawn to some abstract artwork in a magazine.  Design your room focusing on Modern Design. 

www.cb2.com

 

Do you love the intricate carvings in your stairwell as well as more elaborate furniture and patterns? Does Veranda magazine make you excited to decorate?  You may be a follower of Traditional Design.

 

www.potterybarn.com

If you find you have a collection of styles ranging from modern to traditional and everything in between you might just be a Transitional Design fan. You love collecting pieces of artwork while traveling and each piece in your home tells a story.  You find joy in mixing an antique table with a clean lined lamp. 

www.restorationhardware.com

Congratulations, you are closer to defining your personal style!

Now take your findings and create a list of items you’d like to see in each room. For example, enhance that clean lined chair you love with some bold pillows and a modern lamp on the side table to give the room more of a cohesive look.  Look to add colors and patterns and before you know it you’ll have your specific style nailed down. Have fun with this!

Houzz

Traditional Kitchen by Toronto Interior Designer Cheryl Scrymgeour Designs

Who else loves Houzz??? If you have not yet ventured onto the Houzz website, set aside a couple hours because you'll need it. Once you start, it's hard to stop! 

Houzz is a great website for both homeowners and professionals. Professional builders, architects, designers and more post photos of their recent work. Homeowners can then create Ideaboards to post these projects to. I encourage my clients to create their own idea books for projects. It encourages them to see all the options out there and let me know what they really love or really don't care for. 

Houzz is also a great way to locate professionals in your area. If you love a particular design, you can contact that professional directly to learn more. 

Over 14 million people use Houzz every month!

I recently attended a Houzz seminar at the Ohio Design Center. It is always fun to get together and meet other designers and the information they provided was great. Houzz shared the results of their 2012-2013 Houzz and Home Survey for the Cleveland market.  Below are a couple interesting facts from the survey.

85% of people in the Cleveland area have plans to re-decorate or remodel

The top three projects

Bathrooms

Kitchens

Patio/Landscaping

81% said improving the look/feel/flow/functionality was an important motivation behind their projects

51% will be improving their home for resale

44% are looking for storage and organization

Contemporary Bathroom by Denver Interior Designer Ashley Campbell Interior Design

Go to Houzz.com 

and create your own ideabook with your favorite looks!

 

Pinterest

Hello everyone! I hope you had a nice, relaxing weekend.

I recently blogged about finding inspiration, and one of the websites that I told you about is Pinterest. I wanted to let you know that you can now follow my boards. Towards the bottom of the page you'll see "Follow Me on Pinterest" that will take you to my boards and pins. Enjoy!

Inspiration

Do you want to make a change in your home's interior but just don't know what direction to turn?

I thought I'd share some of my favorite places to find inspiration. 

Architectural Digest Magazine

This is one of my favorite magazines. You can see photos and read stories about some amazing homes. I also like reading about celebrity homes. They recently had an article on Ellen Degeneres' home which was fun.

Interior Design Magazine

I love reading about these well known designers and architects. Even though I'm not a fabulous designer in New York City, I can still keep up with some of their projects and get inspired by their ideas.

Pinterest

This is a fun website that is basically an online inspiration board. You simply sign up, create your  boards and then "pin" your favorite things onto your board. Then when you need inspiration, reference your boards.

Better Homes & Gardens

I subscribe to this magazine for table setting ideas and floral arrangement ideas. Plus, you can often find great organizational tips. 

Apartment Therapy

I check out the Apartment Therapy blog every few days. You can find all kinds of decorating and organization ideas. 

Antique Stores

Antique stores are fun. You never know what type of treasure you're going to find. It sometimes takes visiting several before you find a really great one. I then look for unique pieces that will really make a statement in a room.

Sketch Book

I have a sketch book that I continually quickly sketch out ideas. I also always have a small notebook in my purse. If I happen to see a great design while sitting at a restaurant, I can take notes and sketch my ideas.

Expandable File

I enjoy reading magazines. In addition to the few I subscribe to, I'm continually picking up magazines while in airports and grocery stores. I then go through and tear out the pages with the ideas and designs I'd like to use. I then file them away in an expandable file that has each separate file labeled by the room name (dining room, kitchen, master bath).