Traveling this summer? Get inspired through your experiences and what you see while on vacation. Here are a few pics from my recent trips this year. Recognize trends in shapes and colors that you can incorporate into your own style when you get home.
Refresh, Re-do
Consider reupholstering a piece of furniture that you already own.
There are many good reasons for reupholstering:
· You get to keep a family heirloom. Very well-made furniture that is unique in design, can be made more modern by updating the fabric choice and give it a new look.
· Custom. Pick your fabric. Choose color, prints, performance, and tactile fabrics. There are so many sources out there for fabric choices and technology has made advances in how performance fabrics look and feel.
· Sustainable. You are not creating more waste at the landfill; you are choosing to reuse. This is an environmentally friendly approach and will cut down on the natural resources used to produce new furniture pieces.
· You don’t have to say good-bye to a well loved and comfortable staple that you already own.
Reupholstering can be expensive. The time and materials costs can add up. You may want to consider the number of years that it will last when deciding which pieces to reupholster.
Please contact your local reupholstery experts for more information and advice on the steps to consider when choosing this approach to restoring furniture.
Shop Local
Now that stores are re-opening across the country, I am excited to touch and feel products again! I love the experience of seeing things in person, being able to attest to the richness, the color, the texture, quality, and integrity of an item. Boutiques have such a fresh perspective of what is new on the market. It is so important to support each other and support the local economy. Here are a few of my favorite interior design stores and consignment shops in the Seattle area:
Arden Home
Ballard Consignment
BG Home/BelleGrey Design
J. Garner Home
Phase Two Interiors
The Phinery
Seattle Design Center
Red Ticking
Spring Cleaning Ideas
Closets, cabinets, and drawers
Go through your belongings and make piles to keep, give away, and throw away. Be sure to consider charities and who may be in need. Choose one section of the house at a time so that you are not overwhelmed.
Power wash
Power wash driveways, concrete stairways, and walkways. It’s kind of like the same satisfaction you get from vacuuming.
Storage
Wicker baskets are great for open shelving and create a warm and organized asthetic. Clear plastic storage bins are perfect for being able to see what is inside when storing in a closet or the garage.
Wash windows
Once the sun comes out, you can usually see just how dirty those windows are! Use environmentally friendly cleaning products and re-usable cloths such as e-cloths.
Baking Soda and vinegar
Baking soda and vinegar work really well for cleaning out drains and sinks. Lemon rind in garbage disposal also works to deoderize. Vinegar can also be used to clean wood cutting boards.
Wash your car
I use dishwashing liquid and a bucket of hot water. Use a garden hose to wet and rinse. Try to wash while the sun is out and it will help when its time to dry.
Go through Fridge
Look at expiration dates and throw away contents that are no longer edible. Organize food by categories and place similar items together. For example, all the condiments together, etc . .
Chore jar
List each chore on a piece of paper. Throw in some fun ideas as well. For example, play your favorite song, go hug your mom, do a dance, have a snack, and fun things that will keep the family motivated.
Blog 02/18/2021.
To get a little break from the rain and snow in Seattle, I recently traveled to Scottsdale, AZ and visited the winter home of Frank Lloyd Wright. Taliesin West is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is nestled in the brow of the Arizona desert foothills. It is open to the public for tours and follows the guidelines for COVID-19 protections and protocol.
This home was built by Frank Lloyd Wright and his apprentices in 1937 as a camp and a place to live in the winter months. It was the ultimate indoor/outdoor living project since it did not originally have any windows. Local materials found on the mountainside were used to build the home, mainly desert rocks, stones, and sand. The result is an impressive building that looks very much like it blends in with the desert landscape and is connected to nature.
Inspired by nature and the profile of the surrounding McDowell mountains, there are many triangle shapes featured throughout the design. Frank Lloyd Wright encouraged his students to be innovative and think outside the box, to not just use square shapes, but more organic shapes. The office door (see photo) is an example of this and would be one of the first impressions upon visiting the home as a client.
The furniture and decorations inside the home were mostly built by Frank Lloyd Wright or his students. The triangle chair (see photo) is another example of the inspired triangle shape which is consistent throughout the home. It was a such a delight to see, in person, some of the creations of this architectural genius.
I highly recommend visiting the Taliesin West property and taking the guided tour. It is a fascinating, enchanting, and an intimate look at how Frank Lloyd Wright lived in the later part of his life before his death in 1959 at the age of 91.
Taliesin West is the headquarters of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and is home of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. It is located in Scottsdale, AZ.
For more information, please see the link below:
New Year, New Linens.
Blog 01/01/2021.
Honestly, I love this time of year. I love a fresh start, cleaning-up and getting organized is part of my new year routine. This is also the time of year for white sales! White sales are a wonderful opportunity to refresh with new bed linens and bath towels at a discounted price. So if you are thinking this is just what you need to spruce up a bed or bath, be on the lookout for a sale in January!