Focus on Creativity
One Room Challenge Week Four: More pieces of the puzzle
Here we are now at One Room Challenge week four! My design plan for my pied-a-terre is finally S..L..O..W..L..Y coming together. I secured more furniture this week from the Boston Design Center showrooms including a second sofa, a sideboard, a secretary desk, and two...
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One Room Challenge Week Three: Building the plane as I fly it
One Room Challenge week three. We are now at the half way mark and I am nowhere near half done. Between traveling to LA as a DesignHound to attend Dwell on Design and then attending High Point Furniture Market, I am feeling very behind. Now that I have returned from...
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Dwell on Design show highlights in photos
Last week I had the privilege of traveling to LA as a sponsored DesignHound courtesy of Modenus to attend the 2018 Dwell on Design trade show. This is a four day event that is meant to inspire architects and designers.The exhibition and conference feature the best in...
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One Room Challenge Week two: My pied-a-terre
Here we are at the One Room Challenge Week Two. This Spring the Boston Design Center is a sponsor of the ORC and I was honored to be asked to transform a space for them at the Innovation and Design Building. This large open loft space has a killer view of Boston but...
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One Room Challenge Spring 2018: Week One
It's here! Week one of the Spring 2018 One Room Challenge. I am still on cloud nine after being chosen to be one of the twenty featured bloggers but now reality has set in. I have to transform a room in six short weeks! Actually, it's only five weeks since the...
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Exciting news!! One Room Challenge Spring 2018
BIG BIG NEWS!!! For the past few weeks I have been carrying around a HUGE secret. Today I can finally shout it out. I am excited to share with you that I will be one of the twenty featured bloggers in the Spring 2018 One Room Challenge. In case you have not heard of...
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The Design Bloggers Conference and five things you need to know
I'm back from the Design Bloggers Conference in sunny LA. I extended my stay after the conference to visit with a friend and arrived home just in time for the next major snow storm...lucky me. The Design Bloggers Conference never disappoints. The speakers inspire and...
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Three reasons to use the editing crop tool for cell phone photos
I love my cell phone camera. It does pretty much everything I want it to do. Most of the time I feel it rivals my previous DSLR camera. There is however one problem all cell phone cameras have in common.Cell phone cameras have a fixed wide angle lens. I recently...
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How to find the answer to all your design questions
If you are someone who enjoys decorating or are planning a renovation on your home, I have a a valuable tool to share with you today. I know it's a useful because I use it myself. If you are on Pinterest I invite you to "follow" my board called Design FYI. It's my...
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How to use your cell phone to rock the design consult and make your clients happy
One of my most popular packages is my two hour design consult. Many designers turn their noses up at consults. They much prefer to design rooms where they can get fabulous "after" images for their portfolio. I on the other hand, love to do design consults. Sometimes I...
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My favorite finds from the 2018 Kitchen and Bath show
Attending the 2018 Kitchen and Bath Show (KBIS) is like going to Disney Land for a designer. There is so much to see and take in that it can be downright overwhelming. If you work in the kitchen and bath industry it is absolutely worth attending. If you are a...
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The kitchen and bath trends you want to see now from 2018 KBIS
In my previous post I shared color trends from the 2018 kitchen and bath show (KBIS). Today I have part two for you of my kitchen and bath trend report from 2018 KBIS. 1.Smart Home Technology: In previous years at KBIS, smart home technology was just beginning to...
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COLOR Trends from the 2018 Kitchen and Bath Show
Hello lovely readers! I have just returned from the 2018 Kitchen and Bath Show (KBIS) in Orlando. This is my fourth year attending the show and I think this year's show was the best yet.There were so many exciting, innovative products and beautiful booth displays. Of...
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Taking time off and an announcement
Happy 2018! It's been a few weeks (okay, more than a few) since I have written a blog post. It would be a perfectly reasonable excuse if I told I you I was working like a mad woman completing multiple client installations before the holidays and was simply too busy....
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Three things to do during the holidays if you plan on downsizing
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones. We spent a cozy day in our downsized little apartment with our family. Was it the Pinterest perfect Thanksgiving with the perfectly decorated table? Not by a long shot. Was it a fun day full of family...
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Five tips for getting the most out of visiting a show house
If you love interior design then chances are you love to visit show houses. This past year I was lucky enough to visit four. The one challenge with visiting a show house is being able to take it all in. Since each room is often wildly different from the next it can be...
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How to Personalize your home with art photography
It goes without saying, that I want my clients to have a beautifully designed home. It's also equally important to me to reflect my client's unique personality. Often times I look to accomplish this by re-purposing beloved family heirlooms, meaningful art work, or by...
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Five Tips for taking better travel photos
Remember the old joke about the dreaded invite over to see someone's travel photos? Well that scenario is gone now that we see instant updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. There was a good reason though for that dreaded invite. The photos were usually boring!...
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Bar carts and table settings you do not want to miss!
Wow, the past two weeks have been a whirlwind for me. Nine days in Berlin, home, three hours sleep then off to the Boston Design Center for the next five days to install, style and participate in Boston's first Designer fundraiser for the charity Heading Home To...
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Jazzing up our white box apartment
If you've been following me through this blog you know that my husband and I recently downsized from our big suburban home to a very small urban apartment. It's hard to believe but we have been here almost four months now. For the most part we love our new small care...
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How to train your eye to take better photos
There is a common saying among photographers that the best technical skills in the world will not make a bad photo good. Getting a good photo is more than simply understanding the features of your camera and a knowledge of lighting, exposure, and editing. So the...
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A master class in window treatments from three Summer show houses
Now that Summer is behind us and the kids are back at school I have been getting phone calls from new clients wanting to get their home ready for the upcoming holidays. The number one thing on their wish lists are new window treatments. Having just returned from...
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Coastal Living Idea House: Blue and White all over
Last week I visited the Coastal Living Idea House in Newport RI to see the house that Mark did. Designer Mark D. Sikes that is. It was everything I could have imagined and it came as no surprise to hear that the house has been sold along with most of the furniture,...
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Coming clean about the ugly truth of downsizing
Now that we have gone through the process of downsizing from our big home into a small urban apartment it seems that's all anyone wants to talk about. All my baby boomer clients, anyone that follows my blog and all my friends tell me they are so impressed with what we...
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