Sunday, November 24, 2013

Sunday Musings: Quite the Conundrum

Google

I am an animal lovin' carnivore. 

Google
Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings are a fav.

But I make an "Ewww" face when all means of turkeys, wild, domesticated (and inflatable), guest star on CBS Morning News, Nightly News, Sunday Morning, and commercials.

North Carolina is #2 in turkey production so there tons of turkey tales on local news.

Let us celebrate the beloved turkey this Thanksgiving week.
Google

Kinda 'dead man walking', no?

Happy Thanksgiving Week! 

Friday, November 22, 2013

After Pictures of the Purple & Green House

Here is the reveal on the 'purple and green' house. My client just sent me a lovely note and included these pictures.  He mention the trim needed one more coat of paint.  His daughters, who requested the purple and green house, are happy with the results.





Here is the before.

And, the color palatte.
The yard is a mess and he has the name of my landscaper.

I will also be working on interior design projects for him--and "The Girls".  I haven't met them yet and look forward to meeting my young clients.

Happy weekend, y'all!

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Sunday Musings: I'm So Grateful for our Precious Blog Network! Thank You Nancy Powell!

I hope everyone had a grand weekend. 

Gotta tell you about last week.  I had a mini-meltdown. Yep, Mz. Positive went to the dark side.  I was dealing with a stressful client situation.  The client was not difficult.  It was me.  I have been hired to work on an interior design job.  I got S-T-U-C-K. 

Icky-sticky inner voice was screaming, "I'm only a stager."  "What if they don't like what I select?"  "Maybe I am going the wrong direction? "

I felt overwhelmed, frustrated, fatigued and pretty much like a failure.

I stepped back and realized I needed help.  I had questions.  Lots of them....

I reached out to a fellow blogger whose work and 'voice' I adore. Many of you know Nancy Powell of  Powell Brower at Home.  Never met Nancy but felt  I needed to talk to her! I called Nancy and left a rambling message about my woos.  Bless her heart, (a Southern thang) she called me repeatedly until she reached me.

Nancy talked me off the cliff.

She listened and offered great advice. Nancy caught up with me while I was babysitting, my precious 3-year old grandson.  Jack was busy bouncing off the walls and seeking my undivided attention.  Despite the distraction of Jack's "Look Mimi" chants, Nancy hung in.  She told me how she and Bethany work their business.  She was a font of knowledge and support.

I finally realized I had been relating to my client like an optometrist.

"Which is better?"

"This?
"or this?"

The next day, I talked to my client and she told me she was overwhelmed with making decisions, "I love your staging.  Just design my room like you would if you were staging it."

Have you ever over thought something?

I sure did. 

Thank you, dear Nancy!

Friday, November 15, 2013

FAQ: What is the one thing you regularly put in a staged houses?

The 'thing' I always include in houses I stage is something RED.  I love red for amping up a space.  Red photographs great.  Red is a neutral to me!  Recently I have been pairing red with bright blue--it looks delicious--trust me.

Do you use red in your houses or the homes you design?

Happy Friday, y'all!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

(Night) Stand By Me

I am working with a client to redesign her bedroom.  She requested a pair of matching night stands.  (Since 'matching' is not in my vocab--this was an arduous assignment for moi.)  It wasn't a simple search.  Her bed is higher than the average bear, so the nightstands had to be at least 31" tall.  I think the average night stand ranges from 23" to 28" in height.


After much web research and many trips to furniture stores, we agreed on this one.
Durham Furniture Company
It simply went against my frugal values that this nightstand, albeit beautiful, was priced at $805 each.

I study Craigslist everyday.  I followed a pair of nightstands for a week. At 31" in height and traditional in style, I thought they were perfect. I sent the listing to my clients for consideration.  She saw them, loved them, and purchased the pair for $180.  Score!
CraigsList Raleigh NC

Winner, winner chicken dinner!

Monday, November 4, 2013

The Green and Purple Painted House

This is the house my client's daughters (an 11 and 13 year old) requested be painted green and purple.  Not my typical color combination. 

I think I rose to the challenge.  Here's the palatte that I am presenting.



Fingers crossed....

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Sunday Ramblings: Happy?

Friends were over Friday evening.  Conversation came up about me being so busy.  I replied, "You know me, I'm happy if I'm working and happy if I'm not."  My friend gave me a most curious look. I honestly felt like I had broached something controversial--like religion or politics.

No, my friend told me; she is not happy.

I do get it. My life was a mess for many years.  I finally discovered MY key(s) to happiness.  Yep, I have those dark days.  But basically, I am a joyful person.

I hope you are happy this beautiful fall Sunday.

May you find the things that make you happy and focus your energy on them.  Walk your dog, pet your cat, hug your kid, pat your husband's behind, read a good book, read The Good Book, breathe, stretch, get fresh air, relax, and live in the moment.

Be intentional about what you do.  Ask yourself,  'is this really going to matter in 10 years?" Listen to your 'little voice' for the answer.

Love, inner peace and joy,


Friday, November 1, 2013

FAQ Friday! "Can I leave my baby's nursery as is for selling?"

Pinterest
Baby nurseries are so sweet.  Remember the months you spent planning, shopping, painting and tweaking cute touches to create the nursery of your dreams.

Here's the cold hard truth:  You need to neutralize a baby nursery for selling.

"What if the buyer's have a baby?"  
  • There's only a 50/50 chance the next owners will have right sex baby for your nursery.
  • Nurseries are only applicable for a small window of time.
  • Nurseries are like toothbrushes.  Nobody wants to use yours.  A baby nursery is the personal vision of the parents.  
Pinterest
 Even if you spent mega dollars on hand painted murals,
Pinterest
buyer's want to design their own custom nursery.

Please don't shoot the messenger.

Happy Friday, y'all!