Tag Archives: Holiday decorating

Get Ready for A Great 2016!

17 Thursday Dec 2015

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It’s almost a new year, can you believe it? Time to get ready for the best year of your life! Make 2016 a great one with these 5 ideas for your home:

OUT WITH THE OLD
If you haven’t worn it or used in in a year, you probably won’t. But maybe someone else can!  Donate clothes, housewares, books to a local charity. Many come to you – it just takes a phone call.

OUR PETS ARE FAMILY, TOO
You change your sheets on a regular basis – do the same for your furry friends. Wash that dog and cat bed or pop for a new one.  They can’t tell you, but they love a clean sleeping place as much as you do!

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FIGHT THOSE BLUES
Some of us are prone to the winter blues, especially after the holidays. Don’t let dreary days get you down.  Move your favorite reading chair near a window. Find the sunniest area in your kitchen and keep a small potted plant there. You will enjoy seeing it every morning and it gives you something to care for – a sure way to fight depression.

KEEP IT SAFE
It’s easy to let home maintenance go.  Make sure all your doors and window close and lock properly to avoid drafts. Check for places where you or a guest could trip, a loose threshhold, water pooling on the front porch, a tear in the carpet. Can’t fix it?  Replace it!

PLAN YOUR YEAR
Anticipation keeps us excited! Mount a large white board calendar in your ofice or kitchen where everyone can keep  track of upcoming vacations, parties, birthdays. Studies have shown we work harder when we have a goal to look forward to.

Make your new year the best one yet – and keep following us for great ideas and design in 2016!

The Colors of Valentine’s Day

13 Friday Feb 2015

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I’ve written before about red and white as colors in your home. Red at Christmas and white in a blog on how to brighten up winter. For Valentine’s Day, I’m adding pink to red and white … so we now have the three colors of this holiday and how they enhance the feelings of love and romance to our space.

RED – When we think of red, we think of bold feelings. Red is the color of passion and action. It can be maddening, angry and crazy… the term “seeing red” means we are really not in our right mind! That’s why it’s a great color for the holiday. Young love, first love, sexual love; when we feel those thoughts we have red on the brain.  On the other hand, when love is in trouble, red pops up again…  blood lust, jealousy and hate are all red related colors. It’s great to use for dramatic effect in a dining room, powder room or bedroom.  Here are my favorite names of paint colors in the red family taken from Benjamin Moore Paints: Drop Dead Gorgeous. My Valentine. Red Lipstick.  If that doesn’t get your heart beating, what does?

PINK – Ahh, pink, the color of blushing, of sunsets, of innocence. Pink is often overlooked as too sappy, to feminine or too pretty to use in a room. But there are many great shades of this color that work in surprising ways. Try adding pink to your palette and to your accents, especially in plaids and stripes. It’s bright, cheerful and so easy to mix with other colors like blues, browns and black. Here are three awesome pinks from the Benjamin Moore collection:  Unspoken Love. Engagement. Sailors Delight. From a hint of blush to fuchsia, painting a room pink just makes a statement!

WHITE – I guess for most people, there is just plain white. We can easily miss out on all the subtle aspects this color can bring to our world. A harsh white can be glaring and cold. If it’s too soft it can be lost or too tinted with beige can look tired and old. But used properly, white is by far the most interesting color for Valentine’s Day. What says more than a dozen white roses? Perfectly nclassic, white is a statement of timeless love. White is for weddings, for that clean minimal look, for celebrating summer. I love an all white room, like an Art Deco movie set: white piano, white carpet, white lacquer tables! How about these from the Benjamin Moore spectrum? White Down. Alabaster. Milky Way.

Add red, pink and white to your home and celebrate your Valentine’s Day colors, whether you are a couple, single or just a fool for love!

Making The Most Of Winter Light

08 Monday Dec 2014

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After our recent visit to Scandinavia and seeing how well they cope with short winter days, I learned about Hygge, the art of staying cozy and happy and positive during the winter months.  This is a reprint of an earlier post, but to me, makes even more sense now!

Capture as much light and sun as possible in these 5 easy ways:

1) Grab a Sunny Spot – Pull your favorite chair up to a window or glass door.  Not only can this be your personal refuge for reading or enjoying the change in seasons, the chair captures warmth from what sun there is and makes you feel comforted and safe. Just 30 minutes a day sitting there will give your body the amount of vitamin C it needs to keep your mind alive.

2) Let the Sun Shine In – Open up the window treatments.  Many of us grew up with the concept that to keep the cold out, close blinds and drapes.  This is not only unnecessary but makes our rooms darker and dismal.  If you have double paned windows, you don’t have to worry about heat loss and the morning sun is the best for starting your day off right.  In the winter, take down valances and cornices to expose as much of the window as possible.

3) Winter White – Scandinavians knew the secret to surviving winter darkness.  Living without sun for months on end made them experts.  Their secret was effective use of color.  White painted furniture and white washed walls made any room bright and cheerful, no matter how black the night (or day!).  Use light colors; add white, cream or linen colored pillows and throws around the room.  Ban dark colors until spring.

4) Grow a Winter Garden – You may not be able to plant outdoors, but this is the time for flowers and plants inside.  Succulents in a long wooden bowl in the kitchen window do great and add the green you crave.  Bring home an orchid or bromeliad for the table and watch the smile it brings to your families face.

5) Ban Traditional Christmas Colors –  The holidays don’t always have to be red, green and gold.  Use fresh new colors like fuchsia, aquamarine and orange.  Arrange colored ornaments in a bowl on the kitchen counter.  Using silver keeps your decorating fresh through New Years Eve and stays modern and clean looking right through the season.

Add your personal suggestions below.  Love to hear from you!

Using Red In Your Holiday Decor

17 Monday Nov 2014

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The color red plays an important part in our lives. Red moves us, it’s dramatic and unforgettable. It’s a celebration, passionate and fun. During December, no color in the spectrum is more on display. Santa’s suit, poinsettas, even Rudoplh’s nose. It’s not the color for everyone and needs to be used sparingly, but this season red can be just the right wow factor you are looking for.

Four ways to incorporate red in your design … if you dare!

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Sit down on it – I recently had a few yards of the most intense red silk left over from a project. It wasn’t the kind of fabric you could just leave in the closet. I purchased an architectural mid-century wood framed chair at the local consignment store and recovered the seat with this bold shiny red. Living in front of a window, where the sun dances on it, just one piece like this can suddenly become the focal point. But that’s red for you. It loves the attention.

Express yourself – There must be over 100 different shades of red in the paint store. Even the names jump out at you: Confederate Red, Sultan’s Palace, Chili Pepper. Painting an accent wall in one of these can really make a statement .One of my personal favorites is Benjamin Moore Vermilion. It’s a great hue that works well with khaki tans, cool whites and even lime greens, for that knock you off your feet room.

Eat it up – A punch of color is always appropriate on the dining table and red is the perfect compliment here. Whether it’s a mix and match with your fine bone china or layering colored plates, any table will be exciting with a little red thrown in. For the holidays, I love a crisp white tablecloth with red and green stripe napkins. Red is the color of food and I know my appetite is awakened by names like Raspberry, Rhubarb, Cherry and Tomato. When it comes to table decor, you are only limited by your imagination.

Lean on it – Probably the easiest way to make a change to your room is with pillows. They are easy to find and can be as personal as you like. Here is where red can really do its thing. Add brightly colored throw pillows to your sofa or bed. Mix up patterns and shapes. Plaids are really trending right now. My family Scottish plaid is red and yellow. It’s mellow yet royal and looks stunning against off whites and warm browns. Whether you choose linen or leather, red accent pillows update any decor. And the best part is they can be found for very little money, making it easy to change out seasonally.

So whether you are the ravishing red, salsa red or blushing rose type, add a little intensity to your life this holiday. Embrace your personal shade and let it shine. And tell us in the comments section below, what red gets you going?