What Is Your Design Style?

What is your design style? You hear the labels: modern, contemporary, traditional, classic, and eclectic, but what exactly do they mean? Let’s explore our options by definition.

“Modern,” as it relates to design, actually represents a specific time period in the 20th century, namely the 20s and 30s, when architecture began to rely on advances in technology and engineering. “Clean lines” is a descriptor that still holds true, as buildings and furnishings became less ornate and more representative of their simplistic function. “Contemporary” is a term that is typically interchanged with “modern,” though contemporary actually speaks to what is currently popular and prevalent in design during the present day. What was modern when I was little is still technically what is modern today; however, what was contemporary then is very different from what is considered contemporary today.

“Traditional” is usually representative of classic European design. The details can be more ornate and decorative, like arches, claw footed and wing-backed pieces, and darker wood tones. Many antique items are probably traditional pieces. “Classic” design stems from Roman and Greek influences and revolves around harmony, order, balance, symmetry, and a central focal point. You do not find contemporary influences in classic design; classic design follows timeless tradition.

“Eclectic” is the blend of different styles and time periods and not following one set of design “rules.” Though it comes from different backgrounds and ideas, eclectic style is still harmonious and well executed with a plan to find the commonalities and a theme within a blend of design elements.

So what best describes you? Are you clean lines and functional style? Bold patterns and prints that have emerged as popular in recent years? Neutral colors and rich, elegant furnishings? A symmetrical arrangement situated around a fireplace and mantle? Or a blend of these elements that come together in a way that works for you?

To know the elements of the style that draws you most is to know how to bring more of those fundamentals together to create your ultimate living space. Stylish execution really is in the details. So what style says “home” to you?

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star May 29th.

Updating Options to Modernize Your Bathroom

A total bathroom renovation is a huge undertaking that would require a costly investment of time and money that is not always practical. Dated bathrooms, however, take away from the everyday appeal as well as the resale value of a home. By picking and choosing a few select updates a la carte, you can make the best impact for your cash.

Consider both big and small options for updating in two main categories – visual appeal and function. Obviously, your walls make up some of your biggest visual interest. Painting your sheetrocked wall space is a big change without the heavy price tag. For more of a change, installing modern wainscoting on lower walls for a contrast is an option.

Fixtures are another easy item to update and replace. You can incorporate new faucets, handles, shower fixtures, and drawer pulls with a more modernized look and have a wide array of price ranges to choose from. Moving away from brass or gold fixtures and adding brushed nickel or chrome pieces in their place brings the look of your bathroom quickly into today. You can also incorporate new functional features when choosing new shower sprayers and nozzles. To take it a step further, replacing decorative tile pieces with a tile style found in new construction homes can take a weekend project and turn it into a major upgrade for your bathroom. With some know-how or detailed instructions, certain tiling projects can be DIY.

An additional way to update a bathroom just on the surface is to replace your linens. If you have a mix-matched set of former towels and rugs, streamlining those pieces into more spa-feel elements brings your space into 2011. White towels, posh hotel style rugs, and a new, more luxurious looking shower curtain removes that dated, worn feel and freshens up the space with clean essentials. Pare down your decorations to things that support the clean spa theme like candles, glass, and dried or grass naturals, and remove any clutter, dated décor or window treatment, and any products on display.

Pick and choose updates to meet the needs of your bathroom space and your financial plan to ensure your home is not stuck in the 70s or 80s. Whether you plan to call your place home for years to come or are considering a move in the future, modernizing your bathroom elements truly adds value on more levels than one.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star May 22nd.

Turning Flea Market Finds into Fresh, Modern Décor

The desire to update a space and add new decorations can easily be squelched by fearing the task of having to go out and buy brand new pieces in order to do it. If making a big investment in small decorative items is out of your budget range now, you do not have to let that stop you from having something that YOU MAKE NEW.

We all have little trinkets and decorative pieces that have a) been removed from display but we still have, or b) we still have on display but wish we didn’t. But there is a trick to taking mixed-matched pieces and turning them into unified, collective displays: spray paint. I do not mean the old, stereotypical teenage spray paint in neon colors that gets youth in trouble. I’m talking about quality spray paint in a modern mat or acrylic-look glossy finish that you see dramatically changing furniture and outdoor chairs in TV commercials today.

Take a look around and see what you have laying out on bookshelves, coffee and end tables, and buffets and hutches. Open up kitchen cabinets and dig out old bud vases and small serving bowls that are not being used or seen. Pull down boxes from the top of the closets and see if you have any little, dated statues, pottery, glassware, or curios that you would allow to be made-over. Or expand your search to include similar items in local garage sales or flea markets that you buy at a total steal of a price. Gather your collection of mixed items and prepare to make them look like a complete collection that was meant to be a set.

You will need a quality base coat spray paint to prepare each surface for the decorative spray paint. Then choose your one color of spray paint in the mat or glossy finish you desire. Shades to consider are classic white, black, chocolate brown, or something from the yellow, gray, or aqua color shades. Thoroughly clean your pieces of glass, ceramics, or other mediums. Stake sheets of recycled newspaper in the yard so you reduce the amount of paint that drifts freely onto the grass. Spray each piece with the base coat and allow that to dry according to the product’s instructions. When applicable, carefully finish off each piece with one or two coats of your main spray paint color.

In the end, you have a variety of dated pieces that you have completely made over to look like a fresh, modern collection. Display your grouping on a mantle, coffee table, or entertainment center shelf. Your pieces have the potential to look like they were ordered right out of a current home décor catalog. And you can keep the secret to your “latest finds” to yourself.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star May 15th.

1 Gallon of Paint, Endless Projects

When you want to make an impactful change without making a big impact on your wallet, one avenue of home project possibilities to contemplate is the seemingly endless endeavors that you can carry out with a simple gallon of paint. One gallon of paint can take you further aesthetically than you might have imagined. And a 1-gallon project may not even take you a full weekend to finish. So let’s roll through some options that may be painting projects you would consider tackling.

Painting your front door a standout or new complimentary color that goes well with the look of your home’s exterior is one big visual factor in adding curb appeal to your property. I have seen shades in the red, yellow, gray, and blue color families make bold statements when lacquered on front doors.

Adding a darker shade to the walls of a small bathroom can do the exact opposite of what you may think, which is make a small bathroom look smaller. Instead, darker shades added to some small spaces provide more definition and depth, giving the space a grander, more spacious feel. And adding a new gallon of paint to a bathroom is a fast, economical way to update it without replacing old tiles or fixtures. Throw in a new set of white towels, and you’re on your way to a spa feel at home.

The bedroom furniture you picked “back in the day” may not be what you would choose again now if you had it to do all over again, but that is a sign of how times and tastes change. Instead of dreaming of new bedroom pieces amid their weighty price tags, let a gallon of paint turn your current headboard into a new creation. By adding a new color and picking your preference between a mat or glossy finish, you have given your room a new look without replacing anything.

Painting kitchen cabinets and bookshelves are larger-scale undertakings, but their work load can be diminished while still making their impact increase. Paint kitchen cabinet fronts and doors, and leave the interior walls and shelves as they are if your goal is to simply change their look. Do, however, remove the doors and the hardware prior to painting to avoid taping off and doing a less than professional looking job. To the contrary, a way to change the look of bookshelves and entertainment center built-ins is to just paint the back wall and leave the interior dividing walls, shelves, and fronts the way they are. Adding a paint shade to the back panel you see is a standout design element that highlights what you choose to display on the shelves while being a kind of artwork on its own.

Dip into one gallon of paint, and see where the brush strokes can take the look of your home.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star May 8th.

Casual Theme Dinners that are Easy to Pull Off

“Dinner parties” may be a term reserved for more formal affairs in the home that center around presenting your guests with a fancy spread in a sit-down setting. However, the more casual approach today to having friends or family over for dinner without the sit-down dinner preparation can be as uncomplicated as throwing casual themes into the mix.

Takeout is a great place to start for fast, simple dinners that can still be presented with some personalized flare. The trick is to carry out your theme in the details. By stocking up on some party supplies in the right categories, you can always have some affordable tools at your disposal to whip together a gathering. When you think takeout, two applicable themes to consider are Chinese and Italian food options, which can be served up with ease.

Whether you order from your favorite Chinese restaurant or attempt your own tasty versions at home, you can still serve your dishes very authentically. For a small get-together or movie night, why get out the plates when you can serve right out of Chinese takeout cartons? They are available at party supply stores, so you can have your own inventory at home. Let dinner guests scoop their selections from white serving bowls right into their own takeout cartons, and set up your spread around the coffee table instead of the dining table to bring the casual dining level down to the floor. Offer a large bowl of fortune cookies, and incorporate the simplest of décor with chopsticks arranged in a collection of small, clear glass bud vases. To take it a step further, add a few paper lanterns to your setting in varying sizes. Once folded flat, they can be stored away for future use.

Carryout pizza can be jazzed up to party level with a little atmosphere. Serve iced-down glass bottle soft drinks out of a large bucket or serving bowl. Remove the pizzas from their boxes and serve buffet style on serving trays and even cake stands to vary their heights. Offer breadsticks and marinara sauce for dipping, plus add-ons like parmesan cheese, red pepper, and ranch-style dip in their own small serving bowls as well. Skip the big dishes by offering red paper plates and red-and-white checkered paper dinner napkins. To take it a step further, play an Italian dinner night CD for background music or dine alfresco on the back patio for a twist on a summer night picnic.

“Supper from a sack” doesn’t have to be as bland as that sounds. Play up a meal’s theme to create an atmosphere fit for inviting guests over. And don’t feel guilty about the leaving the cooking to the pros; you are merely in charge of setting it up and pulling it off with your design in mind.

DesigninMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star Sunday, May 1st.

To Latch or Not To Latch: Modern Ideas for Childproofing in Style

Walk down the child supply aisles of nearly any store, and you will have a vast selection of childproofing products well within reach of your adult fingertips. Plastic devices, door knob covers, latches, locks, corner cushions, and door stoppers are found aplenty. But the question is: do you really want to deck out your entire home with those little white gadgets gleaming on essentially every surface? If your slightly guilty-parent answer is “no,” don’t sweat it. There are ways to keep your kids safe in your home while still living in an adult-friendly environment.

A fundamental part of childproofing is simply de-cluttering. The fewer opportunities for trips, slips, and tumbles, the smaller the Band-aids® you have to keep on hand. Well, almost. By keeping your home organized and tidy, you reduce the risk of haphazard accidents. Keep your hallways and stairs clear. Have designated storage pieces and hooks installed up high at your entry points for shoes, umbrellas, and backpacks. Be vigilant about keeping surfaces clear of clutter in the kitchen, home office, and bedrooms by having designated homes out of sight and reach for small appliances, supplies, and accessories. Store books and magazines properly on upper shelves or in magazine files or decorative baskets. Keep toys from totally having the run of the place by collecting them in bins, baskets, or cubby systems and purging what your children have outgrown once or twice a year.

Also, consider ways to swap out child-hazard elements for something both kid friendly and visually appealing to go with your decor. To me, placing those corner cushions on the four points of a coffee table ruins the look of a perfectly good table. Try something more modern that serves the purpose but also eliminates a hard, pointed surface altogether in your living room seating area by using cluster ottomans instead. Whether leather or upholstered, these soft surfaces can fulfill the role of a table without posing a threat during a fall while they add a stylish touch to your furniture arrangement.

Make smart storage choices in your family’s home to do away with the need for all the latches and locks that ultimately just make your daily tasks a little harder to carry out. In the past, latching the double cabinets below the kitchen sink was a staple to keep harmful cleaning products out of the reach of children. But why wasn’t it commonplace to store things like cleaners and bleach in upper cabinets or in the laundry area instead? Today’s homes tend to offer more storage solutions with upper cabinets, more than one “linen closet,” and both shallow and deep heavy drawers below the sink and cooktop in lieu of cabinetry. Take advantage of your storage space and “move it on up” if you would rather your child not have access to a grouping of items. However, when it comes to electrical outlets, do go ahead and use the little clear covers to cover your bases low down.

Find the balance that will work for your family and your children’s stages of development. Keep them safe and you happy by blending storage and safety solutions in a fashionable manner. And provide your youngest children with plenty of appropriate stimulation at their fingertips to help keep them from steering into unlatched waters.

Appeared in the South Texas Family&Health Issue in the Valley Morning Star Friday, April 29th.

Valley Cotton & Today’s Home Textiles

With today’s Easter Sunday announcement of Harlingen’s Algodon Club Royal Court, I thought it fitting to highlight the role of cotton in today’s home textiles. When it comes to the vast uses of cotton fabrics, the list of modern possibilities seems endless. More and more emphasis is placed on using products that derive from the words “sustainable,” “organic,” “pure,” “eco,” and “natural.” Incorporating cotton-based products into your home that were grown through responsible farming practices can help check all of these facets off your eco-conscious list.

When considering purchases in the departments of bedding, clothing, and house wares, think about cotton playing into your selection. This multi-purpose finished product has so many versions, from simple and casual to exquisite and luxurious. You have the option to play down guest bedding to understated and clean or dress up the master bedroom in lavish and rich, all with the same material base. Cotton upholstery fabrics leave consumers with literally countless options for the finish work on couches, chairs, ottomans, and pillows, all the while being an easy to maintain fabric that works so well for active families.

Add cotton elements to your kitchen in your rugs, towels, pot holders, aprons, and placemats. The use of cotton towels, rugs, shower curtains, and toiletries in the bathroom offers you absorbency, variety, and durability, making it a product of choice. Let cotton clothing take the brunt of the rough-and-tumble kid years, as well as fill out the polished and professional ensembles that make up adult closets.

Whether you desire breathable, longwearing, light, durable, or dressy, cotton really is “the fabric of our lives®.”

Congratulations to those selected for the 2011 Algodon Club Royal Court. And may your family have a blessed Easter as we celebrate our Risen Savior.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star April 24th.

10 Things: Organization & Design for Your Office Space

Here is an even split of tips to start you off in the right direction to makeover your office space, whether home or commercial, while keeping some basic keys to organization and design – you guessed it – in mind.
Organization
1. Create a storage spot for everything. Go back to the basics of organization with the motto “a place for everything, and everything in its place” and apply that principle to your work station. Set up a specified spot for everything you need in the categories of paperwork, supplies, and equipment, and use appropriate storage tools at your disposal like bins, containers, magazine files, and decorative boxes.
2. Modernize your inbox and outbox. Don’t. Just. Stack. Have designated holders for mail and incoming paperwork to be sorted, filed, reviewed, handled, mailed, etc. Set aside frequent time to process so your workload does not pile up on you. Shred or toss anything extra or unneeded right away that does not fit into your established categories.
3. Process and store all your paperwork in a streamlined manner. Pick a method that works for how you work, and use it full throttle. Do you like files in drawers? Notebooks on bookcases? Bins and file boxes on shelves? Let your system encompass everything you process and store for speed and accuracy.
4. Master the art of paring down. Utilize your space to its max by not having too much on hand that just takes up space. You do not need 2 staplers and 3 jars of pens on your desk, now do you?
5. Maintain an “invisible doorman.” Just as a doorman lets in permitted people and keeps others out of a building, serve as your own gatekeeper and keep your work space just that – working. If it belongs in another area of your home or office building, do not let it hit your desktop and clutter your space.

Design
6. Balance personal and professional. Find what’s right for your work environment and allow your furnishings and décor to reflect what you do, who you are, and what you bring to the table for your clients.
7. Add in visual interest in doable doses. Incorporate a bold color, pattern, or print in something like an area rug or wall art instead of in wall colors or furnishings to keep things fresh put professional and approachable.
8. Light it right. Use lamps to light your desktop and a seating area, if applicable. Leaving all the lighting to commercial fluorescents only is a colder, sterile, draining environment day in and day out.
9. Cover your bases top to bottom. Think about the design details from up high to down low to establish an inviting, put-together work environment. That could incorporate displays on shelves to pleasing art on the walls to a good high-traffic area rug beneath your space.
10. Incorporate color where you can. Add in fresh flowers, a printed throw pillow on a side chair, a cluster of small pottery on a coffee table, or a repeated color in your framed art or fabrics to keep from working in a bland environment that does not foster or display your neat, stylish side.
Topic provided at the request of the North Harlingen Rotary Club.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star April 17th.

Dynamic Color Combos for the Season

Vibrant mixes of two stand-alone shades can create a powerful combination that stands out in home design and makes your color choices “pop.” Let’s examine four popular color combos and impactful ways to use them.
Navy & Teal
The contrast of a dark and bold blue together really catches the eye and can be used in various, striking ways. Navy fabric panels framing living room windows from floor to ceiling are nicely paired with large, square, printed throw pillows in teal arranged on each end of the sofa. Teal shaded dinner and salad plates shine atop printed navy placemats on the dining table. I also like to see teal jewelry and handbags carried when wearing navy slacks or a striped navy cardigan.
Yellow & Aqua
Two bright shades collide and sparkle when yellow and aqua are used together. Perfect for spring, this color combo highlights and brightens rooms and wardrobes alike. Mix yellow and aqua in draped blankets and throw pillows on the couch or in trays, accessories, and glassware on a coffee or console table. Hang a blend of wall art that incorporates these two hues for a modern collection. Yellow and aqua also look distinguished in a tablescape centerpiece or fun melamine dishes used through the summer months.
Lime & Chocolate
Though used extensively, I would not say this duo is on its way out any time soon. This mix is popular for the color scheme in both girls’ and boys’ nurseries and bedrooms, right up to college dorm accessories. These shades are more widely accepted in larger home furnishings, such a brown leather sofa or lime shaded cushions on patio furniture. They can be blended in seating areas amongst the pillows, rugs, and draperies, as well as throughout the home in wall paint colors, art work, bathroom towels and shower curtains, and all forms of bedding.
Hot Pink & Gray
Oh so chic, pink and gray are climbing the popularity chart. You will find the two again in nurseries to designer living rooms to bedroom comforters and shams. The contrast of bright and bold with muted and upscale makes it a go-to for paper products like invitations and note cards, as well as in advertising and logos. Mix the two in kitchen accessories and home décor, and you have a notable look fit for today. So go on – blend bold and bright colors to create your own impressive settings right in your very home.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star April 10th.

Outfitting the Perfect Patio

As the temperatures rise, lingering outside in cool spaces is at a premium. There are ways to turn your plain patio slab into just that – a prime location for spring lounging. Pour a tall glass of lemonade and ponder your yard’s options.

The main fixtures of a desirable patio setting are furniture pieces. You can invest in new seating staples or take your patio furniture out of its storage space, give it a good washing, and set it out. The right outdoor living feel is all about the arrangement and the accessories. Look at the examples currently set up in local stores that display whole patio furniture sets. You can incorporate the simple, like a round table with four chairs. Or you can splurge on a more lounge seating feel with small couches, side chairs, console tables, and an overshadowing umbrella. Arrange your pieces similar to a living room layout, creating a close conversation area outdoors. To take it a step further, add a small side bar or portable kitchen island for a drink and snack station. Just bring the ice when you are ready to soak up the warm evenings.

Accessorize your space, making it welcoming right through the summer. If you do have lounge seating, mark off the area with a large outdoor area rug, which come in a variety of appealing materials perfect for a patio space. Having a small outdoor coffee table and an end table or two beside your chairs allows for setting down icy drinks and laying out little serving trays of finger foods and seasonal snacks for weekend guests or a family Saturday afternoon in the backyard. If you have a patio table and chairs, update their look and their feel by adding outdoor throw pillows in brighter, perhaps “wilder” printed fabrics than you would ordinarily use in your home. An acrylic serving tray left in the center with coasters, a covered stack of cocktail napkins, a couple of bottles of Italian soda, and any other small serving supplies would be handy to have at the ready.

Soften the perimeter of your updated space by adding some potted plants or a potted herb garden to tend to and really use in your everyday cooking. Add a stack of lounge cushions in case the kids would rather lie out in the grass while they play. Ultimately, bring some touches of the indoors out so you essentially expand the square footage of your home’s living space as you open up new lounging and entertaining possibilities as well.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star April 3rd.

Symmetry: Two-by-Two Double Take

Symmetry is defined as “being the same or corresponding on both sides of a central dividing line; harmony or beauty of form that results from balanced proportions.” To me, symmetry in home design can be boiled down to “when you love it, buy two.”

Furniture and accessories placed with symmetry in mind are striking and very pleasing visually. It is all about balance and repeating the same placement of items opposite of each other. There are simple, standard symmetry techniques that can give a casual room a furniture leg up to look polished and professional.

Lamps are one of the easiest items to place to show a dash of symmetry. Two of the exact same lamp bases with matching shades are perfect pieces to place on end tables that flank the couch or on nightstands that flank the bed. To take it a step further, set two matching lamps on a sofa table behind the couch toward the two ends of the tabletop to provide soft light for your main seating area.

Ottomans are another décor item that can be used symmetrically. Two small ottomans placed side by side in place of a coffee table or placed alongside your seating area for additional seating or as an appealing break between two seating areas in a larger living room work well. Forgo a chest at the foot of the bed and use two ottomans instead for bedroom seating and a nice hotel feel.

Side chairs are an additional top pick for creating symmetry in your furniture layout. Flank a fireplace with two occasional chairs facing each other. Situate two side chairs beside each other with a small table in between in place of a loveseat in the living room. Create a small seating area using the same principle in an oversized bedroom or an area of the living room, a reading nook, or a landing.

Follow Noah’s example of two-by-two and double up on small furniture and accessories to lay out a symmetrical feast for the eyes that causes your guests to give you the ultimate home décor compliment: a double take.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 27th.

Setting More than the Table: The Dish on Dishes

Plates, bowls, cups, serving platters – they fill our kitchen cabinets and embellish our tabletops. When it comes to quantity, though, it would be no surprise if your “cup runneth over” in your kitchen space. You can put some of those lesser-used pieces to good use in new ways to save cabinet space and get the full scoop out of your dishes.

Use tea cups or small bowls, sometimes called “finger bowls,” as drawer dividers. They can hold many things from rings and earrings to ponytail holders, cotton squares, and eye shadows neatly separated in a bathroom drawer. Place a pasta serving bowl on your back entryway or foyer table to hold those everyday essentials that seem to scatter, such as keys, sunglasses, loose change, and the day’s mail. Use a collection of attractive juice glasses on the bathroom counter to hold cotton swabs, toothbrushes, and cotton balls.

Keep office supplies sorted and orderly around the home office desk by using soup bowls or good-looking mugs to hold pens, pencils, paperclips, and rubber bands. Line up individually wrapped snacks on a serving tray for easy access on a low pantry shelf. Think granola bars, popcorn, and cookie and cracker packets. Use mixing or serving bowls for the same purpose, as well as for small kitchen items like measuring spoons and cups and kids’ supplies like arts and crafts components.

Shift your attractive dishes that do not get used for daily meals into decorative pieces. Display them on a buffet or incorporate them into a table centerpiece. Bowls or other dishes displayed in a line on shelving in the den can hold movies, books, and music or note cards, envelopes, and stamps.

Think outside the plastic the next time you have a desire to turn something more formal into something more functional for your everyday spaces. And that’s the dish on dishes.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 20th.

NEW! iPhone 3G Case Designs Now Available

New iPhone 3G case designs are now available on Zazzle!
Check out the modern designs you could add to the technology you just cannot be without . . .

My Zazzle Gallery

10 Things: Making Spring Break Work for Your Home

Here are 10 small project ideas that can each be easily accomplished in a week while still having plenty of warm weather vacation time to enjoy.

1.) Paint one room in your home. Bring warmth to your living room, add a spa feel to your bathroom, or create a dining room ready for guests, all with the efforts of a smooth paint roller and a steady hand around the edges.
2.) Shuffle your wall art. Taking down the things hanging on your walls and reordering them to all hang in different applicable places can renew their visual interest without spending one red cent. Just get a little spackle and touch-up paint ready for unused nail holes.
3.) Rearrange your furniture. Bet you could have guessed this was coming next. Moving the big pieces around, too, can be a breath of fresh air for spring right indoors. Get some placement ideas from online images and reposition your couch, chairs, tables, and beds for a new feel and a new look without a new buy.
4.) Arrange new centerpieces on your dining table and buffet. Use simple pieces that can stick around right up until it is time to pull out your fall decorations again. Think glass, grass, sand, shells, rocks, candles, bright fabrics, and other spring and summer elements that make your list of favorites.
5.) Prep the closets for higher temperatures. As the flip flops make a comeback, get the whole family on board with arranging closets and dresser drawers to just move or remove the winter pieces and bring the shorts and t-shirts front and center. It is a great time to gather unworn or outgrown winter clothes and donate them. If those cords didn’t see one day of jacket weather this season, they probably won’t next year either. Let them go, and make room for things that will get plenty of use.
6.) Shop for shoes. As the winter boots get stored away, take advantage of early spring sales to replenish your footwear wardrobe. For kids moving up a size, tackle the size-and-select job when they are out of school and ready to show some toes again.
7.) Clean out your products. Sort through the bathroom drawers and cabinets and throw out medicines, makeup, and other personal care products that are past their prime, haven’t been used in a long time, or have changed in color or consistency. Replenish your supply with new bottles of sunscreen, aloe for sunburns, any makeup that needs updating, lotions or creams, and medicines to treat the basics of a cold or allergies.
8.) Stock up on household basics. Now is a good time to make that run to the store and purchase essentials like paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, detergent, etc., and replenish your cabinets for the season ahead.
9.) Tackle the dirt at entry points. Replace or really give the floor mats a good beating that sit at your front and back doors, inside and out. The more stuff clinging to shoes that you can stop from ever crossing the threshold, the less cleaning up you have to do this spring.
10.) Swap accessories. Whether you get together with friends for an exchange or just reorder your accessory drawers and shelves, put away the scarves and pull out the colorful necklaces and purses to get set for a bright Valley season ahead.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 13th.

Making Monochromatic Work in Your Home

A monochromatic decorator’s scheme can work in real homes and not just in magazine layouts. By applying some of the same techniques used by the pros, you can have a professional decorator’s touch minus the photo spread price tag.

When you flip through the pages of home magazines, it can be the layering and repeated use of a color in one featured living room, kitchen, bedroom, or bathroom that is quickly eye-catching and desirable. Look at the elements that draw you in; you are likely focusing on wall color, fabrics, wall art, and decorative pieces. Using the same or similar color palette in one room or area of your home can be pulled off to create a cohesive look.

The monochromatic look works when a.) it is not overdone, b.) it touches on the different heights of a room, and c.) it is spread out nicely in a way that looks purposed but not sterile or choppy. So, first, choose an accent color that you would like to feature in a space. This can come from similar-colored items you pull from different rooms and bring together in one area or a shade you want to keep an eye out for in items you plan to add to your home when shopping. Components to keep in mind are paint, wall art or framed photographs with a similar setting or background, accent pillows or fabric throws or towels, area rugs, lamp shades and bases, pottery or sculptural pieces, and small items such as candles and books.

Painting just a wall or a room one standout shade sets the backdrop for a monochromatic layout boldly and with purpose. That can be achieved with a $20 to $40+ trip to the hardware store. But the same goal can similarly be achieved without picking up a paint brush. To ensure you touch on all the right spots, think high, mid, and low for your colored accents. Placing a short stack of books with the same colored spines alongside a tinted glass vase on a high shelf draws the eye up. Hanging frames, artwork, and photos on the wall around eye level fills in the mid section, along with the placement of lamps and throw pillows. Scattering decorative boxes, ceramics, and modern knickknacks on coffee and end tables, right down to an attractive area rug brings the eye lower. You visually take it all in and connect the dots to see the same shade throughout the space, creating a unified look.

You do not have to be matchy-matchy to pull off monochromatic with style. The right blend of shade and neutrals can meld together to reveal a space planned out with a good eye and a crafty hand for a colorful outcome.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 6th.