I think of accent colors in your home as similar to accessories in your wardrobe. They support and often dazzle. They’re likely to get the squeals, oohs and ahhs. Maybe it’s the funky hoop earrings or the bright beautiful scarf. Accent colors can bring that same excitement to your home’s color scheme to help create that perfect, finished feel.

However (the dreaded however)…if you don’t use your accent colors correctly, your room may end up looking like an exploded box of crayons! Let me help you avoid that with the following tips.

Painting a room seems easy. Grab a brush, slap on some color, and voilà, instant transformation! But if you’ve ever stood in front of a wall, paint roller in hand, wondering why your DIY dreams look more like a DIY disaster, you’re not alone. Let’s delve into three common painting mistakes most people make and how to avoid them.

Redesigning a room can be sooo much fun! You stroll into your favorite décor store with a plan to buy one thing. Maybe a new throw pillow or a rug. Suddenly, you’re at the checkout with a velvet ottoman, an abstract painting that "spoke to your soul," and a mosaic tile giraffe. You’re all smiles until you check your bank account and realize that maybe... just maybe... you should have started with a budget. 

Budgeting doesn’t have to suck the fun out of your design dreams! It can be the friend that helps your project come to life IF you follow the simple steps in this blog.

If you ask your favorite search engine, app or robot for the definition of interior design, you’ll get something like…the art and science of creating a functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing indoor space. Little art, little science. How hard can that be, right? The answer, if you ask most people, is “darn hard.” It can be tricky to make your interior look as good as those amazing Pinterest boards instead of an Ikea catalog that exploded everywhere!

Stay tuned as this blog walks you through common mistakes and how to prevent them. My goal is to help you avoid turning your home into a "what-were-they-thinking" zone.

It’s not quite the thrill of driving a new car off the lot and getting a deep draw of that intoxicating “new car smell, but buying a new piece of furniture is pretty cool, too! However, for a lot of people, it can be a daunting task. There’s a lot to consider and it’s not a cheap endeavor, so having your ducks in a row before you hit the furniture store can save you time and heartache. Fortunately, I’m here to help. Allow me to help you become your own furniture whisperer.

Sugar and cream blend well in coffee. How about white and cream in your room? In my humble opinion, this blend works as well. If you’ve ever had a bright white room, you know that can create cold, clinical feel. Adding cream or other off-white can help warm up the space providing a nice balanced feel. Read on for tips and sample illustrations to blend shades of white for a wonderfully warm home.

I’ve rented. You may rent – either now or in the future. Renting definitely creates design challenges. So when it comes to creating a loving living space, the message is clear: Renters need love, too! Today we embrace these underserved dwellers as I share five renter-friendly ideas guaranteed to add personality and color to your home.

Redesigning a room in your home can be fun, invigorating, rewarding and…overwhelming. However, in this blog you will learn how to enjoy the fun, invigorating and rewarding parts and overcome that overwhelming part. The secret if to focus on these three factors -- what I consider to be the three most important aspects of any successful redesign project. Nailing these three will give you confidence that your room will deliver the satisfaction you’re seeking.

If you pursue a major design or redesign project in your home that carries a significant budget, it may be important to you to choose a “timeless” or “classic” style that will endure the test of time. This is wise thinking as a way to ensure your space will look good for years to come and won’t require another remodel if you would need to sell it. Today, I’ll cover styles that have been popular for years and are almost certain to remain popular well into the future. They’re characterized by classic elements and the ability to adapt to remain contemporary without losing the features we know and love.

True or false: Updating your kitchen is easy? False! Of course it’s not easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun and rewarding. True or false: Updating your kitchen is expensive? False! Wow, you’re not very good at this, are you? The good news is if you read the rest of this blog, you will become very good at updating your kitchen by getting inspired by five ideas, each under a hundred bucks. And this is absolutely true!

Honest answer: When you think of ways to beautify your home, do pattern and texture come to mind? Based on my experience, “P&T” are far down the list of ways to spiff up a space –below basics like color and light and style and furnishing and flooring and window treatments and a few others, if they make the list at all. If you’re guilty of overlooking P&T, you’re in good company. While P&T may eventually work their way into the redesign of your home, they often are overlooked as important strategic choices. In this blog I aim to elevate P&T to the TOP of your thinking. They can be great tools to help you love where you live®.

I was flipping through my design magazines and came across several articles on home features we no longer use. Some were interesting. Some fun. Some I had never heard of. Some brought back fond memories from my growing up years when a home can mean so much. Read on for five of my faves.