Warm up that room!

What's great about my job is getting to go shopping, buy stuff and use someone else's money!

Recently I had an especially enjoyable project. My client had a sparsely furnished condo and was ready for the "fun stuff". She wanted their getaway place to feel cozy and inviting. She gave me a budget,said those magic words "pick it all out!" I was on my way. (In reality it was not quite that fast). I did quite a bit of planning before I set out. Here is my tip of the day: Plan before you go.If you want success, pre-planning will make it happen. Get an idea of what you are looking for, how big the items can be and a color scheme. So I did my homework and armed with my design notebook containing photos of every room, measurements of every space, paint samples and color swatches, I was off!

I had a terrific couple of days buying, building, arranging. There are tons of bargains to be had. Things that can be jazzed up to add a little more pizazz with some paint or another detail. Things that can be re-purposed and new pieces that can be found at bargain prices. If you know where to look there are truly deals every where.

The BEFORE.
A empty fireplace. Just screaming for some details.

And the AFTER!
Just adding a mirror, and other
items completely transformed this wall.

And talking about re-purposing the glass bottle on the top shelf of the bookcase is actually an antique "wasp " catcher I purchased at a garage sale. I added some curly willow stems and of course the always perfect orchid stem!

Some of my favorite spots are Home Goods! (love them), Furniture Affair (cool model home furniture, art and decorative stuff), Ikea (never go wrong with them). There are many more, I will add more of my favorites soon. But my point is, there are lots of bargains out there, but it does take some leg work,looking at things outside the box and a willingness to pick through stuff. Go find a spot in your home and jazz it up!

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Simple things big changes

On the subject of what can I do that is affordable but makes a big impact in my kitchen or bathroom is hardware! Don't downplay what new cabinet hardware can do. If you have old knobs and pulls in your kitchen it more than likely will make your room feel dated. With the simple addition of new hardware it can literally transform a cabinet from dated to dazzling. Very similar to updating your jewelry. And if you have never had pulls or knobs on the cabinets you will be amazed at how much it adds to the room.

A couple of things to keep in mind when choosing new hardware.

• Make sure you have taken into consideration the style of your cabinet

• What other finishes do you have in your home (i.e. doorknobs, faucets, light fixtures)

• Do the styles blend or match (it's okay to mix finishes just make sure the style is cohesive)

For example you would not want to put a chunky rustic pull in a contemporary kitchen.

One my favorite company's for hardware is Top knobs USA. They have a wide variety of styles, a terrific quality both in material and finish. I have noticed that some of the big box stores have hardware at a nice price point but many are made of resin. All in all I personally feel Top Knobs is a great value both in style and price. I am also a retailer for Top Knobs and if you are interested in a sample or ordering call me!

For a minimal investment you can make big changes to your kitchen, so go ahead, put new jewelry on your cabinets and enjoy the results!

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