Outdoor rooms are the best part of the warmer weather because they allow a front row seat, literally, for the show that is nature! Whether you have a deck, a patio, or a even a tiny balcony, setting it up for comfort is essential to making the most of the season…
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Off to KBIS
We are off to KBIS to see the latest and greatest kitchen and bath products…here’s what we predict will be trending
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See what's new for 2022 from Design Edge Boston
I had the opportunity to attend Design Edge Boston this week and see what the luxury home furnishings industry is up to….here is a peek at what I saw at the show…
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Trade Secrets: Designing Small Spaces
Designing small spaces is a unique challenge. Like all good design, function, appearance, and comfort are all supremely important, but in small spaces, every inch counts.
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Easy Ways to JumpStart Spring around the House
Spring brings with it spring cleaning, a season of holidays and entertaining, and the reminders everywhere of renewed life. And yet, here in New England it always seems to take forever to arrive! SO, while we are anticipating the ACTUAL arrival this glorious season of warmer days and fresh breezes, here are a few ways you can bring spring to your home even before the weather cooperates!
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Trade Secrets: 4 Ways to Transform your Space with Paint
Well, it's groundhog day and apparently we have 6 more weeks of winter. Honestly, no matter what the furry rodent says, we in New England KNOW that winter weather is capricious right up to (and sometimes into!) May. But spring is coming...eventually!
The good news? Trapped inside during winter is the perfect time to spruce up your house in time for the spring flurry (no pun intended) of activities. And one of the most effective ways to make changes is with paint.
There are many places where new paint will make a big difference:
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The Well-Designed Room
A well-designed room is alchemy…part science and part art.
Sure, we want our rooms to look good, but more importantly, we want them to be comfortable – to LIVE well. And the essence of comfort in a room is feeling good there. Comfort is about more than the cushion fill in the sofa. It also includes the convenience and functionality and welcoming FEEL of the space. Good design serves the occupants of the room, not the other way around.
Whether starting from scratch or reworking existing spaces, here are a few essential processes and principles:
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Trade Secrets: Do's and Don'ts for Hanging Draperies
Trade Secrets: the do’s and don’ts of hanging draperies
It has come to my attention that in the wonderful world of decorators, most have jumped on the bandwagon of "hang ‘em high". I refer to, of course, the trend to hang the curtain rod for drapery panels well above the window to elongate the proportions in a room. And this does, in fact, work. BUT… like most things, this cannot be applied universally willy-nilly.
The advice is grounded in the notion that a longer line creates an unbroken vertical that makes the perceived height of the room taller. And while this is absolutely true, there are caveats.
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Four Key Ingredients for Outdoor Living Spaces
As the spring weather slowly warms up and freezing rain and snow appear to be left behind for the next few months, it is time to turn our attention to the upcoming season of road construction outdoor living. Designing spaces to live outside and revel in the warmer weather is even more important here in the northeast where we celebrate that we survived another winter and the gray, pre-spring months!
On my “must have” list for anyplace I live, is a slice of outdoor space. Whether you have a pocket sized balcony, a patio, a covered or screened porch, or a deck, make the most of it so you can enjoy the beauty of nature for a few months.
Arranging an outdoor space uses the same principals as arranging an indoor space – scale, color, and balance all apply. Here are a few key ingredients to keep in mind:
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Trade Secrets: Five Tips for Choosing the Perfect Rug
A well chosen area rug can pull together a whole room. While there are many ways to approach decorating a room, starting with an area rug you love is one of the most logical. The rug you choose can set the design direction for the whole room and choices are available for every possible situation, from a trendy flokati to a classic oriental, and everything in between. That said, here are some guidelines to help you with your choices wherever the rug selection falls in your process.
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Trade Secrets: Sofa Shopping Simplified
Sofa shopping can be intimidating. Choosing style details can be overwhelming, but comparing quality can be even more so since upholstery has a whole set of its own vocabulary, and the quality levels vary from store to store and even within a store or brand. Largely, price is an indication of quality level, but not entirely...there is some murky territory in the middle where many popular brands mix a few quality elements in with cheaper materials or construction so they may sound higher quality than they really are. Upholstered furniture can be found at pretty much any price point, so how do you determine how much to spend?
The answer to that question depends on a number of factors…
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Getting ready for the spring market? – Staging Tips from a Pro
Part of what sells a home is it’s feeling of hominess. Stripping a home of its character and emptying the rooms does not create the emotional appeal needed to sell a home. Careful editing and thoughtful arrangement does.
Here are a few key steps toward marketing your home in its best possible light:
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