10 easy decorator tips

My job before this one, where my little (tries) to call the shots and i get paid in hugs I had a creative career, my dream job that i loved and sometimes do miss dearly..

I worked hard for my creative degree and that resulted working for a homebuilder in the city on an amazing team decorating 40+ showhomes a year. I'm tired just remembering it...

Its was fun to tell people i was a showhome decorator just to see the reaction on their faces. Almost always they say "so you shop for a living??!?" well yes and no dear... and its far more sweaty, exhausting, rigorous work than that. Full of time management and coordination. But it sure does sound glamorous doesn't it.. I'm sure i haven't fooled you.. 

Well i find myself missing that day to day decorating and since its such a hot topic for interest i though i would share with you some tricks and tips i learnt along the way for successful decorating! 

ONE: Please!!!! Ive seen this mistake SO MANY times, unless its intentional as part of a gallery wall- this rule needs to be followed- there are far to many pictures living close to ceilings in this world. 
Suck it up, putty it up and bring it down just above eye level. 
Gallery walls are great places to incorporate odd sizes and pieces and fill an otherwise empty wall
This is a great way to add dimension and interest to a large space! This unique and eclectic look allows you to incorporate a variety of photos, prints and framed personal pieces. 

TWO: If your going to splurge on that don't you think it should be neutral? If your the adventurous type and feel a lime green leather couch is something your going to adore for years, then your braver than me! 
Times have changed and colour is great, but keeping your investment pieces neutral (greys, taupes, blacks) will allow for longevity. They also ground a space and give your eye a visual rest. 
A million places make awesome throw pillows and blankets in fun patterns and colours - even inexpensive art can be changed out for a whole new look. Try that before your up to your eyeballs in dusty rose. (yea, people have been there before...) If you gotta have yellow, try a bowl with faux lemons on the coffee table or a great spray of tulips. Doormats, decals and frames are also an easy and unexpected way to add colour. 

THREE: This will make or break it. Furniture needs to be in scale with itself and its friends. 
A Large sectional with slipper chair isn't going to look right. Pieces like sofa and coffee table should mirror each other for size, and bulkiness. Large leather sofa should be paired with an end table that has some strength to it in your style. A feminine bed frame should have a nightstand that also feels feminine and light. There are no hard and fast rules but before you purchase that ottoman, make sure its going to flow... 

FOUR: I think what people most adore about showhomes (aside from all the creative ideas) is the fact that it has good energy through being clutter free. 
There are no personal items like mail and laundry hampers stuffed with clothes. Shoes aren't littering the back door and kids toys aren't hiding around every corner. However it can be argued that those are the things that make a house a home. Showhomes however are simplistic and clean. What people don't know is that is integrated into the decorating, little 'vignettes' are staged throughout the home, a neat diaper basket in the nursery with a few color coordinated toys. That tray of olive oils in the kitchen - these make it feel accessible, you can put yourself in its 'shoes'. Its paired down from the everyday. 
Take this as far as you like, i enjoy keeping a few personal items in my home, but i don't want my whole DVD collection on display and my mail is hidden in a drawer.. and after all, more stuff means more dusting and who wants that. 

FIVE: The world of Pinterest has changed life as we know it for the D-I-Y'er. 
Anything you can think of you can make with a little elbow grease, a lot of time and dedication - it can be done. Even professional decorators put in the sweat when it comes to custom projects. A many late nights were spent gluing, crafting and painting. Even if you have the highest of ambitions, some things can be too much, so proceed with caution. A DIY is a great way to personalize things and make you feel proud of your home. Give it a try, start small and you will astonish yourself. 

SIX: Have you met Grey? I'm talking all of its 50 shades here, no - not like that- I'm talking cool grey, warm grey, taupe grey. Seriously, its not just that but take a serious look at anything in your house that bring you back to the 70's, 80's, and particularly the 90's... peach, ruffles, potpourri.. upolstry that looks like a cosby sweater or covered in plastic- come on. let it go..Adding a little grey and neutral, clearing the crap and a fresh coat of paint will immediately update your space. 

SEVEN: This is simple, a home shouldn't have anything in it that isn't useful or that you love.. This is a great measure when clearing the clutter, deciding on purchases and sorting for donation. 
If you love those doilies from grandma and just can't part with them - think outside the box, frame them! showcase them in a unique way.. 

EIGHT: Personally, even when i was spending other peoples money (yes that was fun) - i just don't think its necessary to pay full price for almost anything. Since HomeSense (as we call it in Canada) has emerged on the decorator scene- i honestly don't know how other home accessory stores are keeping up.. They have pretty well everything your looking for, unique treasures and terrific prices. Shop smart and look online. 

NINE: When it comes to curtains that is - Hanging your curtains about 6 inches from the ceiling will make your windows feel bigger and brighter. 
Light is Key- everyone wants it and not everyone knows how to find it- I'm here to help you, check out my post about 'farmhouse curtains' for drapery tricks. 
Second to hanging pictures too low, this is the next most popular offence, let the sunshine in people! Your ceiling will look taller and your view will shine brighter. Win Win. 

TEN: Sometimes all you need is paint. Things can be transformed with a brush and some time. 
Many times as a decorator when we didn't like something or it wasn't quite right, paint fixed it up and made it a statement for the room. Whether that was an accent wall in a living room or a fun colour for a piece of furniture, making your own art or making accessories work- Paint is a makeover artist. Its budget friendly and almost anyone can do it. 

home sweet home

well.. i feel inspired to start caring more about the world I'm living in. Why does this sound so harsh to say?? 
i suppose I'm just a sheep in the heard of carelessness and chemical waste when it comes to this sort of thing and having a legacy naping in the next room really does make the future of our earth, the wellbeing of his generation at the forefront of my mind..

its not that i have been carelessly littering and watering my lawn for days but i have been neglegent about my recycling duties, the chemicals i use to clean my home (mostly cause those chemicals are so budget friendly) and obviously there is so many more little things i can change and teach my little about preserving our resources and being environmentally friendly and to top that- a conscious consumer.

so here i am finding myself at a bend in the road - a road trip with jessica alba & al gore.

it seems daunting to do a total overhaul and although i have ambitious plans about being that old 'earthy' chick with long white hair, growing a sustainable garden, smelling sweet like lavender and not wearing shoes- i suppose that story starts here, one change at a time. i already have birkenstocks. its a start.

i grow herbs, i make my detergents and i know how beneficial oils are but perhaps its time to get a compost bin, make more of an effort to recycle (almost) everything and make educated and slightly more expensive yet healthier product purchases. I just might make a leap from disposable diapers (we only use them in the evening anyway) and read ingredients in my floor cleaner.

i have innocently or not so innocently been nieve to my personal impact on the environment- but as a dear (and environmentally conscious friend) mentioned- it starts with one person, much like many of the amazing stories of transformation- it often begins with one person and one idea. I was faulty in believing i can't change anything- "if Vegas doesn't recycle- there is no hope for the rest of us.."
Shame on me, small things do add up and i am hopeful i can make a difference and of course wanting to impose these principles to the next generation- it is their world, my sons world after all ...

funny-Isn't that just a mothers way- we bend over backwards and stride to do the right thing all in the name of our children. we do things for them that we wouldn't dream of doing for ourselves- perhaps thats love. 
When the future of my child's deteriorating earth is sitting before me looking messy, chaotic and lacking its environmental resources- hurt from the years of uneducated purchases and massive consumption, my heart aches as our afflictions will be the problem of our children. It just doesn't seem fair to wait another day to make a change.. 

Earth in its glory is humbling, remarkably beautiful- its swirling scope of blues and greens accented with whispers of white, its a stunning and amazing place to call home. 
From the images of NASA and google and it seems a foreign dream, too beautiful to be called our own but we are the caretakers- blessed to be entrusted with such a gem. its a huge responsibility I'm going to take accountability on my part- i suppose i am late to the table and have a long way to go but I'm going to take my own responsibility to create a cleaner home, healthier home, make more conscious decisions and try to create a safer and cleaner piece of earth- for me and you and our children. I will do what i can in my own small way and someday, hopefully, my little and his littles will progress with the same determination and responsibility and in turn-we can make a large impact together..

We are all earth neighbours, our world does so much to divide us, but being an avid documentary watcher, i remember a piece of text i heard on the NASA documentary. I believe it was about an astronaut admiring the earth from above, he said: if everyone could just see how remarkable and fragile our planet really is, we could let it unite us and not divide us (thats a whole other bag of tricks) but in that is so much truth. 

So here lies the call to action, the commitment to making a small difference and to be healthier, wiser and more conscious. Plan of action time, i will follow up with a part 2 on greener changes and alterations... 

Stay tuned...