http://www.jamieyoung.com/index.asp
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Fan of Jamie Young Lamps
http://www.jamieyoung.com/index.asp
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Wine Bottle Chandelier - Really?
Monday, March 2, 2009
The love of fabric
Recently, I've had the opportunity to work on a great project redecorating an entire house and have spent a lot of time at the Seattle Design Center looking at amazing fabrics. I truly believe in spending a little more money on a custom look that sets your home apart from others and is a reflection of you. A few of my favorite fabric lines include Lee Jofa, Kravet and Osborne & Little. All offer thousands and thousands of options, and I never tire of the challenge of pulling together the right look to amaze my clients!
bright and playful
pretty in pink
understated elegance
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Kitchen is done!
- repainted cabinets,
- new hardware, (found them on sale for 1/2 off!)
- new wiring (not in the original scope, but needed),
- new Formica countertops, (nightmare experience, but easy once we got them!)
- new tile back splash,
- new sink and faucet, and
- new lighting.
It's not my dream kitchen, but it's new, fresh and updated; making it much more inviting and fun to be in. By keeping the cabinets, we were able to save thousands of dollars and a fresh coat of paint really does make them feel new again. We also saved a ton of money by going with a cheap countertop. We contemplated higher end countertops, but knowing that the cabinets will need to be replaced some day, we decided it didn't make sense in the long-term to spend the extra money. (and, waste the materials) Besides, the Formica is very durable and will last a long time.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Great Deals at the Seattle Design Center
- Bring fabric swatches for matching -- if you are looking for the perfect accent chair to go with a sofa, bring a swatch from the sofa to ensure the perfect match.
- Measure the space and bring a measuring tape -- Since all sales are final, make sure you know the size of the space you are looking to fill so you don't buy something that's too big, or too small.
- Look over the item very carefully. It is a sample sale, so most of the pieces have been sat on, bumped, etc. numerous times. Occasionally, they may even give you a little less (if you ask) for obvious flaws.
- It's OK to splurge on a high quality sofa or chair -- it is the Design Center after all. It's easy to find a sofa there that retails for $10,000, but now is on sale for $3,000. While that may seem high, the workmanship of the things you find at the Design Center is so high that a good quality sofa should easily last 10-15 years.
- Be inspired -- don't have anything specific in mind? It's fun to go and see what they have to offer. It's also a great time to pick up a few high end, yet deeply discounted, accessories to help spruce a room.
For more details, check out their website here: http://www.seattledesigncenter.com/
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Kitchen Remodel Part 2
So, the holidays came and went and yet our kitchen is still not done. However, the cabinets are re-painted, all of the cabinet doors have been put back together, and our new cabinet hardware has been installed. The cabinets look so much better - it's truly amazing what a coat (or two or three!) can do to cabinets. Of course, every remodel project isn't complete without it's share of drama. We ordered Formica countertops not once or twice, but three times now! The first two times they came delivered damaged. Let's hope "third time's a charm"! It's very difficult to cook in a kitchen without countertops. It's messy and hard to use a surface you can't wipe clean. I've been searching for very inexpensive subway tile for the backsplash, and have yet to find super good deals. I almost found it at this local second use store in Seattle, but they were 20 square feet shy of what we needed -- arghhh!! They also had some Ann Sacks tile I really wanted, but again, not enough and probably would have been more expensive to buy the remaining pieces we needed.
I'm feeling hopeful, however. Perhaps another two weeks and we'll be there. Cross your fingers and stay tuned for more updates.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
January is National "Get Organized" Month
- Focus on one room at a time or you'll get overwhelmed. The most common areas in need of organization are the kitchen, home office and family room. Pick just one and give yourself 2-4 weeks to work on it (depending upon the degree of clutter)
- Once you know which room you'll focus on, get 3 large bins or boxes (or lots of plastic bags). Label them as follows: KEEP, DONATE and TRASH. If your KEEP box is substantially larger than the DONATE and/or TRASH bins, you have a problem!
- Immediately take the DONATE items to your local charity. Do not stick them in the garage and forget about them!
- Of the items remaining in the KEEP box, sort them by type and/or use.
- Once everything is sorted identify whether or not you can use some products to help you create a better organization system. (this seems to be where most people start and as you can see, it's number 5 on the list!)
- Make sure you create an inviting environment - someplace that you love. The more you love it, the more likely you'll keep it clean!
- Keep it up! This is the hardest part. You've spent all of this time de-cluttering (and maybe even the money you spend on hiring a professional), the least you can do is reward yourself by maintaining it.
Ultimately, a well-organized home can bring calm and order to your house. Many people find they actually save money because they aren't buying duplicates of things they already have. You can also get more done because you are spending less time trying to find things. When everything has it's own place, you know where to go to find it. And lastly, you'll feed good about yourself, and proud of the beautiful home you have created!
HAPPY ORGANIZING!