Just In Case You Thought I Had It All Figured Out

The funniest thing happened this morning...

As I was starting my day preparing to write to you, I was browsing the internet trying to get some inspiration. 

I'll admit, I was feeling pretty low. A lot has happened over the past few months in my personal life, and as a result my house is in flux.  I logically know that these two things always go hand-in-hand (life challenges=house challenges), but that doesn't make it any easier. 

Due to some medical issues with my son, as well as some other changes in the life of our family, we moved my office to the attic space in our house a couple of weeks ago. It is a fabulous space, and I LOVE working up there. However, due to these transitions, there are several rooms that have been affected--they kind of look like someone turned them upside down and shook them. And my office itself remains unfinished, needing a couple more pieces of furniture, pictures to be hung on the wall, and just an overall sense of order (PLEASE).

In short, my house is driving me NUTS.

So, if you had the impression that Erin Cochran of Revealing Redesign had it all figured out (at least in the way of houses) ....uh, nope.

As I have learned all too well, in life there is no arrival, no grand epiphany that makes everything easy for forever and always...but rather an evolving that happens over time. At each new crossroads, we get to learn some lessons again in a new way, and our lives are better for it.

My house is going to be so freakin' awesome...soon. I just have to get through this in-between time, and embrace and engage in the messy process that is necessary for its rebirth. 

SO, back to the funniest thing--while looking for ideas to help me and help you on this beautiful summer morning, Google offered me one of my own old blog articles. 

HA! The universe has such a sense of humor. 

It was something I really needed to read this morning, and I am wondering if it might be something you need to read today, too. You can find it here. 

Blessings to you, dear friends! :)

My Old Farmhouse A Year Later...

Last year at this time, I was so honored and excited as our own humble farmhouse was featured in Philadelphia Magazine's Property blog. 

Even though it has only been a year, it is really fun for me to go back and revisit these photos, recognizing how much has changed around our funky old house, even in just the past 12 months. (You can see the full PhillyMag article and all of Laura Kicey's amazing photographs of my house here.)

It has made me think about one of my core beliefs and one of the main reasons I am so passionate about what I do: 

Our houses should ideally reflect what we believe in, what we value, where we are in our lives, and, most importantly, where we long to go on our life's journey. 

My house is always changing in ways big and small. (I am looking forward to sharing some photos of what's new in the near future!)  This is important because all of us are always changing and growing in one way or another, and hopefully our house does this right along with us in a meaningful way. 

Ideally, our home provides us the perfect, safe & nurturing environment to rest, rejuvenate, stretch ourselves, pursue the passions we feel called to pursue, and enjoy life's many blessings. This type of true home makes so much more possible in our lives, and the world beyond our front door is so much better off because of it. 

Getting The Results You Want

It is so exciting!! You have decided to embark on a major renovation--maybe a new master bath, a complete kitchen overhaul, a finished basement.  So many things to consider, so many decisions, so many things to buy. It's gonna be a sparkly, spectacular dream come true, right?

Well, it could be.

Or it could be a big ol' mess.

Sadly, over the years I have had many conversations with people who have had the latter experience--and it is always painful to hear them talk about the choices they made after the fact, wishing they had just called me a little sooner so that their outcome could have been so much better. 

Because this is a process that I help people through on a daily basis, I would like to share a few important tips to consider if you are embarking on a home renovation, so that it can be a productive, satisfying  journey with a fabulous result, and NOT an anxiety-producing snafu resembling bad reality tv.

Here are some of the most important things to remember:

1. Hire a Contractor Carefully: This person is going to be an intimate part of your life for a few days, a few weeks, or perhaps even a few months, and the effects that they can have on your life can be far-reaching, long after the project is wrapped up.  Check their references, ask to see pictures of their previous work, make sure that they are insured, and make sure you feel confident and comfortable communicating with them.  You will have a lot of questions to which they should willingly  and promptly give you straightforward answers.
2. Get It In Writing: Before a hammer can be swung, the scope of the whole project and its costs should be clearly outlined in a proposal/contract written by your contractor. Sure, there still can be things that are added or changed as the project goes forward (I pretty much guarantee there will be), but you should have it in black and white at the start what they said they would do for you, and at what price.
3. Do This For Yourself, Not for Aunt Sally Who is Visiting Next Month: While an upcoming event is often the impetus to start a project around the house, it is important to take the long view on whatever changes you are going to make. Don't be hasty and pick materials just because they are on hand, or because it will enable you to fit nicely into a contractor's schedule. The ones you really want may take weeks to arrive, and you should wait for them.  Your goal here is a space that you will love for years or decades to come. Don't settle for an outcome that you will feel so-so about just to meet a self-imposed deadline or to have it finished a couple of weeks sooner.
4. Examine Your Expectations: Even if your contractor promises you that the whole thing will be easily completed inside of two weeks, are you okay with it if it isn't?  Even the most reputable tradesmen come up against things that are unexpected, outside of their control, and that delay progress. If your schedule doesn't allow for that, wait to start the project.  Also, make your best effort to get your head around the fact that your house will be very different for a while. Even with the work area sealed off, there will be clouds of dust settling into a fine film on flat surfaces, hours of loud compressors humming, and groups of men coming through the door very early in the morning (at an hour when normally you may still be in your underwear).

This all may seem overwhelming, but take heart--when done carefully, intentionally, and when executed by skilled hands, your new space is sure to be wonderful and very worth all the hard work and expense!

A Maine Cottage Renewal Begins

Last year at this time, long-time clients of mine realized a life-long dream of theirs to purchase a special summer cottage in Maine. 

And when they then asked me to help them bring it back to its former glory, room by room, little did they know they were fulfilling a life-long dream for this designer girl right here!

AMAZING BLESSINGS ALL AROUND! :)

Here is a shot of the house when I visited in April, snow still on the ground, mountains and ocean looking gorgeous in the distance...

A historic house, on the water, filled with unique spaces and stunning architectural detail. 

BRING. IT. ON. :)

The first room that we tackled over the past year was a room that I think was added to the 1891 house sometime in the 1920's. With its 13+ foot ceilings, and over 500 square feet, this room was made for entertaining!

WOWZA.

Sadly, the room felt a bit tired, draped in old floral fabrics and faded colors. The original rug was neat with its vintage design and coloring, but sadly was in such disrepair that it had to go. 

Time to add rich colors and textures and get the room ready for lots of fun this summer...

I wanted to pull out the history and muted colors from the stunning sepia photograph you see above, hung over the mantle-- so that is what we used as our inspiration for the space. 

C'mon in! Let's take a look and see how the space looks now...

My clients knew that they wanted a game room of sorts, but one that would also honor the history and stateliness of the space. We got busy creating a layout that would allow for cozy nights by the fire (a must on a chilly Maine evening!), and lots of family fun with both billiards and shuffleboard tables, one on each end.

Other antique artwork originally from the space looks beautiful with the new decor, while prints from other rooms in the house were reframed and matted to compliment the palette of the room.  Even the house's Victrola is still working, adding amazing ambiance with old music ringing out from its front speaker when someone takes a minute to crank it up. 

Gorgeous new oriental rugs were purchased to carry the warmth through the space, and large-scale lighting was added to lend a bit of intimacy to such a huge room.  Additionally, we chose to paint a rich, dark color on the ceiling to visually "lower" it a bit, and again add another layer of coziness. 

I will keep you posted in the coming months as more spaces are finished and ready to be revealed. So very exciting! 

Dare To Dream--Your Monthly Homework Assignment!

I think it is important from time to time to disengage from reality and let our minds wander. We spend way too much time worrying about how to get things done, whether or not logistically we can actually get those things done, what it will cost, and whether or not we can afford it. 

To heck with that. 

Every once in a while, it is a good practice to just go wild and act like anything is possible--because it just might be.

Who are we to say it isn't? :)

Figuring out what we are inspired by, without being weighed down by rules, restrictions, and reality is something we need to give ourselves permission to do now and again. And I am giving you permission to do just that right now. 

What if your house could be anything, anywhere, any size, any color? What would you choose if there were no rules and no restrictions? 

So, thinking along these lines, I have a great homework assignment for you this month!:

1. Get ready to relax and have some fun.  Get yourself your favorite beverage--maybe a nice tall glass of sparkling water or hot tea-- and get comfy in front of your computer or in your favorite reading chair. Take 3 deep breaths, and allow all the tension to flow out of your body...

2. Try to clear your mind and be open.  There are two ways to complete this step--either go to Houzz.com, an online collection of beautiful home photographs, ideas and inspiration, OR gather your favorite magazines to leaf through, looking for images that speak to you. 

3. Find at least 5 photos of rooms or gardens, etc that make you swoon and make your heart sing. If you are on Houzz, collect these pictures in an "ideabook" on their site. (The image at the top of this newsletter is from one of my ideabooks on Houzz--you can see the house it came from here) If you are using the magazine method, tear the pictures out that speak to your soul, and gather them together to post somewhere where you will see them often. 

How can we create something beautiful and wonderful if we can't picture what we want in the first place? Letting ourselves dream, and finding pictures that illustrate what resonates with us is an important tool. This exercise can help us to visualize what we want & bring more of what our soul is longing for into our lives. 

If you are ready to dream some more and further explore what YOUR soul is longing for, I have a workshop at the farmhouse next month that is definitely for you! Click here for more information.