My Cozy Little Home Office

I don't know if you remember me talking about this before, but last year, due to some upheaval in our family we almost put our old farmhouse on the market, and walked away from this home we have loved for 20 years. 

BUT then we didn't. 

We instead reworked spaces in our house so that they work better for our family as it is now-- something we all need to do from time to time-- and we are so glad we stayed. 

One room that took on a new identity was the third floor attic space--a room that is much like a treehouse with its small footprint, high perch, lofty views of the landscape, and sloping ceiling. 

The space has been many things over the past two decades- a bedroom, a guest room, a hang-out for kids... but NOW it is the world headquarters of Revealing Redesign. :)

Thought you might like to see what this space where I work each day looks like:

Because things were already in upheaval at the Cochran's when this room changed its identity, and it was pretty much in good shape with neutral paint, I streamlined the redesign and worked around the existing paint colors and area rug. 

Adding all the funky touches that make it feel like ERIN COCHRAN'S space made all the difference...like lots of green plants, vintage original artwork, architectural salvage window sashes, a repurposed and repainted dresser from the 1940's...

and of course, personal photos. :)

It is a lovely place to spend my time doing the work I love to do! 

I hope you, too, have a space of your own where you are able to be creative, dream, and work on what matters to you!

How To Keep The Stuff You Love, Love The Stuff You Keep, & Love The House You're In

If you are a person who has followed my blog or worked with me for any length of time, then you know that I am definitely NOT a fan of keeping a lot of STUFF around in our houses. (If you want to read more about that you can do so here and here )

HOWEVER, of course, there are things that we do need to keep! Things that we love, things that we use all of the time, some things that we only use once or twice a year, and things that we want to hold on to because they are special to us or because we aren't quite ready to part with them just yet--although hopefully this category is very, very small. :)

How we store these things has a big impact on how we feel about our houses and how well the spaces we live in function for us. We often muddle all of our belongings together in one confused category, and then jumble them together in all of our drawers, cabinets and closets that we need to use every day. Out of the resulting feelings of frustration and claustrophobia we blame our house (how unfair!) and say it is too small and not up to the task!  We do have a lot of nerve...

Instead of seeing this as a storage problem, we see it as a house problem. 

However, if we divide our STUFF into three simple categories, our house can suddenly seem so much bigger and more livable. Really. :)  

What are these categories? Here they are:

1. STUFF to keep close-- these are the things we use all of the time. 
2. STUFF to keep convenient--these are things we use somewhat frequently--maybe a couple of times a week or once a month. 
3. STUFF for far, far away-- these are things that we use very infrequently, or family heirlooms, special keepsakes, or other things we are storing long-term. 

If you feel quarters are cramped in your kitchen, bedroom or another room you use each and every day, look at the items that are in the space and see if you are asking the room to hold things it doesn't need to hold all the time.

A good rule of thumb is:

Rooms that we use all of the time should only hold/store things we use all of the time. 

Rooms we seldom use should hold the things we seldomly use. 

To give you an example, if we look at the kitchen,  things could fall into our three categories like this:

1. STUFF to keep close--I use my colander almost every day. I definitely should keep this right on hand and store it right where I use it. 
2. STUFF to keep convenient--My blender gets used maybe once a quarter? (I clearly am not drinking enough Margaritas!), so this appliance is stored in the back corner of one of the least convenient cabinets in my kitchen. It takes some work to get it out, but that is okay, since I don't do it very often.
3. STUFF for far, far away-- My huge roasting pan is only used for special family dinners, mostly on the holidays. That sucker is stored in the basement around the corner under the stairs. 

We could do this same exercise in our bedroom closet:

1. STUFF to keep close--clothes that are our favorites for the current season. Have them right up front where you can see them so you will remember them and wear them all the time.
2. STUFF to keep convenient--accessories or jackets that we don't wear all of the time, but can totally make an outfit. Nearby or at the back of the closet, we can access them easily to try them on as we put ourselves together for the day. 
3. STUFF for far, far away--clothing for very specific or special occasions. My cocktail dresses that I only wear once a year, if that, are stored in a special place up in the attic. Also, clothes that are out of season can be moved out of the way and put in a more remote location so they aren't clogging the works for the half of the year they aren't in use. 

I hope that these three categories helps you to see the stuff you manage all the time--the STUFF of daily life-- a little more clearly, and I hope it helps you to make the most of the square footage you live in each day. 

Go forth and sort! :)

She was cowering under the bed, unable to move her back legs...

Three years ago this month, I came home after work one Saturday afternoon to find my dog, Hermione, cowering under my daughter's bed whimpering and unable to move her back legs. 

That night, after the vet pinched and squeezed the little Corgi toes on her back feet with a pliers--and got no response from her--we were told by the doctor that she would never be able to walk again, she would most likely be incontinent, and unless we invested around $10,000 in surgery and therapy (that may or may not successfully return her ability to walk and function normally), the best course of action was to put her down. 

I have learned a lot about imperfection in the years since, and the pain and struggle we cause ourselves when we work so hard to create perfection--perfection that is, after all, unattainable.

Two of my greatest teachers have been Hermione (who MADE A MIRACULOUS And COMPLETE RECOVERY within three months of her spinal injury), and Brene Brown, author of the book The Gifts of Imperfection.

Here's one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Brown: 

“Perfectionism is a self-destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: 'If I look perfect, live perfectly, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.'

Perfectionism is defeating and self-destructive simply because there is no such thing as perfect. Perfection is an unattainable goal. Additionally, perfectionism is more about perception – we want to be perceived as perfect. Again, this is unattainable – there is no way to control perception, regardless of how much time and energy we spend trying." (HERE is the wonderful blog post this excerpt is from.)

SO, what does this have to do with our houses and how we live in them, you may be asking?? 

I see a lot of striving for perfection in our struggles with our homes. Back in 2013, I really saw this for what it was and how it was holding so many of us back. Take a look at the blog post I wrote in response, and see more pictures of Hermione in her adorable cart (which is thankfully now collecting dust in the garage).

Yes, it was really a tornado...

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you may remember this room from way back in the day....:)

It was featured in Philly Mag's article about my long-time clients' home back in 2014. (You can see that here.)

Ironically, my blog post about that article was entitled "Lightening Strikes Again" but it would be a TORNADO (yes, literally a tornado) a year later that would be the cause of this room's next reincarnation...

In June of 2015 an amazing sudden summer storm hit our area (you may remember it) with violent winds, rain, and tornados.  In the aftermath, my clients found, on top of losing 30 or so trees on their property overall, one had actually struck their home, piercing the roof in their great room. 

The great room was the very last room in their house that we hadn't done a complete overhaul in. Sure, we had tweaked it, purchased a few pieces of furniture, reworked the layout, but the colors and design were much the same as they had been for decades. 

Since things needed to be repaired and painted already, it was decided to jump in with both feet and totally rethink the room, change almost everything, and add architectural details that seemed to be missing in the original design from the 1980's. 

Here's what the space looks like now: 

So, if you look closely you will see that not only has the color palette, rugs, and furnishings changed, but some very important architectural interest was added. For instance, in the photo above you can see that a new, more elegant post has been added, visually connecting the downstairs with the loft above. Also, three beaded beams have been added across the vaulted ceiling, as well as a large chandelier, giving warmth, light and visual heft to the peak and upper corners of the room.

The fireplace was given a total facelift as well. New original artwork, which had inspired the palette for the space, is now highlighted inside a custom panel over a beautiful new mantel and fireplace surround. 

Even though this project started with something quite unexpected and scary, my clients tell me that the results are something that they just love and enjoy whether at home just the two of them, or entertaining extended family and friends. 

So wonderful!

Quirky Yet Irresistable :)

As you know, I love old homes...the quirkier the better!

However, in real estate circles, quirky homes are NOT known to be easy to sell . As a matter of fact, a funky old home can be seen as a liability. Vintage abodes with unusual spaces and yesteryear charm can sit on the market for months waiting for a person with an imagination to come along. And during those long, frustrating months, the seller may be dropping their price hoping someone will bite. 

How awful. 

SO, I was thrilled earlier this summer when my good friend Michael Eagle, a go-getter of a realtor, contacted me to help his clients as they prepared to put their historic twin on the market. 

I was told from the start, both by Mike and his clients, that this house was quirky--and all involved knew that I do quirky! (I LIVE in quirky! I hail from quirky!) So, employing all of my quirks (yes, there are many), it was my job to help the homeowners highlight all of the beautiful features of this house so that it would no longer present simply as "quirky," but rather as a unique, one-of-a-kind opportunity to live in a piece of history. 

YES! 

The house had a lot going for it, such as newly renovated bathrooms and kitchen, so it was really about editing down the rooms for a clean, simple presentation, highlighting existing square footage, and brightening the spaces so that all it had to offer would be impossible to overlook. 

All that hard work paid off. The house sold in less than two weeks for the price they had been hoping for. 

So, are you considering putting your house on the market in the near future? If you are thinking of listing your home, what are the mistakes to avoid (whether your house is quirky or not) that could potentially cost you thousands of dollars when you go to sell? 

Hmmmmm….let's expose these stinkers, and make you some money:

Mistake #1. Relying on your buyer to have an imagination. Buyers typically reach for their checkbook when they see what they have been looking for clearly in front of them.  The spaces have to be clearly and nicely laid out so that is super simple to see exactly how the rooms can be used. For example, your house has an in-law suite, but currently that space houses your workout equipment.  Even if your listing states it has an in-law suite (something your buyer wants), if it isn't set up so they can SEE that it does, they will walk right on through disappointed…and NOT make an offer. I'm not even kidding. You can see an example of this here. 

Mistake #2. Living as you always have in the house. Once you have decided to sell your house, the best mindset to have is that it is no longer yours. Personal touches and taste-specific decor are not your friends at this time, because as we have already established, your buyer is not exceptionally imaginative. They won't be able to picture themselves and their belongings in the house if all of your leopard print fabric and velvet Elvis paintings are screaming at them, drawing their attention away from how they would live in the house, and from what you want--for them to BUY. 

Mistake #3. Living as you always have in the house. YES I KNOW I SAID THAT BEFORE, but, this is pertaining to the STUFF of daily life…like dings and clutter and dust. Very few of us live in houses that are "q-tip clean" with paint in perfect condition, and rooms perfectly picked up day-in and day-out. Did I mention that your buyer doesn't have an imagination? I think I did. And seeing past chipped paint, dirt in corners, and crap on counters is therefore not their strong suit. 

So, make it clean, clutter-free, and obvious to all who enter that your house is the best house on the block…and watch it fly off the "shelves" at an awesome, profitable price.