This just makes my heart sing...(BEFORE & AFTER)

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Life can be busy.

And with all the busyness, life can be overwhelming. 

And on top of the busyness and overwhelm, sometimes we just don't have the time or know-how to make the most of the space that we have to work with--

in our houses....

the place where we are supposed to go to RELAX, UNWIND, and be NURTURED. 

Like me--and maybe like you-- this was the case for my client and her home office/music room. Lots of papers, children's school art projects, sheet music, letters, medical records from a difficult illness in the family...these things all had collected and gotten stuck in this space-- and needed sorting and systems to make them manageable.

Over the course of a few sessions, we diligently worked together, discerning what was important to keep, what could be released either through donation, recycling or trash, and then tweaked the layout of the room to give her a more productive work station and space to play music...

We settled on a new paint color for the walls, but still kept the sunny yellow accent that was at the back of the bookcases as well as in a painting she wanted to highlight in the room. 

With all the hard work of decluttering and planning and painting completed, we scheduled our INSTALL DAY (WOO HOO!) so that all the finishing touches could be put in place, pulling the room together and creating a special work and music space for my client. 

Here's what the space looks like now: (cue the swell in the soundtrack! :)

With so much less STUFF in the space, we had room to add some really beautiful touches, like new lighting, new artwork for the walls, pretty containers for storage on the shelves...

and we put a new petite bookcase next to the piano so that her music could be categorized and be at just an arm's reach away when she needed it.  A special wall-mounted bracket on the other side of the piano holds a saxophone at the ready as well.

With her workstation reoriented, the room feels more settled and welcoming, and she has more surface area for files and paperwork. 

This project just made me so happy. I am so proud of the results -- and the peace & beauty we were able to put in place. 

You are already 80% of the way there...really.

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Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule? 

Even if you haven't, I can tell you that you are most likely already 80% of the way there with many of the rooms in your house. Take a look, and see what I mean. 

That last 20% is huge though--both for getting the highest offers when you go to sell your house, or when you want to get the most enjoyment, peace and beauty out of that place you pay the mortgage on each month. 

In this space-- which we are prepping for my client so that she can put it on the market later this year-- we simply repurposed, restyled, and redesigned mostly what she had on hand. Some custom curtains that could look a bit dated were simplified and rehung, bedding was rounded out with new decorative pillows, new artwork was hung...

With fresh paint, a fresh perspective, and a few added accessories, it is now updated, simplified, beautified and ready to impress. 

Here are a couple of still shots so you can see the "Before and Afters" without having to watch it speed past in the video...lol

So, look around you and see all the possibility! You are already 80% of the way there!

Haven't found the PERFECT thing yet? It's ok...

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Here is this week's little Saturday Morning Inspiration message!

Have you been looking for a LONG time for one thing....the PERFECT thing...so that you can create a room you would enjoy? We sometimes let perfectionism get in the way when we could just accept things that are darn good (since things can't ever truly be perfect), move forward with the space in a meaningful way, finish that darn room, and start really loving our houses. 

Hope this morning's short video gets you thinking in a new way about YOUR house and how you LIVE in it. :)

It is time for some sweeping change around here...

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It is that time of year again! (Even though it sometimes seems lately that Mother Nature doesn't know it yet...)

IT IS SPRING! 

And with all the wacky weather we have had these past few months,  I am willing to bet that most of the time you have spent on your front step or porch lately has been time spent shoveling....ugh and ICK.

It is windy today...ok AND COLD, but I hear it is going to be warm tomorrow, so MAYBE it is time for our annual quick House Whisperer SPRING ASSIGNMENT --- helping you love your house a little more in 15 minutes or less!!!

When the sun comes out tomorrow (just ask Annie, IT WILL), grab your timer, your broom, and your best tune to whistle. I'll meet you outside!

  1. Set Your Timer--Just 15 Minutes: Once the timer starts, grab anything and everything that is still on the front porch that says "winter" (practically a dirty word at this point). No lingering pine cones, dead evergreens, decorations with snowflakes (what were we thinking?!?)--and for goodness sake, grab the snow shovel that is still propped there.  Put all of these things away wherever they go--either in the trash, storage or in your car to donate.
  2. Sweep, Sweep, Sweep!!: Lift up the mat, pull out the porch furniture, get behind the pots... and sweep, sweep, sweep all of those old dead leaves and drab winter grit right out of there! YAY!
  3. Hope You Are Whistling...it is required. :)
  4. Just Before The Timer Goes Off-- straighten chairs, and put things back in place. Be sure to step back and admire your work!

Don't forget the finishing touch-- Stop at your local garden center and treat yourself to a happy little six pack of pansies. Plop them in your planters or in the ground near your front door. They don't mind the cold, and will greet you with cheer and color from now until summer....

Happy Spring, dear friends!!