When Jon and I moved back to the Pacific Northwest, we had no idea it would take so long to sell our previous home. As we waited to get our equity out of a relatively slow housing market, the market in Seattle skyrocketed and the competition got stiff. Not only is the competition with …
Definition of étagère a piece of furniture consisting of a set of open shelves for displaying small objects and sometimes having an enclosed cabinet as a base By Merriam-Webster While we are renting a house in Seattle, we are slightly unmotivated to settle in and put our hearts into decorating. Previously, our faux bamboo étagère …
The week between our vacation and Maria Killam’s True Colour Expert™️ Workshop, I helped my parents install laminate flooring. My parents aren’t the type to live in a mess or a construction zone, but they tore their carpet out in preparation for their carpenter to install the new flooring. They had no idea the carpenter …
The past month has been eventful for me! First, I was preparing for our Journey to Vieques, then I went to my parent’s house to help install flooring (story to come), and then I went to NJ for Maria Killam’s True Colour Expert™ Workshop. Continuing education is a vital component in the ever evolving …
Vignette: A Brief, But Powerful Scene Vocabulary.com Valerie has an exceptional talent and love for arranging accessories into beautiful displays. Her design firm used to be called Vignettes of Refinement, but the word vignettes confused too many people. I love vocabulary.com’s definition of VIGNETTE: A brief, but powerful scene. Eventually, to simplify things, she changed …
If you are afraid to paint perfectly good wood furniture, reconsider! The following photos illustrate how good quality stained wood furniture can go from boring to beautiful in a matter of hours. In my work as a decorator, I occasionally cross paths with clients who want light bright and airy interiors, but …
You know the saying, “The cobbler’s children have no shoes“? That’s sort of me when it comes to decorating and tidiness. I help my clients create beautiful homes while I will turn a blind eye to my own home’s decorating issues. The photo, two photos below, is proof of my bad behavior!
From the time I was in grade school I was drawing floor plans for my bedroom, for forts in the woods and for future dream houses. In high school, I excelled through 4 years of drafting and architecture classes (I was one of only two girls to make it to the end). When I …
I prefer romantic gardens. I never considered thorny, prickly plants as romantic… that is until we bought a house, in Southern California, with a large happy cactus in the backyard.
At the end of last summer, my sister Sarah and I went to a shabby chic style flea market at the fairgrounds in Puyallup, Washington. The volcano evacuation signs along my drive there were enough to give me pause, but I’m glad I didn’t let them deter me because we had a great time looking …
Hey, Girlfriend! 