Earth Day Decor

Thursday, April 22nd, marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a day dedicated to focusing on and celebrating the natural world around us and our impact on it. You can help the earth in hundreds of small ways that add up like walking or riding a biclycle instead of taking your car, recycing paper, glass and aluminum, taking your own bags when your shop, etc. In interior design green means embracing the use of sustainable material and using products that have a reduced impact on the environment and protect our health. Here are a few green design ideas...

1. Paint. According to the EPA, interior air quality is 3 times more polluted than the outside air. This is due primarily to paint. Paint releases low level toxins into the air for years after application. These toxins, known as volatile organic compounds or VOC's cause distress to people with allergies as well as being harmful to the environment. So harmful in fact that paint disposal is considered to be hazardous waste. Now paint companies offer no or low VOC paint and many of these concerns have been eliminated. Almost every major line offers low VOC paint options but one of my favorite sources for paint and anything for the green home is Healthy Home. You can shop online or take a quick trip to their store in St. Petersburg. 

2. Reuse. I've talked about this before and it's worth repeating again: the most green thing you can do is reuse what you already own or use what others have discarded. Redesign or repurpose it but use it instead of replacing it. If you can't reuse an item, consign or donate it. For reclaimed, reclycled and salvaged items (and lots of ideas!) visit Sarasota Architectural Salvage.

3. Solar. Sunlight is free - use it!! Solar panels on the roof can heat water for a swimming pool, solar lights on stakes outline a garden path. You can even find solar fountains for a feng shui feel! Visit Lamps Plus for solar lights and fountains. 

There are many ways to be green and we've only scratched the surface. What do you do to live responsibly? What changes do you plan to make? If you have any tips, secrets or ideas please share them with us - sharing is responsible and it's living green!

Decorating Resolutions 101

We've gotten ready, we've gotten set now we are ready to decorate with the last of our 2010 Decorating Resoutions - 5 & 6.

Resolution 5: I will not be afraid of color. Don't stick with beige or white out of fear. Pick a color scheme you love and on that supports your decorating style and lifestyle. Be sure to keep reading my blog this spring for more tips and a series on color.

Resolution 6: I will work through each decorating layer and continually reference back to my goals, budget and color scheme. Make your decorating easy by staying on track as planned and working in this order: walls and architecture, flooring, furniture, windowcoverings, lighting, accessories and plants.

I LIED! Instead of 6 resolutions, there are actually 7! The last is: I won't be aftraid to ask for help! Intuitive Interiors is here for you!! If you have a decorating question or find yourself stuck along the way,simply ask me for help by commenting on a post or emailing your question to Debbie@IntuitiveInteriors.net. I'm here to help you enjoy your decorating journey by inspiring, encouraging and supporting you and your decorating adventures in 2010 and beyond.

Use these seven resoultions to give your decorating some direction, boost, and promise this year. You can do it...so where will you start - your bedroom, living room, entry, family room or...?





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Decorating Resolutions 101

I want 2010 to be filled with decorating successes for you so I've started a new series called Decorating Resolutions. Last week we "got ready" with resolutions 1 & 2 - determining goals and getting rid of clutter. This week we "get set" with resolutions 3 & 4 - setting a budget and a time frame.


Resolution #3: I will set a decorating budget by (set a date) and stick to it. Even if your budget is limited you don't have to limit your decorating ideas - sometimes the less you have to spend the more creative you become! In additions to shopping for your decorating project consider reusing or repurposing items from other parts of the house, check out garage sales, visit thrift stores, swap accessories with a friend, or barter your skills for something you need.

Resolution #4: I will determine appropriate timelines. If you wait for a big chunk of time to do your entire decorating project you may just keep putting it off because it is so huge. Break a big decorating project into smaller tasks with associated timelines and then make sure you meet each deadline you've set. Don't rush the decorating process - decorating should be an evolution - but don't stall either. There is no time like today to start!

You've gotten ready, now your set...join me next week to GO!

Decorating Resolutions 101

It's the middle of January and many of you probably think it's too late to work on resolutions for 2010 but for most people resolutions are only top of mind for the first 30 days so of the new year and then fade into oblivion because they seem overwhelming or overly ambitious. But I'm here to help with a new series: Decorating Resolutions 101.

For the first few weeks we'll work together on our decorating resolutions and then later we'll go into more details of a few of them. Get ready, get set and let's decorate!

Resolution #1: I will define my decorating goals by (set a date!). Don't make this complicated or overwhelming. Pick the room or area of your house you want to work on - don't take on the whole house as one goal. Decide how you want to use the space; how you want it to look; how you want it to feel. Decide when you want it done and then write that down.

Resolution #2: I will get rid of clutter and make repairs to my selected space by (set a date!). To make room for the new you will need to get rid of the old that doesn't work. You'll also need to get rid of the clutter! If you don't use it or don't love it then get it out of your room - find a new place for it, donate it, give it to a friend or throw it out. Make repairs, clean the carpet, vacuum the upholstery, touch up the paint.

Check back next week for resolutions 3 & 4 and join the discussion!

Are your windows going soft?

When shopping for window treatments, its great to know the basics...

 

Window treatments are classified as hard treatments or soft treatments.

 What is a hard treatment?

 

Hard treatments are factory-made window treatments: blinds, shades and shutters. Hard treatments are not always hard (roller shades or fabric-slat verticals, for example). New styles of hard treatments are coming out all the time. Some of these window coverings are used simply for privacy. Many are installed to control sunlight. Often, homeowners choose a treatment because of aesthetics but most of the time, however, we choose a window covering for a combination of reasons - funtional and aesthetic.

 

Hard treatments are available as stock items found in home-improvement stores, or custom made to order. Stock merchandise comes in standard sizes. Custom-made treatments can be made in any size. Colors and options are limitless with custom-made hard treatments.

What is a soft treatment?

Any window covering sewn from fabric is considered a soft treatment. Soft treatments are generally used as decoration on top of hard treatments, but can also be used alone.

Soft treatments can be custom manufactured to fit any window. Your decorated window will be completely unique - one of a kind. Any fabric and trim can be selected, and practically any style can be created. Professional installation using custom hardware also adds to your distinctive look.

Custom soft treatments include

•  Swags and cascades
• Shaped valances
• Drapery panels
• Balloon valances
• Scarf treatments

The uniquesness of your soft treatment depends on your fabric selection, style, size and all of your chosen details, including trims, tassels, and hardware.

 If you'd like some hand holding through the process of decorating your windows, give me a call!

Creative Resources for Holiday Decorating (and gift giving)

It's getting closer to the holidays and we are all thinking about decorating our homes to welcome loved ones and nuture ourselves but if you're like most of us, the budget hardly supports seasonal gifts much less holiday decorating. Here are 4 creative resources for decorating (and gift shopping) in this economy to inspire you...

1. Swap Meets:
Have you ever eyed an item your neighbor had and wished you could have it? Well, maybe now you can!! Perhaps you can swap an item that you don't want with an item your neighbor or friend has that they don't want. Your Christmas decorations may bore you but may bring cheer to a home with none and the table lamp they no longer need might provide the perfect light by your reading chair.

2. $0.99 stores:
The dollar stores never cease to amaze me with the variety of unexpected items that they carry - candles that ae at least $5 less than in departement stores, mesh baskets for fruits and organizing, pictures frames that you can paint any color without fear of ruining because of the cost. Visit a dollar store this week to see the many items that will surprise and inspire you.

3. Thrift stores:
Thrift stores are making a comback in style! Now days it's considered chic to shop in a thrift store full of economical items that have a history to them. Another great reason to shop a thrift shop is that most are associated with a charity so while you are helping yourself decorate in style, you are also helping a good cause.

4. Move and reuse:
Do you want to shop for items without spending money or even driving around town looking for them? You can - by shopping within your own home! Look around and see what furniture pieces or accessories you can use to decorate your home to feel and look better by placing them in different rooms or spaces.

Find Your Style

One of my client’s biggest challenges is finding their decorating style. What they don’t know is that while their home may need a facelift, it speaks volumes about their style. Taking a close look not only at your home but at your life preferences will give you clues to your style:

1. Where do you like to shop? Were you first in line when Ikea opened in Tampa or does a flea market make your heart beat fast? Do you collect West Elm catalogs or Pottery Barn? Maybe you don’t shop for furnishings at all but collect family heirlooms. It sounds too easy but where your furniture comes from represents your style.

2. Where do you like to travel? Where you choose to spend your vacations and what you bring back with you are good indicators of your style. If you love family vacations at the beach and collect seaglass and shells then coastal is your style. If a week in NYC relaxes you then urban might be your style.

3. What’s your favorite vacation accommodation? A cozy country B& B? A San Francisco boutique hotel? A Paris apartment? Hotels and lodgings have clear design styles so use that information to your advantage.

4. What was your most recent purchase? What you buy is an accurate indicator of your style, especially if it is different from other style elements in your home. Your current décor might be lace, pillows and dried flowers but if your last purchase was a glass and chrome desk for your home office then perhaps you are outgrowing your previous romantic style and leaning into a simpler more modern one. 

Still can’t find your style? Check out one of my favorite online design assessments at Lifetraits.