| Ahhh... wouldn't it be pure bliss to have an unlimited | | | | good at using it if it fits into the grand plan. |
| budget to make your space lovely? No regard for | | | | Whether it's a couch, painting or lamp, I'll let you |
| the bottom line or being reduced to look at price | | | | know if it will work, or if it's an undiscovered treasure |
| tags? The sheer joy.... For me, there is no fun in that | | | | that we can use "as is," or is worthy of a reinvention. |
| - What about the hunt, the use of creativity and | | | | I did a staging recently and came upon a signed |
| inventive cunning to reach the same end? Now that's | | | | Leroy Neiman print that the homeowner had picked |
| bliss... | | | | up at a garage sale. They were going to toss it |
| A core philosophy's of my interior redesign business is | | | | because the matting was ragged and damaged and |
| getting the right "mix" - Defining when to spend it | | | | the print was falling out of its frame. After a quick |
| and when not to when it comes to decorating and | | | | look over and a suggested run to a framing store for |
| styling your home. For me, a beautiful space has a | | | | a re-mat & tune-up - They'll have a pretty |
| rich collectiveness - A mixture of rich with poor, old | | | | snazzy "real" piece of showcase art! |
| with new - A secret recipe that in the end defines | | | | SPEND IT: O.K., even though I'm supposed to be the |
| the legacy and personality of the homeowner. | | | | budget decorator, you just have to sometimes |
| My business signature is using what you have, and | | | | SPEND IT! Love that vintage French |
| then moving on from that. For most of my clients, | | | | one-of-a-kind-kind; will be perfect for my awkwardly |
| shopping is not an issue, nor is what they already | | | | sized foyer- Entry Table? - Go get it. It will become |
| own - It's the mêlée of pulling it | | | | the showcase to your home. You'll love looking at it |
| collectively together to distinguish their space and | | | | every day and it will define the style of your place. |
| define their style. Whether they're puzzled on how to | | | | There has to be expensive in the mix - and there will |
| make their living room inviting or launching into a | | | | be a times that spending the big bucks is a |
| remodeling project - They struggle with knowing how | | | | worthwhile or part of the grand plan. That stuff may |
| to mix that perfect recipe. | | | | be pricey, but you can fill in the blanks with less |
| The perfect formula is to know when to use it, | | | | expensive or fabulous finds. |
| when to spend it, and how to get the look for less. | | | | The other piece of SPEND IT has to do with the |
| The total package has to fit together with your | | | | quality of things. Sometimes you can't get it for less; |
| personal taste, style of your home and most | | | | sometimes the workmanship upstages the price |
| importantly - Your Budget! It doesn't matter if I'm | | | | point. Your inherited Grandma's dining room set can |
| staging your home, helping you decorate for a party | | | | be broken or made by the SPEND IT choice you |
| or holiday, or consulting on a major renovation - The | | | | make. Pair her set with off-the-rack Target window |
| formula is the same. So what's my formula? How you | | | | treatments and rods and her set is reduced to a |
| obtain that perfect recipe? | | | | "tired pass-down." Pair her set with custom |
| Here are the three ingredients: | | | | one-of-kind window treatments and the set is |
| USE IT: Most of us over the years have accumulated | | | | upgrade to "antique heirloom." |
| things, whether bought, inherited, or found, we have | | | | LOOK FOR LESS: Getting the LOOK FOR LESS is a |
| stuff. If you take a hard look at your stuff; I | | | | two- fold feat. The 1st feat is to see if you can find |
| guarantee there is treasure galore within your | | | | the expensive, SPEND IT item for less (you still have |
| inventory. Can you repaint, upholster, and update it? | | | | to pay $$$ for it though.) And the 2nd feat is to be |
| In another room, would it look better or have better | | | | to make choices at discount store, and have the eye |
| use? Your old stuff is your legacy, it defines who | | | | for inexpensive items that LOOK expensive. Shopping |
| you are, and if it doesn't, I'll let you know. As an | | | | expensive is easy; anyone can walk into the Mart |
| educated professional, my talent is to be able to | | | | and find fabulous stuff, expensively priced. Finding its |
| identify what can be used or not when it comes to | | | | identical twin or a knock-off for a fraction of the |
| making your spaces beautiful. Although, most would | | | | price takes talent and an eye. Getting that look for |
| not cast me to appear on "Antiques Road show," I'm | | | | less, filling in those blanks makes for that perfect |
| pretty good at knowing what's worthy, and really | | | | "mix. |