I am so excited to review this next book!   Decorate by Holly Becker and Joanna Copestick is hot off the presses.  Just released in the UK, soon to be released in Australia, and not being released in the US until late April… I have my hands on a gorgeous copy!

Thanks to Anthropologie…(they being the only venue in the US to be able to sell advanced copies of Decorate)  I received my beautifully wrapped book, as only Anthropologie can do, last Friday.  I was so excited; you would think it was my book that was being delivered!  I have anticipated the book’s debut for a couple of months now, and as a current student of Holly’s (her latest Blogging Your Way class) I am thrilled to be able to review her and Joanna’s co-efforts in the form of Decorate.

Holly Becker is the founder and author of the extremely popular Decor8 blog and columnist at Real Simple online and has contributed to many design publications over the years.  Joanna Copestick is a writer and editor with more than 10 books to her credit.  Both women have combined their talents, resources in the design world and experience, to put together a fresh design book like no other.

First off… the book’s photography is simply gorgeous!  The attention to detail, lighting and composition is rare and fresh.  Debi Treloar has set the tone for the book with her talented photography, creating more than 400 stunning photos to delight in.

Decorate is a different kind of decorating book as the cover suggests…. It focuses on decorating and lifestyle ideas to transform your home, rather than just one trademark look or design aesthetic.  It absolutely lives up to that promise.  It is packed with more than 1000 professional ideas and solutions for every area of the home.  There is page after page of designer contributions- each stylist, designer, shop owner or creative, lending their expertise and style wisdom for everything from floor plans and space planning, to defining one’s style through every room of one’s home.  Some featured talents include:  Kelly Wearstler, Celerie Kemble, Amy Butler, Vincent Wolf and Amy Neunsinger.

The rooms are not just spaces that are creatively decorated, but really lived in homes that have become highly personal spaces that allow for real-life to happen there.  This is the kind of book that speaks to my design heart.  These homes reflect the families or artists who live there and how their home really compliments and enhances their day-to-day life.   The spaces are not showcase experiments by designers just looking to stretch the “wow” factor, but homes that really have evolved in most cases to what the home-owners really desired to surround themselves with.

One of my favorite quotes from the book by Nate Berkus is “Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love brought together under one roof.”  Surprisingly, it is very reflective of the words on my website about telling the story of who you are and how that past, present and future story should be reflected within the walls of your home.

The book features four categories:

Space Matters

Setting Your Style

Room by Room

Attention to Detail

The overall design aesthetic of the book is simply fresh, usable ideas that can translate to any style of decorating and almost any home.  It is refreshing to see this direction in a decorating book.  The pages are jam-packed with tips, hints and decorating guidelines to allow the reader to really pull the ideas that strike them the most and to be able to put them into action.

I believe Holly, Joanna and Debi have created a book that will live on as a design classic to be turned to for years to come.  My congratulations and thanks to Holly and her partners for this lovely new book. 

If you could re-do one room in your home…. what would it be?   We all seem to have that room that needs the most attention, so in your home, what is that space? 

Why do you desire the change?

What is your vision for it’s makeover?

If you desire this change, what is holding you back?

In my home, it is my combined kitchen/dining area.  Yes the heart of my home.  The place where daily life happens.   Meals prepared and cooked, homework done, temporary work station, creative zone, and yes, we actually eat here as well.

So, a complete makeover would be ideal, tearing down walls, opening up the space to allow for optimum functionality and design.  I see a classic design with modern and vintage elements.  A mix of light and dark, as I love contrast.

What is holding me back?  Like many of you, the funding for the project is one that is the most difficult.  It seems every time we consider starting, the money needs to be re-allocated to another spot.  I also envision my hubby and I doing most of the work.  We love to work on our home and having the time to makeover a major part of our living space does seem a bit daunting.  Finding the right time to make the changes is almost impossible.

So, tell me about your home and what you’d like to see happen there.  I would love to hear your thoughts and wishes for your challenging space.

(photos from My Home Ideas and Southern Living)

So, in this season of nature’s lull…

I create the color, inspiration and beauty lacking in nature by creating spaces for clients, starting projects for the studio and day-dreaming about home projects of my own.  As I was browsing online for resources needed for a project, I came across a few delightful rooms that deemed worthy of sharing with you.

Soon, I was looking for more…

So, here are some stylish rooms, starting with a bathroom- a sunny place to start out the day in and moving through the home to a cozy evening retreat.

Let me know what sparks ideas for you!!

I love the warm yellow color of the cabinets, tempered by the calmer gray-green on the walls.  The large window over the tub lets in beautiful amounts of daylight. I would love to start my day in this room…

A nice twist on a traditional dining room with a mix of vintage decor, neutral color palette and elegant details.

This calm living area is actually filled with color- a black hutch stands out boldly against pale lavender-gray walls, the citron/yellow pillows and fabrics add fresh color, all complimented by mirrored accents.  Oh, I also love the punch of red in the dining area beyond!

This entry way is subtle in color, with the gray-blue walls but the detailed paneling and wood trim add loads of character.  The wood floors and antique rugs bring contrast to the light-filled space.

Finally, this bedroom looks like an elegant hotel suite in Paris or Milan.  The traditional shapes are modernized with the contrast of colors and the unbelievably beautiful lacquered green walls.  I don’t think I’d need to leave that room for days… room service please?

Be inspired to take elements of your favorite spaces to update a few nooks in your own home.  Add an updated paint color, a fantastic new pillow fabric or some new artwork.

Enjoy this in-between time to plan for your mini-makeover!

(Photo Inspiration from My Home Ideas, Better Homes and Gardens, Cottage Living, House Beautiful)

Okay- it’s that time of year when all of the Christmas decor has come down, the sparkles and lights are packed away and our outside world is a wintery gray.

It makes our homes feel so ‘life-less’.

So… I want to share with you some beautiful inspiration photos to spark some ideas on how you can re-arrange, add a-bit-of-this, or a touch of that, to make your spaces seem fresh and inviting again.  It can be as simple as adding a touch of red to your family room, re-arranging your entryway, bringing in some fresh greens to the bedroom, or new towels to the bath.

Simple changes often give us the energy we were looking for.  If you’ve waited a while to redo some things, maybe a bigger makeover is required.  Either way, these ideas might be just what you were looking for.

Enjoy these lovely rooms as you visually wander through them…

An organized office….

Some wallpaper in the den….

Some fresh fabrics in the living area,

Some beautiful new artwork….

Enjoy and let me know what changes you are making in your home….

Just wanted to share with you this lovely elegant colorway I put together for a client.  We are designing a comfortable, family-friendly, yet entertaining ready, living area.  The fabrics are all durable, kid friendly fibers, that will wear well with daily life for this busy family’s lifestyle, yet let the adults in the space feel welcome.

The track arm sofa will be done out of the tweed style fabric that subtly incorporates all of the colors in the room.  It will be accompanied by darker mushroom traditional style gray leather chairs.  The softer butter and mustard prints, along with a mushroom linen, will make up the window seat cushions and assorted pillows.  The updated linen damask print with gray, cream and soft mustard will be made into roman shades for the windows.  A creamy ultra soft micro-suede will give the round, tufted ottoman with over-sized nail heads, durability with a luxurious touch. 

To add character to a non-descript room, the room will be wrapped on 2 sides with built-in bookcases, cabinets and window seats all in a very soft buttery cream.  The fireplace will be a chunky, yet slim stacked slate in soft warm and cool neutrals.  The wood floor will be warmed by a vintage look tapestry rug.  Other elements in the room include: creamy damask linen wallpaper, muted sienna wall color (for a bit of a contrast), and painted wainscoting near the built-ins.

To keep the room from being too formal or traditional, the accessories and art will have a clean simple modern look, along with the tailored track arm on the sofa.  Accessories will include artwork, family photos, modern pottery, and a mix of distressed bronze and antique brass lighting with drum shades.  A few surprises will be thrown in- including a few vintage items, some mercury glass candlesticks, forsythia bush twigs, and re-purposed burlap coffee sack pillows to keep things from looking too styled and decorated.

I design my client’s rooms to represent their personalities, their stories and their lifestyles.  Adding a few unexpected elements gives a lived-in, collected feel to the space.  It shouldn’t feel like a decorator has been there, it should feel like them.

Does your home feel like you?

Does it work with your lifestyle… does it fit your personality?  Tell me about your space…