Where to Start

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The best design advice I can give to new clients is to start with something so simple they probably think I’m kidding.

It’s free and it can be pretty quick to implement. You can definitely at least start today. You can probably have this totally done in at least one room in a few hours.

The foundation for most well-styled rooms in my experience? Are you ready?

Simplify. Declutter. Clear away the excess.

That’s it. Honestly!

Regardless of the colors, the wood tone, the drapery, the furniture, the art… regardless of all those elements maybe being less than perfect, if you remove the clutter, the room can look instantly more styled and put together.

And on the flip side, regardless of the beautiful art, the gorgeous furniture, the perfect wall color, if every surface in the room is covered with junk, if the art is hanging crooked and the bookcase is filled to overflowing with stuff that doesn’t belong in the room and looks messy, the room feels off.

I’m not always concerned with this when I’m working with clients on their homes. After all, I’m there to help you get a job done, not critique your lifestyle. Even in my personal life, I try really hard to give myself some grace in my own home, because we all *live* in our spaces. There is going to be signs of life.

This isn’t a tip about living in your home or any criticism about clutter, this is a fundamental styling tip.

I would love for you to consider this as the first step towards designing your room instead of buying something new and shiny.

Want to refresh your décor? Want to know what color to paint to make your room look great? Want to know what tile to install or bedding to buy that’s going to transform your space and make you fall in love?

None of that is going to matter if the foundation isn’t there… and that foundation starts with clearing the excess and letting what remains have some breathing room.

My point here isn’t that we should live in some way that’s just not maintainable, but more that when searching for where to start, or how to make a space look and feel better, from my side of things, as a person that is hired to design and style homes, the best thing to start with is the easiest. The room will look better if you pare it down.

Even without changing a single element, those exact same items, when given some space, seem more purposeful. A room stripped down to the basic furniture, a few intentional pieces of art on the walls, a well-placed accent light and some purposely chosen accessories looks instantly polished.

You do not have to spend a dime to do this!

If you don’t believe me, take a look at Pinterest or search Instagram for beautiful rooms. Without paying too much attention to the style or art in the room, just look for space and airiness. Look for one piece of art on the wall (not a jumble of 5 or more things, gallery walls aside). Look for a chair alone near a window with one pillow on it, and a side table with a single lamp and one decorative object, not a stack of loose papers and an old water bottle.

Last week I was visiting a prospective client in her home and we were discussing a major renovation. She was lovely and so excited to transform this part of her home so that it would function better (and I completely agree, the space was poorly designed by the builder and didn’t work for their growing and changing life, fair enough)… but this was a beautiful home and it was not in need of most of that renovation at all. What it needed before any other purchases or major decisions, was a deep and unmerciful decluttering. The new kitchen cabinets and flooring were not going to magically fix the issues she was facing.

A more tactical first step was to try to make the space *function* properly by reducing the excess to get a clean slate, the rethink how she could use the space she had to function better… then decide if major renovations were needed. I hate seeing people start anywhere other than the beginning, so that’s what I told her. ‘I think we need to start with clearing out all that doesn’t belong here, then let’s see if we can rework how you use this space to make it function properly for you… then let’s evaluate if the rest is needed.’ It wasn’t the design advice she was expecting but, to me, it was what she needed to do most.

Sometimes it is the unexplainable details that make a room look great. And more importantly, feel great. A clean, clear room, with meaningful pieces always, always looks styled and intentional, regardless of the items in the room.

Give it a try and see what you think!

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5 Practical Nursery Essentials from an Experienced Mom

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When it comes to sweet projects that are an interior designer’s dream, nurseries are the beloved little darlings. For me, on the other side of mothering little ones, looking back on those fleeting days with a small baby always has me feeling a bit nostalgic.

I tend to take extra care with the details of these projects – every little thing seems so important when I think about all the time that parents spend in their baby’s room tending to them and basically trying to survive that first year. When everything feels like it’s hanging on by a thread it’s so nice to have a lovely, well thought out space to spend time in.

Since my own boys were babies so long ago (one drives me around in the car and shaves! I go to bed before them sometimes! I sleep all night long! Rejoice, there is hope!), today I’m looking back on what I think was essential during those baby years, not in terms of gadgets and gear, but in terms of interior design.

These are my 5 best practical ideas for your nursery as you prepare for a new baby, settle into a new space with your little one, or even just now that you finally have the time and energy to focus on turning their room into something special.

So, here it is:

My list of 5 practical nursery essentials, from an experienced mom.

1. Make it dark

Drapery isn’t always an exciting design topic, especially when we are looking at something that needs to function well and not just look lovely. I assure you, though, that there is nothing more exciting to new parents than a deep-sleeping baby. A dark room means a sleeping baby and a baby that sleeps deeply and on some semblance of a routine is bliss for parents.

When I think back on my own days as a new mom, one of the clearest memories are the early mornings that came so much earlier than they needed to, especially after a long night of being awake off and on, because of the morning sunlight. I want to yawn and cry just thinking about it.

It took me months with my first son to clue in to this one: get a room-darkening roller shade. Get it wide enough to cover the sides of the window. Then get some thick drapes that cover the sides of the shade.

Yes, I know roller shades aren’t being featured on the cover of Vogue Home. Who cares! There are actually plenty of decent looking ones out there – just look for something neutral with a bit of texture and low shine. You can build or buy a valance box if you want to hide the roller, and unless your little one is sleeping, the shade will be up and almost unnoticeable anyway.

Straight to the point: get a room-darkening roller shade and some drapes.

2. Have somewhere comfortable to sit

You are going to be in your baby’s nursery night and day, so you might as well get comfy. Rockers, gliders, recliners, bouncers – whatever suits you, just make sure it’s either well-padded or can fit a pillow across the arms.

Putting your feet up will get you through some long stretches, so look into a footstool, ottoman or pouf if your chair doesn’t recline.

Please don’t overlook a side table within arm’s reach with room for a lamp & a place for everything you need while sitting (phone, book, water, tea, soothers, bottles, medicine, etc).

Straight to the point: get a comfortable chair, a footstool & a small side table.

3. Create a functional change station

If you can make your changing area function with precision, your days and nights will be so much smoother. You change table should stock everything you need within arm’s reach while keeping one hand on your baby – diapers, wipes, garbage can, fresh clothes, a few small toys are all things to consider.

To make this work, choose a change table with some storage below, but also look at wall shelves hung above, a bookcase beside and even small cubbies mounted to the wall. Keep in mid that your baby will grow and eventually stand on the table at times, so ensure that any shelves within reach are sturdy and mounted securely to the wall.

Straight to the point: set up your change table so that everything is within arm’s reach.

4. Lighting is so important

Soft lighting makes nights so much more cozy and, let’s face it, you are going to be spending some significant time in this room at night. There are a few simple things you can do to make this work well.

First, look into changing out the light switch for a dimmer. This is not only great for middle of the night when you will need to change a diaper or find a dropped soother, but also for easily checking on your sleeping baby without waking them, making bedtime routines soft and cozy, and for slowly waking up babies after naps or in the morning when you need to get going (oh, I used to hate doing that but it was necessary sometimes!)

Second, a great lamp with a very low wattage light bulb and a soft shade is perfect for reading a bedtime story or finding something that’s dropped in the night without completely waking anyone up.

Soft lighting in the night is not only great for getting your baby back to sleep in the night, but don’t overlook the benefit to yourself, too. Having soft lighting for the time you are putting your little one back to sleep allows you to fall back to sleep easily as well… not that parents usually have any issue with this, but just in case.

Straight to the point: a soft lamp and a dimmer switch are worth their weight in gold.

5. Your art & decor create the mood in the room

This is the time to spend some time looking at how you want this room to feel.

Soft? Serene? Joyous? Earthy? Vibrant? Natural? Vintage?

You can bring on so much detail to a nursery and if you do it right, it will last a long time. Good design ages well, so as your baby grows and changes, the framework remains in place (the paint, the flooring, the lighting, most of the furniture) and just the details can be updated with smaller swaps.

Things like new bedding, art prints, accessories and small details that reflect a budding personality, can easily be slowly added over time. A more timeless approach is my preference in spaces for babies. Bring in those details to make the space sing but keep the framework classic.

Straight to the point: pick a few great accessories to create the perfect feeling in the room.

I can’t believe sometimes how fast life evolves when it comes to parenting babies. The technology, philosophies, gadgets and accessories that roll out year after year, I could never pretend, from this side of the fence, to have my finger on the pulse on what’s current with babies. My oldest child is taller than me. He drives. I’m not the source for what’s hot in newborn mothering. What I bring to this conversation is a level approach to designing a nursery and some basics that I think are timeless essentials. Sometimes the old advice is the best advice.

What I can best offer is this: the philosophy of living your babies well or taking care of yourself along the way starts with carving out a small, peaceful space to do that hard work. The needs of babies and new parents just never changes or goes out of style. I hope my perspective has given you some things to consider when designing a nursery for your little one. From this side of things, I just want to say to enjoy these years and don’t underestimate the value of making the time & space you spend them in as lovely as you can.

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How to Properly Place an Area Rug

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I’m almost ashamed to admit the amount of times that I’m looking at beautiful home photos online, admiring the feel of the room, the stunning lighting, the gorgeous styling and then it happens… slowly my eyes drift down to the area rug and all the good feelings I had for the room just vanish. All I want to do is reach in and give it a little pull to make it right.

Getting the rug placement correct is all about laying a good foundation for the room. When it comes to design and styling, it’s one of the pillars of your room and it’s important to get it right. To help you nail this in your own home, I’m sharing my top 5 tips for rug placement below!

Area rugs: big impact, big style, big expense. Consider these ideas to get the most impact from one of the bigger investments in your decor!

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My top 5 tips for getting that area rug placed just right:

1. The rug is an anchor & an island

The rug should be the visual anchor for most of the elements of the room. Rug placement has to do with balance and harmony. It’s a large item in the room and its placement needs to fit into the space well as well as visually bring everything together that wold otherwise be visually ‘floating’ in the room.

Think of your empty floor as a wall and the rug as a large piece of statement art. Its position needs to be balanced within the room (as a large piece of art would be balanced on a wall) and anchor the smaller items in the room like the furniture (as a large frame would house the art within it). There will be pieces that do not sit on the rug and you can liken this to the smaller items that might hang on a wall surrounding one larger focal piece.

2. The placement needs to make sense in the room

The rug really needs to be centered on a major architectural element (fireplace, large windows, main focal wall) in the room. It doesn’t necessarily need to be smack dab in the middle of the room - you want its placement to be the island for the visual weight of the room. If it’s not in the middle, it needs to make sense (ie, centered on a large picture windows or the fireplace). This is something that you are going to spend some time thinking about now, and when it’s done properly, neither you or anyone else will ever notice or think about again… but when it’s off, the entire room just feels off. It’s one of those intangible things that you often can’t put your finger on. The room will just feel unbalanced and it’s not obvious right away what the problem is.

As an example, some rooms have doorways and traffic paths on one side, creating the main seating area in the other. This is a classic case of placing the rug centered on the fireplace or a large window, or even a large TV console), rather than centering it in the room.

3. Balance it under the main furniture grouping

In rooms with any furniture at all, the rug is the anchor for the seating arrangement (or in a bedroom, for the main grouping - bed & nightstands normally). The furniture needs to be placed in a balanced way on the rug. In practical terms, this means that if you drew a line around the inner edges of all the sofas, chairs and side tables in your main furniture grouping (where your knees hang off of a chair, for example), that circle needs to be balanced on the rug.

Now, remember that ‘balanced’ does not always mean smack dab in the middle. The rug could be under only the front part of a bed, or under a seating arrangement with more in front of the grouping than behind, or at an angle under a table in an odd-shaped dining area. This turns out to be something that is quite difficult to explain but very simple to see for yourself once you know to look for it!

4. Look at the legs

A good rule of thumb is that either all furniture legs are on the rug or all front legs are on the rug. This is mainly determined by the size of the rug or the size of the furniture. A large rug will have room for the entire grouping (all legs) on the rug but a smaller rug might mean the groupings back legs are all hanging off. This can also be a case of larger scale furniture, where the back legs need to be off the edges. Furniture is leveled with felt pads on the back legs when they are off the rug, sometimes more than one stacked on top of each other depending how thick the rug is.

In a bedroom, the rug is best placed sideways and pulled out from the foot of the bed as far as needed so that a warm place to walk is created starting from about 1/3 down the bed from the headboard and all around the foot.

5. Play with the angle

Turn the rug to get the look you want. The rug brings focus and importance to an area of the room and visually joins together all the smaller elements in that space, so don’t be afraid to try turning it a few different ways to see what works best to pull everything together. I try both horizontally and vertically and often at an angle as well before deciding the best placement. Ideally, you want to create a visual bubble around the seating arrangement and leave clear walking paths from room to room if needed, so think of placing the rug in whatever direction works best to accomplish that.

Rotate, angle, adjust, readjust. Don’t be afraid to try placing the rug several different ways before deciding on the best placement.

The rug should do three things in it’s placement:

1) frame the seating arrangement

2) balance or tie in any of the focal points of the room (the fireplace is the main one in a living room, but this could also be a media console that houses the tv or large picture window)

3) let the edges define the line between the seating area and the traffic flow (the main one I see here is angling the rug to create a traffic path through the room while defining the furniture arrangement as a separate area)

What not to do:

A few quick things to avoid:

Don’t place a too-small rug centered under a coffee table. It looks like it’s wearing a tutu!

Don’t use an area rug in a random place to fill an empty space. It would be like putting a statement broach on your arm - why? What are you calling attention to in that location?

Don't overuse small rugs. These are great for inside doors, in specific work areas like the kitchen sink and as bathmats… but look messy and kind of silly when scattered all over the floor. And no, more is not better. Again, this is a case where the rug should serve a specific purpose and be visually anchored to it’s space (the door area, the bathtub, the sink cabinet). Scale is also a factor here – small space means a small rug.

If you need some inspiration to get you thinking about creating a beautiful statement in your home, take a look at some of my favorites below!

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Links for all rugs shown:

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Staples for a Well-styled Master Bedroom

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Putting together a great master bedroom is one of those things that is all for you. It’s not about what your company might think when they come over or about how your family life functions, it’s about how you feel when you go to bed and when you wake up to start the day in the morning.

It’s also often the last place on the list. We all tend to put more time and effort into creating a great kitchen or into making the kids’ bedrooms magical before we indulge in making our own bedrooms beautiful. Justifying the money & time spent seems so much easier when it comes to common shared areas of the house that help everyone have a better day. I have to say, though, that the master bedroom is probably my personal favorite place to transform. It just feels so darn good to create a room that is intimately beautiful for my clients - I know it’s going to be a place that restores them every day. I believe in the power of nice sheets and soft lighting.

Read through my list of master bedroom staples and check out my top 24 picks and see if it inspires you to create that lovely space that restores you and yours. You are so worth it.

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The staples:

1. A great color palette

Pick a simple color palette that consists of a neutral and one main color – you can go with just layers of neutrals if you want, or add in a color you love. Take a look at spring colors, dramatic jewel tones, or something from nature, but master bedrooms tend to look best with just one main color that is repeated in multiple places and echoed in some art or accessories elsewhere in the room. The master bedroom is a great place for soft touches of one color in many variations and shades, layered on top of neutrals - this echo and repetition of one color tends to create a soothing, relaxing mood in the room.

2. Luxurious bedding

Something thick and luxurious always looks great on a master bed. Adding some texture with pin-tucks, ruffles or ruching adds to the loft as well. If you don’t want to splurge on a high priced set right now, you can always use a duvet or comforter you already own and combine it with a duvet cover or even just a coverlet. There are lots of creative ways of achieving a rich, plush look without buying a new comforter. An old comforter, freshly washed and fluffed up, can easily be layered between a fresh top sheet and a thin coverlet - once it’s all folded down (I fold it over about 1/3 of the way down from the top and then tuck the raw edges under once more to create a really thick line), only the thick, plush folds will be visible and the old comforter will be perfectly hidden.

3. Quality sheets

Smooth, beautiful sheets in natural fibers are worth the investment. Look for 100% cotton or bamboo and for colors that add something to your color scheme. Sheets often start to look rumpled and pull off of the bottoms of the mattress edges by morning - if this bothers you, you can cover the top of the fitted sheet with an extra piece of fabric to cover the top 1/3 of the bed. I get creative here and use things like thin folded coverlets, throws, hemmed fabric and even curtain panels to lie across the top of the bed (just over the sheets but under the sleeper pillows). This trick also can bring in some color and texture to the bed.

4. Sleeper pillows

Add in layers of sleeper pillows (2, 4, 6… whatever you need to sleep with) and coordinate the pillowcases to your comforter or go with crisp white. These will form a base layer behind your decorative pillows, so although they are just practical they can still add some loft and coziness to the look of your bed and should color coordinate. If they are really not in ideal shape, consider stacking them and covering them all with a throw or coverlet, or even just hiding them under the comforter.

5. Decorative pillows

Here is where things really start to get luxurious. I am a huge fan of throw pillows - bang for buck, I think they add so much style and coziness to the bedroom for the investment. The only downside is that you do need to remove them before bed and carry them all back in the morning. I just stack mine on a dresser top, no big deal.

Is this where I confess that I have 5 decorative pillows on my bed… on top of 6 sleepers… and that my husband fully accepted the dusty pink sheets with raw-edge ruffles but said if I bring one more pillow onto our bed, we are going to have an issue? Yes, this is his life, the poor guy!

Decorative pillows – choose feather or down inserts whenever you can as they fluff and lay better. They are a worthwhile investment as you can just change out the covers over the years. There are many shapes and sizes, but the most common I use are below:

Euro pillows – huge squares, 26” x 26”, these can add huge impact. Use 2-3 for a king sized bed.

Standard toss pillows – these are most common in 16” or 20” squares, another place to bring in layers of color or repeat the main color of your bed. They can all be the same, all different, or a pair plus a few different ones. There’s really no rule here. Use 2-5 for a king sized bed

Accent pillow (bolster, small lumbar or shaped pillow) – just one of these is all that’s needed

6. Layers of texture

Texture is so vital to creating a cozy, relaxing space. You can look at the texture in your bedding, baskets, planters and other accessories, but my go-to is to layer texture in through the throw pillows and throw blankets. A small throw blanket that brings in some more color looks great folded or tossed at the foot of the bed, or folded in with the comforter at the top of the bedding (fold down the comforter about 1/3 of the way down, lay the throw on top of the fold, then tuck it under with the comforter at the fold and at the hem).

7. Interesting art

Let your art bring in some personality. Bringing in color, texture, mood and style through art is one of the easiest things you can do. Choose a few statement pieces that are in line with the mood you are trying to create, rather than lots of smaller pieces with nothing to say.

8. Stylish bedside lighting

Lighting is a simple and beautiful way to add some coziness and warmth to the room. Choose lighting with soft shades and bulbs that have warm, soft light. Bedside lighting can be through table lamps, floor lamps, wall sconces or hanging pendants.

Check out my Ultimate Bedside Lighting Guide blog post for more detailed tips & ideas.

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The Ultimate Bedside Lighting Guide

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Bedside lighting is one of those details in a home that is almost equally form & function. Not only does great lighting add so much character and style to the room, but the specific fixture you choose adds vital functionality to your days (or nights).

Reaching for the perfect light from the coziness of your bed and having it be just where you need it, at the perfect height and just the right brightness, is one of life’s simple little ‘good things’. Is it just me that smiles a little to myself when I walk back into my bedroom for the last time at night and it’s just softly lit by my sweet little bedside lamp and the room is all warm and glowing?

Since I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one that’s in love with the idea of great bedside lighting, I’ve put together a guide with my top tips for choosing a great bedside light and a collection of 20 of my favorite lighting picks right now. So many stylish, beautiful things, I kind of want them all!

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1.

Consider your arm’s reach

Make sure the switch height is just right for turning the lamp on or off from bed. Remember: if you have a short table, get a tall lamp and if you have a tall table, get a shorter lamp.

2.

Proportion

Lamp height should be in proportion to the bed (not above the headboard), the table (in good relation to both the width and height), and to any artwork above the table (you don’t want a large painting to overshadow a tiny lamp).

3.

Watch the bulb height

You don’t want to get blinded by the bulb if the lamp is too high or low.

4.

Soft start

A light with a dimmer or multi-level switch allows you to have quick access to soft light in the night before your eyes have adjusted.

5.

Specific might work for you

If you are a reader or want access to light when someone else is sleeping beside you, an adjustable swing arm lamp might be just the thing. Also consider shades that direct the light to your book, rather than generally lighting the room through the shade.

6.

Think outside of the box

There are so many options out there besides a standard table lamp. Consider small chandeliers, pedants hung from an overhead shelf, wall mounted lamps of all kinds, and floor lamp.

7.

Match them up, or don’t, but either way keep the balance

You don’t have to have identical twin lamps, but you should balance both sides of the bed. This can work really nicely with a floor lamp on one side and on the other side, a smaller table lamp with a piece of art mounted above the bedside table.

8.

Get personal

The bedroom is the perfect place for a burst of personality. Consider lighting in your favorite color, something that nods toward your favorite animal or something that you love but just can’t explain why.

Alright, check out all of these beauties - these are my top picks right now and they are all numbered and linked below!

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