Small changes add up in interior design

Here's our sofa in the window.  I love to sit there, especially on sunny winter days.  The light makes the room sparkle and I get to see who might be driving down the road or coming down our driveway.  But in the Spring, that window is filled with Annabelle hydrangeas and I want them to be the focus.  So....

I moved the sofa over to the side and flanked the window with a club chair.  Lovin' it, but then came up with one more change...

I took the grids out of the lower half of the windows.  Now those hydrangeas are on stage the moment I enter the room  Bravo hydrangeas, such a great show!  When they die back, I'll probably move the sofa again.  I hope you can see how small changes like these can give you a home that always makes you smile.

Ciao,

Anne





Will there be paparazzi?

I've been contacted by 2 reporters for different print media in the last 24 hours.  They want a designer's perspective on light bulbs and color.  The word is out--I talk a lot!  Did you know that when a reporter calls you and says "do you have a minute?" they don't mean they want to schedule a time to talk about their subject matter?  Oh no.  They ask a question, and as you answer you can hear furious typing on the other end!  No time to formulate something wise or witty.  You are ON.

This picture has nothing to do with anything, it's just from the yard last year and I thought you'd like to see it--kind of a break from me blabbing about my (non existent) rapport with the media.

 I've had this happen several times now and should be better prepared.  Couldn't I at least ask what the topic is and then say I'll call them right back?  Nope.  Not me.  So I spout off and then wonder what the heck I'm going to sound like when it's in the paper.  Luckily (I think), they don't really quote you exactly.  So if I said something dumb, I have the comfort of knowing that it's not exactly what I said.  Ok, small help.

If I sound wise in the article, I'll let you know about it.  Otherwise, this will be our last discussion on this topic.

Ciao,
Anne

Let's Catch Up!

I am determined to have some balance in my life, but it would really help if there were a couple more hours in the day.  Or perhaps there are plenty of hours, but if I could stay awake for more of them--maybe that would help?  That's not going to happen.

Lots of interior design work lately.  The Design Direction option  offered by DeCocco Design works well for many people.  Sometimes it morphs into more, so then I'm on a bigger job.  Sometimes clients don't need that much help and it shrinks into an hourly job.  All are good by me.  I continue to meet the nicest people, who love their homes and families and want their spaces to work well for them.  So I've been choosing colors, cabinets, tiles, light fixtures, etc. all over town, as well as sourcing online and writing endless reports.   Oh!  And now DeCocco Design takes credit cards and Paypal.  Very handy!

Should I be showing you this?  When I've collected all kinds of samples for a job and am ready to make decisions, I lay it out on the floor in my office, in front of a big window.  What a mess!  But that way I can see how everything relates and, in the end, it all comes together nicely.  But it has to start out looking like this!  I'm not even showing you all of it.  Personally, I love this part.  The pieces all meet each other and definitely start to form cliques.  Sometimes I have to step in to make everyone behave and introduce new possibilites. 

I haven't done a Find of the Week lately, so here's one I found weeks ago.  It's in Ecko on Glenwood Ave., here in Raleigh.  See those 3D flowers?  They're made of some sort of plasticy material, with a matte finish (looks good).  You get all the flowers you see here for $30 and what a FUN idea for so many spots in a house!  Kids room, for sure.  High on the wall and onto the ceiling in a powder room.  Behind a chair with a lamp shining up on them, as you see here, etc.  I'll bet you could embellish them if you wanted to, but I like the simple color.  They could look rather sophisticated or they can just be fun.  Love them!  I also like that lamp, but that's another topic for another day.

One more little piece of catch-up.  A couple of weeks ago, on a cloudy morning, I was sitting in a club chair in our living room, being very quiet, starting my day with some silence as life was feeling stressful and I wanted to let go of useless anxiety.  I looked out a front window and saw this:

The sun had broken through and was just shining down in one spot in our yard--on this bench.  My mom gave us this bench as a housewarming gift for our very first house, over 25 years ago and it has followed us to every subsequent house (and there have been quite a few).  The bench is now very fragile and covered with great, crusty, growing stuff and Mom has been gone for over 7 years.  Seeing the sun shine on that bench felt like a message from her that all was well.  It felt great. 

Oh my gosh, I have been rambling!  Will try to get back to more regular, shorter posts.  I hope you know that in your life, too, all is well.

Ciao,

Anne