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

This is an emergency--somebody call an Interior Designer!

Times are tough.  Pretty downright sucky for so many people.  Reading the "Work and Money" section of one of my newspapers last night was thoroughly depressing.  But the "Business" section of my other paper had me inspired and excited.  Just a different mix.  The lesson is that it depends on who, what, when, where and how you're reading.  If we think clearly, we'll remember that times are often tough.  There are many bad times dotted throughout the landscape of our history.  Some very, very bad.  Some just damn tough.  I think this is one of those damn tough times.  Okay, I've said "sucky" and "damn" in the same paragraph, I'll cheer up now.

Mussman Design, CA

BUT, this always means that home becomes more important than ever.  It's our refuge.  It's our place to gather, lick our wounds, plot our revenge, make our plans, watch "Meet the Fockers" and start to smile again.  It's where we gain strength to keep looking for a job. Where we soothe the hurt feelings of a child after a rough play date.  Where we dig out candles for the mantel cause Fall is here and we need a little quiet light after a busy day.

I firmly believe that your home should make you smile.  When you walk in the door, you should like what you see. It's not about budget and "stuff."  It's about color, texture, ease of maintenance and thought.  It takes creativity, sweat equity (not a lot, but some) and a willingness to try something new.

Design by Marlaina Teich

Someone has GOT to help you with this, you're thinking.  Oh yeah, I agree.  Call an interior designer.  There are so many talented designers here in the Triangle.  They don't just do big, fancy houses.  They don't only shop and shop and shop.  They can help, they want to help and they'd love to come right on over and get started.  Short term consultations are probably the bread and butter of many designers right now. Just a couple of hours, talking things over with you. coming up with some ideas and solutions that you can implement on your own time and as your budget allows.  Giving you some resources like painters, electricians, carpenters, local stores, etc., to help you make good choices and keep you on track--and gets some of those painters, electricians, etc. working again. 

Mussman Design, CA

This is why DeCocco Design offers the Design Direction concept.  Read about it on my website.  But this isn't a commercial for me.  Go to the Interior Design Society website and see all the names of talented designers that you can call or check out online.  They can help you feel good in your home during this difficult time.

CKE Interior Design

The pictures used were just grabbed from Google Images.  I've credited the designers who provided such nice shots of their work.  They're eye candy to illustrate what I'm talking about.  A kitchen remodel may be a big job, but painting walls and moving furniture around are the other extreme in budget and time.  Small changes can go a long way in getting a house that makes you smile.

And that's what I want for you!

Ciao,

Anne

Midtown magazine

Latest issue of Midtown

Midtown magazine highlights and promotes the businesses in "midtown" Raleigh, the area surrounding North Hills and North Hills mall in particular.  The Midtown neighborhoods are just jumping with activity, so it's nice to have a guide to all the changes.  One thing I've often noticed with clients who have moved to this area is that they don't go out and explore other parts of Raleigh and the Triangle as it can be overwhelming.  Every bit of the Triangle is worth exploring because there's so much to discover.

Anyway, I digress.  I always find out about new stores, great medical practices, local artisans, builders, interior designers (my favorite), schools, etc. in this magazine.  You can find a copy at all kinds of businesses.  Just look at those magazine racks that are usually near the front door.  Free for the taking!    I almost always see someone I know personally in each issue.  Now that's local!

Ciao,

Anne