Gratitude, A New Blog Series, & Simple Solutions

Wow!  There must be something in the air as my May calendar has been packed with meetings and projects.  Thank you to all of my lovely clients!  I’m humbled and honored to be asked to be a part of the process of creating the place you call home.  One of you contacted me to help with your new home, after being away from our area for five years.  Welcome back!

For those who might be considering utilizing an interior designer’s services, (perhaps even mine), I’ll have some upcoming posts where I’ll share how this process can be a joyful experience, even through the bumps which can occur, when you are living in the world of custom design.  Expecting HGTV?  No offense, but it’s not on my radar when I create my posts.  However as they say in TV land, stay-tuned!  “A Room at a Time” will debut in June.

Meanwhile, just so I don’t loose your attention, while I’m working on my next series, here’s a quick and simple solution for taking a cubby space and making it magnificent:

By adding corbels, on either side of a built-in desk-top, the design goes from plain to “pow” and it allows for plenty of extra leg room, too.  Even the closet door benefits from some applied molding.  Trim details can take a box of a space and add a distinctive personality.  For those who do like fast results, this might be a great place to start!

Experience . . .  the best about design! ©  . . . Wanda

Beautiful Books

As the air has a distinct chill, indicating the weather folks may be right about an incoming winter storm, I am finding myself in full nesting mode . . . hot cocoa, wrapped in a fuzzy throw and thinking about catching up on some good reading by the fire.  (Or rather the hope of one if I can convince dear hubby it won’t be a waste of heat as it floats up the chimney.)  In the interim, some great old movies are being replayed and I am always a fan of the Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks pairings – including this one:

For those who haven’t seen this movie, Tom Hanks plays the role of Joe Fox, the villain and owner of a major bookstore chain, who becomes a direct competitor of Meg Ryan’s character, Kathleen Kelly, as she struggles to keep her mother’s bookstore, The Shop Around the Corner, afloat.  The irony struck me, in thinking about this film, released in 1998, the Joe Fox’s of the world are now sharing that same struggle.  The advent of audio books, Amazon.com, Kindle, and now the much talked about Apple ipad tablet, has the whole industry of bookselling rethinking their strategies.

Personally, while I do enjoy my technology, I so enjoy the tactile experience of holding onto a beautifully bound book, flipping the page in anticipation of what is yet to come for the characters, or to see how the plot thickens.  As a designer, I view books as a wonderful way to add texture, history and warmth to a room.  After all, what’s a bookcase if it’s only filled with tchotchkes ?

Chetham's Library, Manchester, England

Leather bound antique books or parchment wrapped volumes are almost sculptural.

 Doesn’t this make the world feel as if it’s in perfect order?  (A period bookcase in County Cork, Ireland.)

 

I could live in this fabulous combination of library and dining spaces created by Paschen Bibliotheken

Can you believe someone still does hand binding?  The embossed turtle design is a testament to taking ones time for beautiful craftsmanship.  From Hardbound Leather Books by Marcia Engletjes 

I could work here . . . . .

. . . . oh, and definitely here!

(Photo credits, above:  Paschen Bibliotheken)

It seems a bit odd, to think of hearing, “I’m going to curl up with my Kindle or tablet.”  It loses something in translation, for me.  There’s no turning the corner on a page, using a beautiful bookmark, or having a soft landing on my forehead, if I happen to fall asleep while reading.

Cheerful Reading to You! – Wanda

Oh . . .  and if bookcases befuddle you, give me a call!

Great Beginnings

I do love the Christmas holidays and all of the trimmings.  I also love that feeling when all of the “extras” have been put away and I can begin the New Year with a sense of calm because I’m not spending double-time trying to put my hands on things or where I feel as if I’m going to stump my toe on a misplaced object.  During my holiday break, I’m tackling my office, first.  It always seems to be the natural place to start as I work on my year-end paperwork.  (Sigh!)

Start the organization process in one drawer.  One small space can make a huge difference in your feeling of accomplishment!

If you have ongoing projects, a linen board, a magnetic board or a corkboard keeps things in site for inspiration but the desktop clear.  This one is from Pottery Barn.

Sometimes a den needs to go to double-duty as a home office.  A simple base cabinet with added doors provides for both.  (And baskets allow for easy access for carrying items to your desk top.)*

I’ve used this file drawer trick for a client in her “Mom’s” office.  We utilized space, under a window, and between two bookcases.*

Even though I’m an interior designer and my business isn’t focused specifically as an organization firm, I do seem to wear many hats and I can tell when someone’s life is out of balance and when they need to create better spaces and functions, within their homes.  One of the first things I do, before addressing any area with an interior design application, is to take an “inventory” of the space and find out why it’s not meeting the client’s needs.  Space planning is part of the organization process, as well as making cohesive design decisions.  Aside from “making a home pretty”, I need to lessen the potential for chaos and clutter to allow for a healthy lifestyle.

During the month of January, I’ll share some ideas for achieving this goal, if' it’s on your New Year’s checklist.  If you could use some “design and organization coaching” to get you heading in the right direction, I would be happy to schedule a consultation visit.  After all, don’t you deserve a great beginning?

New Year’s Cheers to You! ~ Wanda

*These photos were the courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens.

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Out-Of-The-Office – See you on July 6th!

This week’s post is a little bit of a word play.  I am away from my traditional office work but I am focusing on ways to make my home office more functional.  Many of my clients know, while I maintain an interior design studio, the “mental command center” of my business tends to function from the home office computer and surrounding desk area.

Loved this set up from Better Homes & Gardens.  A whiteboard helps me to visualize my priority items.  It also lets others in on the activities, too.

There are pros and cons to working from home.  The pro is - on days where I don’t have client meetings - getting some design and office work accomplished only requires a few steps and I am there!  It’s eco-friendly . . . no gassing up the car to make the trip.  (And true confession time . . . no make-up application saves time, too!)  The cons can be - it’s always here and makes me accessible to work a little more than I might need to be, some days.  I have to make a concerted effort to be sure I don’t “plug-in”, all of the time.  It also requires a bit of organization because I don’t want work spilling out beyond the office doors. 

I love Russell + Hazel – Their tagline is, “Add life to your work”

I am spending a little of this holiday time, working on getting things back in order.  Good design is about order, as well as aesthetics.  In fact, I am not sure how one has a great aesthetic quality if things are not in order.  It’s kind of like not being able to see the forest for the trees!

Pottery Barn has some of the best wall solutions for clearing a desktop.

Being that this time is supposed to be my long holiday weekend, I’m just  popping in pics showing some of my finds for office organizational tools.  No matter what your profession might be, interior designer, attorney, teacher, consultant or household manager and team supporter, I hope these will get your cogwheels turning for getting your spaces back in order. 

The Neat Company offers a scanning solution for receipts, business cards and documents, which can be integrated into your PC or Mac.  Loving this one!

And . . . . if you choose to just sit back and relax, put this in the “to look at later” folder and have fun!  I’ll be doing that, soon.  No emails, phone calls, paper piles – just Happy 4th fun!

Cheers!  Wanda