Before: The room felt cold and uncomfortable. The paint was looking tired; so were the tattered throw pillows and rug.

After: We rearranged the furniture, swapped out the coffee table, lamps, and rug (some items found in the client's storage space!) to create a cozy and inviting living room. A fresh coat of paint and deep cleaning made it feel fresh. The artwork creates a focal point and emphasizes the ceiling height.

December 2010

Let's Celebrate!

Celebrate what you want to see more of. Thomas J. Peters

I like to take end of the year inventory of how I did. You know, what did I actually do in 2010? So this morning I awoke early, meditated, then made a yummy cappuccino and made a month by month list of accomplishments. Really it'd be easier to do something else at 5am, like sleep, for example, but I was determined to take stock.

Here's what I found. I did a lot. And I'm proud of it. A few highlights: 10 years of passionate marriage. Figuring out how to do the work/mom/wife thing. Lost 44 pounds. New decorating projects. Staged apartments sold. Featured on CNN, NBC, Martha Stewart, NY Times, etc. School of Speed Decorating was a success. Met with major retailer to launch something new. Traveled to France and Anguilla. The big and the small things all feel pretty good. So I'm celebrating!

Take a moment to go through your calendar and look at what you did this year. And celebrate! Brag about it! Tell the world! It's really an inspiration to hear what my friends and colleagues have accomplished in 2010.

Wanted to share a few of my fav decorating tips for 2010 which I shared in an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine last week (it'll be in the March issue):

  • Paint your room grey. Benjamin Moore AF-700 is the perfect shade for a foyer, living room, or bedroom. It's soft and warm.

  • Make your own wallpaper. Pick your favorite photo (it can be color but convert it to black and white) and an online company can blow it up and mail it to you as wallpaper. If you're in NYC, Duggal does a beautiful job. It can be grainy and low rez. The distortion creates a magical dreamy effect (see image below).

  • Dress your naked wall. If you'd like an instant art gallery here's what you can do: head to the art store and buy an odd number of canvases (i.e. 3, 5, 7). I'd suggest a 2x3 stretched canvas or if you have high ceilings try something large scale to create drama. Next stop: the paint store. Pick up a 5 chip paint card and paint your canvases each color. This is guaranteed to look good together. One client got creative with this project and painted vertical stripes. And it worked because all the colors matched.

Happy holidays and happy celebrating!
Love,
Jill

Make your own wallpaper. The fireman image on the wall was from a tiny magazine clipping. We blew it up into this fabulous wallpaper for the firehouse makeover on NBC's Open House to the Rescue.