You CAN afford design advice.

When you're doing a remodel  can you afford not to hire a designer? Whether it's a small project that you want done right or quickly, or an overhaul that affects your lifestyle - and even the equity in your home -  turning to a design professional is saavy and budget conscious.  We work daily with vendors, contractors, architects and anyone who provides a product or service  for your home.   Our extensive knowledge is learned, developed, and executed and we know the possible pitfalls and wrong turns that happen. Take advantage of that before you end up making costly mistakes. 

Avoid these problems:

• A good idea was found after the project was done
• You're overwhelmed by the choices and don't know the right one to make 
• The best solution wasn't discussed since you didn't know about it
• You don't know how to solve a problem that's come up
• You forgot to add a feature that would make your bathroom better 
• The job drags on since no one can coordinate properly 
• You are experiencing delays since you weren't told when products needed to be ordered 
• The contractor didn't know about a better product
• Costs escalate as changes are made on the fly
• Using the space was not considered as highly as "getting it done" and there are problems 
• There isn't good light or control of too much light 
• Room wasnt left for things you need to store or display
• Door swings go in the wrong direction
• There isn't enough storage space
• The paint colors aren't  right
• Your layout "could have been" spot on 
• Some furniture doesn't fit 

The best use of your time and budget is for everything to be right the first time.  If you plan for things to go well they will. 

Bring a designer in to give you ideas, 

Use a designer to review your plans

Get help selecting the right products 

Natural and effective cleaners you can DIY

When I first got married I was tasked with cleaning out my husband's bachelor pad that he had rented out for a while.  There were cats, guys, and a huge mess.  It was a small condo that had little cross ventilation and I knew it would take a few days to clean. I looked for non toxic products that I could use and came across some 'recipes' that I modified.  I loved how they worked and how easy it was to make.  Finally, people are starting to realize that indoor home health is important and seek out products that are "green" and safe.  I buy bulk baking soda and vinegar, essential oils from Jimbos Naturally or Amazon.com, Castile at Trader Joes, and alcohol and borax at Walmart. 

All-Purpose Cleaner
1 cup vinegar
½ gal. water
1/2 cup lemon juice (I added this to weaken the vinegar scent)
Directions: Spray on surface and wipe clean with a dry cloth (let sit longer for heavily soiled areas)

Disinfectant
¼ cup baking soda
4 tbsp vinegar
3 cups hot water
¼ tsp castile soap
Directions: Spray and wipe down. You will want to go over again with a cloth soaked in hot water so there is no baking soda residue leftover.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
½ cup baking soda
1/8 cup castile soap
10 drops essential oil 
If possible, make this in a cleaned out ketchup or mustard squeeze bottle. Squeeze out along rim of toilet bowl then spray with pure vinegar, allow to foam for 10 minutes then flush. No scrubbing needed (unless extremely soiled)!

Glass Cleaner
1 cup rubbing alcohol
1 cup water
1 tbsp vinegar

Don't add oils or you'll get streaks. Spray and wipe clean.

Wood Floors
¼ cup vinegar
30 oz water
(do not allow vinegar to stay on wood, make sure it is rinsed properly.)
Or
¼ cup olive or vegetable oil
¼ cup vinegar
10 drops essential oil
Directions: Use microfiber mop to apply and go over again with damp cloth with hot water to get vinegar off.

Dusting – Wood
1 cup olive oil
½ cup lemon juice
Directions: Rub in with cotton or microfiber cloth using wide strokes.

Baseboards, countertops, and walls: Dissolve ½ cup borax in 1 gallon hot water and pour the solution into a spray bottle (which you can store for later use). Spritz generously, wipe down and let air-dry.

China (including hand painted): Soak china in a dishpan filled with warm water and ½ cup borax; rinse well.

Dishwasher: If the machine is smelling like last night’s chicken cacciatore, sprinkle borax in the bottom, let it sit overnight, then wipe down with a damp sponge. No need to rinse; just run the next load.

Pots and pans: Rub borax into cookware with a damp sponge; rinse well.

Toilet: Pour borax in the bowl and let it sit overnight.

De-clutter and Organize

It's a new year and a great time to purge, organize and make the whole year easier. Like everyone else, I have lots of 'stuff'. Some collected, some gifted, some purchased.  I think I have more than I need and certainly more than I want to take care of. My solution?  Make a New Year's Resolution that I WILL keep; organize and purge. Sure, I can create more storage. I can build my own cabinets, buy shelves and add a closet system in my guest room.  Is the cost to do that worth the items?  I think not. 

So..... what to do and how can it help you out?  Here are my ideas!

1. Clothes  Do you hold onto things in case it comes back in style one day? Don't. When it comes back you'll likely need new accessories, pieces to complete the look, and maybe even tailoring. Try starting with items you haven’t worn in the past year; I donate most everything but there are many places to sell designer items. While you're getting things in and out of the closet, reach for those things first and put them aside until you have a small collection....then away it goes.

2. Papers If you haven't read a newsletter or magazine before the next issue is out, you likely won't so give it away or recycle it.  Today, publications keep archived issues on line so you can refer back to and digitally save an article.  While you do need tax-related materials you likely don't need the monthly credit card statements. How about going paperless and get statements and receipts emailed to you?  

3. Electronics I have power cords and adapters for things I don't own anymore. You might too. Recycle them as E waste and clear out that drawer.  Do the same with old monitors, cell phones and other electronic gadgets. 

4. Unpaired items  My husband has socks that have lost their pairing partner.  They, along with plastic storage lids without their matching storage containers (and vice versa) and bed linens that don’t belong to a set are all candidates for removal!

5. Pantry Items. Believe it or not, cereal, cake mixes and pasta DO expire. I had vitamins and supplements with expired dates.  Same with cake mixes and canned goods.  One thing we rarely look at are herbs and spices which, like mine,  probably had time to go bad since you never really used them anyway.











6. Makeup Makeup does expire and mascara collects bacteria over time. Same with lipstick and eye pencils. Ditch colors you don't use. Its a good way to update too; I love to add one new color for every three I toss and it really does de-clutter my bathroom drawer. 

7. Kid stuff   As precious as your children's arts and crafts projects are, consider saving only the very special ones. When the art is whimsical and fun it can be framed and hung in a playroom or hallway; multiple boxes stored in closets aren't useful and visible.  A fabulous way to display drawings is to decoupage onto a dresser, stair riser,s or the back of a bookshelf. 










8. Books  If you’ve made the switch to a Kindle, Nook, tablet or Ipad, you may have books you won't read. Even if you don't have a device, consider eliminating books you've already read. Sort through your favorite ones, then donate the rest to your local library, charity or shelter,   The chance that you'll read those books again are slim to none, so give someone else the pleasure of a good read.

9. Holiday Decor  If you collect items for holidays, it's a good idea to sort through periodically to remove broken or damaged things, be sure you still love them, and pare down to what you really need.  Storing seasonal items is always a challenge.  I found that I don't do themed Christmas decor, so keep a clear glass and two colors to mix or to rotate.  It was such a pleasure to give away what I didn't really need as gift tags, to Goodwill, to the local Senior Center, or to young couples who are just starting out. 

10. Bedding and towels  Having switched to white towels so I don't have to worry about which bathroom they are for, I sometimes have to ditch a towel that simply doesn't come clean, is threadbare, or that no longer has hand towels or washcloths. There are many places to recycle them.  Even bed linens get worn over time. If you change your color scheme you really don't need the old ones hanging around. As I can afford, I switch to high thread count and all cotton - organic is soft and durable - that my older bedding gets donated

. 

Leather- real or fake?

As an interior designer, I do a great deal of research on products so I can always guide clients when they need accurate advice.  Recently, a client wanted to add a few chairs to her kitchen table that updated the space for under $500.  She had seen some online  retailers offer seating labeled 'leather' or 'bicast leather'.  The prices were so  reasonable she thought,  "Wow, I can buy 6 chairs on line for the same price as 3 in a local shop." Really... it would be easier for me to explain to you what bicast leather is not: leather. It's similar to the comparison  between MDF - medium density fiberboard- and wood.  Many things can be made with it, it looks good, but it isn't real, it's man made. 

Bicast begins with the parts of the leather hide that are unusable in traditional leather work. The parts of hide are coated with colored polyurethane and then embossed with a leather-like texture. The only portion of the material that was actual leather from the cow isn’t even visible when the process is complete.  The chair above is Bicast. 

Leather is a beautiful, timeless material for a couple reasons. Every hide is unique and leather ages well. Bicast, on the other hand, does not age well. It cracks and peels to the individual layers after a bit of wear. Texture is actually embossed by a press on the surface so distressing is manufactured. However,  Bicast leather isn’t horrible. If you are adverse to killing cows but still love the characteristics of leather, a well-constructed bicast alternative is ideal. If you just want to spend less, that works too.  Some chair seats done in Bicast can be virtually undetectable as non-genuine.  If you can’t tell by simply touching it, and there is no further information available regarding the retailers leather process, put your nose close to the material and inhale. You can not fake a genuine leather smell and the urethane makes Bicast smell like chemicals.

Buyer beware.  Labels are not always accurate and apparently mis-labeling is not illegal in some countries. Price will often be your best guide. A real leather dining chair would be $2-300 at best.  Bicast, maybe $100.  If the label says leather and the price does not, you will get what you pay for and it's not genuine leather.  The stitching and edges can also help guide you; like the chair below, you can see the cut end of the hide.  If the description sounds too good to be true for the price, it probably is!