Color is the New Neutral

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I’m noticing a disturbing trend lately… I think it’s been going on for a while now and I just haven’t noticed, but an alarming number of homes are filled with absolutely horrible poo colored brown couches. Please. Stop this behavior immediately. Be better than a poo brown couch. I’m not really sure how anyone can look at that and think that it’s a good choice, forget trying to figure out why a furniture company would even offer it as an option. Ugh. Maybe poo brown is supposed to be neutral? Maybe not. The great news is that these days, in design…

What I’m doing with all the stuff I’m getting rid of…

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As I’m cleaning out my space I’m experiencing a strong desire for my things to go directly {or as close to directly as possible} to someone who really needs or wants them. One thing I never liked about just dropping off a huge pile at the Salvation Army is that everything is being re-sold. And I always feel overwhelmed in those spaces, it’s literally everything piled into one big warehouse and you have to go hunting for one specific thing. It just isn’t my favorite. I really want as many of my things to go directly into the hands of their…

The Big Purge of 2017, Getting Unstuck & Making Space for New to Come In

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I saw this memory pop up in my Facebook feed this morning and thought ~ how timely, as I’ve been a little stuck and in a lot of resistance to starting a big {and long overdue} purge of my space. I can tell anyone what they need to do to get their space ready to sell, and when I give them their to-do list, it seems so easy. Just clean out all of your closets, do this and that, and like a wise design fairy god mother I can tell them in a magical song like voice to “take this…

Weekend Agenda ~ Open House Chicago

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Happy Friday! As I sit at my computer trying to write, and think of anything else I could possibly come up with to avoid actually going through everything in my apartment to do a seriously overdue purge of my space, I remembered that Open House Chicago is this weekend! Stop. Everything. If you have any spare time this weekend, check out Open House Chicago. Once a year, a plethora of spaces are open to the public that are usually off limits. There is a mind boggling array of types of buildings, in so many different neighborhoods it’s actually impossible to…

Front Door Refresh Ideas ~ Wreaths, Door Knockers, and Door Mats Galore

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I always love walking up to someone’s door and seeing a beautiful wreath, or a great door knocker. Doors and entryways don’t always get the love and attention that they deserve. They are people’s first physical interaction with your home, it’s a great chance to make a warm, welcoming first impression. There are a few simple elements to having a strong, statement making and memorable entrance. A solid door in a great color makes a strong foundation, and entry lights are the perfect frame. But the fun finishing touches are a great door knocker, and a fun door mat and…

Real Estate ~ The Weirdest Investment

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I don’t really think real estate is a weird investment, not in a bad way anyway. But I do think it’s unique and unusual in the way that it’s our largest investment, and it’s really the only one that we can actually touch, feel, be inside, experience, and grow emotionally attached to. I mean, I guess you can be emotionally attached to your stock portfolio, but definitely not in the same way that people get attached to their house. People’s homes are their safety, their shelter, their haven from the outside world. It’s only natural that we have an emotional connection…