Happy New Year! I want to start my New Year by saying thank you for being here! I appreciate you and being able to share my passion for design, staging, color, and more with you.
Some exciting news for me is that as of today, I have retired from my full time job of 34 years working as a wildlife biologist with the US Forest Service! I plan to use my new free time to add some new services for Edesign, virtual staging and online color and home staging consultations to Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. I am really excited that this will allow me to work with people anywhere in the world! I will let you know when these services are available, and feel free to let your friends and family in other areas know if they would like help.
I hope the new year finds you happy, healthy and inspired with new ideas and adventures! If your inspiration includes redecorating for the new year, find out below why this is a great idea!
Mary Ann
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I recently painted the exterior of my house and it looks gorgeous, like a new house. Now I am inspired to repaint and redecorate the inside, so that there will be harmony between the outside and inside. The thought of decorating makes me happy. I know it will take time, work and money to do this, but I don’t care because I know decorating will make me feel great! Why is that? What is it about decorating that is so good for our minds, our hearts, our souls? Why do we want do it? Why should we do it? I can think of nine reasons, and when added together, the end result is bliss!
It’s Refreshing- One of the first steps in redecorating is getting rid of the old, excess, or unwanted things that are taking up space. Taking stock of what we love and what we don’t or haven’t looked at or used in years is a good first step. This allows us to make room for new things, and provides space to highlight the things we love most. Getting rid of excess stuff always makes me feel refreshed. How about you?
It brings Serenity- Often going through the de-cluttering process brings on a frenzy of organization as we finally have more room for all our things. This always helps me feel like I have a little more control over my life, my destiny, my time. I feel more relaxed after getting rid of things and reorganizing what’s left.
Celebrate Good Memories- Once the decluttering is done, there is more room to re-arrange what is left, display cherished art and accessories in a new way, and highlight objects with memories of travels, friends, family and our history. Our story starts to come to life for us and others to see.
Express Your True Self- Once we have de-cluttered, organized, identified the things we love and are most meaningful to us, it is time to take stock of new things to bring into our space. If you haven’t done this for a while, lots of things are probably looking dated and you may be bored with them. Maybe your style has changed and what you have doesn’t express your taste any more. It is time to figure out your true style and bring it to life. Express yourself! We always feel the most comfortable in a space that truly reflects who we are.
Color brings us joy. Whether you love bright, bold color or revel in calming and serene neutrals, color has a big impact on how we feel. Changing the colors of the walls or accessories can make the space look fresh and change your mood…for the better!
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Color brings us joy.
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Beauty beats Chaos- What an amazing feeling to walk into your rooms and let beauty, rather than chaos wash over you….think about how much better you will feel every day.
Get Sociable- When we are not proud of the way our space looks, we tend to be less likely to invite friends over to socialize. Once your space looks beautiful, you'll want to show it off! Decorating helps make us more likely to entertain friends at home.
Renewal- Creating that perfect space or sanctuary for ourselves to retreat to during our busy lives is a great way to renew our energy and give ourselves the space and peace of mind we all need.
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Create a sanctuary.
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Excitement- Redecorating is exciting, a journey of discovery. We are usually not sure exactly what the end result will be. It can be like a treasure hunt for all the right pieces of a beautiful puzzle that tells our story. Sometimes the end result may surprise you!
Now I realize, the process may not be as fun for everyone and some could use a helping hand. You may struggle with the de-cluttering and organization, how to arrange things, how to put things together, figuring out your style, finding new items to complete the space, selecting paint and other colors etc. That’s what I am here for. And I am happy to help you find your bliss.
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Ask us About our Services
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Home Staging Tip of the Month
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Replace outdated lighting. Dea Semi-Flush mount, polished nickel and mint.
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Upgrade outdated lighting or replace old carpeting. Your home stager or realtor can advise you on which upgrades will provide a good return on your investment in the final sales price. Old lighting can shout “dated” faster than anything and is not that expensive to replace. Old carpeting is filled with years of dirt… and no one wants to buy that!
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Interior Design Tip of the Month
What's Your Interior Design Style? Greek
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Greek Interior Design is simple and elegant, inspired by nature, and looks light, bright, airy and clean. If you like lots of white with beautiful vivid blue, green, fuchsia and gold accents, and a clean, de-cluttered, rustic look, Greek Interior design might be perfect for you! Designs tend to be simple, symmetrical, classical, and relaxing. Less is more. Here are some of the elements that inspire this design style, and some products you might like to get the look. Click on any of the pictures to purchase if you are interested (contains affiliate links). All these items should go nicely together.
- Design elements- whitewashed or exposed stone walls, blue shutters, Greek key pattern, columns (Ionic, Corinthian or Doric designs) incorporated into architecture, furniture or accessories. Moldings with classical details.
- Accessories- Antique oil jars, glazed pottery, colorful glass. Greek columns holding sculptures or statues, plants or framing architectural elements.
- Fabrics- Lightweight, sheer and white or neutral colors. Hang sheer white curtains on the windows or use sheer white fabric as a canopy over a bed.
- Architectural elements- exposed wooden beams, stone walls, columns, and arches.
- Flooring- stone, marble or limestone, ceramic tile, stained concrete. Area rugs with stripes, flowers or the Greek key patters are common.
- Furniture-wooden furniture with carvings and soft simple lines.
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Try a rug with the Greek key pattern, or or this sea fan art and blues and greens typical of this style.
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Try this oil jar in brilliant blue or a mirror with the Greek key pattern.
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Try accent pillows with colors of the sea or this Greek inspired chair.
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Color Tip of the Month
Pantone's "Living Coral" is their 2019 Color of the Year. It is a warm, peachy orange that is bold, earthy and inviting. What can you do with this color? Well, you could be brave and paint an entire room with it, or try it in smaller doses a powder room. If it is not a color you can see yourself living with in large doses, why not try using it in accents such as a wall mural, pillow, rug, art, a beautiful side chair or accessories. These can be easily changed over time if you want to try a different color. This color would work nicely with walls that are painted in a neutral color such as a light gray. Click on any of the pictures to find out more or purchase these items if you are interested (contain affiliate links). All should go nicely together.
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"Living Coral" is Pantone's Color of the Year for 2019. Photo courtesy of Pantone.
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Try a beautiful wall mural or accent pillow to add a pop of "Living Coral" color to your decor.
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Do you like Bohemian style? Why not add a Moroccan style rug or this cool pillow:)
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How about a Moroccan pouf or a pillow with coral and shades of gray.
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These would go beautifully with the wall mural.
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Thanks and stay in touch!
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Thanks for taking the time out of your day to read my newsletter. I hope you found some helpful information!
I would love to hear from you about some of your challenges related to selling your home, home staging or decorating.
Mary Ann
P.S.
Ready to make your home beautiful? Click reply and tell me what you need.
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