Working with My Mother and Her Take on Green Design

My mom is a 5 foot nothing powerhouse!  If I have any natural design talent it comes from her and I always tell folks ~ you will like me best, until you meet my mother.  It is no surprise that when she moved here 18 months ago, I was thrilled.  Like anyone scaling down and moving into new digs, mom wanted help in choosing what to keep, what to let go and how to put it all together in a new, open floor plan.  We began the process and I quickly realized that my mother has a very "green" approach to design.  She loves natural fabrics and textiles, is a big believer in re-using, recycling and re-purposing, and wants her home to be as energy efficient as possible.  And so we began.  The only room that I had total control over was the dining room.  Interestingly enough, it made the cover of Drapery and Design Magazine.

In the foyer, an old chair got re-born when we refinished the wood from  dated pickled pine to a distressed chestnut, and, added new Robert Allen fabric.  An estate sale table purchased for $25, and given a new finish,  sports some high end lamps and a piece of porcelain collected on a trip to Japan.  A wool rug and a recycled mirror finish the welcoming entrance.

 My mom loves her 25 year old petite love seats.  The bones were good, so we covered them in Sunbrella fabric.  Light control was an issue so they installed top down, bottom up shades on the windows, which we softened with sheers to keep the room light and airy.

I had nothing to do with the next piece, but it is one of my favorite things in her home.  My dad's mother, my grandmother, had an old pie safe that she passed down to my mom.  The thing was in terrible condition but my energizer bunny of a mom got right after it!  She re-painted it, added some fabric, and it now displays treasures from the past in her guest room.  Talk about re-purposing!

 A close up shows the wonderful patina of age and  an antique ironstone jug, family photo and my grandmother's iron that you held in the fire to use.

Working with my mom was a hoot.  We laughed and went down memory lane about a thousand times, but, the thing that made me proud was that, at 80 years young, my amazing mother knows how important it is to use our resources wisely and to stay as green as you can.  What would happen to our planet if each of us did just that?

Beautiful Bookcases

     Being a bookworm, I am in love with books and bookcases.  In winter, there is nothing I like better than curling up by the fireplace with a hot cup of tea, my favorite throw, and reading.  The fact that my fireplace is surrounded by built-in bookcases adds to my enjoyment.  Bookcases are wonderful to own, especially if you love to read.  They add texture, drama, warmth and interest to a room, but, they can be tricky to decorate.  Too many books, inadequately arranged, can give you a messy or cluttered look.  Bookcases that are book-free, and used instead as place to hold decorative items, can look a bit odd without the item they were made to hold.  Bookcases can be found in formal rooms, offices, craft rooms, and just about anywhere else in the home.  Today, we are going to take a look at ways to make sure your bookcases look their best.

Here a formal piece of art dresses up the bookcase to go with the room. 

 

 

 

 

 

In this bookcase, art is hung on the walls and the front of the bookcase.  Additionally, the owners adjusted the shelves to varying heights in order to add other decorative elements.  Last but not least, notice how they painted the back of the bookcases with the wall color, keeps it interesting, don't you think?

 

Brilliant here, is the use of color and organizing according to size. 

Color on the back of the bookcases compliments the colors shown in the organizational tools and dust jackets for the books. Balancing decorative items and decreasing the visual weight as you move up the case makes this work.

This bookcase is lined with a decorative wallpaper that adds elegance to the books and glass collectibles.

In this home office, the soothing blue background of the bookcase and the white wrapped books keep the space calm.  Again, the visual weight is on the bottom and it gets lighter as you move up toward the top.

Every so often, I would encourage you to take your bookcases apart and rearrange them.  Move your art and accessories around, if it looks good in the living room, it might look better in the den!  Playing with what you own and moving it around keeps things fresh and helps you appreciate items that you may not even notice now that you have seen them in the same place for so long.  Re-doing your bookcase with color or new art, books, and accessories is a great way to refresh your room without a big commitment.  So be bold, be daring and have fun!

Losing It!

Whether you are planning to get rid of extra weight, or the unwanted weight of items in storage, the first part of a New Year is a great time to lose it!  During the Christmas season between the "big" day and New Years Eve, I find myself wanting to start fresh in the New Year.  I go on a bit of a purge, clearing out closets, storage spaces, cabinets, pantry, you name it and it is not left untouched!  I do this, not only because it is on the annual to-to list, but because it helps me internally.  I want my hidden spaces to be as calm and pleasing as my "public" interior.  The idea of losing a few pounds of storage weight also has the added benefit of making room in life for new and good things.  Organizing things is work for me, not something that I adore, therefore, I keep a lookout for inspiration This year to motivate myself, I looked to one of my resources, Closet and Storage Concepts for ideas.  One of their products, that I have coveted for years, is their gift wrap, mail and craft center. Imagine having it all right there at your finger tips! 

Another goal of mine is to add storage gadgets to my fairly standard closet.  Drawers for jewelry is big on my to-do list.

One more closet item that has my attention, is the drop down rack that allows for maximizing vertical space.

 

Finally, when it comes to kitchen pantries, I don't know too many people that don't struggle with keeping it all visually pleasing.  In a recent issue of Good Housekeeping, Jamie Lee Curtis shared her organizing tips for her pantry.   She shares "I feel like packaging is bringing somebody else's design into my house."  So she stores cereals, flour, sugar, and the like in clear containers with lids.  This allows her to access her pantry without all of the label clutter.  Ikea has some great storage solutions that work with idea in mind.

When it comes to getting organized for the year ahead, look for ways to motivate and inspire.  Create a list of storage ideas you want to add to your own home, work on areas that feel visually cluttered, create a sense of calm in your hidden space. The benefit for you is a feeling of having "your ducks in a row" or readiness to tackle the challenges and opportunities of a new year.  Here's to losing it!