Decor is simply many small groupings or moments that are choreographed in a way that makes you smile. The atmosphere we all want to live in is different for each of us and your home is an extension of you. It's musical. It can be peaceful, loud, jazzy or smooth. And like music, we all strive for harmony. To me, this is the basis of what we do when we decorate our interiors. Harmonizing with our inner voice.

So, it isn't surprising when at the beginning of a brand new year, we hear that inner voice sing to us. The phrases may be different for each of us, but usually it is telling us to make a change or two. It can be to freshen a space by deep cleaning, redesigning the room, painting, remodeling, adding a specific item or taking away unnecessary...'things'. 

Things. They define us. Shape us and drive us. They help us make the music our inner voice is singing to us. We become emotionally attached to things and we have a difficult time letting them go. They then become clutter. Clutter can be incredibly destructive, causing anxiety and making us feel overwhelmed and tired. I'm sure you've all heard about the KonMari Method (Marie Kondo) that encourages keeping only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Decluttering things can and will make you harmonize with your inner voice again!

Starting small may be the best way to get you started and I've gathered a list of some things to remember to declutter in your home:

• The bathroom closet and medicine cabinet-travel sized toiletries, old make-up and brushes, anything falling out when you open the door
  
• Accessories in the hallway closet-all those extra hangers, mittens/gloves without a match, coats your kids have out-grown
  
• Old tech devices-old, laptops(erase the hard drive first), old DVD players. Your local waste services may offer an e-cycling event-dump it ALL off
  
• CD's and DVD's-heard of a Facebook group called 'Buy Nothing(enter your area)'-great for gifting to others
  
• Jewelry Box-donate old, unused pretties to local thrift shops
  
• Underwear drawers-get rid of yours and your kids that don't fit or are worn out
  
• Clutter under your bed-how many times have you stuffed an old t-shirt away thinking 'I'll make an afghan some day!' but, never do??
  

Short on time? Grab some of those Amazon boxes that we all have in our garages, tell Alexa to set the timer, (start small, say 1 hour), fill them up and donate, sell or trade. Have a friend come over to help you-there's nothing like a unattached buddy to help you ditch it! Do this a few times a week and you'll be amazed how quickly your inner voice will be harmonizing with you!

I began this post in early 2020. It is now the summer of  2023!!! As I edit this, I see It's been a few...well, maybe more than a few years now,(but who's counting??) since I really have been present on my DouxOver Facebook page or other social media for that matter. It's been for good reasons, I promise, even tho they don't bear recounting.

But, that doesn't mean I haven't been busy ReDesigning. I've just been neglectful of posting pictures and documenting my work. I am NOT 'techy' in spite of the fact that I have a son that is and he tries really hard to help me become better at computers. One thing I find myself saying (a lot!) is that technology is great-when it works!

Of course, while whining that things aren't going well for me as I work to transfer pictures, blaming the computer, my husband asks if I'm sure it's the computer......hmmm, maybe not. So I finally hired someone(thank heavens for a computer guy in the family!) to help me and after a few hours struggling to at least get pics off my phone and into the correct file on my laptop,  we've gotten my work updated and am giving a reasonable showing of the past few years of work. I wish to thank all of my clients for their patience in seeing some pics of their beautiful room ReDesigns. I continue to learn my photography skills and I'm my own toughest critic in sharing the very best pictures that reflect just how beautiful their rooms became once more.

And so, I have a goal for 2023 and that is to continue to try and share pictures of the wonderful homes I get to help ReDesign. If you are thinking you might like some help recreating your space, let's get together to take a look at your whole house (or just a room) to see how we can refresh your look using what you already have. Often, it's just rearranging the puzzle pieces, restyling or highlighting your art and accessories in new ways. Simple changes like some new paint colors or accent pieces can make magic happen!

I am still tweeking and polishing this website, so please come back from time to time and see more beautiful rooms as well as the addition of past work that I've added! As always, thank you for visiting my website!

Every time I begin a Redesign, I think about several things; what size am I working with, how the room is laid out, what are the parts and pieces of the room.  Above all, 4 elements of decorating come into play. 1-wall décor, 2-accessories, 3-flower and foliage and 4-ambience.

In all rooms, there are more walls than anything else. So, the walls are a great starting place. Some walls have an architectural focal point; a window, a fireplace, a built-in. Unfortunately, most rooms lack such detail. Usually, one wall will attract more notice than any other. This wall will then become the focal point of the room that everything else is built upon. From here, I then place the furniture in the room. (Don’t forget the 5th wall-your ceiling! Consider painting the ceiling something other than white, especially if you have low ceilings. In many cases white ceilings can make the room feel smaller.)

Once the furniture placement is decided, accessorizing begins. Lighting is placed, using at least 3 light elements-main, task and accent. Next Art-size and scale are critical. Artwork should be sized and shaped proportionate to the wall being hung on and the nearby furnishings. It’s important the Art is not hung too high-eye-level is best. Wall mirrors can be considered art. If mirrors will be used, they should reflect something nice opposite the mirror.

Accessories-I take in to account the collections present. Collections are important signature accessories because they reflect your past as well as the things you love. From sports to unique antique finds, these can be showcased in a curio cabinet or on a shelf. Too many times though, we collect more than we have room to correctly showcase. Editing a collection into a vignette is necessary sometimes and the vignette then becomes a design element in the room.

I love using either flowers or greenery to accessorize, taking care to keep it subtle and real! There are so many realistic faux finds out there and this is important. Be sure the placement of any faux accessories will be placed in a spot that if real, would actually thrive there! Plants warm a room and will bring a fresh cozy vibe in. Finally, ambience. (Scent) Finishing off a room with the warm glow and scent of a candle or two brings in so much ambience. Again, take care to keep it subtle and don’t let the scent overpower the room.

I would love to help you decorate your room(s). Please click here to CONTACT ME for a consultation to redesign or help you with a DIY plan.

I grew up in a very active and busy home. Well, it was a barn actually. Our home was converted from a barn into a 3 story house. It seemed so huge while I lived there. There was a full basement that housed a laundry room and a shower. The first floor had a living room, dining room, kitchen and ½ bath. There were 3 bedrooms and a full bath on the second floor. Finally, there were 2 more bedrooms on the 3rd floor. My room was here that I shared with a sister. There was an awesome ‘Breezeway’ off the living room that was glass window enclosed with a full functioning fireplace. It was attached to a 2 car garage. We had 8 acres of lawn and wooded area where I played, explored, camped outside and picked wild black raspberries and took long bike rides with my siblings. It was such a wonderful time and I hold it dear in my memories and my heart.

When I think back, I can’t ever remember our home being anything but really well-decorated. My mother was always busy with babies, toddlers, kids and teens (9 in total), but our home was pretty! I’m now amazed at what my mom was able to accomplish with all that activity, hustle and bustle going on and kids underfoot! I loved how nice our home was and was proud to have friends come and stay with me.

I’d like to think I got my décorating skills from my mom. She was an artist at heart; I have several of her colored pencil works. She also like to ‘upcycle’ things by painting and glazing. I now have her old antique sewing table that’s on my own upcyling ‘to-do’ list. Mom loved doing crafts, made beautiful wreaths and other floral and wood decorative items-she was well-known in the Craft Show circle back home. She even signs up for a table at the nursing facility where she resides now!

My own love of decorating stems from my love of home. My goal has always been to create wonderful memories from our beloved possessions. I love to rearrange, design and redesign rooms. I enjoy watching many HGTV and DIY channel make-over shows, to learn and try new ideas and to stay on-trend with styles and décor. And now, it's really 'trendy' to hold your wedding in barns that are converted into event venues. That makes my having grown up in a barn even better! I’m also pretty handy with my tools and love to build, repair and maintain whatever I can figure out. I try my hardest to make sure each and every guest in my home is comfortable and work even harder to make my clients just as comfortable within their homes by using as many of their own possessions that I can when they hire me.

So, even though Mom wasn’t aware (well, maybe she was) that she was instilling the love of decorating in me, she did and somehow helped me head down this path to help others in their homes! I always think about that at this time of year-it's the time when you feel like you need a 'fresh start' in a room or your home. I’d love to help you with any of your redesign needs and help you with your fresh start and help you love your home too! Click here to CONTACT ME for more information.

ots of people change up their home décor with every season. Are you one of them? I admit that I am. I mean, I LOVE to decorate, right? That’s what I do. But, as I’ve grown older, I’ve pared it down inside my home, mainly because we’ve downsized considerably to a 1000 sq. ft. condo. I’ve got to admit though, I was ready to spare myself the work involved in getting all the boxes out, unpacking each item then deciding on what to keep, what to use then where will it all go? ( Whew-I had a LOT.)  I’ve also found that I now need my living spaces to be more clutter-free, comfortable and focused on what truly brings me joy.

Winter decor doesn’t have to be over the top at all. A few small changes and you have a fresh blank slate for the season. I really don’t go all out, but by adding a few new touches, the room feels very different. I have a few Winter decorations and will leave some ‘snow’ related items out. I also add tiny white lights to my décor and that adds warmth on these cold winter days.







February of course, brings the red out for Valentine’s Day. It’s a short decorating time table, but lots of fun for everyone, especially children. Hearts and kisses, chocolate and sweets-who could resist? Again, I have but a few pretty red things-a runner with a sweet bunny picture on my small sideboard buffet, a white candle ring atop a red charger with a red & white checked cloth napkin on my dining table.

Spring brings Easter and the fuzzy bunnies, chicks, baskets and eggs come out. Pretty pastels are a hit during this decorating period. I still tend to lean towards a minimal change-maybe my dining table and my coffee table gets a new centerpiece. A new wreath on my front door, a cute Easter flag for the front of my condo and that’s about it.

Hopefully, after Easter, the weather changes to some fairly consistent warmer days and we can get outside more to enjoy the colors and smells that nature brings us; sun, green grass, spring flowers, buds on flowering trees and fresh air! I can’t wait to open my windows again!! I’m also ready for a break in the inside decorating. So, how about you? What are your seasonal decorating must-haves? Are you a ‘décor-aholic’ or a minimalist? Do you need help decorating? CLICK HERE to contact me for help!

Decluttering can be tough work. We spend years collecting and accumulating more and more. We shouldn't be surprised then, if it takes considerable time to make decisions about what to keep and what to remove. Throughout the course of life, situations change. People move, get married, start families, downsize or become ‘empty-nesters’ and much more. These events bring new responsibilities and “stuff” into your life.

Possessions can weigh us down and add extra burden to our lives. Let me help you through this process to let the things that are important take center stage. There is a lot more to decluttering than simply getting organized. It can make you happier, more productive and best of all it will free up space for the important things you want to achieve.

So, how do you begin the editing process? There are MANY books, articles, posts available at our finger-tips, thanks to this internet thing called Google…but, actual starting is hard. Many times, you get caught up in the emotional aspects of clearing out mementos, toys, gifts given to you, family heirlooms, etc. You must remember that decluttering can be a very freeing process and sometimes all you need is a quick decluttering technique. If you can focus on a task for a short amount of time, you can clear out the unnecessary stuff. Some great tips I’ve learned along the way are:

• Use a 4-box method that will force a decision, item by item. Get 3 boxes and 1 large trash bag or can. Label the boxes ‘Put Away’, ‘Give Away/Sell’ and ‘Storage’. Things to be thrown away go into the trash bag.
• Start in a room. One at a time, pick up each item of clutter. Ask yourself, ‘Does this bring me joy?’ or ‘What do I want to do with this?’ Don’t put the item down until you’ve made a decision and put it into the appropriately marked box. At the end of each room, empty each box. Put away things in that box. Give away/Sell items should be moved to an area to be donated or get ready for a yard/garage sale. Label the Storage box and place in storage. Empty the trash bag quickly to keep from changing your mind.
• Limited time? Try the box and banish method. This is ‘out of sight, out of mind’ and a drastic, clear it all out effort. It’s simple, really. Gather all clutter from room and place it into boxes or bags and put it somewhere outside the living area. Later, open each box or bag one at a time and use the 4-box method to sort things at your pace. This can create motivation and fast results. The draw back of this method is that it does nothing to change the underlying problem and won’t lead to the permanent changes you need to keep clutter down.
• Use a timer. Using a timer can keep you on task and can remove quite a bit of clutter in a small amount of time. This method is great to incorporate children to help in the process. Start the timer for 15minutes. Focus on one room or go room to room removing items and trash that you no longer want or need. When the timer rings, tie up the bag and place it in a trash can. DO NOT reopen the bag.
• Get Organized. Choose a space to declutter. If you find clothes, books, shoes or trash on the floor, start by gathering all of the clothes into laundry baskets. Move quickly and continue for a set amount of time or until the items in the space are organized in groups together.
• Keep Order or what to keep. Important memories, things you have used in the past 3 months, things you have a definite plan to use in the near future and spare materials you will need for maintenance of your home ie, paint, tile etc. Unless you use it regularly, a 2nd or 3rd set of anything in your kitchen can be a big source of clutter. Figure out what you really use, keep enough for when you host gatherings. Donate or sell the rest. Remove toys your child has outgrown. Set those aside to give away/sell or store. If there’s a lot of similar toys, remove enough so what’s left can easily be stored and enjoyed.

One of the advantages of decluttering is that you’ll be able to see your possessions with a new eye. Look around your home and grab a few of your favorite items to repurpose them and fall in love with them all over again. With a wealth of experience and the ability to look at your belongings with a neutral eye, I can easily help you take your worst mess and get decluttered. I love finding ways to refresh rooms/homes without spending any money. Click on CONTACT ME to let me help you make small changes that equal BIG impact.
 
 

When I found out my husband’s 4-day work convention would be in Dallas, I excitedly made plans to take one of those days as my own to head south to where famed HGTV ‘Fixer Upper’ stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have made Waco, Texas THE go-to destination for every decorator/stylist in the land!


















Joanna has had a shop, ‘Magnolia’ for years and Chip has also had a thriving Realty and home construction business. Together, they have transformed Waco and most recently renovated silos that had gone silent years ago, into a shopping and touring experience that will not disappoint.
It was a crisp sunny mid-60’s day. It had been raining the entire week but luckily was clear on the Friday we were there and not real busy. Oh, there were a LOT of people, but it was easy to get around and see everything! We rode the free Trolley that loops around the Silo District, jumped off downtown and visited several vintage stores. (Well, I did-hubby found a bench on the sidewalk for this portion of the trip!) There was a lot of beautiful architecture to take in-it’s always so nice to see these wonderful old towns get a new lease on life!

Probably the busiest place was the Silos Baking Co., where the line extended out the door and around the block. There are fun food trucks all around the yard and one of them has a limited number of the Silos yummy cupcakes for sale, with no wait at all! We had the Lavender Lemon cupcake and a huge chocolate chip cookie (they were excellent!)

The New Magnolia Market was still beautifully decorated for Christmas and well done. Everything was neat, clean and well organized. Chip even had his own corner! The overall vibe was fresh, crisp and fun. Everyone I encountered was friendly and helpful and of course I made a ‘few’ purchases. I hope you’re able to visit one day. I know I will go back!

Are you feeling 'blah' about your decorative surroundings? Feel like you need to try something new? Typically, the beginning of a new year brings on these feelings and more. With the start of a New Year, you look around your surroundings and decide, 'This is the year for a fresh start'. Then, you ask yourself a few basic things; ‘How do I start?’, ‘Where do I start?'. Do you then become overwhelmed and quickly defeated?

Start. Just the word can evoke strong emotion. There is always so much that you want to get to and starting just one room takes some planning and thought. So, I find myself really taking a good look at the room. I think about what I want the room to be. Maybe it just needs a deep cleaning. This alone has worked for me many times. There’s something about a freshly cleaned room…

If you are completely changing what the room has been to what you want it to be, then EMPTY it. Yes. Empty it and begin with a clean slate. Own your decision. Will it be a dining room? TV room? Bedroom? Will you be repainting? Adding an accent wall? Hanging wallpaper? Then start.

Maybe you aren’t completely changing the room out. Maybe you just want to make it look like you did. So, take that really good look at the room again and you’ll see what shouldn’t be in the room. Start there. Pick up anything and everything that doesn’t belong in that room and take it directly to where it should be: dirty laundry-laundry basket or room, dishes-in the kitchen(sink or dishwasher), etc.

From there, begin to edit the items in the room. Look hard at every item in the room and if it doesn’t make the cut to stay in the room, do 1 of 4 things with it; donate it, sell it, store it or trash it. It’s hard to ‘let go’ of things that you have an emotional tie with, but remember you are going for a fresh start. Having less in the room will open it up and make it look bigger too!
​
Rearranging the furniture is next and the key to getting your new look. Flip the furniture to the opposite side or take out a too-big chair. Buy new bedding or lamp shades. Add or take away a throw pillow or 2. Edit and organize that book shelf. Take down many small wall items and replace with one BIG piece of wall art. Remove heavy window coverings, replacing with sleek blinds or sheers. Small changes will help you end up with big results!

I hope you’ve gotten a few good tips to help you begin your fresh start in this new year. Maybe you need some more help to get the results you’re looking for. Click here to check out my website to fill out the Contact Me form. I’d love to help you ‘DouxOver’ your room or home this year!​​

​Did you know there’s more to just a ‘Farmhouse’ décor? There’s Modern Farmhouse, Country Farmhouse, Primitive Farmhouse, Vintage Glam.....the list goes on! Are you a fan? My current taste could be described as Modern Farmhouse, and I’m loving it. I describe it as minimal, simple, fun, whimsical, natural, clean and orderly. Lots of architectural elements are part of it as well as metals, earthy and vintage items. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found I’m more minimalistic than I have been in the past. Maybe it’s just that I don’t want to clean as much? Hmmm.. We downsized 2 years ago, and I’ve found that’s been the best thing for me. While I still have a 10x15 storage unit FULL of treasures I couldn’t give up, and wouldn’t fit into my smaller condo.

While I know Farmhouse decorating isn’t everyone’s thing, it’s trending HOT right now. With HGTV stars like Joanna Gaines on ‘Fixer Upper’, you see just about every possible Farmhouse decor idea. She has a way with being clean, eclectic, fresh and classic. She has emerged as the go-to girl for decorating in 2018! I’ll be visiting Waco, TX in January and Magnolia Market is on my ‘to do’ list.  To check out the new Silo shopping experience, click here https://magnolia.com/silos/. I’m looking forward to this and can’t wait to share my experience with you!

So, how do you know what type of Farmhouse is what? And how do you figure out how to get the look? Many TV shows are readily available to see how this look is accomplished. The internet is also a great place to start. Pinterest has so many options to see. You can follow me on Pinterest here https://www.pinterest.com/nininrse/.

I've pinned numerous ideas that I love and have used in many of my DouxOver Designs. Feel free to share your Pinterest page to me and be sure to Contact Me if I can help you with your DouxOver.

Maybe you’re getting ready to sell soon. Did you know there are strategies to help you sell sooner and for more than you thought? Check out Houzz.com at https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/Selling-Your-House/ for some helpful industry tips and techniques! These ideas and tips will create a home your buyers will fall in love with.

I’ve worked with the best in the area, including Chicagoland Home Staging - www.chicagolandhomestaging.com/. I’ve helped stage vacant and occupied homes for sale and they are two very different animals. If you are going to live in your home while it’s for sale, you must realize and remember, once you decide to sell, it isn’t your home anymore-it's a product on the market! It has to compete with every other home for sale in your area. So, the best advice I’ve learned from their team is to open up all your spaces by decluttering, editing out personal items and freshening up everything.

When you’ve made the decision to sell, your home must be transformed into a house for sale. To help with the transformation you should know there is a difference between decorating and staging. This is the hard part and sometimes you should hire a stager rather than DIY. (Click here to contact me on help for staging). You’ll be using your own possessions to stage with and you’ll be staging each room. Consider every possession carefully and decide if it should stay in each room. Buyers need to see a lot of open space, so edit out items that don’t need to be in the room. Think of editing as packing for the move. Once you’ve done it, you’ll ready for the movers!

Do you NEED to hire a stager?  No is the short answer, but many times we can help you sell your home faster and for asking price. There are never any guarantees made, but it’s definitely worth the investment!