Style File

This guest post was written by Angela Todd of Angela Todd Designs.

Chances are good that your home office is one of the least esthetically pleasing rooms in your home. If you are like most homeowners, you probably spent as much time decorating your home office as your utility room. As a matter of fact, most people’s utility rooms and home offices have a lot in common:

• They tend to lack personality
• Disorder and clutter are a constant battle
• They are utilitarian in nature
• The color and décor of the room (or lack thereof) doesn’t support the room’s use

I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot more time working in my home office than I do in the laundry room. Halleluiah! Did you know your working environment has a large impact on your productivity, creativity and energy levels? For many of us it also effects our perception of our personal success and our confidence level. Clutter and an uninspiring space can wreck havoc on your business goals.

Convinced you need to do address your home office’s look? I hope so! Below are some design tips to get you started. [click to continue…]

Thought I would pass along this post today on The Feathered Nest, and thought I would share.  Here’s my favorite part:

“By creating beauty and order where you live you will be controlling the private hours of your life. Home, especially, is one area of existence where you can have control.”

-  Alexandra Stoddard

I LOVE that.

Yes, I am a Vern Yip fan. I loved his eye-catching designs back during Trading Spaces. So now that his new show, “Deserving Design” is on the air, I couldn’t be happier! Two episodes into it, I just love it! The show bestows gorgeous designs and new rooms on much deserving people. So far, this includes a volunteer firefighter and his wife, and a family who lost their home in Hurricane Katrina. There is something so great about people giving back to those who really deserve it. It started with Extreme Makeover Home Edition and now Deserving Design. Rock on with paying it forward! It only makes the world a better place.

photo from HGTV

So, you’re looking at your dining or office chairs and thinking, “Yeah, I’m not so thrilled with these.” Does this mean you need to go out and buy new ones? Well, that depends on you budget. However, if you would like to keep that budget to a minimum, why not repurpose your existing chairs?

A little elbow grease goes a long way to refreshing your style.

All it takes is a little stain, paint, fabric or a slipcover. Have white chairs? Paint them black. Don’t like the fabric on the seat? Change it out with upholstery fabric at your local fabric store. Don’t really like the style of your chair, or wish that it even had a style? Try a slipcover – they are washable, and you can change them with the seasons.

Any way you look at it, your chairs can be updated and fabulous. And you don’t have to bust your budget to do it!

Books:

Simply Upholstery

I was reading Monica Ricci’s blog today and through a series of links, found this fantastic article, “Growing As A Person By Making Your House Into A Home“, on a blog called “Self Help Zone”. The post is fantastic , and talks about making home a place that you love, and that nurtures who you are (italics are excerpts from the article):

“When you are bringing joy to your home, you will see that you will have a positive experience and one that you will enjoy. You will want to make sure that you are filling your home with things that make you feel good about who you are and what your needs are.”

Love that! It’s easy to bring stuff into our home (or office) mindlessly. If and when that happens, take some time out to clear out what is not bringing you happiness. Your rooms, your home and your office should be a reflection of you - who you are. Those spaces are where you live you life. You create memories, go through major life events, make deals, make changes - so that space should be all about you and the people that come into it.

“You want your guests to feel like they are welcome every time they enter your door. This is one way that you are ensuring that your house is definitely a home.”

People who come into your space should feel warm and comfortable. If your space reflects who you are and what is important to you, this is a no-brainer. But, if it isn’t a place you want to be or don’t really like, people will pick up on that. If it’s a place that is cluttered and chaotic, you feel stressed, and so will your guests.

“When you are sure of what you want in your life, you can use these ideas for your home. You want to be able to come home to a place that is all your own and that you can relax in and feel your best.”

Your home should be a place that welcomes you, comforts and nurtures you. It should be your soft place to rest in the world. Resting there is what enables you to go out and be the best person you can be. Truly, your home is not just a reflection, it’s part of you.

What does your home or office say about you? If you don’t like what it says, what will you do about it?

Have kids? Or have a need for a sideboard? Love antiques, or want to use what you already have? Here’s a project for you. This was using existing furnishings and accessories, with a few extra supplies.

This is the picture of the desk, with the organized contents below. This particular desk was being used as a sideboard, with a dual purpose of holding kids’ craft supplies. But, it was lacking a little something, and still looked a little cluttered.

With a little “stitch witch”, tension rod and an inexpensive curtain…..

The sideboard now looks like this. Kids’ stuff is hidden but within reach, and now attractive enough for grownups. The whole project was around $10 and 20 minutes!

What’s YOUR redesign challenge?

Ok, so I wanted to let you know that you can shop online at Storables! This is one of my one of my fave brick and mortar storage and organization retailers - they have high quality products AND staff. They also have several lines which are exclusive to Storables. You can also find a location near you at their website, as well as great organizing tips - so check it out!

Recently HGTV is touting their new marketing line:

“Make life ___________, start at home!”  I LOVE this new line, and it’s such a great thought on how to really change your life from the inside out.  Think about it: home is where you rest, eat probably 2/3 of your meals, store all things which are important to you, houses pictures and momentos, protects you from the elements and provides a place to connect and great a life together with your friends and family.

Why wait until you sell?

It’s interesting how when sellers get ready to put a house on the market, they get help beautifying the place.  Many haven’t done work on the home much, and most have not updated anything in the home.  Why is that?  Why would you make your house stunning for someone else, and not do that for yourself?  It’s like cleaning your home before company comes over.  Why wouldn’t you want to live in a clean and uncluttered home for yourself - because you actually live there?

I have a theory - we are too busy, and don’t take time to make our environment what we really want it to be.  We might think it’s selfish, or that we really are not bothered by its current state enough to get off our duff and do something about it.  How sad is that?  Our home is the place that nurtures and protects us - shouldn’t it deserve our upmost care and attention so that it makes us feel “at home”?

Make your home a place you love, right now.

Take some time to look around your home - is it the way you want it to be?  Does it really reflect who you are?  Is there something bothering you about the space - what is it, and why does it bother you.   Make your life what you want it to be, and start in the place you rest you head in each night: your home.