Treading in Color

A trend we keep seeing in the interior design industry is two-toned cabinets. I feel I can add value to this trend as I am a strong believer in this trend but not necessarily by choice. My husband and I did a kitchen remodel a few years ago only by the idea of a fellow co-worker and now good friend. Although I work with a lot of talented designers, this one in particular was extremely talented with kitchens. She was able to see past my small, outdated kitchen to the beauty it is today and believe it or not she  chose two-toned cabinets for me. I left the design (mostly) in her hands. I had white painted cabinets previously-both uppers and lowers and had mentioned my complaint of my lowers never staying clean! At the time we had a large dog and two small children so the white seemed to always look dirty! Her solution-a darker cabinet base and I've never looked back! With appliances moved around and a wall removed (some sweat and tears) I LOVE my new open kitchen!! Cabinets, ...

Okay friends, I have this talk daily while at work...DAILY. In case you didn't know, I live in North Dakota and in ND it feels like winter 9 months out of the year! Maybe that's an exaggeration But truthfully when it does snow, it doesn't melt. It is cold enough here for the snow to stick around for awhile. Ok ok moving on...the trend that's still hitting hard up here is gray. Grays are hard no matter what because of how they change with lighting but can be difficult especially when you want gray to feel warm. So here's my spiel, if I said it once I'll say it again- builder beige from 10 years ago→ 'Greige' BM Stone Hearth →traditional "cooler" gray            GOLD                                                                                    ...

   I have been with Sterling Carpet One now for 8 years and one of my favorite perks to the job is that our owner Paula-has had plates made for kids since year 1. She would give me the paper template to go home to my kids with to have them color and then she would send them off to be turned into plates. I have memories of making my own as a kid but thought it was a lost art?!    She not only has included my kids in this tradition but every employees kids from all three locations and I'm sure all her nieces and nephews galore! Thanks Paula-these plates will be treasured for years to come! first year vs 2018

2019 is just around the corner and trends for the new year are starting to rise to the top! Benjamin Moore went a lot more neutral for 2019 with AF-690 Metropolitan. The thing I like about this "neutral" is that it still has color! In case no one told you, color can be neutral!! I love that color is popular on every surface not just your walls but in draperies, islands and even woodwork! I think if color is a little out of your comfort zone then start with a smaller space like a bedroom where you can close the door and not see it at all times of the day. I personally like a darker color for a bedroom. I think it's easier to bring color into the space when you have pillows, bedspreads and rugs as examples to play off of. When in doubt it's just paint, so go ahead, step outside of that comfort zone and go darker than you normally would!

I recently read that the #1 design mistake most people make is...CLUTTER. I was kind of surprised until I started decorating for christmas in my own home and realized how much STUFF I had! So this year I decided less is more. Of course we still put up a tree but I usually over-decorate my mantle and this year I'm keeping it simple. I have a good friend who is a true hy-gee' decor lover and is always stressing that "less is more." She's always getting rid of STUFF and a lot of the time I'm very envious.                                                      So I think that might be my goal this coming year- getting rid of STUFF. Even though my kiddos are still young, it might be a good lesson to learn! It just seems impossible sometimes while working in the design world. I love everything and enjoy changing it up often. I need t...

I'll start with a before picture so that you can better understand the WHY? My kids brush their teeth in this bathroom and it is always a mess! Don't ask how toothpaste can get on the wall? The shelf was pretty difficult to clean time and time again and have you ever tried cleaning up globs of dried toothpaste? It's the worst! So my hubby came to the rescue yet again with a pinterest idea he saw online- removed floating shelf AFTER The answer was individual mason jars to hold toothbrushes and toothpaste.  So far, so good. Less mess!

Looking to update but wondering where to start? Feeling overwhelmed? Let me help with a few tried and true tips- one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to update a space is with color! 1. Choose a color story : keep it going through all of your main living areas to help create a natural flow to the space. I've talked about it before and monochromatic color schemes are what's still trending today. Another thing that can help with where to start is choosing an inspirational piece whether it's a piece of art or a favorite pillow, let those pieces guide you. 2. Tone-on-tone coloring : layering color with one color but different tones is a great decorating technique that has been popular for some time now.The saturation or depth of a color can dramatically transform a space without interrupting the flow. Choose a warm neutral you love and go 2 shades darker/lighter for an accent wall. 3. Comparison :  Don't forget to fall in love with a color in your...