Tranquil Bedroom Inspiration

Currently I am designing a bedroom for a dear friend and client who recently lost her husband after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. She desires (and frankly needs) a soothing, tranquil retreat that reflects her simple, yet sophisticated style. The room will be in soft hues of white and blue and will have mix of traditional and contemporary elements. We are also doing this on a very tight budget. I will be sure to share her new room in a future post.

Here are some beautiful rooms that have inspired us along the way…

This bedroom by Margaret Bobsyshell is gorgeous and I found the image in the post, “The house that keeps haunting me” at a wonderful blog called, Things That Inspire. The four poster bed by Julia Gray is lovely. The serene wall color, milk pail by Martha Stewart is nice a contrast with the white elements in the room.

(The above picture: photography Erica George Dines)

This bedroom is simply elegant and hands-down my personal favorite in this series. It was designed by L.A.’s very talented Brooke Giannetti and the image was found in her blog Velvet and Linen.

Brooke frequently collaborates on architectural projects with husband Steve Giannetti providing clients with full architectural, interior design and landscape services. In this room, I particularly like the wall colors, Farrow and Ball Skimming Stone with All White trim. But, my favorite design element is the nostalgic 40's mirrored bedside table from Aiden Gray. My client loves it too, but it's not in the budget... darn it!

Here’s another bedroom that has inspired my client. The image was found on House Beautiful and a darling blog call House of Turquoise.

I simply love the use of combined contemporary and traditional elements in this room. Such a peaceful, dreamy room… just what my client needs.

Making Progress and Organizing All That Paper the Pretty Way

Still procrastinating? May be your need to “be perfect” is getting in the way. Don’t seek perfection (hey, nobody’s perfect right?), but aspire for advancement or growth. So, Step Five in overcoming procrastination is to Aim for Progress.

Speaking of progress, I have been tackling the vertical piles of paper on my desk this week and have decided to store some in magazine holders. Yep, they’re not just for magazines anymore. They do a terrific job of hiding papers, keeping your horizontal surfaces clear and control how much you can store before having to purge. Here are some very stylish magazine holders that would dress-up any office.

Aren't these magazine holders above by Thomas Paul beauties! They come in such yummy colors and amusing vintage prints.

Classic white. How could you go wrong? These white magazine boxes above are covered in laminated paper and can be found at See Jane Work.

This Motorp magazine holder above is made of palm leaves and is found at Ikea. Looks great and inexpensive too.

Love this earth-friendly bamboo magazine holder by John Lewis. So simple and timeless.

For a cost-effective magazine holder that could be easily customized to your decor, check out this do-it-yourself version on Kaboose.

Just Bee - Art

It's no surprise, I love bees. I also love art and believe every home should be filled with original artwork. And guess what, you don't have to break the bank doing it.

OK, I didn't know the Honey Bee is the official insect of Georgia. L. Young's "Georgia Honey Bee on Canvas" above is bold yet whimsical. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! It would look great in a modern or vintage kitchen. Check out more of her gorgeous designs at Etsy and see if your state insect, flower or bird is showcased in her art.

The above painting, "Turquoise Bee" by Susan Najarian is so fun and can be purchased at Etsy (great price-point too). This artist might just like the color turquoise as much as I do... check out her other beautiful works. Perfect with modern decor.

This sweet paisley, polka dotted and striped bee by Acorn Soup would brighten any little girl's room. It's a great transitional piece that will go with many decorating styles. I think it would look best in a series with another bug (butterfly, dragonfly, or ladybug) and a paisley flower from the artist's collection on Etsy. Acorn Soup will also customize paintings to coordinate with your decor and color scheme. Gotta love that!

However, my favorite and most inexpensive "bee" artwork to date is by my six year old daughter. So simple, yet strong (or is that tree blowing over in the wind?). If you have a little budding artist in your home too, I highly recommend showcasing their work in your playroom, family room or child's bedroom. Below is an example of a fun art wall found at Pottery Barn Kids.

Schedule It and Organizing a Bookshelf by Color

Are you having difficulties finding the time to get organized? That project you’ve been complaining about won’t get done unless you set aside the time.

Step four in overcoming procrastination is to Schedule It. Determine how much you can do or tolerate at a given time. Typically, a project is broken up into smaller 5-30 minute tasks. Be careful to not push yourself too far or you might end up frustrated or jaded. Set dates and times for completing each small task and place it on your calendar, blackberry or iPhone.

For example ,if you are organizing a bookshelf, one of your tasks may be to arrange the books by subject, size, author or the most interesting, by color.

Here are simple steps to organize a bookshelf by color:

1. Remove all books and clear off your shelf
2. Sort all books by color and create “color” piles
3. Arrange books on the shelf by hue (follow the rainbow… red into orange, orange into yellow, etc.)

Love this playful room above by Chotda. For more inspiration, check out the Rainbow of Books Flickr Group.

The photos above and below were taken by me at the San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2009 house. I love how the designer of "His Sitting Room" kept the bookshelves simple in all black and white.

Organizing a bookshelf by color certainly brings interest to the room, but has its drawbacks. Where's that stinkin' book? In addition to color, my books are organized by subject and shelf (novels, reference/fiction, cookbooks, art/coffee table). Each shelf is organized individually by color instead of the whole bookshelf. My shelves look great and this way I can actually find the book I'm looking for easily. See what works best for your lifestyle and home.

And don’t forget… Schedule it!

Stop Procrastinating and Garage Organization Steps

It’s easy to get buried in a large task like organizing the garage and it's something most of my clients dread. Step Three in overcoming procrastination is to Take Baby Steps. Instead of having tasks that may take hours to complete, break it up into smaller tasks. To avoid getting overwhelmed each task should take no more than 30 minutes to complete. For example, if your project is to organize the garage it may take several days and your task list may look something like this:

1. Categorize the items in your garage (recycling, tools/paint, sporting equipment, automotive, holiday decorations, etc.) – 30 minutes

2. Group the contents in the garage (include donate or trash groupings) – 30 minutes

3. Order special trash and donation pick-ups – 10-15 minutes

4. Leave out items for trash and donation – 10-15 minutes

5. Determine the best layout for your garage (hire professional if needed) – 30 minutes

6. Buy appropriate size bins, boxes, cabinets, etc. and labels – 30 minutes

7. Put items in appropriate storage bin or box (label each) – 30 minutes (break up into multiple tasks if over 30 minutes)

8. Install cabinets (hire professional if needed) – 30 minutes (break up into multiple tasks if over 30 minutes)

9. Install shelves (hire professional if needed) – 30 minutes (break up into multiple tasks if over 30 minutes)

10. Sweep garage floor – 15 minutes

11. Relocate items to their new location in the garage – 30 minutes

*images by Real Simple

Focus: Step Two

Simply defined, procrastination is when an individual delays completing tasks intentionally. We have all avoided organizing the garage, closet or pantry. The first step in overcoming procrastination is to Take Action.

But, taking action is not enough if you get sidetracked and never finish the task at hand. Step Two in overcoming procrastination is to Be Focused. For instance, I think everyone at one time or another has gotten distracted while opening the mail. It’s easy to start reading a magazine article, pay a late bill or answer that phone call. But, soon you find that pile of mail gets out-of-control and so does your procrastination. Complete opening your mail in one sitting. Don’t stray off course…

Stay focused on the task at hand. You will be more efficient in the long run.

Stop Procrastinating and Get Organized: Step One

OK, OK... I am a professional organizer & designer and I confess, I have been procrastinating too. I've been thinking about starting this blog for months and have been waiting for the "perfect" time to start. Well, there is no perfect time friends. The time is now. Let's get going and simplify our homes and lives.

The first question my clients ask is, "Where and how do I begin?" I always answer with this question back, "What in your home is causing you the most pain and discomfort?" That is where we typically begin. For my last client, it was her cluttered bedroom. Step by step we created an action plan that outlined simple "tasks" for her to complete to reach her goal of making her room a peaceful, clutter-free retreat.

Many times the biggest hurdle in getting organized is procrastinating. Here is the first step in stopping procrastination...

Take Action
Plan your mission and keep it simple. Just select the one project you must get done to feel productive. It may be going through that pile of mail, purging old shoes from your closet, or organizing the utensil drawer. Keep it simple and choose a manageable item you can complete in 5-15 minutes. Break the day up into a series of "sessions" for other tasks and balance the time spent planning with time spent doing. Don't over think it and take too much time planning ~ this too can cause procrastination. Once complete, review your progress, pat yourself on the back (or reward yourself with a nice glass of vino) and plan your tasks for the next day. I find my clients get more and more motivated as they complete tasks.

Stay tuned for Step Two...