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Thursday, January 26, 2012

What Do You Unknowingly Collect?



While blog hopping yesterday I took a look  at some of the blogs that I follow. One of my daily reads is,  “The Zush,” written by the talented, and beautiful Sue!!

If you are not familiar with her blog, be sure and visit! She also has an on-line shop that has some amazing pieces for purchase.

She showed several star themed elements in her home, and noted that the theme just sort of evolved over time.  She posed a question to her readers…….

Picture 368

…..My house is star studded (as captured recently with instagram).  It's not like we intentionally set out to have stars in all shapes, forms and sizes in our home, these were just accumulated over time.  It seems like a lot when grouped together here, but in real life it's really quite subtle.  My love for this shape even extends right into jewelry and clothing as well! Do you have any running themes or motifs in your home or wardrobe?  If so, please share!
  
There are several things I love about her  post:

The collection of stars evolved over time.  

The star elements were not placed in one vignette, but  scattered throughout her home in a subtle manner.   

The collection started subconsciously, beginning with a love for the shape of a star.


All of the above reasons will produce a home that is interesting and it will truly reflect the homeowners personality.

I think often times when we try too hard and get too thematic in our design process we create a very contrived, and uninteresting look or feel.

I left a comment on Sue’s post where I stated that I have a love for stripes not only in my home but in my wardrobe. You can see by the images below of my home where I have my stripes.


Family room summer look May 2011 023 (800x600)_thumb[3]

I have always had an affinity for stripes. I have written a few post on my love for stripes. You can go Here to read one of my post on stripes. My Pinterest boards will show how much I love stripes for my wardrobe, you can go Here to see them.


finished porch 018 (800x719)_thumb[4]

Because I tend to always analyze the why and the wherefore, I realized it was my need for order that drew me to stripes.


fINISHED PLAYROOM Guest room 008 (800x600) (800x600)_thumb[2]

They are all lined up like neat little soldiers, and that feels so comfortable to me. I love when they are paired with white. The crisp contrast fulfills my need for a fresh,and airy look in my home.


fall dining 2_thumb[3]

I have another element that has evolved over time in my home. Come back for my next post to see what that is!

So dear readers as Sue posed a question to her readers I will do the same to YOU…..

Do you have a collection of shapes or elements in your home that evolved into a collection before you even realized you were collecting them?

Are you more deliberate in your collections and you purposely started a collection merely because you just love the element or shapes?
 
Please share and leave a comment so we can all read what you have to say!

 "Enjoy the Process!” Of:

Discovering a collection in your very own home!

Kathysue
Posted by Kathysue at 1:00:00 AM 18 comments

Monday, January 23, 2012

I Need Mine To Be Pretty!!


Do you ever find yourself wanting to do something, or at least kind of wanting to do something, and you can talk yourself out of doing it because of all the made up reasons that will give you an excuse to not do what really needs to be done?



(Oh My! In my dreams!)

For instance, like organizing your closet, but you convince yourself what is the point because your closet is too small, you don’t have matching hangers, pretty shoes boxes, or other containers to make it look like the image you have in your head.

Before you know it you have totally talked yourself out of doing anything productive, and feel like the loser of the day!!!



Now how would I even be able to relate to such a thought process?? Have you heard of the saying, “Been there done that!?”  Yes, indeed, I too have had these thought processes more than once, or twice in my life. In fact I would venture to say I am a master at this type of thinking from time to time.

I am a perfectionist at heart, and I once read that we perfectionist are the worst procrastinators. We feel if we don’t have everything we need to do the job perfectly we can not do it.





My one saving grace is I am  a relatively positive person so I will allow myself  a few days of this type of thinking and then I say, “Enough of this, now get in there and get something accomplished!” I then start to work with what I do have, I start being thankful I even have a closet, and clothing to put in it !! I start looking at this task  as another way of being a creative,  designing woman!

Sometimes it is hard to admit the ugly truth, but I want to share this with you all because I can’t imagine that I am  the only one who does this, or at least I hope I am not alone in this process!

Whew!! I am glad I got that out of the way! Now let’s get on with the reason for writing this post………

I had a little set back in the process of cleaning, and purging my closet due to a knee injury, but I am almost all better, and ready to get back to my closet.

While not being able to actively work on my closet I did a little more analyzing of myself (I know this surprises you all, that I was analyzing myself.) 

The one question that always crops up is, “why doesn’t my closet STAY this organized once I get it done?”

There are some obvious answers like:

  • I am being lazy, and undisciplined.
  • I have too much stuff.
  • I don’t have a place for everything.
  • I don’t have the proper types of storage for items.

While thinking about this in depth I discovered one more reason that might contribute to my closet not staying organized.........

I have to have visually pleasing elements around me. Even in my closet it needs to look PRETTY to me.

Last year I took the first step of making it pretty by having hubby paint it a  color of blue that I love to look at. I purchased some pretty boxes to store things in along with some garment bags to hold special occasion clothing, and sweaters. The problem is  I also have some not so pretty elements in my closet.

 I have some large plastic storage bins to hold out of season clothing, and some plastic shoe boxes. I know that sometimes it has to be practical, but I started to think of ways that I could make things look a little more pretty, or pleasing to my eye.

Before we start looking at some of attractive/pretty ways of storing items in our closets we all need to come to terms with what is our, organizational style type? I made these  types up, so there is no scientific data to confirm what I have claimed here just merely my own observations in my life.




The Stacker: One who likes things out in the open in stacks so they can find them, or not forget about them. They tend to add to their stacks happily until the stack falls over, and then their stacks becomes a mess!( You know who you are!)










The Thrower: This person will throw things in an open container more readily than they would if they had to open a box, and place an item inside the container. 
This is not a bad thing as long as the item actually belongs in the container. Where the problem can occur is when they just throw anything, and everything into any container just to get it out of sight.(Sound familiar?)









The Do it later: This person is a combination of a thrower, and a stacker, the problem with this person is they will store different categories of items in their stacks, or container.  They swoosh up messes, and just stash them. Out of sight out of mind is their motto.









Everything in its place person: This is the person that we all wish we were like. They will have the proper place, space, and container for everything in their life. ( I could almost hate them if I did not admire them so much!)



The reason it is important for us to understand our organizing style is that when we go to purchase a container, or organizing tool we  know  we will truly use it. Otherwise it will  be the pretty covered basket that is hidden underneath the stack, or jumbled mess of clothing, or shoes. We had good intentions when we bought it, but we are bound to fail because it did not fit our organizing style.

It would be pointless to buy a closed container for a stacker, or a thrower. They would just wind up stacking, or throwing things on top of the container. An everything in its place person will thrive using a closed container. They will take the time to open the container, and place items neatly inside,closing the lid behind them.

We can have different styles of organizing for different items, for instance you could love your sweaters neatly stacked, but you like your shoes in containers, yet your scarves will be thrown in an open container, but you know this about yourself so you will purchase the right container for the different articles in your closet.  If we do this I think it will be much easier for us to keep our closets orderly.

Now that we have an idea or our organizing styles lets look at some pretty/attractive ways to organize our closets…….



I wanted to show you this closet first because it is done on a budget, and in a small area. Yet it is still attractive, and functional at the same time. There are so many ideas that anyone with any size of closet could use.





By taking an old picture frame and painting it a pretty color it becomes a wonderful framework to hang jewelry. If you are going to hang your jewelry on a wall, why not frame it like artwork?!














































Did you figure out what organizing style you prefer for the different items in your closet? I know I have figured myself out pretty well.


Since the purging process is all done, and everything is back inside of my closet, I now need to figure out which containers I want to get to make it look just  a little more pleasing to my eye. 

Hopefully this will help me keep it in order for the next year.  To be continued………



“Enjoy the Process!” Of:

Cleaning and Decorating your closets!

Kathysue

You can follow my Pinterest boards:


Posted by Kathysue at 3:30:00 PM 25 comments

Friday, January 20, 2012

Traditional Design Can Be Fun








How does one add a touch of whimsy to their design scheme if they tend to like a traditional more classic look in their home?

This is a question that I recently had to address since one of my design resolutions is to add a touch of whimsy to my home in 2013.

If you look up the definition of whimsy you will find some interesting adjectives used:


whimsy, whimsey [ˈwɪmzɪ]
n pl -sies, -seys
1. a capricious idea or notion
2. light or fanciful humor
3. something quaint or unusual

Since we are talking about design in our homes I like to think of it as:



1. Unexpected

2. Fanciful

3. Unusual

4. Fun/Happy, makes me smile












(Notice the light touch of whimsy by placing a scattered display of butterflies on the bed post of this traditional bed.)




Personally I prefer a room that has a classic base with just a touch of whimsy. Nothing that is too heavy handed, but just a light touch of the unexpected.



(If you are a dog love this is a fun, and whimsical way to show your love for dogs in your home.)

At first when I started looking for examples of a light handed touch of whimsy, I was having difficulty finding rooms that had applied this look in a tasteful manner.

I realize that what is tasteful to one might not be too another, after all design will always be subjective.



One of the first things we will need to come up with is which elements would we use to create a whimsical look. 






(This is a bit over the top for me, but I find it so fun, and creative. I had to share it with you all.)


You will notice that I also added  items I like for each of these categories. This will give us a good direction when looking for the additions to add to our homes. Your list may look  very different from mine.

Since I want a light touch I will be choosing elements in one, or more of the following categories: 




  • Color: Adding touch of bright colors, or a mix of black and white.



  • Patterns: Checks, checkerboard, bold stripes, polka-dots or scallops.


  • Artwork: Fanciful subject matter, over scaled, bold in colors,  or Folk art.


  • Area rugs: colorful, and patterned in one of the above patterns mentioned.

  • window treatments: possibly using a colorful pattern, fanciful shape, or trims.


  • Lighting: Whimsical shapes and/or colors.


All the above elements are items that I would feel comfortable adding a light touch of whimsy to in my home.





Often times we can add a touch of whimsy with a collection of items that we enjoy looking at. By using them en masse, or by using them in an  over sized scale, or a bright color they will have a whimsical look.




I am not a collector of any particular item, but I do think it can be very effective to use a collection to set a mood of whimsy.





With keeping this in mind  the next step for me was to make a list of items that I could possibly use to make a   display en masse, or to use one  over scaled piece.

My list consist of:

  • Signs, words/numbers, or monograms
  • Silhouettes
  • Globes/maps
  • Chalkboards 
  • Plates
  • Trays
  • Keys
  • Clocks




Once you, or I have these two list the fun begins!! Now we can go looking on line for inspiration, or even shopping if you have zeroed in on the look, and the element you want for your home.


I am now going to show you some images that feel whimsical to my own design aesthetics, and some that I just thought might be inspiring to you, my readers.



Color blocking  the books in your bookcase will give you  a touch of whimsy. It is also a way of introducing some fun colors to your basic color scheme.



It is always easy to add a touch of whimsy to a child’s room. The above image shows some fun and unique ways to add a whimsical touch. Notice the teddy bear heads with their cute bow ties. For some reason the bow tie make is cute rather than a bit macabre.

The scalloped book cases on each side of the brightly red painted desk is fun and fanciful. The over sized ceiling fixture and the large red balls in the room are another fun addition. The round element is repeated in the over scaled dots on the headboard. This whole room is a great study in whimsy.




When a simple item like a mirror is done en masse it can become more whimsical, or unexpected.



This image has a very light hand of whimsical touches. Notice the clocks, the letter on the wall and on the pillow. All are fun and a bit whimsical.

Since I tend to love a more classic, traditional looking room there is another way of adding a touch of whimsy. If you paint a classic piece of furniture a fun color it will take on a whole different feel……..



Someone has taken a classic Queen Anne table, and added a fun bright green paint. It now reads as  a fun light hearted piece rather than just a classic traditional piece. The fun look is furthered by the modern Lucite legs on the chairs which are covered in a bold patterned  fabric.



There are so many options in adding whimsy to a room and it is going to vary from person to person. I am finding fun and exciting ideas for possibilities in my own home by writing blog post for you all.

I am looking forward to finding more fun and inspiring ideas that I could possibly use in the future.

I hope that this post has given you all a few ideas to explore for your own homes.

“Enjoy The Process!” Of:

Adding a little fun, and whimsy to your home.

Kathysue

Posted by Kathysue at 4:46:00 PM 18 comments
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