Home plans these days mostly renounce galley kitchens for the “open concept” kitchen with an island.  But say you love your home, galley kitchen and all, and want to stay in it. Short of a TV network magic wand “Hey, let’s move your kitchen to THIS part of the house!” -kind of change (read $$$$), […]

In the previous post, I showed you the first basic layer of lighting in a room: general illumination.  Usually a ceiling fixture or pot lights, general lighting gives overall lighting to your room or area.  But as they say on tv, “Wait! There’s more!” So let’s look at another important layer of lighting… Task Lighting […]

I know you never do this: you’re driving along through a part of town where you like the houses, whether historical district or newer builds that appeal. It’s dusk or dark, and through the unshuttered windows or open drapes (these folks obviously don’t mind you looking!) you see the happy welcoming glow of lamps and […]

How to Decorate a Nook in the Wall Nook: n. a secluded or sheltered place or part. As in, “I searched every nook and cranny” (whatever a cranny is!) Now, you may have some architectural recessed walls, or some call them niches,  in your house–older homes almost always do, and new bungalow or cottage-style plans often […]

Yep, it’s coming up sure enough summer now (100 degrees+ in Texas), so it’s not like we’re using our fireplaces. BUT that doesn’t mean we should IGNORE them.  Because the fireplace and mantel are always a focal point of the room, we should give them their design due in any season.  Keep reading…. The oh-so-current […]

A cheery color palette, a jam session corner, billiard and ping pong tables, gaming and movie center–SCORE! This bright rec room I designed for an active family ticks all the boxes for fun summer days ahead! Spectators following the pool game can perch on the galvanized stools, and the indestructible table is handy for drinks. Colorful […]

I wonder where the idea of displaying plates as art came from? For sure, those who collected rare blue and white china hundreds of years ago put their treasures on display. Later, maybe folks who couldn’t afford art put up their pretty dishes for decoration, first on plate racks and then–“Hey, why not directly on […]

Have you ever been on an errand at the home improvement store and sorta happened to detour by the paint chips “just to look”? And stood there pulling paint chips and grouping them in your hands with some unformed future project swirling through your grey matter? And lusting over a previously unnoticed perfect shade of […]

Do you think that The Dining Room is a concept that has outlived its usefulness? Is your dining room on life support? Maybe it’s become a catch-all room for old files, clothing headed to the thrift store, or unused athletic equipment? How could it be reclaimed for precious shared family moments–and give you a little […]

I hear homeowners say things like, “Why, oh why, do those magazine photos of bookshelves look so perfect and mine look so [fill in the blank]…” *so blah *so empty *so full *so haphazard *so like-I-tried-too-hard Sure, the magazines have stylists to prep their photos, but you can do what they do, because I’m going […]