No, You're the Diva, No, You're the Diva"

Diva's work well together or alone. We inspire each other. Once we get on a roll, not only do ideas flow but action happens. So cousin Jenny and I, otherwise known as Jennifer or Jen, have been working together on the, "merging of the homes" project, for less than a week.

Today in the midst of getting all of her wedding thank you notes out, I suggested we, "jiffy pop" her master bedroom into an oasis before her hubby gets home from his fishing trip.

Well, take a look at what the diva did! Keep in mind we are still bringing things from her home and this whole en suite will change, but for now we have a bit of change that incorporates his, "stuff" and will brighten the smile of her friend and lover!

Sometimes, change for a moment can lead to momentary bliss. I think tonight jammies and a good book are in order for this diva!

Unleash Your Inner Diva!

 

Ready, Set, Go

Well, the divas had a great day getting kick started for the first big project of the "merging of the homes". 

Today we began to clear out, clean out, recycle, remove and yes, replace!

 

It all started with cute leopard socks and shoes, a good cup of coffee and an iPhone to take our before and after pics. 

So here is a sample of what we did in the outdoor room and front vestibule. More fun to come after we get the heavy lifter teenage boys to move some of the furniture around. 

Stay posted!

Unleash Your Inner Diva

 

 

Colors in Your Cupboard

Once you have pared down you will start to notice what color scheme you have and whether or not an item is going to move from the green to the yellow or perhaps the red pile. If she has a red and beige oriental rug and he has a black leather chair the two could possibly meet. It is unlikely however, that a brown leather chair is going to go with her yellow throw rug unless you are going with a Fruit of the Loom theme.

A general rule of thumb is to pick three colors that are interchangeable. Remember two of the colors are base and one is your “pop” color. Right now the trends are in the grays and yellows but first you have to decide if you like those colors to start with. If not, move on - you could be living with that new something, something, for awhile!

If you just don't know what colors you like then take a trip to your cupboard. Pull out the spices and sprinkle different colors on a wax piece of paper. See what works well together. Listen to your inner voice. Color is magical. It can change everything. Consider painting one wall in your kitchen or perhaps the fireplace wall in your living room.

I recently chose all new paint colors for our house that was once sage, beige and cranberry. Now I have Sherwin Williams Portico as my base color which is a neutral beige and my secondary color is Peppercorn, a deep gray. I have "popped" color with a bowl of green pears and a lemon tree on the hearth.

Keep in mind that color is easy to change, well at least from the female perspective. We like to see the room finished and men see every step in-between. My husband and I don't paint together because it likely would have caused us to "go into our own corners". Find a good painter that you feel connected with because if you are going to change your surroundings every 3-5 years then you will likely be painting again.

The hottest colors right now according to House Beautiful are in the blue and gray hues. I especially like Cathedral Gray. Benjamin Moore has a really cool app where you can take a picture and color your walls just by "clicking and picking".

Here is a sample from playing in the cupboard this morning - Garlic, chili pepper and basil. Curry, ginger and pesto. Peppercorn, cayenne and mustard. When you are finished, grab a pinch of each and throw it in the crockpot. Voila! Dinner is ready.

Unleash Your Inner Diva!

 

A Place of Peace

Being at home should be an oasis. A place you want to be. If you have clutter, you will likely feel the same way inside - disheveled. One of the reasons I love to decorate is because you end up with something different from where you started. It’s an opportunity to start fresh. Paint with a new palette.

I have come to realize my passion for decorating is as much about peace as it is work. Perhaps better said, is that "after you work, you get peace". There is excitement in the prospect of sitting in a chair looking around and having a sense of pride, that it is all yours! It’s like taking inventory of what matters.

The things around us reflect who we are. It’s an outside painting of what is really going on inside of each one of us. Think of the homes that you have been in. I recently went to someone’s home whom I had never met before and wow did it tell a story. It was minimalist and elegant. It caused a rapture in my mind of the how it came to be. Simple, white. A large mushroom light took over the new kitchen table below. The rooms beckoned. The lady of the house was just as simple and elegant as her home. Come to find out the design was done by their daughter years prior. She was in an architecture class and had a school project to design a house and then they made it! Spectacular angles, levels and windows that overlooked the bay. I could imagine how a bowl of Granny Smith apples would look surrounded by all of the white.

I love that form and function were married in this home. The kitchen is a gourmet's dream. Steel fixtures and appliances cooled the surfaces but there was something that cried out - make brownies! I knew that wherever I turned there would be something that had a purpose and a plan and by the way - flare! I bet the spatulas were something you could even hang on the wall.

I think the best way to get to that inner peace place with your surroundings is to pick what you love. Start and don’t stop. Don’t buy things because they match – you did that in your 20’s. Buy it, use it and love it! Inner peace starts with you.

Unleash Your Inner Diva!

It's A Start

Today begins the Decorating Divas adventure #1... merging 2 households into 1.

A bit of history first, this couple is in their mid-life stage and they were recently re-married after living on their own for over 10 years. He has lived in this house for 20+ years and she still owns a home that has furniture in every room.

Now think about how much stuff you collect as a single person and times that by 2, plus, a previous marriage or more. Wow! That could be up to 4 peoples stuff under one roof and now add in a few kids who left their memory boxes behind and we are at least at 6 people's stuff. Ow!

So begins the task of sorting, selling, letting go and oh by the way, making what is left match!

This is a task for the Decorating Divas! 2 cousins by marriage, one 1980's house and a lot of really cool stuff that has stories to tell.

My husband and I recently moved to upper Michigan, a place where shabby and chic go together. There are shabby cottages and chic pocket books. There are chic homes and shabby bank accounts and most importantly there are chic people who take pride in where they live but don't need or have the interest in starting all over again.

It's a task and a half to begin, but what you yield will not only provide more peace and harmony in your home it will create a space where you can entertain his, hers and "our" friends and family.

Now let's get down to the nitty gritty and begin, shall we?

Step #1:These are a few of my favorite things

The first step to merging households is to sit down and discuss the emotional stuff. As a licensed professional counselor I realize that you can't take something away until the person knows what they are going to get in return. If Grandmother's Antique Mission Oak Stickley Rocker has been handed down through the generations and you send it off to the garage this may not start the marriage off to   great marital bliss.

Talk about your expectations, timing, non-negotiables and importantly how you are feeling about the merging process. Don't assume this is easy for either of you. Change is more difficult for some then it is for others. Take the time necessary to hear your spouse's heart.

Step #2: Walk and Talk

Dream a little here. Talk about the functionality of each room. Do you want a nice sitting area where the two of you can have coffee together? Do you like to read and need a special light? Do you like like beige and he likes gray?

What are your priorities? Do you want to do one room at a time, mix it all up at once? Do you need a Pod to store stuff while the carpets get clean? Can you move the stuff by yourself or do you need to hire a few strapping high school boys to move stuff around on a Saturday afternoon?

Is there painting to be done? Are there items that need to be refinished or reupholstered to breathe new life into them without buying something new? What is your timing - 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 1 year?

Step #3: Sticker me

Stop off at the dollar store and pick up 6 rolls of duct tape: 2 red, 2 yellow and 2 green. Pour your favorite beverage, handout a roll of each color to both spouses, turn on some cool tunes and get "stickering".

Red- is for STOP and "get me out of here"
Yellow - is for "I love you but you just may have to go"
Green - is for "there is no way I can part with you"

Set a timer for 15-30 minutes and don't talk. Just get stickering!

When the timer dings you can both take a deep breath and decide not to question your spouses choices.

Step #4: Move it, move it (this can be done room by room or as a whole house depending on how much stuff we are talking about)

Move all of the green things into one room or one side of the room , if you can, even if you differ.
Move the yellow into another room/area and put the red items in the garage where your car usually sits.

Call Purple Heart or Goodwill and arrange for a pickup for 1 week from the day you start. This means that your car may be sitting in the driveway for a week but I can assure you that it is worth it to lighten your load. You can also schedule a garage sale if you are the type of person who wants to make cash instead of getting a tax write-off. Make sure you take inventory before pick-up day.

If you have a green and a red sticker on the item just move it to yellow for now and see if you find a good spot for it. Don't fret if your spouse puts green on more items then you do, consider it an opportunity to learn what is important to the other person.

It's a start...unleash your inner diva!