Archive
May 28, 2008
-
Clutter 101
If you are someone who walks by the same pile of “stuff” on your desk or kitchen island or bedroom corner every day but can’t seem…
May 21, 2008
-
Light it up
It is important to have adequate lighting in your kitchen. To achieve this, you need three basic types of lighting: 1. Ambient 2. Accent…
May 14, 2008
-
Stage your home
It’s my job as a home stager to help guide people in making smart, economical decisions to change some things in their homes when they are…
May 7, 2008
-
Outdoor style
Finally, after a very long and grueling winter season, the best of Maine weather lies ahead. I remember growing up here, and my mom would send all…
April 30, 2008
-
Easy design direction
It’s finally spring and I think everyone is feeling it — especially after such a long, rough winter. This is the time for cleaning out…
April 23, 2008
-
Love your cooking space
Have you decided that a total kitchen remodel is the only way to go? Do you now have an open slate and no idea where to begin? Here are some helpful…
April 9, 2008
-
Better blooms
On the dawn of the first day of spring this year, my daughter woke up and sprang out of bed, ran to her tomato plant she’s been so tenderly…
April 2, 2008
-
Culinary makeover
Total kitchen remodels can be costly, time consuming and can add stress. But there are easy ways to update your kitchen without the intrusiveness of…
March 27, 2008
-
The style of green
Designer show houses are nothing new — each year seems to bring a new crop of them to Maine. But the LEED Show House opening to the public…
March 19, 2008
-
Do it yourself decoupage
It is kind of funny how long it took me to catch on to the art of decoupage. While I do consider myself somewhat of a right brained artist type who…
March 5, 2008
-
Getting it right
With the onset of 2008, most of us chose to make resolutions embracing habits, such as “getting things right” — from caring for our…
February 27, 2008
-
Living with a lack of luster?
Has the decreased level of sunshine caused you to break out in anxious hives? Is a dark cloud looming over you while you’re sitting around…
February 20, 2008
-
Don’t bust your budget
If your budget does not allow for a total kitchen remodel, consider doing some things that can make you enjoy being in your kitchen. Small changes…
February 13, 2008
-
Cool for kids
What a wonderful experience it was for me to buy my first house with my husband and then to begin dreaming about all the fantastic decorating ideas I…
February 7, 2008
-
Get that ‘Ah’ feeling
Something magical happens when we get a mild day in mid-winter and we are able to open our windows (even if it’s just a crack) to let in the…
January 30, 2008
-
Luxury for less
I think there is a little bit of a “pampering prima donna” inside all of us (male or female). We all dream of a space where we want to…
January 16, 2008
-
Kicking out the chems
These days, you really can’t go anywhere without hearing about how many things are “going green.” Environmentally-friendly products…
January 10, 2008
-
In living color
Clean walls, rich in color have an unmatched aesthetic appeal. A colored room can define a space and accentuate the architectural structure of the…
January 4, 2008
-
Color your world
If you’re thinking about starting off the New Year with a fresh look in your home, what better time to analyze your decision about how color…
December 26, 2007
-
Glass designs
If you’ve walked around the Old Port, you’ve most likely come across a storefront, bar or coffee shop that has used stacked, clear glass…
December 4, 2007
-
Quick fix makeovers
Most people, myself included, do not want to wait. We don’t want to wait in line at the bank or at the mall (where we need to purchase the next…
November 27, 2007
-
Give Mother Earth a gift
This holiday season why not give a gift to Mother Earth with a green design mindset? Here are some easy ways to create a beautiful, practical and…
November 20, 2007
-
Hell’s kitchen
Getting a new kitchen may seem like heaven, but if you commit some common kitchen-planning sins, you may spend your remodeling project in…
-
Sort it out
The beginning of the winter season is upon us and I do believe, yet again, that I am not quite ready for it. Autumn here was so warm for the most…
November 13, 2007
-
ART for eating
As a lover of all things hand-crafted and Maine made, Tamra Philbrook always wanted to set her table exclusively with items created by local…
November 6, 2007
-
Just for men
In the past, men had only the basement or the garage to turn to when they wanted to get away. Now times are changing and man spaces are cropping up…
-
Native style
There may be no better place to start with an idea for design than right in your own backyard. Many times as I marvel at something Mother Nature…
October 30, 2007
-
Contemporary snapshot
In theory it sounds like a curatorial nightmare: “ works whose only connection is the artists’ act of donating them to an auction. You…
-
Urban chic
In the space once occupied by Molly’s pub at the corner of Market and Milk streets in the Old Port, a faux condo has sprouted. It’s a…
October 23, 2007
-
Frightful fun
Establishing a party theme saves you tons of time, because you don’t need to approach each aspect of your event from scratch. Instead your…
-
Holiday splash
This is such a fun and exciting time of year — I just love it. The air is crisp and cool, the colors are beautiful and vibrant and the…
October 16, 2007
-
6 trends on high
Each spring and fall furniture buyers flock to High Point, NC to scope out the latest trends and place orders for the hottest new pieces. This…
-
Counter intelligence
Countertops are the main focal point in a kitchen. With such a vast selection these days, where do you even begin to make a decision? Some companies…
October 9, 2007
-
Mother Nature’s palette
Maine is saturated with color. Right now we are inundated in crimson leaves, orange pumpkins, yellow chrysanthemums and baby blue skies. While none…
-
The three Cs
If you are one of the many who have put your home up for sale in this deflated, very tough real estate market, and things aren’t looking so…
October 2, 2007
-
Retro revival
Our grandparents were on to something. At least when it comes to flooring choices. Before the 1947 introduction of vinyl flooring (which is made from…
-
Autumn advice
As the cooler seasons approach, it’s time to look inward and begin the seasonal nesting efforts. Here are a few simple ideas to assist you…
September 25, 2007
-
Well hung
Adding family photos and artwork to the walls of any room will add instant interest and help set the mood. Like anything, hanging art requires a…
-
Paint perfect
As we head into the dark part of the year, paint is a perfect way to add some color and spice to your life. To get started, flip through home…
September 18, 2007
-
Get design sense at ShowHouse events
The Portland Symphony Orchestra’s Designers’ ShowHouse is open through Sept. 30 at the Oakley Estate, 113 Foreside Rd. in Falmouth. This…
-
Feed your ch’i
Simply put ch’i is our life’s energy which is present in everyone and everything. Yes, I mean EVERYTHING. In feng shui, the focus is on…
September 11, 2007
-
Antique delights
People come from far and wide for the high-quality furniture and decorative accessories at the annual Maine Antiques Dealers Association show. Last…
-
Shades of same
Are you the kind of person who is stuck in an old boring color scheme in your home and just don’t know how to break out of it? Well, never…
September 5, 2007
-
Ready to show
Last week painters, carpenters, landscapers and designers swarmed all over the Oakley Estate on the Falmouth Foreside. Artwork was hung, sconces were…
August 28, 2007
-
Therapeutic scents
Any mom with little kids in the house knows that finding ways to relax after a hectic day or figuring out how to get a boost when energy levels are…
-
Trendy tile
Do you sometimes wonder what happens to the cans and bottles that you spend time each week separating into recyclable and non-recyclable bags in your…
August 21, 2007
-
Bedlam in the bedroom
Master bedrooms are very important to people. I have found that the master bedroom is quite the “catch” for a home buyer. All too often…
-
Home happenings: Week of Aug. 23
Restoration Story of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Avery Coonley House Aug. 23, 2-4 p.m. Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Sq. Owner Dean…
-
Sofas for tight spaces
To move furniture into my living room, I not only need to maneuver it up a narrow stairway and get it through a door (with a wall 12 inches away)…