Design Tip Thursday!

Break away from the usual collection of picture frames or arrange them in a new way on the wall.  A picture wall can be a COOL focal point in a room.  It can be in colorful frames or mounted in an unusual arrangement.  Be creative with your photos and make it a statement piece!

Use  photo mats to tie in other colors from the room.

Think of a creative way to hang your photos!

Add sayings or words in with your photo arrangement.

Photo credit:Pinterest

Lindsey

Inspiration Wednesday!

What inspires you?  One thing that ALWAYS inspires me, is something most people take for granted.  Rain!  I love it, the reflections in the rain puddles and bright colored umbrellas.  I am always inspired creatively when it rains!  Most of the time its through art, but I just think it is beautiful.  All together, nature is a beautiful and inspiring thing, if you take the time to appreciate all of its beauty.

Lindsey

Color Tuesday! Spring colors!

I am obsessing right now over...PURPLE!  So glad it is finding its place in the world.  Purple is a color that evokes royalty and richness.  It can be used for a fun bright pop of color or a deep luxurious color.  If you like the color purple, try it with some throw pillows or an accent chair!  So many possibilities for pairing it with other colors, yellow would be fun for a bright, fun room and grey and eggplant would be gorgeous for a more rich deep toned room.  Either way, if you want to try new colors coming out for spring, try them through accents.  They're easily changed when your next favorite color comes along!

Lindsey

Spring Cleaning is almost here! Organization Monday!

It's almost that wonderful time, spring cleaning!  Time to organize your home after the craziness of the holidays.  So, I thought today, I would talk about how you can really make your home look organized and stylish!  Today, they are making so many cute storage products like patterned storage bins.  Storage isn't something that has to be tucked away, make it a statement in the room.  You can get all shapes, sizes and colors of storage boxes now, so coordinate it with the room you are organizing or use it as a fun pop of color!  By using fun storage ideas, it makes your space more pleasant to be in and easier on the eye.  Also, get creative with your storage vessels, use candle holders or tumblers to hold smaller items like pencils and pens.  Make your space functional and fun to be in!  Happy organizing!  

Storage bins should reflect the look of the room!

Try tying in your storage to an existing space with pops of color!

Use all kinds of storage solutions to suite your needs!

Lindsey

Organization Monday! Hidden Bathroom Storage!

Since I am on an organization kick as of lately, I wanted to showcase some cool ideas we've found for an area of your home that turns into complete chaos.  The bathroom...  Between getting ready for work in the morning and getting ready for bed at night, your bathroom is a busy place!  The key to organization is making it functional for you.  Keep your items in a place that follows your morning and night routine.  Keep items used for one task in the same place, so you don't have to dig for them.  If you do this, it will be much easier for you to keep your space organized in any room of the house!

I love that all the everyday items are neatly tucked away, but easily accessible.

Focus on putting your products into spaces where they will all be together, so you don't have to spend time looking for them during a busy morning.

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Cool find friday!

Some people think of stairs as just a functional piece of architecture in your home, or they may go unnoticed all together.  A staircase can really be an expression of you, your taste, and the style of your home.  They can be a pop of color or pattern.  Use a runner that has an interesting pattern or shape or balusters that are out of the ordinary can add an huge visual interest piece in your home.

Think outside the box!

Add visual interest through pattern!

-Lindsey

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Remember your paint colors.

Your design tip for this Thursday is:

Remember your paint colors!

Thought this was a great way to keep track of all the paint colors in your house.  

You will be faced with touching up your existing color or someone asking you what the beautiful shade is in your dining room at some point.  

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Inspiration IS everywhere.....

It's Inspiration Wednesday!  

I take photos of inspiring things often.  They are almost always something that inspires a design idea.  When a client is starting from "scratch" in a room I will tell them that we need an inspiration idea.  It could be their favorite painting, a hobby or interest, favorite color or animal.  When you are trying to find a "jumping off point" for a room,  look around you.  

Inspiration IS everywhere.

This grate in NYC is so beautiful.  I love the pattern it forms and 

I want to design a fabric with this pattern.

This beautiful lunch I had with my husband reminds me that grouping and grids create beautiful organization and impact.

This photograph of a dolly varden that my son caught inspires a warm grey/fleshy pink/ white color scheme for a room.

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Color Trends: To trend or not to trend?

It's an Emerald Green 2013

Just in case you have been living under a design world rock:  Emerald Green has been named THE color of 2013

 Color trends have become a design timeline, defining style eras of the past. A color trend emerges,  fashion and interior design worlds take notice, fabrics are produced in massive amounts until all you feel like you can find to cover your new sofa is the current color trend. Department and discount stores then carry home goods in the color trend. Everything from bookends to dog bowls are manufactured and sold until 1 in 5 Americans have the same home color scheme, and we are all sick of it and move on to the next color trend.

Some trends have stuck more than others. Some have stuck so much that we may never be able to a certain combination of colors together again. Walk back in fairly recent history with me to the mid 80's and early 90's. Remember Hunter Green/Burgundy/Navy? Or even as recently as the 2000's with the Aqua/Chocolate trend? All of these are beautiful colors, but will we ever be able to pair these combo's again?

Clients frequently say to me: "I want my home to look classic and not dated in 10 years. How do we achieve this?" One of the main things you avoid are color trends in large amounts. Stick to a classic, neutral palette for your big ticket items and accent with color trends. The color trend images below will show you what I mean.

 Ahhhh.... Hunter Green/Burgundy/Navy. 

                                                           I feel like I should be watching 

The Cosby Show and getting a spiral perm.

 Aqua/Chocolate of the 2000's

This is a gorgeous room, but a huge commitment to the emerald trend.

Here's how to "trend" without a huge commitment.  Accent pillows and accessories.

Great way to color trend!

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Mudroom Organization

January is THE month for organization.  Even if you are not prone to organizing any other time of the year,  there is something about a new year that gets folks motivated to start fresh and tidy.  

In my business,  the main design tip I can give you is to get organized and STAY organized.  Just like exercising,  organization is a daily habit.  You can throw as much money you want at a new room or home,  but none of it will matter if it's all a mess in a week.  No one will care that you spent $$$$$$ on a gorgeous new living room if it is covered up with stuff and clutter.  

One area to start and keep organized is your everyday entry area.  Whether you have the luxury of a designated mudroom, or you simply have a section of wall right inside your door, you CAN keep organized.  Keys, phones, backpacks, purses, scarves, hats, gloves, shoes, papers, mail, etc.  Think about what absolutely needs to be in your mudroom before you begin organizing.  Look at photos online from Pinterest, Houzz, or simply Google "mudrooms" to get ideas.  Or hire a professional organizer, interior designer, or decorator in your area to help.  

After you are organized, REMEMBER, you MUST KEEP IT THAT WAY.  Train yourself and your family to put papers, keys, mail, etc in their spot EVERYDAY.  This is a habit that will pay off when you are trying to get out the door in the morning.  

COMMIT TO ORGANIZATION THIS YEAR.  

Your life and your family will thank you for it.

Simple "mud wall".

Lovely closed mudroom storage.

A J. Lawrence Design mudroom.  Luxurious and ORGANIZED.  

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