Would you like Cheese with that Wine?

People are drinking more. Honest, they are. Not sure if it is an escape from the economic climate, or just a fun, entertaining trend, but I have been in quite a few homes lately that have a bar area. Martini's were definitely in last year, and now it seems to be a mixture of old fashioned hard liquor, straight up, and a heck of a lot of homemade concoctions. People are even buying Moonshine (who knew you could?).

So, whatever the reason, and even if your favorite drink is sparkling water with a slice of lemon, why not get creative, and make your bar area a decorative part of your home? When I started looking for some photographs, I found that re-purposing unused and over-sized furniture seemed to be the most common solution; entertainment centers, televisions and kitchen dresser's were used a lot. Makes sense; some of these pieces are very well made, and no longer used, so why not give them a new life?

One of my favorite ideas is the television set (above). Just the look of it makes me want to smile, put on a pair of high heels, and pour Don Draper a shot of whiskey. So, while I plan my drink-serving outfit, here are some ideas that may make you re-think hiding that funky bottle of moonshine behind the olive oil...

An armoir, an entertainment center, or an old wardrobe. So Easy.

So obvious, it has to be mentioned. Just borrow a shelf from your bookcase. 

A vintage filing cabinet has lots of space for bar and entertaining accessories as well. 

A decorative tray can be brought out when needed, and stored away until your next party.

Still with a retro vibe, this one is new; from Crate and Barrel, it folds up when not in use. 

I love this idea for a vacation home, or a party (anywhere). An old Bread Box, metal crate, or Tool Box would be perfect.

Photographs were borrowed from Pinterest, Tumbler and Pottery Barn.

Decorating + Home = Free Therapy

Do you think they had to wait a long time to get this photograph, or do you think it was a happy accident?
I have to believe it was just a happy accident. Cats are not known for doing what you ask them, so I imagine this is one of his favorite spots to sit.
The sunlight coming through the windows, the plants on the windowsill, and the colorful, comfy pillows on the white bench, just scream warmth and happiness. This room was deliberately designed to be bright and cheerful; almost daring you to never frown, and promising to coax smiles out of even the most curmudgeon of visitors.

I love this home, and it is a great reminder of how we can change the way we feel by paying attention to how we live.

Is it weird to say that I actually consider homes to be a rather inexpensive form of therapy? Think about it; we never have to wait for an appointment, or worry about insurance, and, we have the ability to change most things whenever we want to. So, if ever you feel like you need a little bit of help in the happiness department, why not try some of these ideas in your home first.

Feeling Bored:
Take all of your books and cd's off the shelves. Go through them, listen to the music, read a few chapters, and put away the ones you no longer like very much. Reorganize the shelves.

Stressed out:
Light a candle. Did you know the simple act of striking a match, and putting it to a candle, relieves stress?
Open the windows and doors. Bringing fresh air inside will flush out all those weird toxins that sit around our homes (doing bad things that we are all told about, but nobody quite understands).
Vacuum. It doesn't require any fine motor skills (I get clumsy if I am stressed) the noise will distract you from whatever you are worrying about, and your house will be clean.

Tired:
Have a room, or a space, where you know you can always take a nap, meditate, sit and look out the window, or read a book. Try to keep it clutter free, as neat as possible, and have an emergency napping kit waiting right there (a blanket, a book, a favorite photograph, music, a pillow, a souvenir of a happy time, a pencil and paper....).

Overwhelmed:
Do just one thing. Choose something small (and manageable) that overwhelms you in your home. Write it on your calendar, and allow yourself twice the amount of time you think you may need. Don't stop until you finish. eg. sort through one junk drawer, go through the mail, or fold one load of laundry.

Cranky:
Distract yourself with something physical that takes some thought, effort and energy. Move the furniture around - don't worry about whether or not it will look good, just move it around and see. Paint a room, a floor or a door. Take all your pictures/photographs off the wall, and hang them up in different spots. Organize a closet, pantry, office, laundry room, basement or garage.

A bit Blue:
Go through your home, and try to get rid of a few things that you don't like. Store them away until tomorrow. Find things you really love, and put them where you can see them. If nothing else, try to make sure your main living areas look like you are happy, and your home is taken care of.
Even if your heart isn't in it, it is a bit of a "fake it 'til you make it" scenario, that does wonders for your emotional well being.

After I wrote this, I thought it might seem like a strange post, but, a home is the place where we choose to live, not just a beautiful, complex formula of colors, shapes and symmetry. Why not allow it to nurture us as well?...

Photograph borrowed from Fresh Happy Home

Quotables

I have friends who can quote something fabulous at the drop of a hat; they even know who said it, and what they say is always appropriate to the occasion. I admire them for this, and I try to remember them, really I do, but two seconds later I couldn't tell you what it was that was so memorable. 
I have quotes scattered around my office, but if I wasn't able to see them, I often wonder if they would still inspire me?
Quotes, are tidy little morsels of words that magically make us stop and wonder, secretly wishing we had thought of them first. Here are a few of my favorites to start off your week ....

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” — Henry David Thoreau

           “Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.”
                                                                       — Bill Moyers

“Decorate your home. It gives the illusion that your life is more interesting than it really is.” - Charles M. Schulz 

“Design is an opportunity to continue telling the story, not just to sum everything up.”
 —  Tate Linden

       “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”
                                               — Pablo Picasso

"One should never be the oldest thing in one's house." - Patsy Stone 

“Have no fear of perfection — you’ll never reach it.” — Salvador Dali

                     "Good design is a conversation.” – Zahid Sardan

".. our objects, bibelots, whatnots, and knickknacks-say the most about who we are. They are as honest as a diary."    - Charlotte Moss                      

                            "Be thoughtful, not weird..."  - Jonathan Adler

“Home is the nicest word there is.”   - Laura Ingalls Wilder

How to Draw on your Walls

When my daughter was little, I was constantly cleaning the walls (okay, well not really, but I should have been). I know lots of mothers who had an entire arsenal of cleaning equipment, and spent a lot of time chasing down the messes, and researching the best way to get colored marker off the refrigerator door.

My (lazy?) solution was always to give my daughter places where she could paint or color, without me worrying, and without stifling her creativity. If it was sunny outside, I would put her in a bathing suit, and let her paint anywhere she wanted to. It didn't matter if paint spilled, or if she went off the paper; she could add dirt and worms to her art, or paint the grass all day long if she wanted to.

Inside my house, I would use masking tape to outline several large shapes on the wall. She would color inside the tape, and when we peeled it off, she had drawn on the walls, and I had new artwork. Every few weeks I would paint over them, and give her new ones to fill in.

After a while, I wanted her to have more space, so, I used chalkboard paint on my walls. Admittedly, this may not be for the neatnik, or a clutter-free home (it will smudge, and can look quite messy) but it is still definitely one of my favorite options for children of all ages.

As life went on, the chalkboard wall was constantly used, but my daughter still needed actual paper to draw on. Most children want to draw or paint with messy abandon, and a small, neat piece of paper is not their preferred canvas. So, I decided to buy one of those giant rolls of newsprint paper that attach to the wall. She could tear off as much as she wanted (by herself, any time) draw anything at all (any size), and having unlimited sheets of paper gave her an immense feeling of freedom. (We would pin it across the wall afterwards, and she would marvel at the sheer size of what she had created).

Of course, I realize that not every home can be covered in chalkboard paint, and some parents may object to painted worms in the backyard, but there are other ways to keep your walls clean, and your child creative:

• Consider using a bold, darker color in every room; it will look clean for a lot longer, won't be as tempting as white, and unwanted drawings will just seem like abstract patterns on the wall.
• Compromise, with a decorative and creative statement that you all can enjoy. This Picture Frame Wallpaper (above) by Graham & Brown is perfect for any room of the house (use a lot, or a little).  

Honestly, no matter how much you try, children will always want to draw on walls; so why not give in, make up your own rules, and just let them..... 

Design your own Details

My sister alters her clothes herself; if a top is too long, she will cut it, if pants are too big, she will adjust them, and if she doesn't like the buttons, she will sew on new ones. This seems normal to her, but when she first suggested I manipulate a shirt to suit my shape, I was a little scared. I thought you bought them, and wore them. Not being a seamstress, it never occurred to me to change them myself, and a tailor seemed like a luxury that you kept for special occasions.

So, last week, as I painted matte black nail polish over a bright silver buckle on my belt, I realized that what she was doing, what she had taught me, was what I actually do all the time with my work. We tweak it. We work with what we have, and we make it fit (creatively, of course).

It got me thinking about all of the things in our homes that we can tweak ourselves. Not big DIY projects, but small adjustments that make a difference, and make our homes a bit more personal. One of the things I get told quite often, is that clients don't want their house to look like everyone elses; they cringe when they show me the generic print that came from the wall of a popular retail store, but they bought it because they liked it, and it fit the space. (What they didn't like was that their neighbors also had the same print, the same size, with the same frame).

As someone who once painted her entire sofa with coffee (to create an antique finish, of course), I thought I would share with you a few easy things that are not as drastic as painting your sofa, but will still make a significant impact to normal (generic) everyday items.

- Knobs, hooks and other hardware: If shiny metal, consider using sandpaper to make them less new, and buff them with dark stain to age them. Try nail polish remover to remove some of the coating, and let them age naturally. If you want metal to look more modern, try high quality colored nail polishes (the colors are far more interesting and varied than metal paint. Plus, the brush is perfect for small surfaces).
For wood hardware, stain, paint, polyurethane or distress, depending on your style. Decide the look you what you want, then make it happen.

- Generic paintings and photographs. Change out the frame with something unexpected. If it is a fancy painting, get a simple frame, and vice versa. Buy an extra large mat (or several in different sizes) and create a big frame around a tiny picture. If it is an inexpensive print, try altering it a little with random paint splatters, a light wash of another color, or a little bit of crackle paint. Be unpredictable.

- Lampshades: Add buttons, felt polka dots, or upholstery trim with a hot glue gun. I have even painted them before, and although it works, it does alter the light that it gives off, so be careful if it is a task light. Have fun with this, and treat it as an inexpensive accessory.

- Appliances: Buy replacement knobs, and drip plans in different colors/metals. than it came with (usually on-line, and very inexpensive). Appliance paint I haven't used, so will leave that up to you (I know one person who had a terrible time with it, and a few others who had great success with it).

Whatever you do, never assume that what you have is what you have to live with; like clothes, many things can be adjusted to suit you and your style. A generic budget doesn't have to mean that your home is limited and boring, it just requires a little bit of creativity. But, I wouldn't advise painting your sofa with coffee - it took ages to dry, I never got rid of the stale coffee smell, and, well, I admit, it was just kind of weird....