Some people have a dedicated space for a dining room, and others don’t…but whatever your house looks like, turkey day is coming, so it’s time to dust off the dining room table. Oh it’s one of my favorite holidays…I love to cook, and gathering with family and friends to eat is probably my favorite activity. Thanksgiving is the holy grail of food holidays.
Read MoreCreating a Gracious Guest Room
‘Tis the season when out of town guests show up to stay with you. Assuming you actually want them to stay, here are a few tips for the gracious host on creating a welcoming guest room.
Think of your guest space as a boutique hotel suite, and plan accordingly.
Read More3 Tips for Creating a Dream Kitchen
Updating a kitchen is on my mind lately…I’ve had the privilege of helping many clients create their dream kitchens over the last 20 plus years. Researching new trends and gaining knowledge about the latest available options is one of my favorite pastimes. And my own kitchen saga taught me a few things early on as well.
Read MoreTrade Secrets: Designing Small Spaces
Designing small spaces is a unique challenge. Like all good design, function, appearance, and comfort are all supremely important, but in small spaces, every inch counts.
Read MoreKitchen Remodeling Decisions
A kitchen HAS to be a functional space, but it should also bring you joy – even if you DON’T love to cook. Everybody has to eat and food lives in the kitchen so by definition, you will spend time there, regularly…it is probably one of the hardest working and most used rooms in the house. It is also one of the most expensive to remodel, so making good choices is of the utmost importance –
Read MoreSeen Around Town: Fabulous Fabrics
On a recent visit to the Boston Design Center looking for fabrics for a couple of current projects, we came across these fabulous finds! I am a total sucker for anything embroidered...embroidered linen or silk makes me swoon. The textures we spied included embroidery, appliqué, and some unusual embellishments.
Read MoreTransformations: How this kitchen went from tired to timeless
Frustrated with her dark and dated kitchen, our client knew it was time for an overhaul. Traveling extensively for her job, and short on time, she wanted her kitchen to be a welcome retreat for cooking, not an exercise in perseverance when she was home.
The first step to change is identifying the problem, and this kitchen had several
Read MoreHappy 4th!
Happy 4th to you! Generally, the holiday includes sparklers, fireworks viewing, and a cookout with family and friends.
In our house it also means sangria: The perfect summer drink. Despite being Spanish in origin, it seems to pair well with all kinds of cookout foods and is my favorite ‘go to’ beverage for 4th of July celebrations. Also, it’s red. That should count for something on the most renowned of the “red, white, and blue” holidays! Here I’m sharing my current favorite sangria recipe.
Read MoreFood for Thought; A Restaurant Design Review
While working on Cape Cod last week, I discovered an enchanting spot for breakfast! I love eating breakfast out and this little place had the most charming exterior. The Red Cottage in Dennis is
Read MoreHome Sweet Office
With the advent of technology and our increasingly interconnected society, the possibility and plausibility of working from home is rapidly rising. Documents can be shared and worked on cooperatively in cloud applications, and meetings and brainstorming sessions can be held via video conferencing. Even if a home office is not a primary work space for you, it is likely at least a part time work space and a location from which to manage personal finances and household activities. There are many advantages of an office at home, and let’s face it, you can’t beat the commute!
But all offices, whether at home or in a commercial setting, should be both functional and inspiring.
Read MoreHotel Room or Bed and Breakfast? Which would you choose?
A tale of two rooms. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…traveling to a specific destination for a specific reason is a blessing and a curse. You are beholden to the accommodations available in the area. My youngest recently graduated from college in Ithaca, NY and traveling there for his various performances and events has been interesting, to say the least! The day I checked into one
Read MoreSeen Around Town: Patio Plants and Planters
No outdoor room is complete without some planters! As a right of spring (and an indication that the snow has left the vicinity for at least the next few months...), I look forward to planting the pots on my deck each year with flowers and ivy and herbs. A recent visit to my favorite
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