When Sandy and Andrew first hired me, he was skeptical and she wanted all new things. After helping them downsize into a new space, Andrew was adamant that not only should they use me again, but also said it was a condition of the new move. Sandy was also excited to see her existing pieces used in a new way. I happily stepped in to help them once again. This new, second project was different from the first, but one thing remained constant: making sure their art was the star in this new space as I’d done in their previous house. We hit a few logistical snags, like needing a new dining room tabl ..read more

No Bus Stops Many modern homes have beautiful open concept design, but without defined spaces, it can be difficult to know what to put where. One of the main tenets of an open floor plan is to create areas yourself, and one of the best ways to do that is to create a circle of conversation. By pointing furniture towards other seating pieces, you give guests a chance to face you and each other instead of winding up with the dreaded bus stop- a row of seating that all faces one direction. That’s fine for when you’re sitting next to strangers in a doctor’s office but your home should be inviti ..read more

Are you looking for a surefire way to enjoy your golden years? Maybe you should look into buying a vacation home. This is definitely a big purchase, but if you play your cards right, you could turn your dream second home into a smart investment. Whatever your reasons may be for looking for a second home, here are some tips to guide you through the process.   Only Buy What You Can Afford   Just like if you were purchasing a primary living residence, you need to know what you can afford to spend on a vacation home. An online calculator is a really helpful tool for getting an idea of ho ..read more

There are several wonderful reasons to consider downsizing in retirement. From lower utility bills to fewer maintenance obligations, downsizing is a great way to simplify your senior years. But the downsizing process is a lot of hard work. Among the many tough decisions that you will have to make, deciding what to do with your current home may be the most difficult. Here are some things to consider as you weigh your options.   Schedule an in-home consultation with Styling and Staging for all your home staging, design, and styling needs. Call 847-815-6167 or complete this form!   Do Y ..read more

Many of us are feeling sad and lonely in our homes. What have you done to make a creative change? There are ways to use what you already own, and redesign in a fresh, new way, but it’s often “impossible” to do that without outside help/ideas. Before I redesign a room, I talk with the homeowner about how they want that room to FEEL and to FUNCTION. What is the FLOW of the space? Who is the FAMILY that uses the room? What do they do for FUN in the room? Then I send the owners off, and begin the redesign by emptying the room … I’m left with a blank canvas to rebuild the space, and incorporate all ..read more

Being a visually creative person, it's difficult for me to put into words what type of logo would best describe my business/service/me.  I'll know it when I see it ... but how can I let a graphic designer somewhere on this planet know where to start. I designed a "contest" with a bit of information, and then let them start drawing so I could edit their lines and swirls.  I gave them some colors I like, and answered questions about the degree of feminine vs masculine, subtle vs obvious, young vs mature and so forth.  In going through this process, I realized that it's often diffi ..read more

I recently had the opportunity to stroll through Eataly in NYC.  Boy do they know how to "stage" their shop.  Just looking at the desserts counter made me think "I deserve that!" ... or maybe I'll buy the book and make it myself.  Fat chance (pun intended). When we stage-to-sell houses, we do the same thing.  Create lovely rooms that make a buyer feel they deserve to live like this too.  In some cases they take lots of photos so they can do it themselves (fat chance).  Every home is different because each owner has a unique personality (that should be) reflected i ..read more

Join us for a creativity day of decorating, accessorizing and home styling.  We'll work in a real house, to re-style the room for a fresh new look.  You'll be amazed at the Big difference we can make in just a few hours.  The next class is scheduled for Saturday, January 10, 2015.  Class room learning from 9am to noon, and hands-on experience from 1pm to 4pm ..read more