Opening our hearts and souls and minds to the universe and just taking it in….that’s where inspiration comes in and we feel it. It’s so wonderful! And the best part of it all is that there’s no right or wrong answer to inspiration. Why? Because inspiration is so incredibly personal and individual. It’s emotional yet complex this business of inspiration.

For me, I LOVE the Blue Nile Rose. Its petals tipped in a cool, rich lavender yet softest shade of blue color and sweet, yet not overwhelming soft fragrance inspire me in a deep way.

Inspiration comes from something that you LOVE. It’s what you feel when you see something that causes your heart to leap, whether it’s something that is said, a place you’ve been or even a scent or color.

Take yourself to a place of good memories. Imagine a place you’ve been, or a moment in time that a memory was created. What was it about that memory that makes you smile? Was it the scent of a marketplace in Europe with the freshly-baked bread and farm-rich vegetables. Or was it a time with family during the holidays, with everyone gathered in the same room laughing and joking and feeling comfortable? It could be anything and anywhere. It could be the first time you cooked your first Thanksgiving meal in your own kitchen, or the smell of the gardenias wafting through your home from an open window.

As a designer, my experience with inspiration has taken me to some incredible places with my clients. Like creating a design around a bouquet of flowers. My client was struck by this photo of hands holding this delicate bouquet of flowers. I not only created a color palette from the beauty of the flowers, but what also struck me was the way the flowers were held by a pair of hands. There was a level of comfort that I felt and worked into the overall feel of the design.

Another experience I remember is seeing this amazing photo shown to me by a client. The photo was of a woman in a classic, and very simple, navy blue evening gown. The image, and its simplicity really struck me as did the incredible feeling of love my client had for the photo. I understood her inspiration and passion for quiet sophistication, and that became my inspired theme for the design of her home.

When I first meet my clients I truly uncover their own inspirations by just getting to know them. Through that journey of discovery, you get a sense of your own triggers of emotion as you describe your favorite things, colors and places within your own home that bring you joy and happiness.

We all are inspired! I love those aha moments when an inspiration comes to me for design based on the passion felt by my clients.

Come with me on this journey of inspiration!

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Green is often correlated with nature, which is calm and relaxing. Think of the lush green trees blowing in the wind. It’s so soothing isn’t? Now imagine that color in your home as you sit relaxing in your own space.

The warm colors can spark your emotions from excitement to action. When we see red we think passion.  And when we see red, our mood may jump to one of energy and taking action.

The passion and scent of red roses invokes love of a partner and the breezy green of the forest trees can put us to sleep because of the delicate sounds and calming color.

We associate color with emotion and inspiration.

I love creating the perfect mood in the home of a client and different colors can do that! Color is amazing! And, believe it or not, no color, like a house full of beige, can actually be really under-stimulating. We don’t want that!

Putting color into your life and your home can change your emotional reactions and your mood.

Different colors bring out different moods and can even bring out different moods in different people. The marvelous  world of color has a different  meaning for each and every one of us.

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The colors we use in our homes can have a direct effect on our emotions. Using color intentionally is a great way to liven up a space, while bolstering the particular mood we want to set.

Our favorite spaces in our homes are generally our kitchens and great rooms. They’re the perfect places to use warm, mood elevating colors like yellows and oranges. I love using yellows in a kitchen because often it’s the first room you spend time in in the mornings. If you want to feel more bliss in your day, yellow really raises the vibration in a space.

Purple is a rather understated color, but a perfect blend of the energy that red elicits, tempered by the stabilizing effects of blue. Purple is often associated with regality, but can also elicit magic and mystery. Because of this, I think purple makes a great bedroom color. A cool lavender shade could bring a touch of softness to your room, whereas a deep eggplant would set off a sense of extravagance.

Reminiscent of nature, greens tend to have a more calming effect on the mind. They’re especially suited for spaces you use for reflection, particularly if your home has a library or study. This color can easily be brought in through indoor plant accents if you need a more diffused sense of calm. They add just the right touch of green you need to feel grounded throughout your space.

Shades of blue evoke the soothing elements of water, and help stabilize emotions. Bathrooms are great candidates for the color, especially when paired with clean white porcelain and linens. Together, blues and whites in a bathroom evoke cleanliness, while brightening these often small quarters.

If bringing intentional color into your home seems a bit daunting, there is a neutral that I am fond of. There’s so many shades of white, and they go with everything. You can go for warmth with a creamier shade, or make your space more crisp and airy with one with blue tones. How you choose to bring white into a space can achieve a similar brightening effect to color.

If choosing from the myriad of swatches available seems like something you’d rather leave to a professional, contact me for color consultation. You can discover the ways your home can be enlivened with a fresh bouquet of color!

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In many classic home designs, a closed doorway would keep the bustle of the kitchen separated from the entertaining spaces. However, in new home construction, kitchens that are open and connected to the living area are one of the highest sought after design features. Our kitchens have not only become the heart of our homes, but can set the style tone for the whole house.

A kitchen update can be the inspiration a homeowner needs to reconnect with their home and personalize their space. Whether you want something light and airy, or even more dramatic, there are modern elements available to make your kitchen fresh and new, even for those on a budget. In my designs, I like to included quality GE appliances that are comparable in style to expensive industrial ones, for a fraction of the cost. For counter tops, I’ve been drawn to using Ceasar Stone. It’s a quartz composite which has the same visual effect as granite, but for half the price.

The color scheme and textures of the kitchen can often be complemented in the next room. If there’s stainless appliances and dark woods in the kitchen, one can warm up those tones in the living space with a warm grey, without giving up the sleek style. These updates can be affordable. A simple change in paint color or refinishing existing furniture or cabinetry is easy on any budget, and can tie the spaces together. By using what you have with a fresh outlook on it, you don’t need to spend a fortune for a new look. Even getting your existing carpets cleaned and a new wall color can give the impression of a whole new space.

For many, a kitchen redesign may seem like an overwhelming investment, but with the help of a professional, there is a plan for every budget. You don’t have to be wealthy to have an interior designer help you. With the knowledge of design resources and brands that a designer like myself has, clients save time and money comparative shopping, and they can relax and find joy in the process. A kitchen update not only adds value to your home, it brings the daily reward of feeling a more personal touch in the space they most often use.

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