I am lucky enough to be remodeling the house I “inherited” from my parents so they could follow their dreams and move across the country to Seattle.

The most recent event was refinishing the floors. One of the hidden treasures in houses built before the 1960′s is the hardwood subflooring. To my joy the cheap carpeting was pulled out revealing a worn, dirty and, in some places, damaged red oak floor throughout the entire first floor!

This is when the learning process began:

• Who does flooring in the area?
• What does it entail?
• How long does it take?
• How do I select a color?
• Can they get repair the damaged parts?
• Where will I live while it’s being done!

After three interviews I learned:

• That price isn’t a factor (they were all the same).
• That water damage can mostly be repaired (depending on how severely warped), but that pet urine cannot be repaired (seeps into the wood and turns it black).
• That the first coat seeps into the wood, so 3 coats will give you a longer wear because there are 2 coats above the wood protecting the surface.
• That  the different slats of wood take the finish differently so have them stain a large swatch for you verify the selected color (make sure you like it, to avoid having to redo in the future).
• You need 24 hours between coats, 48 hours before placing furniture on it, 30 days for the stain to completely cure.

My “new” floors are amazing and I love them! I admit, I did go with the “safer” color instead of the trendy new color. Check out the pictures and let me know what you think of the floors…

Metal Artwork

If you are looking for an amazing local designer who can help you be happier in your home with a few simple changes, you need to call Betsy!

We all have memories of the places we have been. We all have collections of items that are beautiful to us. Here are some tips to honor our “stuff”…

• Little is More – having a couple of nice and quality items are more impactful than a bunch of different items.
• Groups are Dramatic – Gather all the one here and one there and make a collection of them in one spot.
• Odd Number Magic –3,5,7,and 9 are more peaceful arrangements (this one is more a suggestion.
• Pyramids –When setting up a display think vertically to o. Place some items on pillars or candle holders in a tallest, medium and shortest fashion. It moves your eye around so you can take it all in.
• Memory Wall – They make you smile.  A creative idea is to use all exactly the same frame, or to use all different frames in the same color, or to use all completely different frames in size, shape, and color.

Take pride in your past and your loves.

Here it is February and my holiday mantle is still up.  I admit I like the green and the color, it makes me smile. It is a nice contrast to the white on white outside with the snow.  But, I promise I will take it down this weekend, for sure. Really… We are, however, in luck because Naturally Jodi is on top of things.  She is set to help us get ready for setting up a Green household. Enjoy her motivational post to get us in line for spring cleaning… and living healthier.

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Green Home for the New Year by Naturally Jodi

As the holidays wind down there is the task of removing & cleaning up our holiday decorations. Many have mixed emotions about how fast the holidays go by and we move on to the New Year with or without a plan on what to do with our homes.

Maybe you dislike these activities or you love to move furniture, redecorate or get a jump on spring-cleaning in the winter, either way you are in the right position to create a Green Home! … to read more

One of my many favorite parts of interior design  is finding new solutions to fulfill the needs of my clients. Providing them with something custom and reflecting their personality. For the bachelor pad, we wanted something big, masculine and urban for above the sofa.

So, I pulled out my paint brush and created this 3 part artwork. Below is the process of how… Enjoy!

FRIST - A scaled drawing of desired design so would know how to layout the actual art piece

SECOND – Paint primer with base color that will come through in parts for the faux finish

THIRD – Layout in sections the different areas to be worked on. Can’t tape all at once because the metal tiles touch each other. You have to tape, paint, pull tape, wait to dry, tape next section, paint, pull tape, wait to dry, and so on till you get all the sections painted.

FOURTH – These are the textured tiles. Apply plaster with a putty knife in an “artistic” fashion

Fifth – Apply the paint. Metal finish paint is sold in small tubes at your local craft store. Mix paint 50/50 with a floating medium (bought I the same section as the paint). This allows you to brush on the paint, and combine the colors together smoothly so there are no definite edges and it looks more natural.

SIXTH – Repeat in each section till done!

GRAND FINALLY – The piece hangs nicely in Scott’s living room, balance with other urban artwork by his niece and reflecting his personality.