It feels like this round of the One Room Challenge is flying by because it doesn’t feel like 3 weeks but it also feels weirdly slow because it’s not my home. Like with any design project, I’m on the client’s timeline more than I am on my own, but for this we did have a schedule we needed to stick to. This week’s agenda — get delivery ready! At the start of the One Room Challenge, we scheduled our white glove delivery with Apt2B and with that date in mind, she knew that things would need to be purged & disposed of before then to make the delivery process even easier. With delivery scheduled, this meant she knew exactly how much time she had to get rid of things! Time for the purge! I partnered with Simplify Storage in NYC to give her the peace of mind of keeping the things that needed keeping without having to see them al the time. No more shoving things under the bed or into corners. Especially with winter finally gone, she could pack away all those coats & boats, and not think about or see em for months!
Read MoreWe’re a week into this 6 week studio apartment transformation and man oh man, am I excited for what’s to come! As is the case with most apartments, the small footprint results in a lack of storage, and so that will be the biggest challenge that I am designing around here. She is a super stylish, super chic NYC gal on the go, and her apartment is just on the go. Lol. I can’t do anything about the existing footprint but by using soft tones, acrylic finishes, and stylish storage, I can definitely optimize the space for sleep, work, and play.
Read MoreI can’t believe that I will be participating in the One Room Challenge for the 3rd season in a row! But there is one MAJOR key difference this third go round that I’ll be participating in the One Room Challenge — I’m not doing my own home! I’ll be tackling a studio apartment in my hometown of Brooklyn, New York. Naturally I’m excited, as this’ll be my first time doing someone else’s home for the One Room Challenge. This’ll be just like any of my other online interior design (aka e-design) projects, where I’ll be working virtually with one of my favorite people in the world to transform her studio into a functional & stylish space that matches her fly. But this is with a twist because I will actually be flying out to New York to install the project.
Read MoreLast year I did a whole series on my YouTube channel sharing some of my productivity hacks & habits, from an A to Z of my go to resources to staying physically & mentally productive as a work from home mom. One of my simple yet super effective “hacks” has always been to get dressed — I learned the hard way that while it sounds nice to say you’re working from home in your pajamas, it doesn’t make for a very productive day. After having my daughter, I decided I deserved better, and now working at home full time, I made a commitment to myself to not just find bras that fit or “good” bras, but bras that I could look good and feel good in all day at home and outside. Enter ThirdLove.
Read MoreAs a mother, a wife, and an entrepreneur Amazon has become so much more than a shopping site — it’s a resource! There is a myriad of ways to take advantage of all that Amazon offers — whether it’s by simply shopping the site, getting a prime membership, or using their devices and that’s not even scratching the surface! How and why I use Amazon only makes up for a fraction of the site’s features & benefits.
Read MorePursuing my masters degree what something that I’d always wanted to do when “the time was right” but after almost a decade of being out of school, in 2016, I made the choice to go for it, studying interior architecture & design. While this wasn’t exactly the same type of architecture program I was studying back in 2003, talk about full circle! Have I completed the degree yet? Nope! Yet in the 2 and a half years since I started the program I’ve learned more about myself (and the industry) than I bargained for — and spoiler alert: none of it is actual lessons in design (but don’t tell my professors that).
Read MoreBack in 2016 when I launched the original Decor Discovery is was a subscription box — I thought I was out of my depth & just downright nuts, but I went for it anyway, and was immensely blessed to have seen it come to life. After an amazing first year, as I prepped for year two, I had a decision to make — a tough one to let go of the subscription. Here we are, now another year later, and I still have that passion for shopping & wanted to bring my finds to you. But now, instead of a bi-monthly subscription box, I’ve decided to do say by way of a curated shop!
Read MoreIt’s crazy to think that a simple bedroom refresh, redesign if you will, turned out to be this laborious undertaking, but man oh man, was it worth it. Overall the plan was to use the space better, and in turn it would feel better…all while keeping in mind that we rent. While I wasn’t able to get everything done, because life and all that, what ended up being left over isn’t anything that can’t be tackled in our free time.
Read MoreOne of the biggest components of making this new transformation work is storage — no sense in having everything nice & pretty if it can’t stay that way because there’s no where to put anything. And I am so glad we upgraded our mattress before kicking off this madness & mayhem, because while it may just be a redesign — no reno or major cosmetic upgrades — it’s still somehow managed to turn our bedroom upside down; so imagine having the bedroom in shambles AND an uncomfortable mattress!
Read MoreAs a renter, the common theory is that we deal with whatever the existing ceiling lighting is are and then maybe get some table and/or floor lamps, but that’s not what I wanted.
I wanted sconces specifically to make the best use of the space — table & floor lamps take up space that I wasn’t willing to spare. After having a table lamp on our nightstand for nearly a year I knew I wanted that surface area back.
Even as a renter, with a very focused search, I quickly found that I was not limited in my stylish lighting solutions.
Read MoreOne of the first things that stood out to me when we moved in was the paint color because it wasn’t my personal cup of tea. Getting a chance to team up with Wallplanks to do an accent wall was like a DREAM!
Read MoreRight before leaving for High Point Market I asked on my Instagram stories what some of your favorite, go to home retailers (p.s. the new questions feature is definitely becoming a new fav!) and the answers I got varied, but with a few repeats — Ashley Furniture, Homegoods/Homesense/TJ Maxx, Target, Wayfair, Overstock, and Z Gallerie.
Read MoreHaving already most of the marquee pieces — bed, rug, seating, window treatments, and nightstand, I wanted to be sure to work with them. I partnered with the amazing team over at From the Forest, the parent company of Wallplanks, chose my planks and knew this was exactly what the room needed to feel cozier, brighter, and more like us.
Read MoreSo in my lifetime, I've moved 7 times. With every move, I found myself constantly trying to define my life via my space. I'm someone who lives in my head, and with that, someone who's always planning and envisioning and daydreaming. I'd get lost in thought planning changes I'd want to make; because no matter what was happening around me, I needed to be able to control my home. With each move, this has never changed. But also with each move, I've learned just a little bit more about myself, the people in my life, and honestly, the world around me.
Read MoreThis past May, I participated in the One Room Challenge for the first time & it was a great opportunity to show our condo balcony some love — transforming it from an unused storage overflow area to a Hygge inspired outdoor space where we enjoyed the entire spring & summer season! Now it’s time for another One Room Challenge & I’m excited to be participating again, this time with our master bedroom.
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Over the summer we decided to give our daughter her own room, which meant moving out of my home office & transitioning that room into a space fit for a threenager — fun but peaceful, child-friendly but chic, and most importantly something she would love!
Read MoreGoing to High Point Market in a few weeks is going to be a major treat for any interior designer or design industry professional -- it's like our fashion week! After browsing on the trends to look out for and product forecasts (and composing myself, because WOWZA!) a thought occurred to me... If any of these predictions & debuts could be shopped now, or at least something close to & accessible, it's like you'll be ahead of the curve, so I've rounded up some current "dupes" of upcoming drops!
Read MoreLast Spring, I had the honor and pleasure of being invited to my first ever High Point Market. I went from having no interest in this “fashion week” of the home industry to booking a last minute flight for a 72-hour trip — 48 hours travel & 24 hours actually at High Point! Fast forward a couple of months, during which I launched a second business specifically for e-designers — The E-Design Experience — I am prepping to make my return to High Point Market, and this time for more than a day.
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