Aas a mom and wife, obviously my home is no longer just MY home. My decisions have to be made with my husband and daughter in mind, but more so my daughter; and a question I get A LOT is how I can have nice things with a toddler.
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When you're working for someone else, there are a lot of business responsibilities that you don't necessarily have to worry about -- things like administrative systems & back-end operations -- but as an entrepreneur, all of these are up to you to coordinate, which can be overwhelming & intimidating. As part of our initiative to educate designers & provide them with curated resources, we hosted our Savvy Systems Week with 5 platforms that could suit your unique business model.
Read MoreWork is important but so is family. I don't want to sacrifice my ambitions but I also don't want to scar my daughter. When she sees mommy working, is she impressed by my drive or is she resentful of the perceived neglect? I'm am truly grateful to have a husband that supports what I do & who constantly reassures me that I'm doing great, but if I ever had any doubts before, I am certainly convinced now that men and women are just wired differently because he'll never truly understand why I feel guilty.
Read MorePutting together The E-Design Experience was not something I took lightly. It was a beta launch, yes, but I knew I wanted this to lead to bigger, better, and more beautiful opportunities & so I jumped all in! Now that a launch is in the books, I can truly say I’ve learned a lot up to this point.
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When I moved into my Hell’s Kitchen studio nearly 7 years ago, I had no hesitations — large kitchen, washer/dryer, and an amazing view all equaled a no brainer. The square footage didn’t matter to me because it was just me. Then I met my now husband. THEN we had a baby. Suddenly my perfect bachelorette studio started to resemble one of my many shoe boxes. In hindsight, it was great, and I'm glad we didn't immediately move!
Read MoreI’ve never had clients question this — they’re hiring me for a conceptual design, the ability to see their space in a way that they can’t, to pull all the pieces together, and to provide them with the tools to execute their dreamscape. And yet this is a question I often get from other designers — why do I only do conceptual designs?
Read MoreMemorial Day is around the corner which means summer is basically here! Right on time too, because thankfully most of the country is officially out of that weird winter/spring limbo we were having back in March & April.
Read MoreAs I got ready to makeover our balcony for the One Room Challenge I did quite a bit of shopping from some of my fav retailers. So let's go over everything I bought so you can hopefully get inspired to create some indoor/outdoor Hygge in your home for the warmer months!
Read MoreI hereby declare this to be Tropical Hygge! You heard it here first...you're welcome! Aside from finally having our balcony in it's best state since we've moved in, making it a space where we can leisurely hang out & enjoy the outdoors, what I'm most proud of is that despite the limitations that come with renting, I knew I could transform this boring balcony into a super dope outdoor sanctuary. While there were some things I wish I could've done, I couldn't be happier with our new outdoor Hygge space.
Read MoreI was blessed & honored to be invited to be a speaker on the E-Design panel at High Point Spring Market (#HPMKT). Not only did I get to speak on something I love alongside women I admire, but I also got to meet with the founder of #thedesignnetwork & co-owner of the WORLD's largest furniture store, #furniturelandsouth. I left this MASSIVE furniture campus feeling more than inspired, so I hope it does the same for you!
Read MoreYou’ve seen the before tour. You’ve seem my inspiration board, design plans, & digital renders. This week I’ll be sharing with you my shopping!
I do have a few items that I’m still deliberating on but didn’t wanna hold up the design while I work through my indecisiveness. Plus it’s not like they’ll make or break the final transformation.
Read MoreSo now that we're in the second week of the One Room Challenge, while I already had my vision in place, this was when I really get deep into planning the space & making my concept more tangible.
Read MoreI am both excited & anxious because never have an ever participated in the One Room Challenge! To be honest, every time it came across my radar I would think to myself, "One day I'd love to do that!" REALLY thinking, "One day when I own a house I'd love to do that."
While you can't knock down walls or swap out fixtures, there is a lot you can do to makeover your rental, transforming it into something that is uniquely you!
So when this One Room Challenge came around I said that there is absolutely no reason I can't participate!
I was already prepping to do different refreshes throughout our condo, with the balcony being my main focus for the spring, so that we could truly take advantage of having this outdoor area.
While I don't know that I'll be able to do everything I'd like, I think I've set some pretty attainable goals & I am excited for the next 6 weeks!
Read MoreAs I continue to refresh my home for the Spring season -- new season, new beginnings -- in addition to assessing our needs, I started to take stock in just some basic decor essentials that we needed, specifically for the Spring season.
A huge design priority of mine is the balcony, specifically, investing in creating an space where we can relax and enjoy both indoor & outdoor living. I want inside the apartment to feel connected to the outdoors, creating a calm Hygge atmosphere; while I want outside to be an extension of our home -- Hygge inspired, cozy, and inviting.
Read MoreIt's officially Spring & I am totes in the spirit of the season!
As you know, our condo has a very warm aesthetic -- the primary living areas are a deep beige tone -- which is the complete opposite of my husband & I's aesthetic. Since we prefer cool, light, bright, and airy, I rely HEAVILY on decor styling to balance out the overall warm tone of the space.
I decided to introduce into the space lighter tones in the tablescaping & surrounding decor, as well as incorporating more natural accents to create a Hygge inspired springtime look.
Spring Is In The Air!! And I am here for all of it because while I've ALWAYS been a big fan of Spring, something about it this year is almost contagious -- all I want to do is go for walks, lighten up my decor, and immerse myself in all things Spring related. Being that my coffee corner is a HUGE part of my days, naturally, it was going to get a Sring makeover! Using a bit of what I got from my previous shopping hauls, I took to transitioning my coffee corner into the new season!
Read MoreWe’re back today for another haul from one of my favs: H&M Home! There’s lots of pink, lots of pillow covers, and lots of Hygge.
This haul def shows what I consider to be more spring Hygge — lots of cozy textures and natural elements, punctuated by soft tones perfect for spring!
We’re so conditioned to think Hygge is synonymous with winter, but that’s not the case.
While there's an obvious correlation between the two, many elements of Hygge living can be carried into spring!
I want to make sure my Hygge living transcends seasons & in addition to actual lifestyle hacks, purposeful decor is part of that transition.
In this haul, featuring items from Amazon, Joss & Main, and Target, I was very intentional about choosing items that illustrating Hygge decor -- textural and natural elements for a cozy, blissful home.
Check out some of my fav Hygge decor finds for the Spring season!
About a year ago, we bought this nightstand/side table from IKEA -- the Nesna -- with the sole intention of using it as our outdoor side table.
Unfortunately, within the past year, I can count on one hand how many times we cleaned the table *hangs head in shame* or really tended to it at all. It stayed pretty neglected and it was definitely starting to show.
With some grey wood stain and frosted contact paper, I was able to transform this table into something that could still be useful in our home.
Once I'm done tackling the bathroom, I cannot wait to turn my attention to the balcony, new table & all!
Good (and effective) design isn't always about buying the latest & greatest, but instead assessing your needs & taking inventory of what you already have.
I'm back in the bathroom!
In my last refresh update, I shared how I used stylish storage solutions, budget-friendly DIY, and creative design to transform my boring, beige bathroom into something more spa-like, tranquil, and Hygge inspired.
I felt great to see that transformation start to take shape but here's the thing:
THE BATHROOM WAS STILL BEIGE!
I was totally in love with the updates, especially considering how pragmatic & affordable they were, but I knew there was something I needed to tackle or I'd never be satisfied -- THE WALLS!